Interesting post! I like the picture you draw. But you should consider the possibility that it was not a Rome-unique factor, but the intersection of multiple things of which each one was true for multiple ancient states, but all of them only for Rome. In particular I have the impression that the subjects of the Persian empire were pretty happy with it and flourishing under its rule. To be clear, it was nothing like citizenship, because Persia was a kingdom and not a republican city-state. But between the investment model and the pillaging model that you mention, it was closer to the first. At some point, the Jews thought Cyrus was the Messiah! And in some ways, it’s not a surprise that the second-greatest empire of western antiquity had some things in common with the first.
Interesting post! I like the picture you draw. But you should consider the possibility that it was not a Rome-unique factor, but the intersection of multiple things of which each one was true for multiple ancient states, but all of them only for Rome. In particular I have the impression that the subjects of the Persian empire were pretty happy with it and flourishing under its rule. To be clear, it was nothing like citizenship, because Persia was a kingdom and not a republican city-state. But between the investment model and the pillaging model that you mention, it was closer to the first. At some point, the Jews thought Cyrus was the Messiah! And in some ways, it’s not a surprise that the second-greatest empire of western antiquity had some things in common with the first.