Have you ever heard the phrase “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”? As humans, we are constantly observing those around us in the world and mimicking a variety of things that we admire about them. For instance, you may pass by someone on the street who is wearing a dress and a denim jacket. Such an ensemble may be appealing to you and, as a result, it is highly likely that you will remember their outfit and wear or purchase something similar at some point in the near future. When diving into why mirroring is such an instinctual behavior, the article “The Surprising Truth About Why We Tend To Imitate Others” points to history as one factor. According to the author, Josh Felise, we often replicate behaviors and things we see others do as a result of humankind’s original task of establishing behavior that was “socially acceptable.” One example given by Felise in this article is the creation of how to act around those in a position of higher authority than oneself. Because the world works with a sort of “survival of the fittest” mentality, human beings have a tendency to mimic those who are more successful, whether it be physically or intellectually, as a means of honoring those who are viewed as superior in the world. However, the strategies of the Ancient Romans when building their empire cause one to question whether imitation is always done with the purest of intentions.
Clearly, since mirroring is a fundamental human characteristic, it is no surprise that the Ancient Romans adopted various aspects of the civilizations they conquered into their own empire. In fact, in Professor Zissos’ lecture at the University of California, Irvine, he spent an abundance of time explaining his personal interpretation of the term “Empire.” Whilst defining this term, one point made by Zissos was that empires have “no necessary cultural hierarchy.” Although this can be slightly misleading considering the Romans imposed their technology on the conquered the majority of the time, what Zissos was truly referencing is the fact that it was not uncommon for the Romans to adopt new cultures into their own when overtaking civilizations that were more advanced than their own in some ways. A prime example of such a move by the Romans is their encounter with the Greeks. Despite the fact that the Romans defeated the Greek Achaean League in 146 BCE, Greek culture had a major influence on the Roman Empire in many areas, especially the arts.
Roman copy of Greek original by Kephisodotos
In fact, many Roman sculptures are exact copies of Greek statues or are a combination of Greek figures, yet completed with a Roman portrait head. Thus, even in the ancient empire of Rome, imitation was a key part of their culture. However, unlike Felise’s claim that replicating the characteristics of one’s peers is a form of respect and honor, the Romans used mirroring as a strategic move to gain power and strengthen their own empire. The reason for this was Rome’s desire to reap the benefits from the peoples they conquered and add them to the Roman Empire rather than let such things go to waste. This is clearly demonstrated in Claudius’ address to the Senate in Tacitus’ Annals in which Claudius proclaims, “let them bring us their gold and their wealth rather than enjoy it in isolation,” in regards to integrating foreign elites into the Roman senate. Undoubtedly, the Romans saw the adoption of other cultures as an opportunity for their empire to be improved and therefore took full advantage of it.
We’ve now established that the empires in ancient times used mimicking tactics as a power move; however, now I would like to touch on how imitation is still relevant in modern day social media empires. As social media sites such as Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram continue to grow in popularity, each of these individual platforms is beginning to imitate one another, resulting in numerous similar features. Just a few examples include: photo and face filters; limited-time “stories”; and direct, private messaging systems. Undeniably, each of these social networks can be considered its own empire and is therefore, through mimicry, attempting to come out on top.
At last, the only question that we are left with now is, “Will the same strategy used by Rome centuries ago still be effective in the modern era and if so, who will come out as the Romans of the Web?”
Works Cited
The Complete Works of Tacitus. Translated by Alfred John Church. New York, Random House, Inc. Random House, Inc. reprinted 1942. With modifications and added notes (A. Z.).
Zissos, Andrew. “Empires and Ruins.” Humanities Core Lecture, 11 October, 2018. University of California, Irvine. Lecture.
Empire and Social Interaction 
Leave a comment