Letter to Lucius

Ryan Otto

World History 1

Ms. Mitchell

May 5, 2014

Letter to Lucius

Dear Lucius, 

     After visiting Rome, I have found myself seriously debating whether to move there. With the direction the United States is heading in, Ancient Rome doesn't look like such a bad option. For one thing I like the idea of living in the city. Right now I'm living in Boulder, which although nice, doesn't have the urban feel which I'm looking for. I also like the idea of having indentured servants to look after my every need. Right now I have to eat without any help. Here in the U.S., people's wealth is represented by where they live and what kind of car they drive, rather than their bath or their slaves. The educational system there might take a bit of getting used to, but how hard cam learning Latin and Greek really be? On that note, I'm not really sure how I would do with the whole teaching my kids how to fight and swim thing. Is there any way I could get around that? Maybe like pay a coach or something? Another thing which attracts me is the life expectancy in your empire. As an introvert I'm not so big on people, and that goes double for children. I must admit that there is something rather alluring in the thought of having half the kids I know and probably dislike drop dead before the age of fifteen. Another thing that Rome has over the U.S. is the whole coming of age at fifteen deal you guys have going on. The age restrictions here can be a major inconvenience, especially when a cop pulls you over and confiscates your fake id. You wouldn't believe how common that is here. But I digress. I must say I'm not too keen on your empire's position on marriage. Here in the U.S. it is far more common for people to choose their own spouse as opposed to having a marriage arranged for them by their parents. The military on the other hand is something I could really get behind. In fact, the military aspect of life might not be so different than it is here in America. You know, other than the bit where a seventeen-year-old with no previous training is qualified to lead a legion into battle simply because of his socio-economic status. The baths probably wouldn't be so bad either. Where I live baths are less of an affair. In fact, most people prefer to simply get in the shower. But something about getting a massage after a long soak appeals to me. As long as I can get used to wearing a tunic instead of a T-shirt and hoodie, adjusting should be easy. If I do decide to move to Rome, I'll be sure to look you up. Until then, vale.

Post Script: Tell your brother congrats on his coming of age ceremony.