The Romans conquered but they brought order and prosperity. Most of the native population eventually adapted to the new realities, transformed and prospered. When you analyze what has happened in Israel over the pst eighty years, in many ways a similar transformation however slowly is occuring.
Yup. Living under Roman rule turned out to be pretty great. But after generations, the locals didn’t know how to fend for and/or defend themselves. OTOH, the last gasp of the Roman Empire ended in 1453 (fall of Constantinople).
39 years later Columbus set sail.