[Restorer]

No, the Roman Empire (and the Republic before it) as well as the Greek Athenian republic were not perfect - not by a long shot. But they WERE better than the tribal warfare survival-of-the-fittest fudalism that prevailed before and after Rome.

Lots of people would have disagreed with you. In the Middle Ages, an opponent of the local ruler, or even sometimes a person who had fallen into his disfavor, had only to flee across the nearest border and he could gain freedom and even allies to revenge himself.

Under the Empire, there was nowhere to flee for those who were out of favor of the Emperor. In essence, the Empire was a political monopoly, feudalism had some features in common with free-market economies.

Feudal societies are not usually very progressive, but they are also inherently sloppy in their opporession. This sloppiness allowed for many people to lead a relatively free existence, as compared to a modern totalitarian society.

[clee1]

Hmmm, I find myself agreeing with parts of your premise. The only gripe is that most of those fleeing a feudal empire usually were caught in the same social class in the new feudal area. They were still trapped in a substandard (for the times) existance.