I WANT TO BE A ROMAN

[tlclark]

If one can go back with a time machine, there are basically two options:

The one is plunging fully into the life then, woving oneself into the spatiotemporal web, and becoming part of the past. In this case, given that you have managed to place yourself at an elevated place in society, you would almost certainly revolutionize the ancient world by your know how. Even modest knowledge of basic mechanical principles like the crane, crank, blast furnace, lugsail and the counterweight trebuchet would change the trajectory of world history radically. One would be the butterfly whose wing flaps would loose hurricanes on the path of humanity.

The other is, trying to become deeply involved with the acting and thinking of the people and society then, again probably by getting a high post in the imperial bureaucracy or as far trading merchant, BUT paying utmost attention to not influence the time by importing modern technologies or ways of thinking. Just like a laboratorian goes into a sealed chamber aseptically cleaned.

Then you would sit down and write the history of the time and people then in the most objective manner you can manage, bury the manuscripts in the sands of Egypt and wait 2000 years for some lucky archaeologists to unearth them. Such a way one could describe and analyze past history without changing the path itself. Definitely, if I happen to stumble over a time machine on my return from office, I would do this.

Farewell......... 8)

Actually, there is a science fiction story just like this, except he goes back in time to the age of the dinosaurs. He writes his story in mud deposits he knows will one day become shale.

Personally, I would live my life as I choose since I don't believe you can mess up the future. If you do change the timeline, you've just created a parallel universe, so no worries!

Travis