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Ah Ah!
Not bad, JadziaKathryn!
You clearly demonstrate that a clever mind can explain everything. Well! Almost everything.

The thing is, the Romulans bear such a strong resemblance that it can't be passed off as just translation. I've theorized that the Romulans visited an ancient Earth as well, because their exodus would've been at about the same time as the Roman's hay-day. Add to that the fact that there are lines seen in the background of Mt. Seleya which bear a strong resemblance to the Nazca lines, which suggests that the Vulcans visited ancient Earth, and there's some circumstantial evidence suggesting that the Vulcans could have been the Romulan outcasts.

So, Earth would have influenced Vulcan in many ways, with the extorted satisfaction of those who fight against this truth.
Also T'Pol at first, I think.

Romulans visiting Earth isn't my favorite concept either and translation seems to work for me too. Remember it's not just ancient Rome, it's also communist China and Russia. They talk alot about the "Continuing Committee" which smacks of Maoism or Stalinist influences. They're just tolitarian assholes really.

Still the theories put foreward also suffice since we know Earth has had visitors before in Star Trek. Perhaps the Romans got influenced by the Romulans. Maybe that's the actual founding of Rome right there.

I think we can simply blame the Romulan similarity to ancient Rome on lazy-ass television writing and just try to move on. It's like they knew they couldn't call them Russialans, the usual stereotypical TV bad guy of that era, so they arrived at -- ah hah! --ROMulans. Ooh, that will automatically sound scary and militaristic. Yep, no need to develop characters or a society now, it's all done for ya the minute you call someone a centurian. Easy to give direction to the production staff too. Maybe you can even recycle props the studio already has lying around... Trying to justify the inherent logic of it is a losing proposition.

Alelou wrote: Trying to justify the inherent logic of it is a losing proposition.

This sounds like Vulcan propoganda. Please remain where you are citizen so that the Praetorian guards may take you to be reeducated.

I think the Romulans started the war with Earth because in their view Humans interfered with the plans Romulus had for reunification with Vulcan. As shown in the Vulcan arc on ENT, it was the Humans who helped reveal the Kir'Shara and had the pro-Romulan leaders (V'Las) deposed. So they wanted to destroy that influence and the emerging Coalition of Planets that would be a further hindrance towards a reunification. They also probably thought that the Earth Starfleet was too weak. The Romulans didn't want an all out war with their Vulcan brethren because a feeling of kinship.

I also think that some Vulcan and Earth leaders knew about the Romulan/Vulcan connection, but decided it wouldn't be prudent to reveal that if they wanted more allies on board. And Humans feelings for Vulcan weren't that great to begin with.

I imagine that other allies, like Andorians and Tellarites, would help Earth, but only in the last half of the war (it is called the Earth/Romulan War after all). I can also imagine that some Earth representative (Archer? Section 31?) would "blackmail" the Vulcans for help - "You aid us or we reveal who the Romulans are!" This help at a crucial moment is perhaps what facilitated the victory at the battle of Cheron.

In the end, the Romulans' defeat is even greater since the war is what makes the Federation possible. The CoP had failed, and Earth had no real help from it. Only later did we manage to convince the Andorians and Tellarites to join the fight, probably after some Romulan attacks on their territories and/or ships, and they realized they might be next in line to be swallowed up by an expanding Romulan Empire.

thecursor wrote:

Alelou wrote: Trying to justify the inherent logic of it is a losing proposition.

This sounds like Vulcan propoganda. Please remain where you are citizen so that the Praetorian guards may take you to be reeducated.