John Nagl
Trier—” Augusta Treverorum”, as the Romans called it, or “The Rome of the North”, as historians call it today—is one of the most interesting places to evaluate the role of the United States in the world, and to question the future of the world it created in the wake of the Second World War.
A little history first. Augusta Treverorum was the capitol of Belgian Gaul (“omni Gallia divisa in tres partes”, per Julius Caesar) and was a city of some note during the Roman Empire, with as many as 100,000 inhabitants. One of the eight city gates, the “Porta Nigra”, still stands, as do the remnants of two large public baths and a coliseum that seated 20,000 for gladiatorial contests. Frescos and mosaics preserved in the city museum depict a flourishing culture that centered on sports and wine, at least for the people who could afford frescoes and mosaics.
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