You don't need to be a Roman patriot to oppose the Persians.
That said, yes Romanization was real, but it impacted small population and it mostly suck in the Med, and did not spread to far into places like Britain. Making a connection between the Roman Empire and current Europe is quite a stretch. Much of the Empire was not even in current EU countries, Turkey, Egypt and all the richest parts.
Yes it did. Two times the British garrisons took matters into their own hands and hailed their own Augustus. The last time, they haieled Constantin III who went to Gaul to fight barbarians and then bargained recognition from the court in Ravenna as co-ruler. I think this shows that the Britons did see themselves as Romans and that they cared about the Empire as a whole.
>Much of the Empire was not even in current EU countries, Turkey, Egypt and all the richest parts
Sure, muslim countries are not children of the Roman Empire. The empire was, pretty much but not only, a container for hellenized mediterraneans, kind of what Islam rejects.
Their were Roman elites in Britain but culturally this influence completely vanished in a very short time after the empire broke. The Roman elite was extremely thin in Britain, only living in a view select spots.
> Sure, muslim countries are not children of the Roman Empire. The empire was, pretty much but not only, a container for hellenized mediterraneans, kind of what Islam rejects.
That is bullshit. The current muslim countries actually have a lot of Roman influence. First of all, the Eastern Empire had dealings with Muslims 1000 years after the west fell. Caliphate took over many of the Roman institutions when they took over North Africa and the Levant.
You can not compare current Islamists with Islam at that time.
>The current muslim countries actually have a lot of Roman influence
Like what? All I can think of is anti-roman influence. It's very hard to settle that in a short answer but I think Islam is almost the opossite of hellenism and "roman influence".
>First of all, the Eastern Empire had dealings with Muslims 1000 years after the west fell
The same dealings the Western Empire had with the Huns. We are not calling the Huns as heirs of the romans right? It was a hostile relationship from day 1.
That said, yes Romanization was real, but it impacted small population and it mostly suck in the Med, and did not spread to far into places like Britain. Making a connection between the Roman Empire and current Europe is quite a stretch. Much of the Empire was not even in current EU countries, Turkey, Egypt and all the richest parts.