Walter Bagehot: “It was only when she had conquered Italy that she began to measure…”

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It was only when she had conquered Italy that she began to measure herself against Asiatic despotisms.

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Walter Bagehot

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Bagehot notes that Rome only began to confront Asian powers after securing dominance in Italy.

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Walter Bagehot: “It was only when she had conquered Italy that she began to measure herself against Asiatic despotisms.”