Thanks!
It's GOOD to have a librarian on this site! Looks like a very informative link, and I will read it when I'm not so rushed (going to take my family to "Spirited Away," tonight, another Miyazaki masterpiece). I suspect that the parallels between Rome and the U.S. are not as many as we think. Sort of apples and oranges. But I'll wait and see. Also bookmarked the table of contents for this very useful history site. I do not think my knowledge of history is what it should be, and every concise reference I can find is important.