The Romans welcomed migrants with open arms

The kind of arguments raging about migrants crossing the Channel to enter Britain illegally never raged in the Ancient Roman world. The reason is quite simple: borders, in as much as they existed, weren’t controlled. Romans did their best to negotiate entry and settlement for armed tribal groups, many of whom they welcomed into the army. Otherwise, individuals and families came and went as they liked. The point is that newcomers were essential — they kept numbers up (Rome required about 10,000 immigrants a year net, not including slaves) and were not a ‘drain on the economy’ because the welfare state did not exist. If they could not carve out a living for themselves, no one would do it for them.

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Sam Leith

The ‘goodies and baddies’ era of world politics is over

In Rome itself, two professions were actively welcomed — doctors and teachers, the latter because the purpose of education was practical: to prepare the elite for success in law and politics by inculcating the art of persuasion.