Do you envy the Romans and how they went about making their dreams a reality?

Yes...The Romans were great builders and it amazes me that the people they conquered never stopped to think "these guys are smart cookies, I should learn how they build that arch, that bridge, that road, that sewage system", instead the Saxons in England ended up heading into the dark ages like a bunch of muppets spending centuries with their thumb up their ars es. :)