The State which maintained itself in unbroken continuity throughout the vicissitudes of more than a thousand years is proverbial for its conservative spirit.

罗马帝国在长达一千多年内，经历各种盛衰荣枯，始终屹立不倒，保持了惊人的统一性，一般公认为是由于帝国的保守主义精神。