What was the best time, and place,to be alive?

摘要

Edward Gibbon, author of "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" (1776-89), didn't have much doubt. "If a man were called to fix the period...during which the condition of the human race was most happy and prosperous, he would, without hesitation, name that which elapsed from the death of Domitian to the accession of Commodus." This was the second century ad, when Rome's "five good emperors" brought a peace and stability that western Europe would, in Gibbon's view, never see again. But maybe it was an easier question then. Gibbon was white, smart and male. He could walk from one hierarchical society to another without a tremor. And barring gunpowder and the printing press, his world and Hadrian's were close enough. Gibbon could have swapped his breeches for a toga and barely noticed the difference. For us, the question needs more thought. Anyone who prefers their operations under anaesthetic might choose to live now. We can balance that by hypothetically awarding ourselves good health, but it's harder to level the field when it comes to gender. Not many Western women, however unhappy with their lot, would opt for long skirts, tight corsets and a general assumption that they are stupid. The same may apply to anyone in the poorer three-quarters of society. Transport most of us to ancient Rome and we'll find ourselves in a poorhouse or slave barracks . To give our question a chance, we must assume that we can do our time travel, if not first-class, then in premium economy, switching genders if we feel like it, to land somewhere fairly comfortable.