I know I said I wouldn't be posting more US-as-Rome stuff, but this one's interesting (I thought I had posted something similar before, but can't find it right now)... an excerpt from the Houston Chronicle:

The Roman coins, replicas of currency used during the 4th century, jingle in Rep. John Culberson's pocket — a tangible reminder to him of how a powerful empire can sow the seeds of its own downfall.

The Houston Republican believes the demise of the Roman Empire holds important lessons for the United States, particularly when it comes to securing its borders.

So Culberson has a plastic bag full of copies of coins minted during the reign of Valens, the Roman emperor who allowed the Visigoths to cross the Danube and settle in imperial territory. Exploited and mistreated, the Goths rebelled against Roman rule and defeated Valens at the battle of Adrianople in 378, setting the empire on course toward its eclipse.

While Culberson didn't equate illegal immigrants with the Goths, he believes the Southwest border is dangerously porous and posing a threat to national security. To drive home his point, he intends to share the coins with like-minded House members and explain what he sees as their historical significance

"I am deeply concerned that Homeland Security's failure to secure our border coupled with a looming debt crisis ... could collapse the United States as we know it," the four-term veteran said recently.