John Cleese is red-faced, exasperated, and screaming at a room full of bearded revolutionaries. It is 1979. We are in a Tunisian film set, but the audience is firmly planted in first-century Judea. This single scene from Life of Brian—the "What have the Romans ever done for us?" bit—isn't just a funny sketch. Honestly, it’s a masterclass in political satire that has outlived the movie, outlived the 1970s, and somehow manages to trend on social media every time a government infrastructure project goes off the rails.
It’s iconic.
Reg, played by Cleese, is the leader of the People's Front of Judea (PFJ). He’s trying to incite a rebellion by painting the Roman occupiers as pure, unadulterated parasites. He asks a rhetorical question meant to spark outrage: "What have they ever given us in return?" The problem is his followers aren't quite on script. One by one, they start listing actual benefits. The aqueduct. Sanitation. Roads. Irrigation. Medicine. Education.
The joke works because it hits on a universal human hypocrisy. We love to hate the "system" while we’re literally drinking the clean water that the system provided. But there is a lot more to this scene than just a few laughs about Latin grammar or sandals.
The Complicated Reality Behind the Comedy
When Monty Python wrote the script for Life of Brian, they weren't just guessing at history. Terry Jones, one of the Pythons, was a legitimate medieval historian. He knew his stuff. The irony of the Monty Python what have the Romans done for us scene is that the list of Roman achievements is actually historically accurate, even if the delivery is absurd.
The Romans were obsessive about infrastructure. While the PFJ members are listing off "The Wine" and "Public Baths," they are highlighting the specific ways Rome maintained control: through "soft power" and amenities. If you give people a heated bath and a paved road to the market, they are significantly less likely to stab your centurions. Most of the time, anyway.
But let's talk about the friction. The scene captures the petty infighting of 1970s British left-wing politics. The Pythons were famously annoyed by the splintering of political groups like the International Marxist Group or the Workers' Revolutionary Party. In the movie, the People's Front of Judea hates the Judean People's Front more than they hate the Romans. It’s a perfect parody of how ideology often gets in the way of actual progress.
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"Splitters!"
That one word carries so much weight. It’s about the narcissism of small differences. You've probably seen this in your own life—people who agree on 95% of an issue but spend all their time fighting over the 5% they disagree on.
Why the "What Have the Romans Done for Us" Argument Still Works
If you go on X (formerly Twitter) or Reddit today, you’ll find people using this exact format to argue about everything from the European Union to the benefits of the internet. It’s a rhetorical trap.
The brilliance of the writing lies in the escalation. It starts with one thing—the aqueduct—and then becomes a torrent of civilizational perks.
- Sanitation (The Great Sewers)
- The Roads (Which literally connected the known world)
- Irrigation (Feeding a growing population)
- Public Order (The Pax Romana)
Reg’s final, desperate attempt to reclaim the narrative is what makes the scene legendary. He concedes everything except the core of his hatred. "All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?"
It’s the ultimate "moving the goalposts" moment.
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The Controversy That Almost Killed the Movie
You can't talk about this scene without mentioning that Life of Brian was nearly banned out of existence. It was funded by George Harrison—yes, the Beatle—because he simply "wanted to see the movie." He put up millions of dollars in what has been called "the world's most expensive cinema ticket."
Religious groups at the time were livid. They thought it was blasphemous. They didn't realize the movie wasn't making fun of Jesus (who appears briefly and is portrayed quite respectfully); it was making fun of the followers. It was poking fun at the people who can't think for themselves. The Monty Python what have the Romans done for us sequence is the peak of this. It shows a group of people so blinded by their "anti-Roman" brand that they can't acknowledge the literal floor they are standing on was built by the people they hate.
The film was banned in several towns in the UK and Ireland. In some places, it wasn't shown for decades. But that only made it more popular. It became a badge of honor to see it.
Examining the Historical Accuracy (For Real)
Did the Romans actually bring "Public Health"? Sort of.
The Romans didn't understand germ theory, but they understood that stinking water made people die. Their engineering was pragmatic. The aqueducts were marvels of gravity-fed technology. The "Wine" mentioned in the sketch was also a staple—it was often safer to drink watered-down wine than the local well water, which was frequently contaminated.
However, the "Public Order" part of the sketch is where the irony gets dark. The Romans brought order through extreme violence. The PFJ’s complaints about "oppression" were valid, even if their inability to recognize the plumbing was funny. This is the nuance that people often miss. The joke isn't that the Romans were "the good guys." The joke is that history is messy. You can be an oppressor and a great plumber at the same time.
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How to Use This Logic in Modern Debates
If you find yourself in a heated argument where someone is refusing to see any merit in an opposing view, referencing this sketch is a bit of a "nuclear option." It points out that the person is being intellectually dishonest.
But be careful.
Using the Monty Python what have the Romans done for us defense can also make you sound like a Roman apologist if you aren't careful. The trick is to use it to highlight the absurdity of absolute thinking. Life isn't a binary.
Take Action: Watching with New Eyes
If it’s been a few years since you’ve sat down with Life of Brian, go back and watch that specific scene. Look at the faces of the actors in the background. Look at Eric Idle’s casual delivery of "The Wine." Look at how Michael Palin’s character keeps piping up with helpful suggestions that undermine his own leader.
To truly appreciate the depth of this satire, consider these steps:
- Watch the "Oxford Union" debate from 1979 where John Cleese and Michael Palin defended the film against a bishop and a Christian commentator. It’s as funny as the movie itself and shows the intellectual heavy lifting behind the jokes.
- Compare the "PFJ" to modern political movements. You will see the same patterns of internal bickering and "splitting" that the Pythons were mocking 45 years ago.
- Read up on Roman Judea. Understanding the actual tension between the Roman governors (like Pontius Pilate) and the various Jewish factions adds a layer of grit to the comedy. The Zealots, the Sadducees, and the Pharisees were real groups that often disagreed as much as the movie suggests.
The lasting legacy of the Monty Python what have the Romans done for us moment is its reminder to stay skeptical—not just of the authorities, but of our own slogans. Comedy is at its best when it forces us to admit that the "enemy" might have actually paved a pretty decent road.