How were poor people who were born in Italy, but living in North Africa or elsewhere far away supposed to satisfy the law? They couldn't afford to travel back to their birth city. The Romans weren't so politically inept that they would attempt to require their subjects to do something this difficult when the goal (counting and taxing) could be satisfied by them remaining in whatever city they now lived. If the Romans had required it at the pain of death then either a significant percentage of the Empire would have been executed for inability to comply with the law or (more likely) someone more reasonable than Augustus would have lead the people in revolt.

Furthermore, you don't seem to appreciate how unpopular this would be in the U.S. People wouldn't just refuse to comply with the law, they would demand the resignation of the politicians foolish enough to try to do such a thing.

• Demanding isn't the same as receiving - gwynj - February 12, 2001 - 15:00 UTC