Title: What the Romans Have Done for Us - TV Tropes
Headings: What the Romans Have Done for Us
What the Romans Have Done for Us
Examples

Content: Oh, peace? SHUT UP! — Monty Python's Life of Brian
Many tyrants and invaders will claim they make life better for their conquered subjects. Depending on the system of government they set up, the success of their Propaganda Machine and the unpopularity of the previous regime, this might actually be true. The most devoted revolutionaries and dedicated independence enthusiasts will usually argue against restoring the old regime entirely. The more lucid and sober of this group of zealots will even concede that in some ways life was even worse before the tyrant took power. Advertisement: Most frequently, this perspective or discussion is presented early in the first act when the setting is being defined and the stage set, either as the illusion that most of the people being oppressed are under (later revealed to be a false impression after a lot of Kick the Dog) or sometimes as a genuine explanation as to why the locals have put up with the Evil Empire prior to the events of the plot in the first place. This is an extremely common justification for the feudal or despotic nature of civilizations in works set After the End. It also shows up in some Historical Fiction and fantasy to explain and justify feudalism.