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This is a distorted quotation from the medieval Latin poem “De contemptu mundi” (“On contempt for the World”) by the monk Bernard of Morlaine of Cluny. A more complete quote in the translation by D. Silvestrov:
“Where is the Babylonian kingdom of the universe, where are the powerful of the world
Diversity, where is the greatness of Darius and Cyrus today?
The stone will roll, the glory will be spent: they didn't survive
Knights ascended; chosen by fate-now decayed.
Where is the Curia now, the processions of Julius? The light of the Senate,
Caesar the illustrious, abandoned by all, has fallen without return.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Where is Maria now, also Fabricia the unsullied
Glorious deeds? St. Paul's Emilia death where is blissful?
Where is the accusing voice of Cicero, calling to heaven?
Citizens gathering, rebellion fighting anger where is Cato?
Where is the valor of Regulus? Remus or Romulus? What happened to them?
Rose is not the same as before: we only have an empty name left.”
What does the rose have to do with it? Judging by the earliest lists of the poem, this is a fixed error. The original was “Roma”,”Rome”. That is, this is the conclusion of the author's idea that earthly glory is fragile, and that even from the great ancient Rome we have only empty names and titles. For a Christian, the point here is to collect spiritual treasures in heaven, not to pursue riches and glory on Earth, since even grandiose empires are doomed to decay.�
On the contrary, the writer may see here a reason for pride – empires disappear, but words and knowledge remain, passed down from generation to generation and preserving their ancestors and their achievements in people's minds. Ancient Rome is no more, but it lives on in our imagination thanks to great historians and writers.
I think Umberto Eco meant both things. Again, for postmodernism, the idea of an “empty word” is important, in which everyone puts their own unique meaning.