Ok, perhaps a better measure of distance is 'settledness' and patterns of life. Sure, Phoenicians spoke a very different language, but they were farmers and city folk, like the Romans, right? To be fair, those Germanic-language speakers? Also farmers. But still no dice. 17/

Because nomadic, non-state or semi-settled peoples turned out to make pretty good Romans too. Marcus Cornelius Fronto (c. 100-160AD), who was consul of Rome in 142 and the tutor of Marcus Aurelius describes himself as, "a Libyan of the Libyan nomads." (Epist. Graec. 1.5). 18/