Teaching Vitruvius when a student denies Roman history

What is the most foolish question you have received from a student?

The answer resists calling questions stupid, then recalls students denying the Roman or British Empire, including one studying Vitruvius's architectural works.

The answer begins from the teaching principle that students should be able to ask questions without having them dismissed as stupid. One recalled student nevertheless insisted that the Roman Empire was a myth while studying Vitruvius. The response was that the architectural books still had to be learned because of their place in the engineering tradition being taught. A second anecdote concerns a student who denied that the British Empire existed. Both are presented as recollections of teaching encounters, illustrating how an objection to an entire historical framework can obstruct engagement with the material.