The Rise and Fall of the Roman and Islamic Civilizations

Early Rome began like many other early civilizations. Sometime between 1,500 and 1,000 B.C.E. groups of warlike people, speaking a common language we refer to as Italic, began moving into the Italian peninsula from across the Adriatic Sean. One of these peoples was the Latins. By 800 B.C.E. the Latins established Seven Hills near the Tiber River. Around this same time the Etruscans moved into present day Italy. The Etruscans turned seven villages into the city of Rome ruled by a monarchy. 509 B.C.E. the Romans overthrew the Etruscan king replacing the monarchy with a republic, in which citizens elect representatives to govern.

During this time two social classes clashed for control; the patricians and the plebeians. The patricians were a wealthy upper class landowners and soldiers in the Roman army who had a monopoly of power and influence. Only those among its members could conduct state religious ceremonies, sit in the senate, or hold office. The plebeians consisted of small landowners, farmers, artisans and merchants. The government of the time was headed by two consuls who were selected from the patrician class. The duties of the consuls consisted of leading the army, heading religious activities and serving as judges. Another bastion of power was the senate, which was composed of 300 male members, mostly prominent patricians. Their duties were to carry out laws and orders of the consul and served as advisors to the consuls. After 450 B.C.E. the plebeians elected tribunes to protect them from arbitrary power if the magistrates and soon thereafter the distinction between plebeian and patricians were blurred. In 392 B.C.E. the Romans took Veii, more than doubling the size of Rome. In 387 B.C.E. the Gauls sacked Rome, but i...

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...They also translated many of the ancient Greek texts and many other books allowing for the wide spread distribution of books. Paper was also something that although was created in the East flourished in Baghdad and it being a cultural hub allowed it to spread even further faster. Arabs taught Western farmers how to irrigate fields and Western artisans how to tan leather and refine silk. The works of Al-Razi were used by gynecologists and mid wives well into the sixteenth century, also Ibn-Sina and Ibn-Rushd contributed in the area of philosophy. It also just amazes me that while this is all going on Europe is still in its dark ages. That is not to say that we are not influence by Roman civilization for that is where we get our governmental system, but I think that Islam allowed for the continuation and spread of knowledge that would have otherwise been forgotten.