Similarities Between Ancient Rome And Ancient America

1155 Words3 Pages

Ancient Rome was an important and prominent republic, later empire, in the ancient world. Even though Ancient Rome fell nearly 2,000 years ago, countries and people are still influenced by the Romans today. Ancient Rome influenced modern civilizations with their inventions - such as aqueducts and sewage systems, but the main way that Rome influenced the modern world was their way of governing the people and the land they had. Look at the United States of America, the founding fathers based the country on the early Roman Republic. There are many similarities between Ancient Rome and the modern United States of America, but there are also differences. The Roman republic was founded by the overthrowing of the last Roman king, Lucius Tarquinius …show more content…

Both civilizations were hugely powerful - their power consists of military might, and also the ‘soft power’ of diverse language, culture, commerce, technology, and ideas. Their citizens tend to have an exaggerated sense of their own presence in the world and its ability to act alone. America and Rome created significant universal structures - administrative, economic, cultural, and their military structures - that the world, including their citizens, had taken for granted. America is even starting to show some of Ancient Rome’s failings; reduction of military reduction and continental boundaries becoming a permeable barrier. Though Rome’s military decline was because the Roman mobs no longer felt like a commitment to the military was worth the supposed benefits, and the US 's decline is by the presidential administration. There are also similarities in the wealth of the societies. In both, having a government position was a road to wealth - the pay was good and you become a prominent member of society. The middle class has some issues in both places - in Rome the middle class was crushed before the fall of Rome due to cheap slave and oversea labour. The same thing is happening in the United States of America. The reason the middle class was crushed in Rome is because the majority of the middle class worked on farms, but these farms were bought by wealthy higher class citizens who would farm the lands cheaply with slaves. This greatly increased the numbers of the Roman mob, and made them have to look for other work, or be drafted into the military. Currently in the United States, big corporations are buying out family farms so they can farm it with labour workers who don’t require as high of pay. Culturally, Ancient Rome and the United States are similar too. The desired body type is slim and athletic in the ancient and modern world. In both societies, people get amusement from violence.

More about Similarities Between Ancient Rome And Ancient America

Open Document