America as the New Rome
In World Cultures my freshman year, we learned about the zeitgeist theory. This theory says that as a culture passes from the dominant world culture to a subsidiary culture, they pass on their knowledge and glory to their successor. Zeitgeist is actually a German term, meaning “time ghost,” signifying that the ghost, or soul, of a culture is passed through time. Currently, America is the dominant culture in the world, and more and more we are noticing the soul of Rome popping up in our day to day lives.
To get to the root of this phenomenon, we should look at our roots; the way in which this country was founded. Pilgrims left their homelands in search of a free land, one where they could escape the rule of kings. In time, the colonies of England did indeed break free of the rule of England. They set up a democracy and in time sought to conquer the western three-quarters of the country. This is clearly similar to Rome. Rome started as a tiny city in Italy and in time teamed up with their neighbors, much like the initial loose union of states in the United States. After a time, the Romans got their lust for more, and began to spread. Spread they did, and their wrath was felt throughout the Mediterranean lands, and their word was law.
This did not come overnight though. The Romans had to prove themselves worthy of the supreme nation on Earth. They did so by defeating Carthage in the Punic wars. The Punic wars are often described as the World Wars of the early world. The first Punic war was the real test of Rome, their first big victory that opened the world’s eyes to the power of the nation. It was their first naval victory and it was against the greatest navy on earth. Much like the firs...
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...milarities to Rome, will slowly dissipate like Rome, as opposed to going out with a bang like the French. They say America will become too concerned with foreign affairs and will slowly start to disintigrate from the inside. Some even say that a thousand years from now history books will describe the late twentieth century as the beginning of the demise of America. The fall of Rome happened in a time when the economy was in a boom and people started losing respect for the people in power, just like lately with our stock markets booming and our president caught in a sex scandal. Many experts believe that there will be no or little bloodshed in the fall of the States, that some world power like China will simply nose their way into the world economy, slowly overtake the US, and just let America dwindle away on its own, and perhaps become the next Rome in doing so.
The Roman Republic can be seen as a template for how the United States Government was formed, and still to this day consists of. The First influence that the Romans had on our government was their idea for a republic. They, our country as well, wanted their people to have a vote on who would represent them in government. The U.S. representative type of government was influenced by this. Today we vote for the people representing us in our Senate, House of Representatives, and our President. One of the main influences that the Ancient Romans had on the U.S. Government was the idea of the division of power. Today we have executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. The Ancient Romans had a very similar set-up. In Rome when organizing a government, there were many different styles between monarchies, the Senate that was the aristocracy, and the voice of democracy in the people. These acted as their different branches of government. As the U.S Government has an executive branch which consists of our President and Vice President, the Romans had counsels which acted as executive leaders for a year, and controlled the military (“The Roman Republic”). The Ancient Romans also obtained a Senate, similar to our government. In Rome, it was 300 members of the wealthy and self-serving. Today, there are career senators, and elite men in society. This is the legislative branch of our government that has been derived from the Ancient Romans. Also within the legislative branch of the Romans, they had numerous assemblies like that of the U.S. Government’s House of Representatives, based on where each member lives. Our judicial branch was based off of the Roman’s Praeto...
In ancient times, there was a country of stupendous power and might. A nation which amassed a military like no other, grew an economy so strong that it seemed everlasting, and established a government that stood for its people. It appeared that this was the country to set an example for all countries that followed. It was the behemoth of prosperity. It was the great Roman Empire. It seemed as though this country’s reign would never end, but this was far from the truth. For with great prosperity came a dreadful plummet and eventually collapse. This was the unfortunate fate of all powerful nations, including that of, dare it be said, the United States of America. The all powerful and unbeatable nation which reigned its dominant influence over the entire world. Surely, it could never have fallen. However, that statement would be considered nonsensical if directed toward the once almighty and all powerful Roman Empire. Thus, it could not be stated for the “Great Experiment” (USA). Which was why the comparison between the two, very similar, superpowers was logical. Clearly, the Roman Empire which had striking parallels to the United States was a foreshadowing of America’s fate: Inevitable collapse. Both superpowers had vastly similar economics, foreign influence, and government, of which, Rome had experienced an unfortunate decline. Thus, comparisons could be made between how Rome and America rose to power, began to lose their power, and eventually, how Rome fell and how America might have fallen.
... the fall of Rome should be a warning to the United States. In addition, because the domination of the USA happened much faster than Rome, arguably the fall may be much more swift as well.
Today, the United States is the fifth largest country in the world, with over 294 Embassies and Consulates around the world our influence is quite significant. Ancient Rome contained about 20% of the world’s population of the time; it is remembered as the greatest empire in history, with ties all over the eastern hemisphere from Britain, to Egypt, to all the way to China. Ancient Rome as we know contributed significantly to modern society and is not without influence on us here in the United States. Rome’s influences included aspects ranging from their public benefits, to their use of glass, to their use of concrete, to their administration system. But, there are three influences of Ancient Rome that still reverberate through time and still have an incredible impact in our society. The first influence that Rome gave us would be their form of government, specifically their Republic Era that lasted nearly five hundred years. Ancient Rome also gifted us with the idea of benefits for those who can’t provide for themselves. Furthermore, from Ancient Rome we got the idea of providing public services that are funded with tax dollars.
...definitely change over time, both positively and negatively, but eventually I believe the U.S government’s total structure will change! I think, many years from now, our government will have the same fate as the Roman Republic. I do expect the U.S government will last for hundreds more years, but it will probably, eventually collapse, due to many reasons. In conclusion, Without the Roman Republic, the United State’s government, might not have the structure and organization it has today!
The Roman Republic had an upstanding infrastructure, a stable social system, and a balanced constitution that solidified Rome’s greatness. Regardless of its achievements, however, the Roman Republic owes much of its success to classical Greek cultures. These cultures, in conjunction with the fundamental values of Roman society, certified Rome as one of the most significant powers the world has ever seen.
Whether it is war, the church, or influential contact Rome has made a huge impact on western civilization. From its strong followers trying to recreate the Republic, to lasting impressions imposed on its conquered lands, Rome has sent its culture and heritage throughout the entire globe. Even though Rome its self only lasted one thousand years its presence is still felt today. Rome in the eyes of the world never actually died, but was born over and over, and still remains standing to this day in one form or another. The mighty Roman Empire is and forever will be the rock of hope, advancement, and pure culture that holds this world together.
Rome was one of the greatest empires of the ancient world. The early Roman state was founded in 509 B.C. after the Romans drove out the hated Etruscan king. By this time Rome had already grown from a cluster of small villages to a small city. Little did the settlers know that this was the beginning of one of the greatest and largest empires ever known.
History has proven that every great empire has eventually collapsed and comparing the United States to the Russians and Ottomans should show that the United States is far from a decline. The Ottomans declined due to the failure to modernize with their European opponents and the Russians declined after the people came together to establish a constitutional form of government. The United States would not fail for those same reasons, at least not for another couple of centuries. Over the past hundred years the United States have been tested numerous times through similar situations that caused previous empires to fall and the United States has prevailed and grown stronger because of those hardships. The United States is a rising empire and should take the history of declining empires into consideration for every major decision that is made to prevent a possible decline in the
What makes a country or empire so powerful? Is it a leader, the military, or even the people? These all do. They make a certain connection due to the success of an empire. You can they’re the “Three Musketeers” of one. The old Roman Empire and the United States have that connection. Both were in great power, had prosperity, and were strong in their own unique ways. But what if the United States falls dramatically—just like the Roman Empire did in 476 AD? What would we do? This fall would not be based on mythical angry gods, but our decisions in life today. The political, military, economic, and social judgments we make present day—believe it or not—are based on our future consequences.
WWII has a ripple effect across the globe causing changes both internationally and domestically. Internationally, The sun finally began to set over the British Empire with the majority of her majesties colonial possessions gaining independence in the years following the war. Britain’s stage left exit from its hegemonic role resulted in the start of a new “Great Game” between two burgeoning superpowers. A new world order began to take shape with the United States and USSR vying to establish their own hegemony.
The Roman Republic began in 509 B.C.E. with the overthrow of the Etruscan monarchy. In 27 B.C.E the Roman Empire began with Octavian Caesar becoming the emperor, this ended almost 500 years of republican self-government. There is much debate over why Rome became so powerful so quickly. Many think it had to do with Rome’s military strength. Others think that it was because Rome knew of and controlled most of the trade routes. Still others believed it had to do with the technology that was advanced during the Roman Republic. All of these factors played significant roles, but which one played the most important role?
The Ancient Roman citizens in 50 BC had more rights than the American citizens in 1790. The Roman society in 50 BC was a republic which was controlled by the senate, but the patricians also played a major role in the government. However, the American government in 1790 was set up as a democracy, with a new constitution. The Roman society gave all of its citizen’s legal rights, including women. Not only did Rome give the Romans legal rights, there was also better social mobility and wealth distribution. While, in America there were many needless requirements in order for its citizens to take part in government. Both countries had slaves, but they used them for much different purposes.
Often depicted as a melting pot, America is always being put on a pedestal by the rest of the world due to the large amounts of successful immigrants in the United States. Millions of people have packed their bags and moved to America in hopes of achieving their dreams. While some succeed, others fail and are let down by the dim reality that not everyone can achieve their goals. This essay will compare the poems, “Let America Be America Again” by Langston Hughes and “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus to exhibit my perspective on both works. Both poems portray people’s hopes that America will be great, however, due to the different eras and the authors’ backgrounds, the poems have different meanings. Lazarus’ poem was written in the early stages of America, as it describes her cheerful
Rome at its peak was one of the greatest empires in the history of the world. Rome had modest beginnings, in the 10th century BC. (Knight, H) Soon, however Rome was to become one of the largest empires of its time. However, when Rome hit its peak everything started to go wrong. Rome started to suffer both economically and socially. The economic crisis during the later parts of Rome’s existence was a major contributor to the decline of Rome. Socially, Rome started to fail socially with huge inequality and the increased use of slaves putting many out of work. (Knight, H) As well, there was sparks of conflict internally leading to countless civil wars between different political groups. (Knight, H) The political aspect of society was also a massive downfall for the romans. The emperors were chosen by violence, or by birth, so they weren’t always capable leaders. They started to get lazy and not work hard to solve the issues for the lower class. (Knight, H)