Pax Romana Essay

1285 Words3 Pages

The era of the Pax Romana – though still a period of time filled with civil war and conquests in an attempt to expand the empire – was an overall period of stability for Roman society. During this time the Roman people knew their Emperor was an unwavering political powerhouse with an ability to run the Empire efficiently. In addition to having an efficient political leader, Rome had a strong military force stable enough to protect them from outside forces. The security of the Pax Romana period allowed Romans to focus on politics, culture, and technology providing them the opportunity to progress and flourish as a society. The changes that occurred throughout the new era of Roman peace could not have occurred without the crowning of the first …show more content…

For instance, during Augustus’s reign – at the beginning of the Pax Romana – only men who were in charge of provincials, high-ranking military officers, or city council members could become Roman citizens. Later, however, Marcus Aurelius – the last of the Good Emperors – had changed the laws regarding what it meant to become a Roman citizen. A philosopher and a politician, Marcus Aurelius called himself a “citizen of the world-city… under its laws equal treatment s meted out to all” (Mathinsen 1012). The meaning behind Marcus’s words have been interpreted many ways, but what many scholars have agreed upon is that he applied this philosophy to his policies in regards to Roman citizenship. There are many advantages in regards to being viewed a Roman citizen and so that there was less conflict between the patricians, the plebeians, and the barbarians being assimilated into the new Roman culture. As Roman citizens, those who were once considered barbarians could now own land, open businesses, write wills, and defend themselves in court (Mathinsen 1025-26). Becoming a Roman citizen was made easier than before and by the end of the 200 year Roman Peace period, it was believed that any one barbarian need only be a part of the army to become a Roman citizen (Mathinsen 1022-23) and thus earning the perks that came with identifying as a

Open Document