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Comparisons of Rome and us
Similarities between Rome and us
Similarities between Rome and us
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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.
Han China and Rome, despite having some political and cultural differences, fell in ways that were almost directly parallel to one another. Both civilizations experienced declines in everything from culture and population to economy and government, as well as both suffering from attacks by nomadic invaders. However, each civilization's fall had their own unique factors, and the lasting impact of their falls differed greatly.
Rome was the greatest empire of all times and it impacted the society in many ways. It impacted society by the creation of laws, government practices, language, literature, and art.
From 500 AD to 500 B.C, during the classical era, Rome and Greece, developed and settled along the Mediterranean Sea. Within these 1000 years, both Rome and Greece went through multiple transitions of power and struggled to maintaining peace. America learned from Greece and Rome’s mistakes and evolved into a more successful version of the two civilizations. The two civilizations did not only teach United States, but they also influenced American culture and infrastructure. Although Greece contributed to many elements of modern day America, Rome had a larger influence on America through the use of democracy, economy, and advancement in culture.
Gaius Julius Caesar ( 100 BCE – 44 BCE) contributed to the breakdown of the roman republic through his political military by decreasing senate power, dismissing Rome’s aversion to monarchy, and his attempt to remove senate, military and religious authority, as well as his civil war; in which he overthrew the government and walked on the Rubicon river. The Roman Republic’s degeneration is Europe’s first case of the downfall of a constitutional system. The previous consuls and dictators of Rome during the republic also influenced the republics destruction however, these actions collaboratively impacted towards the end of the republic by Caesars anti-republic like methods and leadership role.
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 United States of America is fast approaching the peak of its existence. Technology has advanced by leaps and bounds and continues to do so and politically the United States is far more advanced than most countries in the world today. The Ancient Roman Empire was also at its peak before coming to a sharp decline, resulting in a fallen world power that to this day is no more than a figment of the past, a shadow that lurks behind the civilizations of today. Per contra, is the United States truly so far apart from this shadow? Or will the same fate come to us sooner than we imagine? Let us examine for a moment just how similar the U.S. and Ancient Rome are to each other, and if the same cataclysmic events that resulted in the fall or Rome could be possible in our own society.
The civilization of the Roman Republic and the Empire that followed it was the first of its kind. Earlier civilizations had been based on a more abstract worldview that led humans to be creative for the will of the gods or to preserve the institutions that fostered rational thought. Rome started as a simple, self-reliant nation made up of farmers who lived the best they could to support their families and community. With an intense drive to succeed and its advanced military, Rome became the greatest civilization of its time. The civilization of 21st century America can follow its roots two thousand years back to Rome.
Finally, social causes were the last main reason for the downfall of the Roman Empire. Crime rate bounced off the charts and hit the chains. Rome’s morals and values were unable to balance towards the end and emperors were blamed for misusing money on useless festivities that made people eat and drink until they got sick to their stomach. At the Coliseum, the most popular entertainment area for Romans, gladiatorial combats performed over an over again. It was very amusing and exciting at the same time. The ground would drain in blood and then be covered with a layer of sand for the following contest. It was great for the Romans because anyone was able to attend and probably took the problems in their life off their mind. For social purposes, us Americans like to go to the movies and mall and have lots of fun with our friends. It gives us the time to relax and not worry about family problems or school or what’s going on in the world these days. I’d say the United States has a long way until it comes to a complete fall. But I know in my heart if leaders such as Bush rise to run this country, we are surely in major dilemma and evidently American power will decline.
As the story goes, Rome was founding in 753 B.C. by two brothers Remus and Romulus who were raised by wolves. The two brothers started fighting over the leadership of the land. Eventually Romulus killed Remus and took control own his own. The city was only a small settlement at that time. As the civilization grew, the Etruscans took over. The Romans drove out the Etruscans in 509 B.C. By this time Rome had become a city. As the empire came to its peak it included lands throughout the Mediterranean world. Rome had first expanded into other parts of Italy and neighboring places during the Roman Republic, but made wider conquests and made a strong political power for these lands. In 44 BC Gaius Julius Caesar, the Roman leader who ruled the Roman Republic as a dictator was assassinated. Rome descended into more than ten years of civil war. After years of civil war, Caesar's heir Gaius Octavius (also known as Octavian) defeated his last rivals. In 27 B.C. the Senate gave him the name Augustus, meaning the exalted or holy one. In this way Augustus established the monarchy that became known as the Roman Empire. The Roman Republic, which lasted nearly 500 years, did not exist anymore. The emperor Augustus reigned from 27 BC to AD 14 and ruled with great power. He had reestabl...
Like the famous saying goes, Rome wasn 't built in a day, and that couldn 't be truer. There are many things that led to the founding of Rome, and those things ultimately led to the great Roman Empire that controlled Europe, Northern Africa, and Western Asia at its peak. The events that led up to the widely accepted founding date of 753 BC, can mostly be attributed to the geography of the area that became known as Rome, although there is a significant legend that includes a murderous twin. Overall, through Greek and Etruscan influences, the geography of Rome led to the founding of the republic as a trade depot.
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...
While these countries did not thrive in the same era they have similarities, but more importantly they have differences. Their governments were set up differently America as a democracy, and Rome a republic. They both had a rich class, middle class, and a slave class. However, it was how they treated each class which made these governments so different. While in America the wealthy class ran the government, in Rome both high and middle classes were part of government. Rome’s citizens had more legal rights, higher social mobility, and treated their slaves better. Rather than in America which gave its citizens fewer rights by excluding members who do not own the required property, had lower social mobility, and treated slaves much worse than the Romans.
The Roman Republic began approximately around 509 B.C. when the nobles drove the King and his family out of Rome. This monumental incident helped shape the start to the transformation of the monarchy into a republican governmental system. This is known to have begun by that of the Roman nobles trying to hold their power that they had gained. The Republic was “[a] city-state [which] was the foundation of Greek society in the Hellenic Age; in the Hellenistic Age, Greek cities became subordinate to kingdoms, larder political units ruled by autocratic monarchs” (Perry 105)
Rome's Republican era began after the overthrow of the last Roman King Tarquin Superbus by Lucius Brutus in 509 BC(1), the Senate was ruled the by the people of Rome. The Roman Republic was governed by a largely complex constitution, which established many checks and balances, so no man could have complete control. The evolution of the constitution was heavily influenced by the struggle between the patricians and the other prominent Romans who were not from the nobility. Early in Rome’s history, the patricians controlled the republic, over time, the laws that allowed these individuals to dominate the government were repealed, and the result was the emergence of a the republic which depended on the structure of society, rather than the law, to maintain its dominance. This is similar to the creation of the American system of government. Starting with the over throw of t...
The Roman Republic ultimately failed due to the lack of large-scale wars and other crises that had united the Roman populous early in the history of the Roman Republic. Roman leadership and honor were compromised. In the absence of war and crisis, Rome’s leaders failed to develop the honor and leadership necessary to maintain the Republic. The Roman Republic was founded in 509 BC after the ruling Tarquins abused their extensive power as monarchs and were overthrown. The goal of the Roman Republic was to have a strong government, governed equally by the patricians and the plebians, and to avoid another Roman Monarchy.