...When it comes to the success of the Roman Empire, it is important to acknowledge four areas of criteria that will make an empire rise to its fullest. When constructing an empire it is important to have a secure and forceful military strength. Having the ability to conquer and maintain control over the empire is especially important to ensure safety and security for its citizens. Along with the having a secure military, its is important that the empire has a political organization and administrative presence to its people. Having the ability to collect revenue, taxation, impose law and order with a system of justice and bureaucracy is crucial. With this, it is important that the political power builds and maintains roads and other forms of...
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...Greek and Roman Concepts of Citizenship and Government Joe Wickenden, Sarah Dowling, Ginger Snyder, Leone Hansen HIS/341 October 27, 2014 Joel Getz Greek and Roman Concepts of Citizenship and Government The definition of citizenship in Greek and Roman cultures can be described much differently than the current democratic definition of contemporary nations. The Roman Empire differed from the Athenian Amphictyony and the Assyrian Empire as well as the sunder later emperors such as Vespasian. There were also structural problems within the government of the Roman Empire. This paper will explore the models of government and citizenship that Ancient Roman and Greek peoples employed along with how well they worked. Citizenship in ancient Rome was a privileged legal status granted only to un-slaved individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance (Jahnige, 2002). In the Roman Republic as well as later in the Empire, citizenship could be divided into several categories; a male Roman citizen, Roman women, Client state, Freedmen, and slaves; each having their own freedoms that came with their citizenship. Latin Rights were given by the Romans which was an intermediate between full Roman citizenship and non-citizenship's (2002). In other words, the Latin right was the ticket to obtaining full-fledged Roman citizenship. In the days of the Republic, those holding the Latin right had most of the liberties of citizens except the right to vote. Furthermore, only citizens could...
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...areas of similarity when contrasting the United States with the Roman Empire. The greatest nation on earth today is the United States. The main factors supporting this are that the U.S. is the economic leader in the world. At this time, the U.S. has the strongest military of any nation. There is relevance with what is happening in the United States today and what occurred during the fall of the Roman Empire. One common and provable fact is that in many ways history does have a tendency to repeat itself. Not only on a worldwide scale does this happen, but in the lives of individuals as well. After all, governments and their political entities are made up people. And as part of human nature, people are prone to make the same mistakes again and again, as the Roman Empire and the U.S. similarities and differences in the functioning of the state. The Roman Empire established a connection between the state and the people. The people were subjected respectively by pride in their country. Their pride was extremely strong in a nation who offered a stable and profound class society. They government’s hierarchy included a military emperor or Sacrificial King, senate, consuls, and the forum. The Romans also enacted a class society of peasant farmers, patricians and plebeians, who were among the higher level in the class society. Ruled by a dictator, the Roman Empire was under strict control. The early and late Roman Empire was a powerful dominating group in its time. It conquered many other...
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...The Rise and Fall of Rome The Economics Behind an Empire 4/18/2013 ECO 120 Seb Jaramillo The Rise and Fall of Rome To many people, the ancient world has always been a topic of great interest and study. The ancient world is essentially the explanation for how the world ended up where it is today. Our ancestors laid down the foundation that would help form and mold today’s civilization and the way people live out their lives in modern times. Perhaps no civilization of the past did more for the future than the efforts and contributions of the Roman Empire. For almost a millennia, the Romans controlled the vast majority of the world. Their Empire made it possible to spread wealth and knowledge to the far corners of the world and lay down a base common knowledge that helped pave the path for people to follow. This paper shall look into the background of Rome and see what economic forces helped lead to the formation of such a formidable empire. What allowed these people to become so wealthy and construct a vast territory? Why was it easy for the Romans to do so much while many other nations are still set back in our day and age? The paper shall also look at the forces at work near the end of the Western Empire that brought an end to the glory and majesty of Rome and how this knowledge can perhaps produce a means of prevention of the same fate for the United States. The city of Rome became a Republic around the year 509 BC. By the end of the first century BC Rome controlled...
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...The name Babylon means “Gate of God”. The location of the ancient city was along the Euphrates River and today is marked by a long stretch of ruins east of the river. Which is ninety kilometers south of Baghdad, Iraq. This was one of the main trading points of the ancient world because of its central location. Some important events that happened there are things that have shaped the way we live today and we still use the 24 hour day they created this form of counting has survived for four thousand years. Another important event that happened there was the building of the tower of Babel the people built this tower to try and reach Heaven. It was most likely that the tower was used as a place of worship and to create a common religious Centre, Gods only merciful alternative was to separate the people into different languages and countries to disable there plans. Because he had also promised himself never to destroy the earth with floods again because of the disobedience of mankind. So the punishment was quite mild compared to the global flood. “Archaeologists have dreamed of finding the ruins of the tower but have been unsuccessful. There may be biblical evidence as to why they have not found this tower of extreme significance” (Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas) The story is much more than God simply interrupting a building project but it marks the origins of the languages and nations of the earth. “Babylon is even home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, The Hanging Gardens...
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... The rise to power of the Papacy in the Roman Empire during the 6-9th centuries is crucial to the history of the church. There were many theories as to why the Papacy earned such central power. Included in these were the rise of the early church, and also the negative and positive effects of individuals related tot he government of the Roman Empire. Altogether it took many steps in a long process for the Papacy to gain such control. What is clear though is that the Papacy held firm control until the reformation. This paper will expand on the reasons for the rise of the Papacy in power, what allowed for it to thrive, and also negative and positive impacts on the empire and even the world. Fall of the Roman Empire There were many factors, and theories that are included when one is speaking of the fall of the Roman Empire. One of the first theories centers around disease and plagues. Some historians maintain that the Empire was crippled, as many diseases and plagues circled the Empire. They crippled families, workers and even members who were involved with the government. Another small factor may have been the decay of the army. The army say an increase in more German peoples, which may have altered the morale of the army, and even the size of the army itself. One large theory also centers around the government of the Empire. Many historians also believe that the Roman Empire set itself up for failure.(1) In the way that the government was structured...
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...AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE The invading army touched the boarders of Rome, which had been left totally undefended. In 410 C.E. (common area), the Visigoths, led by Alaric, breached the walls of Rome and ravaged the capital of the Roman Empire. The Visigoths looted, burned, vandalized, and pillaged their way through the city, leaving a trail of destruction wherever they went. The plundering continued for three days. For the first time in nearly a millennium, the city of Rome was in the hands of someone other than the Romans. This was the first time that the city of Rome was sacked, but by no means the last. Constantine and the Beginning of Christianity One of the many factors that contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire was the rise of a new religion, Christianity. The Christian religion, which was monotheistic (to believe in one god), ran counter to the traditional Roman religion, which was polytheistic (many gods). At different times, the Romans persecuted the Christians because of their beliefs, which were popular with the poor. This 16th-century medal depicts Attila the Hun, one of the most vicious and aggressive invaders of all time. In 313 C.E., Roman emperor Constantine the Great ended all persecution and declared toleration for Christianity. Later that century, Christianity became the official religion of the Empire. This extreme change in policy spread this rather new religion to every corner of the Empire. By approving Christianity, the Roman state directly...
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...Greek and Roman Concepts of Citizenship and Government Joe Wickenden, Sarah Dowling, Ginger Snyder, Leone Hansen HIS/341 October 27, 2014 Joel Getz Greek and Roman Concepts of Citizenship and Government The definition of citizenship in Greek and Roman cultures can be described much differently than the current democratic definition of contemporary nations. The Roman Empire differed from the Athenian Amphictyony and the Assyrian Empire as well as the sunder later emperors such as Vespasian. There were also structural problems within the government of the Roman Empire. This paper will explore the models of government and citizenship that Ancient Roman and Greek peoples employed along with how well they worked. Citizenship in ancient Rome was a privileged legal status granted only to un-slaved individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance (Jahnige, 2002). In the Roman Republic as well as later in the Empire, citizenship could be divided into several categories; a male Roman citizen, Roman women, Client state, Freedmen, and slaves; each having their own freedoms that came with their citizenship. Latin Rights were given by the Romans which was an intermediate between full Roman citizenship and non-citizenship's (2002). In other words, the Latin right was the ticket to obtaining full-fledged Roman citizenship. In the days of the Republic, those holding the Latin right had most of the liberties of citizens except the right to vote. Furthermore, only citizens could...
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...asked is what attributed to the fall of the Roman Empire? Was it the adoption of Christianity in 380 AD? Or the relentless barbarian hordes that plundered and sacked Roman cities only a few decades later? Or a combination of both? The facts are that Theodosius the Great, being the last true emperor of a unified Rome, officially made Christianity the state religion in 380 AD. He ordered the conversion of all roman temples be either converted into Christian churches or destroyed. Practicing any of the former pagan religions was considered an act of treason and punishable by death. He ordered this conversion in both the seat of the empire in the west and in the eastern capital Constantinople. Fifteen years after the adoption in 495 AD, Theodosius died and the Roman Empire split into two halves: The west, now controlled by Theodosius’ son Honorius and the east, controlled by his other son Arcadius. This begins the ultimate demise of the empire as it was currently known. 410 AD, after 800 years of security, Rome is conquered and sacked by the Visigoth’s lead by Alaric I. Being only 30 years after the adoption of Christianity as the state religion it is hard to argue the role it may have played in this destruction. However barbarians are by no means a new threat. Rome struggled for centuries before containing the threats of pagan tribes such as the Visigoths, Vandals, Alani, Allemanni, and even the Huns lead by the notorious Attila. The empire, at least the western half, has been in decline...
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...development of Roman concrete is of uncertain origin, but it’s one of the biggest reasons that Rome managed to build such massive structures and maintain such a massive empire, especially considering its use in long-lasting seaports and population-maintaining aqueducts. It was cheap, easily moldable, strong, portable, easily made, and could be used for mortar in addition to being used purely as a building material. Indeed, there are ports made of Roman concrete have been standing for over two thousand years (Yegül, n.d.). Add to this Roman arches, those large, vaulted things that utilized the strength of concrete and the ingenuity pioneered by the Sumerians to dissipate force out and across the curve of an arch, and the Romans were set to define...
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...of the Roman Empire If you asked someone to name one of the greatest empires of all time, the Roman Empire would surely come up. It is very well known for how great of an empire that it was with its excellent soldiers, brilliant architecture, and expansive road system. Not many people today know that the Roman Empire was not always an empire, there was a time where the power of the nation wasn't held by a single person. Rome was once a Republic, a place where supreme authority is held by the people and the representatives that they elect. The birth of this great empire rooted from tons of wars. Not only did they fight to earn their own territory in beginning against the Etruscans but they also fought the nation of Carthage for more territory which ultimately caused the birth of the Roman Empire. The history of Rome and the true founding of the nation is less dramatic than the actual story. Rather than the founding of Rome including the god of war and Romulus and Remus, the true story involved three tribes ("Rome, History of"). Around 1,000 B.C.E., in west-central Italy, a village was built in Latium by three tribes. Protected by hills from the sea, the city was in a great location for not only defense but also trading on major routes. The Romans were first ruled by the Etruscans, who were the people from the nation of Etruria. They adopted the Greek language, which was forced upon the Romans and they also put Rome into a Mediterranean commercial network. The Romans lived...
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...According to tradition, Rome was founded by two brothers, Romulus and Remus (Coffin 169). These two brothers had no idea of how this land they founded would grow to be the grand empire it would eventually become. Throughout the course of centuries, Rome would go through many trials and tribulations that would eventually lead it to greatness. However, as all good things, this too came to an end. Rome’s empire did not start out as this large domain of land. They went through a series of changes and wars to expand their borders. They started off with the Etruscan kings ruling the land. However, the rape of Lucretia, a Roman woman by a son of the Etruscan dynasty, turned the Romans against this dynasty and changed the form of government going forward (Coffin 171). They now focused their government in an aristocratic way. This divided the people into two classes, the plebeians and the patricians. After fighting for rights, the plebeians began to gain some recognition as being equal. With this aspect of Roman life settling down, they were able to continue their expansion. They thrived on the strength of the military. There were many wars including the Punic Wars and the Macedonian and Syrian Wars that were victorious for the Romans and assisted in their continued expansion (Linderski 3). Because of the success of the wars, Rome encountered wealth which would change the political and economical standing of the republic. However, this wealth did not benefit the poor class...
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...The Rise and Spread of Islam •The Post Classical Period: Faith and Commerce - Spread of major world religions o Budhism o Christianity o Islam 1. Spread through preaching, trade routes - Development of Systematic o Boat trade 2. Indian Trade spread disease, religion, ideas - Three Big Ideas o Trans-regional communication and exchange networks o Forms of state organize. Diversify o All societies increased productive capacity • Pre-Islamic Arabia - Bedoin culture based on Kin/clan/tribal networks o Survival dependent on loyalty to clan o Magnified by harsh environment - Shayks- clan/tribal leaders o Conflict was frequent o Society was fragmented - Fierce inter clan rivalries and struggles for resources o Emphasis on revenge, “male honor” - Towns and long distance trade----Mecca and Medina o Medina (Yathrib) (established on oasis) o Mecca more important – Umayyad (ruling clan) – Quraysh; (Ka’ba) - Status of women varied by clan o More respect vs. less respect - Little art/architechture (no big civs) o Focus on poetry 1. Gives glimpse into daily life - Bedovin religions- blend of animism and polytheism o Animism- nature worship - The life of Myhammad and Genesis of Islam o Born around 570 CE – Merchant, married Khadijah ...
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...Beginning with Phillip II’s campaign Greece became a very successful and large territory. Following Greece, Rome became an even larger empire created by Julius Caesar. There were various changes between Greece and Rome rule regarding governmental structure, land ruled, language used, and social structure. Although a there was much change between the empires, there were many continuities as well such as religious views, social class relations, philosophies, and social activities. One of the major changes between Greece rule and Roman rule was the territory that was controlled. The Greek Empire stretched from Macedonia to Punjab. It could have been expanded further, but Alexander the Greats troops did not wish to push farther into India after...
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...Water: Roman Aqueduct Ingenuity Since man has created settlements he has always needed an ample supply of fresh water to sustain life. Small villages and towns grew up along lakes and waterways as man learned to cooperate as a group, farm the land, and prosper. These villages grew and required more land, water, and food. As early as the ancient Minoan society man learned to expand his communities and supply them with water with wells dug to harvest water from underground sources, cisterns to collect large amounts of rain water, and aqueducts to move water from a water source to the community or farm land. The technology to move water from ready sources grew. Mesopotamians, Mycenaeans, Babylonians, Persians, Arabs, and Chinese all used different forms of limited aqueducts and water storage to sustain their civilization. The apex of the ancient aqueducts came with the Romans. The Roman Empire , even Rome itself, could not have grown and prospered as it did without the engineering masterpieces of the aqueducts. Romans built amazing ambitious aqueduct projects across many different types of terrain. These were originally made using the surface terrain to allow the water to flow using gravity. Some were built using ingenious methods to tunnel deep under the ground to conquer features on the surface that impeded water flow. Water was obtained from springs , underground wells, and free flowing rivers. Roman engineers perfected the arch and built massive beautiful arcades...
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