The Roman Empire was the period of time after the Roman Republic and before the Byzantine Empire from 29 B.C. to A.D. 476. It was the highest point of Roman civilization, greater than any prior empires and towers over even the empires after it; it triumphed over the world .
The Roman Republic was what built up the foundation for the Roman Empire. During the Republic, a small group of people started from scratch and developed their own systems, which later develops into the Roman Empire. The strong leaders of the Republic had conquered much land and people for Rome. The Roman Republic thus ignites Roman civilization, which leads on to the second step- the Roman Empire.
The Roman Empire started off with leader Augustus, who was left over from the last triumvirate of the Republic. He felt that a new era in the state had been securely laid , wanting Rome to have a fresh start. During the time of the Republic, Romans were mostly fighting for land, without much civilization. There was competition amongst rulers and the Republic did not much flourish. When the reign of Augustus began Pax Romana (Latin for peaceful Rome), there was peace at last.
Land was not a problem for Rome, for it had an abundance, more than any empire before, due to the gains from the Republic, which decreased the Romans will to conquer more land. Their ambitions, instead, pointed towards other aspects of civilization. In the peace of Pax Romana, they put their conquered lands and people into good use, having them flourish, as one unified empire, in terms of politics, economics and culture.
The Essay on The Roman Republic and Imperial Rome Matrix
As the Romans traveled on many conquests they came in contact with some highly developed cultures, especially the Greek lifestyle, which encouraged the spread and development of their innovations in architecture, engineering, literature, and art. Gave those it conquered a stake in Roman victory The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization when the government operated as a ...
After the many wars during the Republic, there wasn t much of a government in Rome. During the last years of the Republic, rulers ruled according to what satisfied them. At the beginning of the Empire, however, Augustus set up a sound government that kept the Empire under control. He set up a system of policies with governing plans that assured him a strong government for such a large Empire. The Roman laws established by Augustus are still used in society today. Also established by Augustus was coinage throughout the whole empire, unifying the people. The Empire underwent a great reconstruction, a rebuild that was largest ever in history at the time. The outcome was so magnificent, the extravagant buildings made Rome look richer than ever, as if it was the capital of the world . Later empires look up to these spectacular accomplishments of the Romans.
During the Roman Empire, there were many influences from different cultures of the different people they had conquered. Thus, Roman culture was adapted to many cultures. Two major aspects of culture that flourished were religion and literature. Romans took on Greek culture and became blended into a Greco Roman culture. Also Greek influences were the philosophies of Epicureanism and Stoicism. Stoicism taught that all was controlled by a superhuman power, and later beliefs developed from the popular philosophy. During the Empire, Christianity developed and Judaism spread as well. Judaism sprung a conquest of the Jews. Christianity was developed from Jesus, a Roman spread his teachings and beliefs which became to be a widespread religion. Literature also developed, taking on new forms. Patriotic works written about Rome, such as Livy s History and the Aeneid written by Virgil, were approved of by emperors. However, during the Empire, new forms developed in Latin literature where writers works were of criticism rather than patriotism; they mocked the society and politics of great Rome . Although the works mocked the Empire, they were of a new developed form during the Roman Empire at its peak and were tolerated. They were important as well, for they named the period of time the silver age of literature.
The Essay on Aegean, Roman, and Greek Cultures
Aegean civilization flourished during the Bronze Age in Greece and the so-called Aegean Age. Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations were among those civilizations in the Aegean that has made its zenith during this era. Minoan civilization developed on the mountainous areas of Crete. Crete naturally possessed a wide-range of harbors which made it possible for the Minoans to settle and establish ...
Because of its many conquests, Rome s economy, as a whole, was in great shape. However, the wars had sucked out the last of riches from the poor. Thus, the economy was not well balanced. Under the rule of Augustus, work programs were set up to help the poor and under the rule of Augustus, everyone had an opportunity to work and make money. Because Augustus encouraged trade, many roads and highways were built for convenient traveling. Trading made easier increased trade, which boosted Roman economy even more.
The Greek Empire occurred before the Romans and when compared to the Roman Empire, seems to be modest, not as great. The Greeks did not have as much conquered lands, which lessens their power. What they did have conquered was divided into parts amongst different rulers, who were constantly at war with each other, lacking the peace that Pax Romana had. The conquered Greek lands did not have a chance to civilize as one great empire as the Romans had.
The Byzantine Empire followed the Roman Empire, and it, also, seems meager in comparison. It had evolved from the Roman Empire, and because it was in the late stage that it was in, land had been lost, so in terms of size, the Roman Empire was superior to the Byzantine. The empire wasn t strong, either. At the start, the first ruler, Justinian, attempted to reconquer Roman lands, but in doing so, left his own land in ruins, and his conquests were lost right after his death. The Empire faced many enemies and was threatened constantly by them. Eventually, all land was lost except for the Constantinople, the rich and powerful capital city, and the land surrounding it.
As can be seen, the Roman Empire was great for its time in more ways that one, with its undefeatable strength and size . It was greater than the empires before it and even though it should seem that later empires should be more advanced and greater, the greatness of the Roman Empire still exceeded the later ones. In terms of land, they were great for they had conquered much during the Republic, which gave them a head start on the Empire. As for a government, a sound one was set up by Augustus that continued to keep Rome under control even after he died. Rome s economy was in good shape because of their conquests and to make it even better, it was made so the poor had some wealth, too. Although it is claimed that the decline of the Roman Empire began after Augustus reign, it was a slow decline, not a sudden collapse . The Empire was still strong and thriving for many years. The Empire ended when the western part fell. In actuality, the Roman Empire did not end there. Because the western portion of the Empire was gone, the Empire was considered to be ended there. But the eastern half actually flourished for years to come. The Roman Empire was a great one and the accomplishments made during the time lived on after its existence of the empire. It was looked up to by other nations for its obvious greatness in size and strength, and the other aspects of this empire that made it so great.
The Essay on Roman Army Soldiers Soldier Made
Many know that the Roman Empire was by far the strongest of its time, but many don t know why they were able to accomplish such feats such as conquering almost the entire western world. It is a surprise to many that their success was not due to their large army, but rather how they how they motivated their men. The Roman Army s success was almost entirely due to their soldier s fear of the harsh ...