Introduction
Many agree that the Roman Empire was one of the most complex and superior civilizations of all the time. The Roman Empire, under some of its prolific leaders, had many successes, some derived from its military power, and advances in other areas like art and science. Those who stood in the way of its success suffered its brutal and bloody effects with little mercy (Goldsworthy, 2016). From the very start of its history to its civil war, the Roman Empire grew stronger than any other, conquering more lands, and embracing the populations that it conquered, including their cultures. Rome, with its complicated architecture, brave military generals, and godlike leaders, conquered the world, and succeeded more than any past civilization (Garnsey & Saller, 2014). The essence of this article is to discuss the Roman Empire; its successes and failures.
The Republic
Before the formation of the Republic, early Rome was ruled by a monarchy with a religion based on the worship of gods in human form. Rome was an attractive geographical link between Mediterranean and the ancient Near East. Rome presented a distinctive civilization that enjoyed entertainment through gladiatorial combat, and had an urban centered setting with massive stone temples (Coffin &Stacey, 2005). The Greek settled in the city at around eighth century B.C.E., and influenced it in several ways. For example, they introduced the Greek alphabet in Rome and the pantheon of gods.
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The Roman Empire, or the Republic, was founded in the tenth century B.C.E. The Republic prospered under emperors after the substitution of the two consuls with a king (emperor). Roman Republic period of civilization was characterized by large territorial holdings around the Mediterranean Sea in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Between 100 BC and 400 AD, the extended city of Rome was the largest in the world, and by 500 AD, Constantinople (New Rome) became the Empire’s biggest city (Garnsey & Saller, 2014). The Roman Empire’s population grew to about ninety million or about twenty percent of the world’s population at the time.
The five centuries-old Republic was severely destabilized by civil wars and political conflicts, and Julius Caesar appointed before his assassination in 44 BC. Civil wars and executions would continue, and culminated in the victory of Octavian, Caesar’s adopted son. Octavian defeated Mark Anthony and Cleopatra at the Actium Battle in 31 BC (Coffin &Stacey, 2005). Subsequently, he annexed Egypt and made it part of the Roman Empire. Four years later, the Roman Senate granted Octavian more powers and gave him a new title Augustus. It was under his rule that the Roman Empire grew, with the first two centuries witnessing unprecedented political stability and prosperity, a period called Pax Romana or “Roman Peace.”
The Octavian victory led to the expansion of the Empire as it waged wars against the neighboring areas and conquered them (Goldsworthy, 2016). For example, under Claudius, the Empire invaded and conquered Britannia, its major expansion after Augustus. However, the Empire would suffer from civil wars and major rebellions in Judea, a period that led to the proclamation of four different legionary generals as emperors. The subsequent Flavian dynasty attempted to grow the Empire, and under Emperor Titus, Rome built the Colossuem (Garnsey & Saller, 2014). Constant civil wars and rebellions, political corruption and conspiracy in the senate led to several assassinations of emperors, a clear indication that the Empire could not hold anymore.
Successes of the Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was vast and spread across three continents. The Romans established their Empire through the complex architecture. They used architecture for so many purposes, and it may be difficult to compare their architectural designs with that of other countries. Architecture played a critical role in the Roman Empire. The Romans learned the arch and polished it through the construction of major temples and buildings in Rome and other parts of the Empire (Coffin &Stacey, 2005). The Romans developed masonry-vaulted buildings. The Roman cities were full of religious structures, with the colosseum being the main attraction. The colosseum was built in 315 AD and was used by the Romans for entertainment, especially the gladiator fights. The Romans built early roads made of brick layers and stones.
The Romans were undoubtedly the most powerful military at their time. From 264 B.C., after rising against the Carthage for the control of the Mediterranean area, the Roman military conquered everyone that stood on their way. They waged Punic wars that eventually helped them to take full control of the Mediterranean (Coffin &Stacey, 2005). The Roman military became more brutal, greedy, and cruel in its conquest wars. In less than one hundred years, the Empire had expanded and extended as far as Spain and Syria. For a long time, the Roman Empire thrived as a military leader, with a distinct culture and, optimism to conquer other regions. However, when the empire started witnessing civil strives and high taxation, it was evident that it could not hold.
The Romans loved their gladiator fights, chariot races, and other forms of violent entertainment. Most of these fights and entertainment took place in the Colosseum. The Roman life was full of political and religious rituals that were often marked by ostentation celebrations (Garnsey & Saller, 2014). In the early part of the Empire, there were few rituals but as time passed, new festivals marked the naturalization of new gods. In fact, the Romans liked festivals so much that at one point, the number of festivals was more than the working days on their calendar.
The Empire thrived on economic successes of the regions that it conquered and the economic activities in Rome. All controlled regions under the Empire were obligated to collect taxes for the Emperor. Most of these taxes went to Rome, to help it built a strong military and wage an expansionist war (Coffin &Stacey, 2005). The Roman autocrats were accomplished merchants, and controlled trade in most of the regions under the empire. Slavery was practiced in the empire, and all conquered regions had to contribute to the empire through their economic activities.
Failures of the Empire
Like all civilizations, the Roman civilization started its decline after reaching its apex. The empire had lasted over one thousand years, and it was only a matter of time for its end. The failures of the Empire emanate from excessive greed on the part of its political establishment, particularly the senate and the emperors (Goldsworthy, 2016). Most of its emperors were despotic, for instance, Augustus, while the senate was full of conspirators. Again, the ascendance of the Claudian family led to the social divisions in the Roman Empire where people were divided as slaves, consuls, senators, and knights. The ranking made people despotic and hypocritical, especially among the ruling class. As a consequence, the concept of the citizen owing a civic duty to the state declined in the Roman Empire (Garnsey & Saller, 2014). People became more concerned about their personal development as opposed to the good of the state. Effectively, the military lacked good citizens who could fight an enemy for the good of the state, and when the Barbarians came, Rome had nothing but to surrender. Its economy had declined and had to deal with constant rebellions, both internally and in conquered territories.
Conclusion
The Roman Empire remains one of the greatest examples of past civilization; a civilization crafted on the immense powers of an optimistic people who stopped at nothing short of what they wanted. The Romans developed an empire that spanned three continents and controlled almost a quarter of the world’s population at the time. Its successes are still felt today, while its failures remind modern civilizations that every civilization and empire has its apex, and eventual decline.
References
Coffin, J.G. and Stacey, R.C. (2005). Western Civilizations, vol.1. Norton Media Library.
Chapter 5 and 6.
Garnsey, P., & Saller, R. P. (2014). The Roman Empire: economy, society and culture.
Bloomsbury Publishing.
Goldsworthy, A. (2016). In the name of Rome: The men who won the Roman empire. Yale
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