Criminal
11-11-2001, 01:36 AM
Movies such as Gladeator have raised a recent awareness in the old Roman Empire and I think that such an awareness is in fact necessary if we are to understand many of the problems affecting modern society.
The Romans were the most highly developed of ancient civilizations. They built an enormous empire which encompassed half of Europe and the entire Mediterranian region.
After many years of prosparity, the Roman Empire declined and eventually fell all together. After the last Roman Emporer, the boy emperor, Romulus Agustus was disposed, the empire was ruled by the Visagoths and eventually the last of Roman Culture was destroyed, with great cruelty, by the Lombards. Attempts were made by the Byzantine Emporer, Justinian, among others, to revive the empire but it was lost forever.
Many historians have tried to explain how the Roman Empire fell. The great 17th century historian, Gibbons, had suggested that it was Christianity which destroyed the empire. Modern researchers have discounted such ideas, however.
Perhaps one contributing factor, if not a major reason for Rome's decline was the increacing reliance in foreign mercenaries. In the western empire, Germanic tribesmen enlisted in the legions as less romans chose to do so. In time, the legions became increacingly German in character.
The city of Rome itself became more hostile. The economy of the city fell into ruin. The Centurions who guarded the public order were outnumbered by roving gangs of outlaws. There was a gradual exodus of the leading members of society to Constantinople or Egypt.
The Emporers themselves, spent more time fighting eachother than actually ruling. Corruption and immorality became more and more common. It should also be noted that the conversion of the Empire to Christianity did little to reverse the corruption. The christian Emporer Valarian III, for example was a shameless womanizer who enjoyed a life of pleasure, while his empire was rotting from within and without.
I think if we can learn a few things from the romans it is that wealth and prosparity are fleeting. It takes all citizens of a nation to maintain its greatness.
The Romans were the most highly developed of ancient civilizations. They built an enormous empire which encompassed half of Europe and the entire Mediterranian region.
After many years of prosparity, the Roman Empire declined and eventually fell all together. After the last Roman Emporer, the boy emperor, Romulus Agustus was disposed, the empire was ruled by the Visagoths and eventually the last of Roman Culture was destroyed, with great cruelty, by the Lombards. Attempts were made by the Byzantine Emporer, Justinian, among others, to revive the empire but it was lost forever.
Many historians have tried to explain how the Roman Empire fell. The great 17th century historian, Gibbons, had suggested that it was Christianity which destroyed the empire. Modern researchers have discounted such ideas, however.
Perhaps one contributing factor, if not a major reason for Rome's decline was the increacing reliance in foreign mercenaries. In the western empire, Germanic tribesmen enlisted in the legions as less romans chose to do so. In time, the legions became increacingly German in character.
The city of Rome itself became more hostile. The economy of the city fell into ruin. The Centurions who guarded the public order were outnumbered by roving gangs of outlaws. There was a gradual exodus of the leading members of society to Constantinople or Egypt.
The Emporers themselves, spent more time fighting eachother than actually ruling. Corruption and immorality became more and more common. It should also be noted that the conversion of the Empire to Christianity did little to reverse the corruption. The christian Emporer Valarian III, for example was a shameless womanizer who enjoyed a life of pleasure, while his empire was rotting from within and without.
I think if we can learn a few things from the romans it is that wealth and prosparity are fleeting. It takes all citizens of a nation to maintain its greatness.