Rome and America Essay

The United States has had an immense decline in morals and values, as well as in public health. Not only that, but it is competing with alarmingly high unemployment, much like ancient Rome was. The United States is defiantly not as stable as it may seem. As a result, it will fall.

Entertainment wise the people of Rome and the people of American share some what the same interest in the same things. For example gladiators and horse races evolved to boxing and Nascar. Also physically demanding things

Historically, the civilization with the most powerful army dominates the world. It is also common for the most advanced technology to be developed and applied by the military before being put to use to aid the people. One of the main reasons Rome was able to dominate for over a thousand years was because they were on the leading edge of science and technology. The Romans were expert military and civil engineers, among their accomplishments included creating better quality metal, bridge-building, ballistic weapons, elevated and underground aqueducts, the use of arches and domes, and the invention of concrete. Their roman short sword killed more people than any other weapon until the machine gun was developed in WWI(3). This is similar to the Americans who have led the way in the 20th century in military advancement, from the splitting of the atom to advancement in aircraft, military power has allowed its country to both protect themselves and expand economically and socially.

Roman culture is a lot like the United States. From the government to the activities to the impact on the places and countries around them. Rome and the United States both used the three branches of government, which are the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. All the citizens in Rome had to abide by rights and laws made by the branches of government just like the citizens of the United States. Another things their government has in common is that they both use the veto, which was the right to reject a decision by the law-makers. Both of the governments also would have a higher chance of being in debt because both of their imports were greater than their exports. Rome and the United States also both had places for entertainment and played some of the same sports.

In popular culture and many history books Rome is portrayed as the pinnacle of culture before our modern times. Roman achievements such as aqueducts, thermal spas, roads, and the use of concrete are often highlighted to show how advanced technologically Rome was. Think of the film Gladiator and its depiction of the advanced coliseum. But imagine if Rome had never fallen. Would modern society be more advanced today? Quite the contrary would be true. It is actually medieval technology and society that progressed more rapidly than that of Rome, and if it weren’t for the fall of Rome, technology would have advanced much more slowly.

The story of ancient Rome is a tale of how a small community of shepherds in the central Italy grew to become one of the greatest empires in history, and then collapsed. According to Roman legend. Rome was founded in 753 B.C. By 275 B.C., it controlled most of the Italian Peninsula. In the A.D. 100’s, the Roman Empire covered about half of Europe, much of the Middle East, and the northern coast of Africa. The empire then began to crumble, party because it was too big for Rome to govern.

The United States has adopted parts of Ancient Roman culture into modern day life. Over time Rome became the superpower of the Mediterranean controlling a vast amount of city-states. Power from trade, innovative minds, a powerful military, and influence from other cultures combined to make Rome one of the most powerful regions of the time period. The United States has taken some aspects of Rome’s culture and has incorporated it into society making both regions similar. Roman culture was like our own culture in the United States today because of the system of government, the use of sporting events to escape the affairs of daily life and the funeral inscriptions on grave markers.

“America is the new Roman Empire,” Eddie Izzard. Around the mid-700s BC, a group of people called the Latins moved to the hills near the Tiber River. There they formed what would eventually become the center of Roman civilization. This civilization would grow to become one of the most influential in history. The Roman Empire has had an influential impact on the United States in ways of culture, government, and architecture. The Roman Empire fell but their ways will not be lost in history.

The book Are We Rome by Cullen Murphy gives a detailed history of Rome from its start to its demise. Then goes to introduce America’s history as well as comparing the two. The author starts off the book with introducing Rome and Emperor Diocletian, who he was to Rome and so forth. The book also, not only gives how similar both America and Rome are but also gives their differences as well. It lets the reader then decide for themselves the question the author asks, which is “Are We Rome” (14). The author gives the reader his point of view on the similarities and differences he discusses giving us his point of view. There is a reason for why I picked this book and I also have a critique on it now that I have read the whole book and looked over

Ancient Rome had a huge impact on what we now have here in America. For example some of our building mirror Rome's buildings. Also our government is almost a replica of Rome's government. The way some building were made is similar to the ones in Rome. First the US Supreme Court has a Greek style to the architect.

For example, “We still use its alphabet, exploit its literary genres, inhabit its cities, preserve its architectural styles, and follow its schedule of holidays.” (Murphy 2). Here, one is able to identify that contemporary day America still possesses and develops upon a myriad of features of the Roman Empire. The educated elite within Rome impacted the perspectives and virtues of Americas Founding Fathers, as their values enabled them to fulfill their task. As seen here, “The educated elite of the thirteen-colonies were steeped in the Roman code of virtus…they held fast to their rustic virtues: sanctity of family, sobriety of conduct and demeanor, a stern sense of discipline… Romans achieved their mission, divinely inspired, to rule the world…they were the values the Founding Fathers.” (6). Here, one is demonstrated that the perspectives of the Rome significantly influenced the outlook of Americas Founding Fathers, which allowed them to accomplish their tasks. Additionally, the advancements of the Roman Empire influenced America’s political leaders as well. For instance, “By the time Eisenhower reached San Francisco, sixty-two days later, he understood that America needed what Rome had possessed, a network of good public roads. When he became president, he created the interstate highway system.” (13). Therefore, Rome’s advancements during the

The Ancient Romans were selected by the also successful civilization of the Ancient Greeks for a variety of reasons. The main reason stemmed from “a republic governed by a mixed constitution and led by a natural aristocracy on the Roman model seemed ideal to many Americans, an Athenian-styled democracy seemed as good as the rule of the mob.” Not only did the Romans have a successful civilization, but they did not remind the Americans of their rulers in Great Britain. The Romans were able to lead a successful civilization without stomping on the rights of their people. After fighting for independence from the British, the Americans hoped they could create the perfect nation; one that would be strong and powerful but also one that worked for the citizens. Due to the work and research from Thomas Jefferson, they were able to find an example in history where this occurred. The Romans were “the foundation of such virtue, which lay at the core of a republican society, was the ancients’ love of liberty and hatred of tyranny” and this is what the Americans hoped to be. The Romans exemplified what it meant to be a free nation where people exercised their rights. Thomas Jefferson was willing to develop the government, if it meant it would uphold those same fundamentals. He wanted the government to be unique but he also wanted it to function

Some of the concepts and inventions were from the regions they conquered, but they were so adept at improving their enemies technology that they took the credit for creating most of the technology. Therefore, making impossible for modern people to distinguish between original Roman inventions and other regions or empires inventions. The Roman Empire was remarkable and their techniques, concepts and tools have influenced people throughout history and it could be said that the Romans were the foundation humankind need it to extend and affirm its power. It was not easy for the Roman Empire to achieve so many exceptional accomplishment when some of their emperors were not qualified to rule and its enemies were always trying to invade the empire. However, many factors played a part in the Roman Empire fall, but religion, the corruption of

The aspects that are distinctly different from the late Roman Empire and today can be very slight or very large. For one, women are free to go about life without a man at all. They can work, become educated, own property, and more. We are not as worried about invasions; specifically, here in the U.S., there are no expansions of territory, or personal wars. The U.S. does own territories outside the borders, but it isn’t a worry that these places will be invaded to be conquered. The level of poverty is different from the Roman Empire in a way that, our poverty is not completely stuck, and with the right path, can climb the social class ladder. The military power does not decide out leader; the people do, and here in the U.S., we are born with

Ancient Rome, the period between the 8th and 1st centuries B.C. in which Rome grew from a little colony to an emerging empire. "Roman imperialism introduced extremes of wealth and poverty that honed social and economic conflict within the Roman state ." The enormous army and their countless loots, as well as their captured slaves, produced many changes along the countryside such as small farms becoming large plantations, and peasants left without lands decided to journey to Rome and other cities. "Immense wealth inflamed the ambitions of Roman nobles who struggled for personal domination rather than collective rule ." This dominant emergence of power and rule thus led to the conquering and control of other societies. The