The Ordinary Citizens: The Roman Golden Age

A golden age is a period of cultural accomplishments brought on by economic prosperity and relative peace. The Roman empire experienced a golden age after the fall of the Roman Republic, arguably one of the greatest golden ages in history. The Pax Romana began in 27 B.C. and it reigned for 200 years before falling. The Pax Romana was a time of great prosperity with many accomplishments. The Pax Romana was not only significant because of the amount of wealth and power it wielded at the time, but it also contributed an enormous amount to society today. These contributions can be seen in many things like literature, currency, religion, medicine, etc. These accomplishments is what made them thrive during their golden age and help us thrive today. Their advanced society is one of the many things that shapes us today .Some of their greatest accomplishments were the architecture and their strong military and government. There were some important accomplishments in architecture and political and military structure that greatly influenced us today. The most important and influential of these achievements was the peace and stability they achieved.

This new republic was plagued by tension arising from the class differences of the patricians and plebeians. The Gracchi brothers attempted to equalize things, Gaius Gracchus proposed a redistribution of farm land that would benefit the plebeians. The end result was rather unfortunate as he was killed; his other brother was also killed ten years later for similar reasons.

Citizenship is highly coveted in many nations, so coveted in fact that through only a few processes can one become a citizen for most nations, might that process be natural birth or naturalization. Citizenship and its privileges were also highly valued in Rome, except becoming a citizen was extremely difficult if not impossible. Roman citizenship also leads to assassinations and war within the Italian peninsula. There is a complex history to Roman citizenship.

Romans believed all Romans should have food and shelter, so they developed the welfare program for the needy.

Some policies and institutions of the Roman Republic were useful to help them succeed in conquering first Italy and then the Mediterranean world. Before of the institution of the republic, the romans were a monarchy since their beginning and they were basically a pastoral people. Rome suffer several changes and improvements under the control of the Etruscan kings. The Etruscan were civilization settled north of Rome in Etruria, and they once had control over almost all the Italic peninsula. The Etruscans influences in Rome were profound, they transformed Rome from a pastoral community to a city (91). The Etruscan built the street and roads that help the development of temples, markets, shops, streets, and houses. They basically brought urbanization to Rome. It is fairly to say that the Rome republic was a fusion between the elements of the Etruscan civilization and the Rome elements. The combination of the different political institutions and policies made the Romans succeed in their conquest territories.

Over a long course of time the Romans had many different forms of government. From oligarchies to dictatorships Rome had experience with most forms of government. With all of these happening so far in the past many questions are asked today. One of the most talked and quested forms of Roman government is the Roman Republic. The Republic of Rome is normally thought to be a democracy. But an extremely common question still arise. This questions is whether the Roman Republic was truly democratic. In a simple answer the Roman Republic was a democratic government.

The Roman way of life is different and similar to modern day. Though one may not know much over the Roman’s the culture is fascinating and still remembered in history. The clothes, food, customs, and leisure are major in Roman lifestyle.

Only the highly educated and wealthy class made up the Senate. The Concilium Plebis only consisted of representatives for the Plebeians, and the Comitia Centuriata represented most of the landowning class. Both the popular assemblies were given pre-discussed debates, and any disagreements with the Senate were rare. Furthermore, the Consuls, who were the most prestigious magistrates and “the military and political heads of state” were also advised by the Senate (Gwynn, 20).

The Roman Republic was a “democratic” republic, which allowed first citizens to vote, and to choose their governors in the senate (Hence, their consuls). However, it was a nation ruled by its aristocracy, and, consequently, the entire Republic`s power was concentrated in a few individuals. Furthermore, the Senate was controlled by Patricians, which directed the government by using wealth to buy control and power over the decisions of the senate and the consuls. This situation aroused the inconformity of the people; as result, a civil war took place in the Republic (destroying it), and then the Roman Empire was born.

The Roman family life was a very simple and complex system at the same time. Every aspect of life for the typical Roman family was male dominated, they were in on every decision. The everyday family life was based on social status and diplomatic classifications. Everything from jobs to entertainment that could be participated in was based on gender or social standing within the community. The Romans were very absorbed with different types of entertainment and recreation. Everything about the Roman life revolved around the family, it was the basic unit of their daily lives.

The Romans once proud and established society who valued duty and responsibility to their Gods, family, friends, and to the state (Jones, Rome, Podcast 1). Romans like to believe they were descended from the noble Trojans. (Backman, Cultures of the West, p.171).

Ientculum ….. you will find that Tthere is a distinct difference between the way lower class and upper class Romans conducted their daily activities. Lower class Romans, which were referred to as Pplebeians, may start off their day eating dry bread. Sometimes the bread is eaten as is, but often they dipped the bread in wine or water. A Pplebeian may also sprinkle other food items on top of the bread, such as olives, cheese and raisins. During the early days of Rome, there was a tradition of giving out bread on a daily basis to those who were not working. Workers were allowed to pick up some bread while they were on their way to a full day’s work.

Rich Roman: That great for you guys! My family and I go to performance every week! Our favorite performance is the Circus Maximus. We also like chariot races, we sat on cushions and with shades protecting us from the sun. Sometimes we gamble on the chariot's, most times my family wins!

In the Latin epic poem The Aeneid, the legendary poet Virgil presented various central moral principles that the Roman civilization fostered and adhered during his epoch. However, the discernible emphasis that Virgil placed on the relationships of fathers and sons highlights the underlying signification that these relationships became the genesis of Roman society. Virgil cogently rendered multifaceted father-son relationships that the Roman society upheld by exhibiting how Aeneas endures as the progenitor to the diasporic Trojan populace, how two princes demise for their fathers’ ideals, and how astute fathers applaud and condemn from beyond the grave.