What Are The Similarities Between Rome And America

Chelsea Hahm
Latin II - 3
Mrs. Downer
09 May 2014
America, the New Rome If one were to be asked what is one of the most prosperous cities in history, one would most likely answer with Rome. Rome has the appearance of a very significant and vital city that led to development of the world. Rome and America have similarities that, unfortunately, may not be for the better. The foundation of Rome was not built in a day. It is said that Rome was originally founded by Romulus - who named Rome after himself, killing his brother Remus. However, there is a different version to the building of Rome. Aeneas, the hero in the Trojan War and son of Venus and a mortal, he escaped from Troy as it was sacked. In the odyssey, he landed in Latium where Aeneas
and King Turnus of Rutuli both had their hearts set on the daughter of King Latinus. This tension leads to a war; Aeneas was supported by King Tarchon of the Etruscans, and he triumphs as the winner. For almost a hundred years, Etruscan kings ruled over Rome. These kings were very despised by the people of Rome, so that they eventually rebelled and overthrew the king. After the very last Etruscan king, Rome was no longer a monarchy. Rome was now to be a republic. Similar to Rome, the United States were not built in a day. Originally a part of England, a craze of exploration erupted in the early 1700s. Europeans began to migrate to the "New World" to colonize and provide goods for their mother country. It was, at first, a means of finding riches and helping the native land; however, many people disagreed with the traditions of England, and more people traveled over to the United States. On July 4th, 1776, a group of people announced their independence from King George III of England. It took many years for the United States to become what it is today. As a new country, it did not immediately thrive, but America did survive through many incidents and wars such as World War I and II, the Civil War, the Cold War, the Great Depression, etc. Americans created the United States Constitution to fit the needs and rights they believed were just, those of which England did not entirely believed in, as they followed more traditional customs. In the end, America proved itself to be strong enough to survive and grow without the dependence of the mother country, England. The Roman Republic lasted from 509 BC to 27 BC until the assassination of Julius Caesar.
It would no longer be known as the Roman Republic but the Roman Empire, as Octavian Augustus as Rome's first emperor. However, there were many emperors whom were inept for the throne. During the time of the efficient and fair rulers or reign of the five good emperors (96 AD - 180 AD) , Rome was experiencing a time of long peace and prosperity. There were very few wars, only small battles, and Rome was still expanding. For example, Nerva, the first of the five good emperors, changed the balance of power between the Praetorian guard and the Senate, favoring the Senate. A significant action Nerva commits is that he appoints Trajan as heir, whom was militaristically prepared. Trajan had many military accomplishments such as his conquest of Dacia which was a powerful kingdom north of Danube in modern Romania. Under his reign, Rome's borders were at its largest. Hadrian was the third emperor in line. He was infamous for Hadrian's Wall, the Jewish Rebellion, and the rebuilding of the Pantheon. Antoninus Pius, who reigned from 138 - 161 AD, was said to have the most peaceful reign with few military disturbances. The last of the five emperors were Marcus Aurelius and Verus who co-ruled Rome. After Verus' death, Marcus Aurelius practiced stoicism which proved to be beneficial because he did not allow for his emotions to interfere with his judgment. These five emperors were significant for
various reasons but all shared the time of the Pax Romana - Roman Peace. During the time of the Roman Peace, the citizens of Rome did not fret about the invasion of foreign armies.
Just as in America, it is currently a time of easiness - war is almost unknown. Because of this long peace in America, most people are used to the idea and are accustomed to peace and security. Since the fall of the Soviet Union during the Cold War or enemies of the Civil War, America no longer has any serious military rivals, just as the Romans were during the Reign of the Five Good Emperors. In a state of prosperity, Americans cannot comprehend the idea of a foreign country invading the United States or capturing American cities. To reach the state of long peace, a country must have a certain level of power and affluence. Other countries must feel almost threatened or afraid to not assail the specific country. Today, America is that country. It is continuing to prosper and elevate in citizens and goods. However, this is following the entire history of the Roman empire , which ended in 476 AD. This is possible evidence for the downfall of
America. The Roman Empire, a once powerful and flourishing empire, still had to come to an end. During the time, no one assumed that such an empire of many expansions and conquests would fall, but it was predicted from the long peace. Once that long peace ended, there were constant invasions from Barbarians, and there was also a struggle to maintain the borders. The emperors were not like the previous great leaders, often times, there were multiple emperors ruling over certain areas of the empire, attempting to rebuild their territory. Just like the Romans, Americans will not be able to even fathom the idea of America coming to an end. However, this will not occur until a couple hundred years later. America is still a young country that has many more opportunities to grow until it has reached its height. Once America reaches its peak, there's only one direction left - downwards.