All Roads Lead to Rome

The Eternal City


Rome the eternal city. The center of the world for centuries. The empire that controlled the western world. The mighty power of Rome that ruled with an iron hand. Showed no mercy to those who opposed it and crushed them with their legions.  Modern republics are based on the Roman political structure. The contributions to western civilization are numerous. Architecture, law the arts and certainly government. Known for their ability to organize. They created a military that was second to none.  The ability to rule and keep order in the far reaches of their empire was facilitated by their system of roads.  Thus prompting the saying, " all roads lead to Rome ".

Rome goes back to perhaps the tenth century B.C. From a kingdom to a republic to an autocracy. It evolved until it was no more. The western empire reaching it's peak about the fourth century A.D. and well into the thirteenth century. The power base being centered in Constantinople until it was and split up by the Turks and others of the region.  Today you will find remnants and the influence of the Romans in Great Briton to the north. Such as Roman baths and Hadrian's wall. And cities like the ancient Ceasaria built on the shores of modern day Israel and Alexandria in modern Egypt. As well as the cities of Cologne in Germany and London England. Where the Romans built the original Tower of London.  Originally a wooden structure it was constructed as a defensive structure.  Even today the titles of Kaiser and Czar are derived from the name Julius Ceasar. Used to denote a great and all powerful leader. 

 The history of ancient Rome and even modern Rome is long and entwines the the history of much of the world. Still the center of one of the great and influential religions. The Roman Catholic Church. That still occupies the city of Rome today as the autonomous Vatican City. A city within a city.

Rome's social structure was a hierarchy. With slaves at the bottom and the patricians at the top. Those being the ancestors of the original 100 that began Rome. the nobility if you will that is still represented today by the Colonnas an ancient family that still holds the position in society as Princes. It is known as the first family of Rome. There were those in between that were considered plebeians, the free born and the feed men.  As time went on this structure developed a military class, political and merchant class. There was a voting system. Women had rights and could own property.

Unfortunately the empire did deteriorate eventually do in part to moral decay, including greed, gluttony and sloth. The leaders who took power did so more with the wealth they accumulated than with character.  Giving the people sporting events and free bread. To lull them into a trap of euphoria. The borders became porous and elements of neighboring tribes entering the empire were un-checked. Allowing other peoples to enter an empire that could not support the influx.  It is tempting to draw parallels to a present times and of the situation now facing another great civilization.  That being America.