Roman Empire example essay topic
450 words
One of the reasons for the success of the Roman Empire was that the Romans treated their Empire as the world. This belief formed the social cement, which kept the Empire sustained for as long as it did. The Roman's reign over most of Europe would only be temporary. After all, there were forces outside the Roman Empire, which were eating away at the Empire itself. Regardless of whether we accept the fact that Rome fell as a result of internal pressure or invasions from the outside, or both, but one thing is clear: Rome fell with a loud noise. It would take Western Civilizations nearly ten centuries to fashion a world, which could be the rival of the civilization of Rome. The Romans were men of action. They took the concepts created by the Greeks and made them into the actual thing. The Romans also asked questions about the world, about nature, and about man. They also had the example of the Greeks and their history. They learned from the mistakes of the Greeks to create one of the greatest empires. The result for the Romans was that they managed to create their own world and they called it the Roman Empire.
However, their worldview became embodied in a pagan cult that was nothing less than patriotic worship of Rome. If anything sustained the Empire, it was the concept of the "Genius of the Roman People". The Romans were taught to believe that the destiny of Rome was the destiny of the world This idea embraces the genius of the Roman people and thus created a civil religion. This civil religion was a secular, pagan religion, in which all men devoted their energies toward public service to state. These duties consisted of service and responsibilities because only through responsible service would one come to know virtue. The majority of Roman emperors were scheming, devious, opportunistic, or plainly insane. they devised plans to enable their own conquer and wealth.
However, it is strange that the Roman Empire lasted as long as it did. The decline of Rome was natural and required little explanation. Many factors including greed, wealth, and a number of other all seemed to cause the gradual decay in Rome. One thing can be said with certainty -- although Rome ultimately fell in A.D. 476, its decline was a process that had been going on for centuries. It is believed that Roman strengths eventually became Roman weaknesses. Indeed they did, leaving a great empire in ruin as the world entered a new era of learning.
