Throughout history, religion and politics have played a vital role in shaping civilizations. Politics determine who will run the country and religion will always be a factor on how that country is run. Religion and politics go hand in hand and can determine the overall outcome of a community. The Roman Empire is a prime example of how a civilization relies on the structure of the government and religious beliefs. As the leaders of the empire became morally unstable, the citizens followed soon after. Rome’s government fell victim to self corruption and political anarchy. The government focused on the needs of the elites rather than the majority of its citizens. The rise of Christianity also contributed to the downfall of the empire. Christianity
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Theodosius the Great conveys the problem with Ancient Rome perfectly when he says that it may seem like the people of that century were happy, but they were not. It was almost impossible for people to be happy under the reign of monsters such as Augustus or Trajan. Theodosius makes the statement that when there are more slaves than free men, when the majority of women were oppressed, when a man was unable to be with his wife, when the only time the mind was able to escape was during a sporting event, that life itself became a burden. Ignoring the problems of citizens, the government continued to push for expansion. As the empire grew it became overstretched and could not be controlled by one central government. Civil arguments erupted and the political battles over who would control the empire began. In the years of civil war during the third century, almost 25 men rose to power. During this time period, ruling the empire was almost a certain way to be assassinated. If a certain person did not like the emperor than he would have the emperor 's guards kill the emperor and give the title to the person who paid the most money. With little to no military forces remaining, Rome turned to foreign tribes for help. At first the Germanic tribes fought for the empire and the plan to reach out for help was a success. However, the leaders of these tribes wanted one thing, power. Most of the …show more content…
The empire’s overstretched boundaries accounted for military weakness. The immoral actions of Roman officials led to distrust from citizens. Overspending led to the bankruptcy of nearly half of the empire. The rise of Christianity led to the loss of trust between the government and its citizens. our modern society, the story of the decline of the Roman Empire comes with an unsettling feeling. Almost every factor in the decline of Rome can be seen in present day America. One thing that has become apparent in America is that the more money a person has, the more powerful they are. For example, the average price to run for President of the United States, can be anywhere from 50 million to 500 million dollars. Similar to bread and circuses, America has become accustomed to fast food and sporting events. Americans are drawn to the idea of cheap food and watching men compete in physical competitions. From a military standpoint, America has troops in places we have no business being in. It is a known fact that history repeats itself, and everything America is doing further proves that
Theodosius the Great conveys the problem with Ancient Rome perfectly when he says that it may seem like the people of that century were happy, but they were not. It was almost impossible for people to be happy under the reign of monsters such as Augustus or Trajan. Theodosius makes the statement that when there are more slaves than free men, when the majority of women were oppressed, when a man was unable to be with his wife, when the only time the mind was able to escape was during a sporting event, that life itself became a burden. Ignoring the problems of citizens, the government continued to push for expansion. As the empire grew it became overstretched and could not be controlled by one central government. Civil arguments erupted and the political battles over who would control the empire began. In the years of civil war during the third century, almost 25 men rose to power. During this time period, ruling the empire was almost a certain way to be assassinated. If a certain person did not like the emperor than he would have the emperor 's guards kill the emperor and give the title to the person who paid the most money. With little to no military forces remaining, Rome turned to foreign tribes for help. At first the Germanic tribes fought for the empire and the plan to reach out for help was a success. However, the leaders of these tribes wanted one thing, power. Most of the …show more content…
The empire’s overstretched boundaries accounted for military weakness. The immoral actions of Roman officials led to distrust from citizens. Overspending led to the bankruptcy of nearly half of the empire. The rise of Christianity led to the loss of trust between the government and its citizens. our modern society, the story of the decline of the Roman Empire comes with an unsettling feeling. Almost every factor in the decline of Rome can be seen in present day America. One thing that has become apparent in America is that the more money a person has, the more powerful they are. For example, the average price to run for President of the United States, can be anywhere from 50 million to 500 million dollars. Similar to bread and circuses, America has become accustomed to fast food and sporting events. Americans are drawn to the idea of cheap food and watching men compete in physical competitions. From a military standpoint, America has troops in places we have no business being in. It is a known fact that history repeats itself, and everything America is doing further proves that