Roman Empire Political Analysis

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 a country is ran. These two go hand in hand and can influence the outcome of the community. The Roman Empire is a prime example of how a civilization relies on the structure of the government. Theodosius the Great conveys the problem with Ancient Rome when he says, “I do not say that the people in that century were happy or contented, or even generally prosperous. How could they be happy or prosperous when monsters and tyrants sat on the throne of Augustus and Trajan? How could they be contented when there was such a vast inequality of condition,--when slaves were …show more content…
In this case, the Roman government boasted its wealth and power and they flaunted their superiority for the rest of the world to see. From the outside it seemed that Rome had an unlimited supply of money, but the immense spending would come with a price. As the Roman Empire continued to expand, it became overstretched. For decades Rome’s military was a dominant, attacking force. Over time the empire grew to a size that required the Roman military to defend rather than attack. The military became a burden to fund. Before, the military funding was invested in conquering land and ensuring the empire grew, now the money was being spent on ensuring the empire did not get smaller. To make up for these war debts, Roman official heavily taxed citizens. In the early 4th century, taxes were so steep that many families bankrupted and began to starve. By the end of the 4th century, many landowners were forced to abandon their land in order to pay their taxes. To counteract the fact that a large number of the empire was starving, Roman officials began to offer what was called “Bread and Circuses.” Officials would offer food and entertainment to the poor at no charge. The entertainment would consist of gladiator events and chariot races. This not only kept the poor contempt for the time being, but was also a good way to win votes in the political elections.
The collapse of the Roman Empire was partially due to their lack of order. Rome’s citizens were encouraged to live an extravagant lifestyle. As the empire grew it became overstretched and could not be controlled by one central government. Civil arguments erupted and the political battles to control the empire began. Politics have played a major part in the decline of many