Roman Empire
Arising in 31 BCE, the Roman Empire was the largest, most expansive, and most extensive political and social structure in western civilization. After the Battle of Actium, Gaius Octavian Thurinus took the throne of the new Roman Empire. As Julius Caesar’s nephew, he took the name Augustus Caesar. The senate willingly granted Augustus the power of emperor, while Julius, who ruled before him, held the title of dictator as he had military power. Because of this, Augustus Caesar is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire. He ruled from 31 BCE to his death in 14 CE (Mark 2011). Augustus Caesar was very proud of the work he did in Rome, stating he,"found Rome a city of clay but left it a city of marble." He is not entirely …show more content…
Almost immediately, the first of the four emperors, Galba, took over. He instantly proved to be unfit for the job, and was assassinated. Two emperors later, Vespasian took the throne. He began the Flavian Dynasty. Most notably, this dynasty is known for their immense building projects. One of his most well known projects is the Amphitheater, or the famous Coliseum of Rome. During that dynasty, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Titus, Vespasian’s son, was emperor at the time. He was commended for the way he handled this disaster, as well as the great fire of Rome. After Titus, his brother Domitian took over. Domitian repaired Rome’s damage from the fires, expanded the cities boundaries, improved on Rome’s policies, and even continued the building projects initiated by Titus. Although Domitian was impressive in his accomplishments, he was unpopular with the Roman Senate due to his autocratic methods. He was assassinated after 15 years of ruling. This ended the Flavian Dynasty (Mark …show more content…
In general, communication, government, education, and well-being were improved thanks to the Roman Empire. For example, one of the earliest contributions include newspapers. A way to get steady information to the masses, newspapers are necessary to keep citizens informed. In 59 BC, Julius Caesar had a hand in inventing the first form of one. Called the Roman Acta Diruna, a piece of stone was carved and set in major public places. News and upcoming events were most often found on the Acta Diruna. Not only did this early form of newspaper help spread information, it also gave many scribes employment. Scribes often were needed to make copies and give to important dignitaries ("Roman Contributions to the Modern World – What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?" 2018).
Many of our government basics come from the Roman Empire, as well. While it was mainly hierarchical by nature, they did have a strong foundation in legislative and democratic structures. The Roman Empire did include a senate, and many current governments derive from there. In both the United States and the United Kingdom, Common Law is widely used. The basis of Common Law is that judgements, as well as punishments, are determined based on precedent. This simple, yet important, way of judging comes from original Roman law ("Roman Contributions to the Modern World – What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?"
Arising in 31 BCE, the Roman Empire was the largest, most expansive, and most extensive political and social structure in western civilization. After the Battle of Actium, Gaius Octavian Thurinus took the throne of the new Roman Empire. As Julius Caesar’s nephew, he took the name Augustus Caesar. The senate willingly granted Augustus the power of emperor, while Julius, who ruled before him, held the title of dictator as he had military power. Because of this, Augustus Caesar is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire. He ruled from 31 BCE to his death in 14 CE (Mark 2011). Augustus Caesar was very proud of the work he did in Rome, stating he,"found Rome a city of clay but left it a city of marble." He is not entirely …show more content…
Almost immediately, the first of the four emperors, Galba, took over. He instantly proved to be unfit for the job, and was assassinated. Two emperors later, Vespasian took the throne. He began the Flavian Dynasty. Most notably, this dynasty is known for their immense building projects. One of his most well known projects is the Amphitheater, or the famous Coliseum of Rome. During that dynasty, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Titus, Vespasian’s son, was emperor at the time. He was commended for the way he handled this disaster, as well as the great fire of Rome. After Titus, his brother Domitian took over. Domitian repaired Rome’s damage from the fires, expanded the cities boundaries, improved on Rome’s policies, and even continued the building projects initiated by Titus. Although Domitian was impressive in his accomplishments, he was unpopular with the Roman Senate due to his autocratic methods. He was assassinated after 15 years of ruling. This ended the Flavian Dynasty (Mark …show more content…
In general, communication, government, education, and well-being were improved thanks to the Roman Empire. For example, one of the earliest contributions include newspapers. A way to get steady information to the masses, newspapers are necessary to keep citizens informed. In 59 BC, Julius Caesar had a hand in inventing the first form of one. Called the Roman Acta Diruna, a piece of stone was carved and set in major public places. News and upcoming events were most often found on the Acta Diruna. Not only did this early form of newspaper help spread information, it also gave many scribes employment. Scribes often were needed to make copies and give to important dignitaries ("Roman Contributions to the Modern World – What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?" 2018).
Many of our government basics come from the Roman Empire, as well. While it was mainly hierarchical by nature, they did have a strong foundation in legislative and democratic structures. The Roman Empire did include a senate, and many current governments derive from there. In both the United States and the United Kingdom, Common Law is widely used. The basis of Common Law is that judgements, as well as punishments, are determined based on precedent. This simple, yet important, way of judging comes from original Roman law ("Roman Contributions to the Modern World – What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?"