Roman Republic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Roman Republic - Essay ExampleThe reasons for the decline of Rome argon as intriguing as the factors contributing to its rise. In order to understand the causes of the collapse of the Roman imperium, it is essential to understand the confluence of circumstances and variables that contributed to its rise, for these are the equal factors that were brought to such an excess that the Empire collapsed under its own weight. Ultimately, Romes successful development of army might, political dominance and infrastructural innovation led to such an expansion of the Empire that it could not sustain its own mass. This development was driven largely by the egos of Romes leaders, who believed Roman civilization was so superior that it was a gift to the world to agree it spread as much as possible.Military might was arguably the first key factor that enabled the Romans to build their empire. This was achieved through cultivation of virtues conducive to multitude strength unswerving loyalty, obe dience, frugality and disregard for peril to life and limb (Bonta, par. 6). These virtues were evident from the very beginning of the evolution of Rome. Roman history, from its inception, is replete with monumental wars and battles, intimately of which resulted in Romes victory and dominance, thereby paving the way for geographic expansion and assimilation of weaker neighbors. Bonta maintains that for the most part, Roman military history is a dreary compose of one-sided battles with outmatched and poorly organized foes, of the destruction or absorption of entire nations into the expanding Roman state, and of almost superhuman resilience in rebounding from rare defeats that would have befuddled the back of any other people (par. 8). Clearly the expansion of the Roman Empire would not have been possible had Rome not been militarily dominant. And yet, over-zealous military adventures eventually resulted in the destruction of Rome.Political StructuresRomes political structures were cutting edge and in numerous ways ahead of their time. They vested real power in the give of the people in a way that had rarely if ever been seen before and did so in a way that struck a nearly immaculate balance between stability and liberty (Bonta, par. 10). Rome discovered a formula for limiting the power of government by dividing it among several different magistrates and select bodies and also developed a code of written laws that defined and protected the rights of Roman citizens (par. 10). These developments regarding separation of powers and personal liberty planted the seeds of political thought that served as the foundation of modern Western-style democracies. Roman citizens were genuinely empowered. They enjoyed an unprecedented degree of liberty that was protected by law, and had a hand in electing their government representatives. The satisfaction of viridity citizens with their representation in the government was a very important factor that led to the stability of the state. The masses, as a whole, felt politically content and this was a critical factor enabling the empire to evolve. Essentially, by giving people a stake in their political system, Rome ensured that it would not have to be distracted by the need to quell internal discontent, and could instead focus on external expansion.The problem for Rome was that these same political privileges were not afforded to many of those