Is it fair to say the United States is the modern day equivalent of the Roman Empire?
The Roman Empire was very powerful in its time period. It prospered for a long time, and it was led by good and bad Roman emperors. It is reflected as a time when new architecture and art was created, and the Roman Empire influenced a countless number of people. The United States, founded many years after the fall of the Roman Empire, is thought to resemble a present-day Roman Empire. Though some people think that they are similar, there are actually very different in many ways. The United States is not the modern day equivalent of the Roman Empire due to the economy, weapons and interests of the people in the time period, and difference in the way its government is run.
It is already the twenty-first century, and the United States has made a major impact on the world. It is one of the most ethnically diverse countries. It also has the world’s largest economy, but that is not always a good thing, considering that it is also in a lot of debt. In the article “Oil prices rise as OPEC maintains production levels” in the Opelika-Auburn News, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said that they were not going to do much about gas prices because it is recovering the economy. For the Roman Empire, gas prices were not an issue to it. It had a lack of economy and circulating currency and that is part of the reason that it fell.
Another reason that the Roman Empire and the United States are not similar is the weapons that the people use and the habits that they go into. In the United States, there are gangs and other acts of violence that are even worse and gorier than the battles that the Romans fought in. There are guns that people can keep in their house now. In the article “2 found dead in Wallingford,” cops investigate the murder-suicide of a man murdering his girlfriend and killing himself afterward. People in ancient Rome did not have police officers watching their every move and investigating. Their headlines were definitely not “2 found dead in Wallingford.” They had other things to worry about like war and art.
The third difference between the United States and the ancient Roman Empire is the way the government is run. In America, the people are led by a president and three governmental branches: executive, judicial, and legislative. The Romans were led by good and bad emperors that led the empire to success or disaster. Today, the United States is led by Barack Obama, the first black president. In the article “Nation should ‘not panic’,” Obama expresses concern over slow job growth. Many Americans are unemployed and a number of them are homeless. In ancient Rome, there were many jobs (some that were pretty disgusting) that were available to do. One of the good emperors that Rome had was Titus. He led the army to complete the conquest of Judaea. He was a very giving person, unlike some Americans today.
Though there may be some similarities, it is thought that the Roman Empire and United States are very different. It is not fair to say that the United States is the modern day equivalent of the Roman Empire. The time period had a significant effect on the people in both situations. The economy grew and the United States has a different type of influence on people than the Roman Empire had. The United States is not a present-day version of the Roman Empire because it has a different type of government system, leads itself to a lot of debt with its economy, and its people use weapons to instantly kill themselves.
Sources:
Halsall, Paul. 2000. Internet ancient history sourcebook: divus titus. Retrieved from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suet-titus-rolfe.html.
“Oil prices rise as OPEC maintains production levels.” Opelika-Auburn News 8 June 2011: 1. Newseum. Web. 8 June 2011.
"President expresses concern over slow job growth." Opelika-Auburn News 8 June 2011: 1. Newseum. Web. 8 June 2011.
“Two found dead in Wallingford.” New Haven Register 8 June 2011: 1. Newseum. Web. 8 June 11.
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