The importance of Rome in the modern world.
Why are the Roman Republic and Empire still relevant today?
This is a valid question for a empire that has been gone over 600 years. " I stand by the fact that the Eastern Roman Empire was still the Roman Empire. Byzantium is Frankish and Venetian propaganda to legitimize their own barbarous kingdoms. Also with a smige of sexism and catholic bias." The Roman civilization existed from 753 B.C. to 1453 AD that's 2206 years. To say a civilization that existed that long won't leave a mark on our modern world is fascicle. I would even venture to say that the Roman civilization never really fell it just went under new management and that we still are children of the Roman cultural and civic experiment. I will only be focusing on Rome's effects in the modern world for the United States since I am a American and that is what I am familiar with.
The founding fathers intentionally used Rome as a template when building our governmental structures. The President and Vice President are direct links to the Roman Consular system. We have a senate and a popular assembly just like the Roman Senate. We practice law in much the same fashion and even have legal principles and direct laws taken from Roman precedent. The concept of resolving disputes through a legal process and seeking redress in court is a Roman invention. The lists of the most famous Romans that almost everyone has heard has people who were lawyers. Cicero being among the most famous for his auditory and legal skills. Caesar even was so impressed by Cicero's talents he sought out the instructor who taught Cicero. Our concepts of a government with a civil and military distinction are also a Roman idea that has been passed down to us. The idea of the military being a act of service towards the greater good of the country under civil leadership is a ideal that we hold dearly as did the Roman Republic. Even our monuments and governmental buildings are built in the Roman style and this is still true to this day. " I absolutely love this style and hope we never lose this in our culture."
The reason the founding father's selected Rome for building our government was because of its famous longevity and stability. People are going to immediately point out the massive and constant political infighting and civil wars. I would counter that with how many civilizations survived those and were absent from them. Those are unfortunately a part of the human political process. We have advanced and these things have been reduced. But to say that it never happened is a disservice to our ancestors and the mighty roads they have carved for us. The balance of power system is a mighty gift our ancestors had the foresight to bring from the antiquities of Rome. When you read Roman history you are often struck by the virtue and patriotism of the the Roman people. These are high ideals that have translated into our times and people. My two personal favorite examples of this are Gaius Mucius Scaevola and Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus.
Scarvola during a war between the Roman Republic and the Clusian King Lars Porsena, was captured by the latter soldiers while sneaking into their camp to assassinate the king. After being captured he declared to Porsena "I am a Roman citizen, men call me Gaius Mucius. I came here as an enemy to kill my enemy, and I am as ready to die as I am to kill. We Romans act bravely and, when adversity strikes, we suffer bravely." He also declared that he was the first of three hundred Roman youths to volunteer for the task of assassinating Porsena at the risk of losing their own lives.
"Watch", he is said to have declared, "so that you know how cheap the body is to men who have their eye on great glory". Mucius thrust his right hand into a fire which was lit for sacrifice and held it there without giving any indication of pain, thereby earning for himself and his descendants the cognomen Scaevola, meaning "left-handed". Porsena was shocked at the youth's bravery, and dismissed him from the Etruscan camp, free to return to Rome, saying "Go back, since you do more harm to yourself than me". At the same time, the king also sent ambassadors to Rome to offer peace.
That is textbook patriotism and love of ones peoples. As a American I see this as a reflection of our ideals in our constant battle to preserve liberty and justice for all. Then we get to Cincinnatus he was proclaimed dictator to fight off a invading army of the Aequi. This is a position that lasts for 6 months, where Cincinnatus is a defacto king in all but name. however he defeated the Aequi in a mere 15 days then resigned his position of Dictator to return to his humble roots as a farmer and a member of the citizenry. This is the type of loyalty and service that we as Americans aspire to. This is the height of respect to the spirit of the law and the selfless service to one's people.
I would argue that we are Americans are the inheritors to a amazing deep cultural tradition from the Roman civilization. We owe a great deal to our ancestors and would be wise to not waste their sacrifices and learn as much as we can from their examples both good and bad.
With much love and gratitude,
Fox
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
