The Effects of the Roman Empire on Today’s Society in the 21st Century

Posted: January 4th, 2023

The Effects of the Roman Empire on Today’s Society in the 21st Century

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The Effects of the Roman Empire on Today’s Society in the 21st Century

The Roman Empire had a significant influence on the current world.  This paper offers a succinct but comprehensive postmodern comparative analysis of how ancient Rome culture and concepts influence basic law, language, democratic government practices, infrastructure, city planning, and art.  Besides, the Roman Empire has had significance in the spread of Christianity. Despite thousands of years having passed since the Roman Empire thrived, its elements can still be seen in everyday life, from books to stadiums and the language spoken. In addition, from issues of sex advice, dumping of fetuses on rubbishes heaps, to debates regarding freedom, the mark of ancient Rome is evident. While there is a need to comprehend ancient Rome, there is also a need to take some lessons from it. Through an examination of history, I will demonstrate the effects that the Roman Empire has on contemporary society.

The sources for the paper will comprise a blend of ten peer-reviewed academic journals and five books obtained from the school library and credible online databases such as SAGE and Ebsco. All the publications have been published within the last ten years. The research will demonstrate the indisputable behaviour of the resemblance between the culture and way of life of Ancient Rome and contemporary practices and concepts. The paper intends to cover the themes of governance, law, religion, and slavery as they relate today and in the era of the Roman Empire.

Historical Context

It is essential to comprehend Rome’s historical background because it provides a platform for understanding the subsequent developments and state of things. Rome presented one of the preliminary modern histories during the medieval Empire age and the narratives that followed, mostly through German retellings, depicted the distinctive qualities that the city was endowed with.[1] There are several mentions of how the Germans somewhat copied the effective political pattern espoused by the Roman government in all the articles and books studied.

Besides, the publications painted an image of infrastructural development, opulence, and organization, which were demonstrated by the distinctive qualities evident in Rome’s art, language, laws, infrastructure, amenities, and way of life (Flohr 15; Ekeke 24). The ancient Roman Empire, which was constructed using the tradition of other cultures, for example, Ancient Greece, has proven to be an enduring influence with extensive terrestrial reach on a wide range of cultural elements, including law, state institutions, religious beliefs, cultural values, language, technological growth, and engineering[2] (Daszkiewicz 390) . At its peak, the empire was perceived as the most innovative civilization globally. The Roman Empire legacy survived the end of the empire itself during the fifteenth century A.D. in the East and the fifth century A.D in the West and proceeded to mould other civilizations, which is a process that continues to date.

Rome was known as the city of civitas[3] and was linked with the authentic western civilization that formed the foundation of subsequent cultures. The culture of the Roman Empire lasted throughout the almost 1200-year period that Ancient Rome’s civilization existed.

Life during the course of that time gravitated around the glorious city of Rome, which was characterized by colossal architectural designs such as the Pantheon, Trajan’s Forum, and Colosseum. The legendary seven hills also provided an appeal for visitors. Besides, the city had many taverns, brothels, gymnasia, and theatres that appealed to many across Europe and beyond (Flohr 16). Studies have profiled the rise and eventual decline of the Roman Empire. It is specifically in the studies of Ancient Empire’s primary medieval history and its preliminary foundations in the region east of the Rhine that readers can discern the degree to which the perspectives had shifted when scholars started picking interest in the theme between the 1970s and the 1980s. For example, Gibbon writes in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire that, “the seven first centuries were filled with a rapid succession of triumphs, but it was reserved for Augustus to relinquish the ambitious design of subduing the whole …” (Coats and Pecquet 217).[4] Gibbon was presenting an image of a marginal economic exploration of geographical expansion, a hypothesis of the ideal level of subjugations.

However, in Augustus at War: The Struggle for the Pax Augusta, Powell denounces the narrative, stating that the empire did not enjoy peace at any time, and that between 31 B.C and 14 A.D, its army was always in action, either suppressing rebellions or banditry within its borders, or fighting adversaries beyond its frontier for outright conquests or in punitive invasions (142). Overall, the deduction is that even during its dominant years, the empire could not suppress battles completely and had to contend with enemies from all fronts.

Rome’s classical age spanned the first two centuries AD and the last two centuries BC. During the start of the last two centuries BC, the city had already acquired a significant empire that was governed using democratic principles (Powell 112).  By the end of that century, Rome had started being authoritarian, yet remained peaceful internally. The Romans executed Jesus and destroyed the Second Temple of Jerusalem, with the personalities and events populating this era making Rome famous. Typically, historians have justified their decision to publish new accounts of familiar events through accentuating the discoveries sources that clarify or challenge the conventional understanding. However, that is not the standpoint by Beard (16), who retells the Roman history right from its start to the end of its classical duration. She uses a politically-charged idiom to translate the Roman phrases into English, as opposed to making outright comparisons.

Methodology

The primary methodological approach for the paper is critical history analysis where the researcher will analyze information by various historical scholars to reach a conclusion. The viewpoints by different authors will provide an insightful framework for making personal inferences based on the presented facts. Specifically, the paper will apply a comparative analysis approach to compare and contrast various aspects of contemporary society with those witnessed during the Roman Empire to ascertain the effects that the latter has on the former.[5]

Slavery during the Roman Empire and in Present society

In ancient Rome, slavery played a significant role in both the economy and in society. Aside from manual labour, slaves carried out many domestic chores, although they were often employed in high skilled professions and jobs (George 15).[6][7] Slavery represented an ever-present aspect of the Roman world. In this context, society accepted it as dominium,[8] and it was so embedded in the culture that the slaves were almost invisible and there was undoubtedly lack of feeling of injustice on the part of the authorities. Features such as the control of means, freedom, and disparity in power were acknowledged as a usual part of life and could be traced backward to the mythology of Saturn being subjugated by Jupiter. [9]As put articulately by Bradley in Potter (13), freedom represented a select honor, as opposed to unequivocal right. Further, as explained by Coats and Pecquet, slavery was a necessity and not an evil among Romans (350). While most people today would view the practice with disdain, the ancient Romans perceived it as their right to obtain labour any way they could. In fact, they opined that the freedom of some individuals could only be possible if others were enslaved. Ancient Rome established one of the biggest slave societies in history by building on Hellenistic and Greek institutions. The slaves supported what was described as a “slave mode of production.” [10]

Essentially, “the slave mode of production” describes an approach of production that is founded on both an integrated enslavement system and slave employment in manufacturing and the methodical subjection of slaves to their masters’ control in the processes of both production and reproduction (Harper 206).  The role of enslavement converted Rome into a slave economy since they played a key role in the central production process or alternatively, a slave society. In maintaining with the theme of this section, it would be prudent to point out that today’s society has seemingly been influenced by Rome’s enslavement practice where modern slavery is evident. According to Sanhasan and Mate, reports indicate that there are many people residing in modern-day slavery all over the globe. Most of the individuals assume that modern slavery ceased during the 10^th century, but contrariwise, over 40 million people live as slaves globally.[11] Furthermore, slavery represents one of the fastest-growing forms of crime worldwide, which is unprecedented in history. Among the principal limitations of present literature on modern slavery is that it neglects the history of the practice and how they might be related. Human traffickers are using slavery as modes of central production, which is precisely the same way that the Romans did. Each year, there is a mass migration of individuals from the poorer to the richer states, with the result being forced labour in their destined locations. Hence, the common objective of the perpetrators is to attain production without regard for freedom or human rights.

In addition, a similar pattern of migration emerges when comparing slavery between ancient Rome and contemporary society. During the era of the Roman Empire, most of the slaves emigrating from ancient Greece were from the area around the Black Sea, Thrace, and the Aegean Eastern coast (Hunt 31).  In classical Greece, the slaves were usually ethnically different from the inhabitants but were seldom African. Similarly, most of the slaves trafficked to work in richer states migrate from poor countries. However, the only difference here is that slaves were utilized for labour today are not selected based on ethnicity.[12] However, a significant argument against the notion of voluntary migration into other countries and then encounter forced labour is through the rational choice theory, which is an economic model that explains economic and social behaviour. As per the hypothesis, in contemporary slavery, it is necessary to examine the economic circumstances compelling individuals into the practice (Winterdyk 72).

A key element, which perhaps above others appears to distinct the present era from the ancient Roman era, is perpetuated by slavery that conditioned most of the Roman economy and society in general. In contrast with the American plantation slavery, the Roman slave did not split populations based on the diversity of colour and race but was a prime consequence of conquest (Erdkamp 225). Similarly, when looking back at the ancient Roman world, it emerges not as a prototype, but as a terrifying alternative. It applied judicial torture, systematic application of physical punishment, and dramatic executions. The Romans crucified thousands of slaves who rebelled and staged gruesome enactments of executions in their arenas to frighten slaves who might have thought of fleeing. While the present-day slavery might not adopt such brutal ways of punishing slaves, it does not guarantee that human rights abuses have been restricted to the past. In illustration, one would envision the stream of refugees attempting to enter Europe’s fortunate zones and recall that the ancient Roman Empire disintegrated in the West as a result of the comparatively deprived people struggling to enter, not get out. [13]

Democracy And State

When analyzing the government system in contemporary Western states, historians tend to suggest that its basis is Athenian democracy. While this might be correct, it would be imprudent to underestimate the role that Rome played on government and democracy because of its significant impact.[14] Perhaps Rome’s main influence on contemporary government is the conception of elected officials. When it was starting out as a Republic, all the officials were chosen from a group of patricians, who were considered the city’s noble people. They selected officials were placed at different posts, while the most significant one was the consul.[15] However, the elected officials did not possess any authority when it came to establishing and ratifying laws or influencing the court’s functions, but wielded power over the military and made executive decisions concerning the operations of the state. For example, they could influence decisions on uprisings or decisions on catastrophes.

Over the centuries, the practice of democratically electing officials to take up various influential positions has evolved and continues to be practised today. Contemporary states tend to vest the powers of the various government instruments into the hands of a monarch or a president (Daszkiewicz 400). However, to comprehend how the Roman Empire influenced modern democracy and governments better, it would be prudent to offer a little background. At around the same time that Greece introduced popular government, Rome, sitting on the Italian Peninsula, was also introducing it. The Romans referred to their system as republic or rēspūblica, which was derived from the Latin word res that meant “affair” or “thing,” and publica, which means public. Therefore, the initial concept was to establish a republic that was owned by the Roman people, who were referred to as the populous Romanus.

In 1827, when the Free City of Krakow’s Senate oversaw the renovation of the gate leading to the Royal Castle, it was honoured its action using an engraving: “SENATUS POPULUSQUE CRACOVIENSIS RESTITUIT MDCCCXXVII” (Steel 70). The expression, “Senatus Populusque Cracoviensis” plainly and deliberately invoked contrast with ancient Rome, as well as with its government structures: the people of Rome, the senate, and Senatus Populusque Romanus.[16] The occurrence can be regarded as a broader discernment of the overall occurrences that continued in North America and Europe starting from the late 18^th century moving forwards, as the radical movements sought after ideals and models to buttress novel types of dogmatic organization. Correspondingly, the city-states that characterized classical antiquity provided examples of political communities that were existent and flourished devoid of monarchs, including the Roman Republic illustration since it had subjugated an empire. Predominantly, the Senate represented an enthralling aspect within the established structures of Rome. Daszkiewicz agrees stating that, for the men tasked with writing America’s Constitution, it provided a body that could be used as a check on the people’s popular will and foster political stability (392).

Similarly, the same is true when looking at the period of the French Revolution. Here, the perceived courage and virtue of the members provided illustrations of civic behavior.  However, it is also important to note that the Roman Empire did not achieve government and political organization devoid of challenges. As outlined by Steel, the members of the Roman Empire were perceived as an aristocracy, a perspective that contributed to historians concluding that its weaknesses were expressly responsible for the Republic’s collapse and the start of the Empire (75).

Thus, the reception of ancient Rome’s Republican Senate demonstrated the shift towards a form of democratic, organized government structure that belonged to the people. While the existence of the Senate continues to rely on various contextual aspects, the caveats still offer the modern world a way of conceptualizing how they select their politicians, how to gauge their performances, and what to ask of them. The continuing vitality mirrors too the inconsistencies of the Republican institution because its members held their position from being elected, but tended to behave like hereditary aristocracies.  It was a body that offered advice in a state that had a sovereign citizen body, which has been replicated by most contemporary governments. Hence, it was such peculiarities that contributed to making the Roman Senate a remarkably successful institution in ensuing political theory.

Effects on religion

Perhaps one of the most important effects that the Roman Empire has on today’s society is religion. The Empire led to the spread of Christianity (Coats and Pecquet 441). Essentially, Christianity commenced in Judea province from a Jewish tradition in the 1^st century CE and spread throughout the Roman Empire, ultimately becoming a religion on its own. It was based on Jesus’ teachings and much later, Paul of Tarsus’ missionary teachings. In the decades following the crucifixion of Jesus, Apostle Paul passed messages through letters, which are now part of the Bible’s New Testament. The letters demonstrate that Christians were still struggling to determine what being a Christian really meant. Rome became a Christian city in 313 CE when Emperor Constantine dispensed the Edict of Milan that gave the religion legitimate status.

Following the acquisition of legal status, the Roman Empire started spreading Christianity. It especially played the part in dissuading estrangement between what might subsequently have become the Western and Eastern Christians, referred to in contemporary civilization as the Roman and Eastern Orthodox Catholics (Potter 88; Scales and Whaley 380). Upon the annexation of control by the Bishop of Rome from Constantinople, the philosophical differences became more intense between the Western and Eastern Catholic adherents. During the subsequent time, Western Europeans started to habitually seek Rome’s Holy Father and the evangelists sent by Roman the ruling classes for direction and faith. In due course, the Roman and Eastern Orthodox Catholic Churches parted.

Accordingly, the liturgical practice in the splinter churches gained substantial influence from the ancient Roman Empire, even though in dissimilar ways.  In the West, the church services tended to be sober and simple, while in the East, the Church, through the courts, performed lavish services (Ekeke 24). Therefore, it is critical to note that, despite the Roman Empire helping to spread Christianity, which continues to thrive today, it was unable to maintain the Church’s existence as a united religion. Similarly, most historians seem to leave out the role that Judaism played in the introduction of Christianity.

Law and other influences

A significant sphere of influence that commenced in Rome and persists to date is law. The first-ever law code recorded in Roman history was known as the “Law of the Twelve Tables,” which served as the precursor to the growth of Roman law (Beard 55; Daszkiewicz 391).  Ancient Roman law presented the preliminary dissimilarity between private decree, which pertained to the clash between individuals, for instance, over business contracts, and public decree, where the state participated openly, and dispensed with problems like levy and treason. The system represented the foundation for what is presently referred to as the Civil Law. In addition, ancient Roman law contributed to the introduction and advancement of private intercontinental decrees. The ancient Romans influenced jury trials and summonses, which are more or less comparable to what subsists in today’s justice structures. Most of the techniques used for defence today can be traced back to the time of the Roman Empire. Moreover, the concept of being seen as being “innocent until proven guilty” that inspires the American criminal justice structure stemmed from antiquated Roman philosophies. Besides, the objective of written law as a means of safeguarding individuals from the state’s power and from one another is intrinsically a Roman concept.

Besides, the application of Latin words and phrases is not the only other way that the Roman Empire has influenced the world’s current justice system. Despite the ancient Romans’ criminal justice system being excessively harsh in meting out punishment, as some historians would suggest (George 214; Hunt 30), it served as a sketch of how judicial proceedings occur today. For instance, the ancient Roman courts had preliminary hearings, much akin to what is viewed habitually in modern courts, whether the judge decided if there was an actual case or not. If the court deemed that there were legitimate grounds for a case, then evidence and witnesses would be presented. The Roman laws and their courtyard system have acted as the basis for many states’ justice system, for instance, the U.S. and a greater part of Europe.

 In addition, a significant percentage of the literature the world has been using has been influenced by ancient Romans’ literature. During the “Golden Era of Roman Poetry,” renowned writers like Horace, Ovid, and Virgil created pieces that reflected the enduring impact (Silver 282). For example, the piece, metamorphoses, by Ovid motivated other playwrights like Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Milton. More exclusively, Shakespeare was enchanted by the philosophy of the early Romans, who provided motivation for some of his plays, comprising Antony and Cleopatra and Julius Caesar.

Whereas Roman literature provided significance influence to the rest of the globe, it particularly had a strong impact on the Western world (Silver 280; ). The ancient Romans spoke Latin, which soon spread all over the globe as the Romans gained political and military influence. Consequently, Latin shaped the origin for a collection of dialects called the “Romance languages,” which encompassed Catalan, Portuguese, Romanian, Italian, French, and Spanish. Furthermore, most of the Latin root sayings and expressions have served as the foundation for a diversity of English words. Likewise, the English writing system has its heritage in the Latin alphabet. In conjunction with that, the present-day criminal justice system utilizes Latin. However, while it is fair to say that Rome represents an important part of global history because of the influence it had on Europe, it is also logical to reason that the European continent represents only a disproportionate component of the globe today. Despite that notion, Rome had an impact on empires and cultures all over the world.

Besides, ancient Roman architecture continues to shape modern architecture, with the phrase “Rome was not built in a day” habitually used as a metaphor to spur people to do accomplish great things over time.[17] The Roman style of construction has left a lasting impression to date. Though they might have derived some of their first conceptions from the primeval Egyptians, Persians, Etruscans, and early Greeks, the first Roman architects improved the appearance and style of construction, providing civilization with building schemes they had never beheld before, along with theatres, roads, infrastructure, and other civic structures the world had not observed previously. Besides being aesthetic, the structures were also functional. Today, some critics might argue, that the structures are more functional and aesthetic than the ancient Roman ones, but literature indicates the ancient Romans did it with minimal technology. During the Pax Roman era, the era spanning approximately two hundred years when the Roman Empire was not invaded and did not expand, Roman architecture attained its peak. The implication is that, between 27 BC and 180 AD, the city of Rome accounted for some of the most iconic architectural innovations that are still applied to date.     

Perhaps the most significant innovation derived from Roman architecture was the intensive utilization of concrete. The architects realized that the material was stronger than the marble being utilized widely and that it could also be moulded into various shapes and decorated easily. Besides, it was also easier to produce concrete locally, which made it a cost-effective approach toward construction, which was important because even the Roman Emperors had to stick to particular budgets. Even today, modern architectural works utilize concrete because of the same reasons it was used in ancient Rome.      

Conclusions

The Roman Empire helped to lay the foundation for many facets of contemporary society. It left an enduring legacy that has been able to impact the world to date. The Empire, which was very powerful and influential several millennia ago, forms a critical part of the world’s history because it has been able to affect aspects of life in many ways. It controlled a significant part of the European continent and passed on a considerable degree of its customs and culture to the western world. The crumbling of the Roman Empire contributed to a gaping power vacuum, which the Catholic Church promptly filled, thereby solidifying Christianity as Europe’s subsequent religious power for the next millennium.

Rome influences contemporary society to date. Various elements of slavery that existed during ancient Roman times are currently being applied, albeit at a smaller scale and with improved humanity. However, the slave society remains, with the richer states exploiting the poorer ones in their central production processes. In addition, ancient Rome has impacted aspects of life such as religion, law, and language, among others.

Works Cited

Beard, Mary. SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. Liveright, 2015.

Coats, Morris and Gary M. Pecquet. “The Calculus of Conquests The Decline and Fall of the Returns to Roman Expansion.” The Independent Review, vol. 17, no. 4, 2013, pp. 317-540.

Daszkiewicz, Wojciech. “Greek and Roman Roots of European Civilisation.” Studia Gilsoniana, vol. 6. no. 3, 2017, pp. 381-404.

Ekeke, Emeka Charles. “The Greco-Roman and Jewish Contributions to the Growth of Earliest Christianity.” The Journal of Social Issues and Humanities, vol. 3,2013, pp. 24.

Erdkamp, Paul. “How modern was the market economy of the Roman world?” Economia, vol 4, no. 2,2014, pp. 225-235.

Flohr, Miko. Innovation and Society in the Roman World. Oxford Press, 2016.

George, Michele. Roman Slavery and Roman Material Culture. University of Toronto Press, 2013.

Harper, K. “Slave prices in late antiquity (and in the very long run).” Historia, vol. 59, 2010, pp. 206-38.

Hunt, Peter. Ancient Greek and Roman Slavery. Peter Hunt, 2018.

Potter, D.S. A Companion to the Roman Empire. Wiley, 2009.

Powell, Lindsay. Augustus at War: The Struggle for the Pax Augusta. Pen & Sword Military, 2018.

Sanhasan, Imran and Dominican Mate. “Modern Slavery Policies in a Conceptual Perspective.”  International Journal of Engineering and Management Sciences, vol. 3, no. 4, 2018, DOI: 10.21791/IJEMS.2018.4.4.

Scales, Len and Joachim Whaley. “Rewriting the History of the Holy Roman Empire.” German History, vol. 36, no. 3, 2018, pp. 331-348.

Silver, M. “Must Frequently Performed Economic Services Have Distinctive Names? A Probe of Finley’s Hypothesis.” Historia, vol. 58, 2009, pp. 246-56.

Spring, Joel H. Corporatism, Social Control, and Cultural Domination in Education: From the Radical Right to Globalization: the Selected Works of Joel Spring. Routledge, 2012.

Steel, Catherine. “The afterlife of the Roman Senate.” Classical Receptions Journal, vol. 7, no. 1, 2015, pp. 1-521.

Winterdyk, JK. “Explaining Human Trafficking: Modern Day Slavery.” World Development,  no. 41, 2019, pp. 1-18.

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[1] While there were variations and alterations of emphasis, the distinctive qualities remained in the city, at least until the 20th century, see Scales and Whaley 331-333 for more elaborations and reasons for the changes

[2] The Roman Empire’s legacy has been impactful and varied, comparable to that of other renowned hegemonic polities of global history, for example, imperial China, ancient Egypt, and Persian Empire

[3] The term is reflected in the etymology of “civilization” Spring 30

[4] Coats and Pecquet the excerpt in Coats and Pecquet 317 to learn how the rest of the world perceived the strength and military might of the Roman leader

[5] The comparative analysis will apply information from peer-reviewed journals and books to make a concise finding regarding the influence of the Roman Empire on today’s way of life by examining various themes

[6] Though it might sound unbelievable, slaves were often tasked with distinguished professions such as accountancy

[7] The Roman Empire could be described as a slave society because of its tendency to put millions of people into slavery at a go, Silver 246

[8] Dominium means complete mastery of a person over another

[9] See more at Potter 15

[10] See more at Silver 247

[11] Figures put forward by the International labour organization, ILO, Sanhasan and Mate

[12] As outlined by Sanhasan and Mate, every ethnicity is susceptible to slavery and human trafficking in contemporary society

[13] The system that appears to the present society to be manifestly intolerable was an action tolerated for various centuries, evoking only discrete instances of rebellion among slaves and virtually no literature of protest Sanhasan and Mate

[14] Rome was the first jurisdiction to have elected leaders Potter 165

[15] The consul represented the binary position of the Republic’s executive leader

[16] Here, the political entity established in 1815 was finding itself looking back approximately two millennia to Rome’s institutional structures Steel 71

[17] It took the Roman capital years to develop into what it became known for much later, including amazing buildings and fountains Daszkiewicz 280