The Flaws of the Roman Empire Essay Example

I firmly believe that Rome was a chauvinistic society because military prowess was valued so highly. Culturally, sports like gladiatorial combat were the machines of urges to dominate, overthrow, and kill. Seneca says, "all trifling is put aside and it is pure murder." The Roman empire as a whole was built on this very principle. It does not take much to notice that the empire was built from the ideas of a long line of men beginning with Lepidus, expanding within Tiberius' reign and his son, Augustus shortly after, and ending with Marcus Aurelius. Those with a strong arm in the military also gained seats of authority. These men became the pillars of the Empire, and with duties with great social importance, such as a morning of prayer followed by attending to political duties, can be seen as the first models for political posturing in modern societies. Much of the philosophical advances of the day sprouted from a desire of men to seduce their male students. The male form was revered as a sexual and beautiful icon whereas females were simply meant for procreation. Men are celebrated in Roman artwork, and artifacts of this male-dominated society lines the walls of the world's greatest museums. Nearly all the writings from the World History documents CD are in praise of other men or boys posturing in masculine displays such as sports as well as in positions of effeminacy, as in the case of many young male students.

The Roman Empire was unique in that there was no great contribution to abstract thought as an empire; however, the ideals and philosophies of other established states were adapted to the needs of the people. For instance, the Stoic philosophy, praised by the aristocracy, favored acceptance of one's fate and intended purpose on Earth. This of course advocated the caste system of freedmen and slaves, so it is appropriate and expected that the philosophy become a way of life throughout the Roman Empire to maintain social order.

The fault of