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History and Evolution:
By William E. Steinman:
Part 38, Contributions:
December 15, 2003:
It would be difficult, perhaps impossible, to understate the influence of Rome on Western civilization. When we look beneath the militaristic psyche of Rome we find a people of many talents. Looking at their separate histories we see that Greece can be understood as a civilization of thinkers and philosophers, to some degree impractical. By contrast, Rome must be viewed as a nation of very practical engineers, builders, and planners.
Two things the Romans knew for sure were how to plan and lay out a city and how to build roads. Some of the roads they built then are still there. American highway engineers should be so successful. The roads were needed to support the movement of troops for conquest, but they were used for much more than that. We can cite, mail delivery which was essential to the administration of a far flung empire. Of course, commerce would be impossible without good roads to move goods about.
As to the cities, believe it or not, Roman cities had running water, flush toilets, and sewers. They managed this water control with elaborate systems of dams and aqueducts. The Roman baths are still a model for admiration and emulation. We now have similar things called health clubs and spas, but the Romans did this on a much grander scale before the dark ages. In fact, everything about Roman cities and architecture was grand.
Perhaps the most important produce of Rome however was the concept of law that we refer to as Roman law. Although it existed years before, it was first codified in 450 BC. It was put in written form in 250 BC due to pressure from the Plebs. This body of law with additions and changes was maintained until the demise of the Eastern Empire in 1453. It is now the basis for most civil law throughout the Western world.
One outstanding genius of the Roman people was there ability and willingness to adopt the best of other cultures. This is how the best of the Greek culture came to be preserved. Greece became a protectorate of the Romans who admired the Greeks very much. This Greek influence is most apparent in the work of the Roman philosophers. To a large extent their philosophies were just schools of what the Greeks had thought out so well.
Perhaps the most foolish of the Roman stoic philosophers was one, Cornutus Lucius Annaeus. He had the lack of wisdom to disparage Nero's poetry. We can believe he was quite lucky to just be banished from the kingdom. We believe he was just banished, but we cannot be sure. In fact, he disappeared from the annals of history. Before he made his faux pas he did manage to help and support Persius, a Roman poet and satirist. He also wrote some philosophical studies.
The best known Roman philosopher, by far was Cicero Marcus Tullius, born in 106 BC and died in 43 BC. Although he was a philosopher, Cicero was best know for his style of rhetoric which came to be know as Ciceronian rhetoric. He had a very colorful career as statesman, lawyer, scholar, writer and philosopher. He was associated with all of the heavy hitters of his time, including Caesar. He never managed to achieve the top post of emperor, perhaps because he never sought it. We can guess that accounts for his longer than normal life in Roman politics.
He was no doubt the best lawyer of his time. He might have had much more effect, but historically he stood on the wrong side of the tides of change. He tried vainly to make the case for the republican principles of the old republic. That was not to be and Cicero was pushed aside by history in the making. Let us be clear on what Cicero was supporting. He wanted to save the old Roman republic. Though it might be argued that the early Roman republic was a democracy, it was in reality only a democracy within a oligarchy. To be sure, this oligarchy was a bit more inclusive than some, but it still excluded way too many to be viewed as a real democracy. Even so, it is not at all clear that what followed was better. Al we know is that Rome survived for a very long time.
The study of Cicero could easily become a book, but that is enough for a snapshot of the man. there were other Roman philosophers, but none of historic significance. Rome was after all a nation of doers and builders, not thinkers. Philosophy had less impact in Rome than it did in Greece. Even in Greece, though they produced some of the greats, philosophy and philosophers did not figure heavily into the scheme of things.
For sure, this is also true of poets, satirists, dramatists and playwrights. Rome produced some of each. The best know of these was Virgil. We could make a case for Virgil being Rome's greatest poet. The Romans in fact did just that. His most famous work is perhaps Aeneid, a huge work which tells the story of Rome's legendary founder. For those who wish, there are translations of all of his major works, but this is not the place for analyzing them.
My thrust is still about evolution with emphasis on the evolution
of democracy. In that area, Rome made no direct contribution at
all. Though the old republic was called a democracy, it was not
in reality. It was a rule of aristocrats. Imperial Rome had no
relationship at all to any democracy. It was an empire.
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