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Pax Romana
The period known as the Pax Romana, or "peace
of Rome," began in the year 27 BC when Octavian
took the throne as the Emperor Augustine, ending
the period of civil wars and
beginning the age of the
emperors. The Pax Romana
began with the reign of
Augustus, Caesar's adopted son and heir; under
his reign, conquered peoples were not treated as
slaves, but instead integrated. This initiated a
long period of incredible accomplishment, as the
Empire expanded and was knit together by an
amazing system of roads and through the census,
first introduced by Augustus. Roman cities
boasted water systems, sewage systems, public transport and many
other advantages. During the time, no external empire or military
power achieved victory against the Romans and, civil accord amongst
the Romans was relatively peaceful with minimal uprisings. This period
spanned the reigns of many emperors, each with their own successes
and failures but, the bloodshed common to previous reigns was not
seen.
Law and order was an essential ideal of the Pax, and an increasing
prosperity accompanied the advances of the Empire. This peace,
allowed the Roman citizens, therefore, to concentrate on commerce,
education, the arts and literature. They built a
modern transportation system of roads,
aqueducts and tunnels. They raised the
standard of living by expanding agriculture and
trade and, developed a legal system which was
not only used throughout the empire but later,
as a base model for much of the world. This all,
not only strengthened the empire's hold at the
time but also, ensured the longevity of Roman
culture and ideals, much of which still exists
today. Of the contributions made by the
Romans in government and politics, Roman law
is the most important. Roman law is the basis for law codes
throughout the world today. Roman law evolved slowly over a period
of about a thousand years. When Rome was a struggling city-state,
the law was unwritten, mixed with religious custom, and harsh in its
judgments. Laws were finally written down in the Twelve Tables during
the Republic. During the remainder of the Republic, the body of Roman
Law had to deal with matters for Romans and non-Romans.. By the
2nd century A.D., when the emperor had become the sole source of
law, a responsibility he entrusted to scholars skilled in the law called
juris prudentes. These jurists organized Roman law to meet the needs
of a world state. Roman law was codified and standardized to make
them fair for everyone in the empire.
The Roman Empire gradually spread its seeds throughout Europe,
North Africa and the Middle East, establishing a visible presence in
these regions. As the Empire achieved this visibility, for once they
weren't viewed as invaders by their conquests, but instead looked
upon as a regime which promoted a common culture. This perception
resulted in the unity of a large population of peoples and led to many
diverse people being brought together in harmony. Through this
acceptance of the Empire, Roman civilization was able to continue to
reach faraway lands.
The Pax Romana was the only time in history when the whole
Mediterranean and the lands around it were at peace under a united
government. Because everyone in the Empire lived under Roman law,
and most people could speak Latin, trade
flourished and the people prospered. The
empire was connected by its vast network of
roads, which were built for military
purposes, but which helped communications
of all kinds. The navy suppressed piracy,
and the seaways provided a faster, cheaper
way of transporting goods. All this helped to
bring the peoples and provinces together.
The provinces had to provide tribute and taxes, which they paid in
goods more often than in money. The most important commodity was
grain. Every year over 400,000 tons of grain came from North Africa,
Egypt and Sicily to feed the people of Rome. Without it, the people
would have starved. Rome depended on the provinces to provide
luxuries. Spain provided wine, olive oil, honey, salt fish, wax, pitch,
cochineal (a red dye made from crushed beetles), black wool and fine
cloth. Wine also came from France, and more cloth was imported from
Syria, which also provided glassware; silks came from the Far East and
robes came from Babylon. Shoes were imported from Greece, incense
from Arabia. Marble arrived from Africa and Asia, gems were brought
from India, amber from the Baltic. Italy exported wine to Gaul and
Britain. Aristides described Rome as ‘a common market for the world’.
There were several other factors which contributed to this time of
peace. The regions the Empire conquered weren't as resistant as
previous conquests had proven to be. The areas taken under Roman
domain during this era were accepting of the Empire because of the
Empire's strides to assimilate different cultures together.