The Roman Empire's Golden Age

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the Golden Age, a period defined by near universal peace and prosperity during the time of the Roman Empire. Also examined, are the parallels between the Golden Age and contemporary American society. In particular, the paper examines the history of the Golden Age, the Pax Romana, and other important people and events of that time. The paper makes the argument that, contrary to the popular belief in an idyllic Golden Age, in reality, underneath, discontent and corruption on all levels of society were spreading like an unseen cancer that would eventually lead to the Empire's collapse and some six hundred years of almost uninterrupted anarchy, ignorance and barbarism that followed.

From the Paper:

"Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) wrote about the Roman Empire during the second century of the Common Era as a "Golden Age" - an idyllic time of near-universal peace and prosperity in a way that is reminiscent of modern corporate mainstream media in the U.S., which similarly tends to present a happy picture of the economy and society while failing to address the serious issues that are threatening to bring about the total collapse of both. While it may be true that the Roman Empire was far more successful in its integration of peoples of differing cultures, languages, religions and "race" than the U.S. has been, it is difficult, in light of primary sources from the Roman period, not to see disturbing parallels between the U.S. in the late 20th and early 21st centuries and the Roman Empire of 1,900 years ago. Then, like now, all seemed well on the surface - but underneath, discontent and corruption on all levels of society were spreading like an unseen cancer that would eventually lead to the Empire's collapse and some six hundred years of almost uninterrupted anarchy, ignorance and barbarism that followed."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Edward Gibbon". (13 March 2007): Wikipedia. 16 March 2007. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Gibbon#_note-15>.
• Apuleius. The Golden Ass. Trans. Jack Lindsay: Midland Books, 1962.
• Gibbon, Edward. The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. 1. Ed. John Bury. New York: Fred De Fau and Company, 1906.
• Suetonius. The Lives of the Twelve Caesars. Trans. J.C. Rolfe: Teubner, 1907.

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