Comparing and Contrasting the Roman Empire and Kingdom of God
There were, and are, many kingdoms and empires in this world. Some of these kingdoms are quite similar, and some, are not even close to the same. The Roman Empire and the Kingdom of God, two very important kingdoms in our lifetime, both have several interesting similarities and differences.
Although there seems to be more contrasting statements about the two very different kingdoms, several similarities are evident. Caesar Augustus, the adopted son of Julius Caesar and Ruler of Rome, and God, the evident ruler of the Kingdom of God, have the same leadership goal; to bring peace and stability to their chaotic empire. The empire of Augustus was Rome, whereas God’s empire is the whole universe. In 27 BC, the start of his reign, Augustus created a period of Roman peace, called the Pax Romana for 207 years. Augustus worked to stabilize and glorify Rome through the building of beautiful monuments and buildings and creating a sound government system. This stability in the empire lasted long after Augustus’ death in AD 14. Likewise, God brought, and is going to bring, peace in the world today. God sent his one and only son, Jesus, into the world to
It is clear that these two vast and powerful civilizations had highly developed political structures which helped the widespread prosperity of the societies. First, it is evident that both societies were not completely alike. Politically they varied. When Rome became an Empire it was forging an entire new method
The empires of the classical era have many similar characteristics, but they also had many defining qualities. For example, Imperial Rome (31 B.C.E.-476 C.E.) and Han China (206 B.C.E-220 C.E.) have utilized their methods of political control in various ways. These two empires had similar methods of political control concerning defense. Other methods of political control were different in the sense of how they conducted their society within the empires. Methods of political control in imperial rome and Han China were similar in the sense that both empire defense systems were weak and fragmented which later led to the collapse of central governments.
Empires throughout history have all had their own methods to political control. Some very similar others could not be any more different. Some of the great empires such as the Han and the Roman had very similar approaches to political control. Although both the Han and the Roman empires had similar forms of government both bureaucracies, both empires had many individual characteristics as well.
During this era, both the Han Empire and the Roman Empire rised above and proved they were the strongest and while having the most powerful empires. Although their methods of reaching the highest point in power they didn't both get there the same way but in many ways, they compare. Both empires believed in power vested in the wealthy which gave the mandate to control. The Han Empire and the Roman Empire shared similar political structures that centered around everything. Both empires shared the belief in religious practices, economic values, and social practices.
The Roman Empire and Han Dynasty were similar because of the use of the Silk Road as a trading route and both grew and developed because of mandatory military service but were different because the Roman Empire declined because of the expansion of its borders while the Han dynasty declined because of enemy military pressure and because of the wealth and power of its aristocracy. Both the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty used the Silk Road for trade. Chinese merchants returned from trading expeditions to report that Chinese silk was being purchased and traded all along a trading route named the Silk Road. This long route stretched from East Asia all the way to Italy in central Europe.
Rome from 71 BCE to 476 BCE and Han China from 206 BCE to 220 BCE are two very well-known classical empires. These two empires have similarities and differences in their political systems, religion, and social structure. The romans had a democratic government whereas China had a singular ruler. Imperial Rome was monotheistic and Han China was polytheistic. While they both had similar class structures, China had a three tiered social system and the Romans only had two divisions in their class structure.
The Roman Empire had gods and goddesses. The relationship the Han dynasty had with heaven and the connection between the King and the gods were distinct. The Hans were under the authority of the heavens, the Romans were under authority of the King who was thought by the people to have a stronger connection to the gods than any other person. The Han dynasty followed Confucianism and Buddhism while,
Kingdoms would begin to flourish in what was once known as the Western Roman Empire. Rome would eventually become one of the western capitals of Christianity, especially after Emperor Constantine allowed people to practice Christianity as their religion. The Roman Empire may not have fell if it wasn’t for the poor military, mistrust in the government, and it’s overwhelming size. If they had had stronger protection, trust in the government, and a smaller region to control, things may have ended differently for the Roman
Rome’s hierarchy system was very strict and it was based on how much money a family or person had. (Doc D) The Emperor was at the top, then it was his court which was made up of the wealthy and prestigious, then at the bottom the commoners, and people rarely moved between classes. (Doc D) Romans believed that the only way to a peaceful existence was through violence, victory, and no one opposing their rule. (Doc E) Christianity believed that you could have peace through nonviolence, justice, and when all was fair.
Greek and Roman mythology have plenty of differences, but they also have plenty of things in common. Both of the religions were formed because of myths and spread by stories. The polytheistic belief of Roman and Greek mythology was derived from two poets who wrote two separate novels that shared a lot in common. The most obvious similarity would be the gods they worshipped. As I stated before, Rome gained a lot of inspiration for their religion from the Greeks.
The Roman Empire left a mark on history as one of the largest and most successful empires in history. How much territory did the Roman Empire rule over? At the Roman Empire’s pique, the Empire engulfed the entire Mediterranean and spread all across Western Europe and half of Great Britain. The Roman Empire was not taken likely by rival empires.
The Holy Roman Empire consisted of multi-ethnic territories during the early medieval periods until its collapse in 1806 after the Napoleonic wars. The territories in the Holy Roman Empire included the Kingdom of Germany, Italy, Burgundy as well as other numerous small kingdoms. The Holy Roman Empire was centrally located in Europe and mainly occupied the present day Germany. Ancient Egypt was an old civilization found in the Northeastern Africa. The Ancient Egypt occupied the present country of Egypt.
It is through them that God exercises his empire” (Western 775). The Christian religion was paramount in the lives of nearly all Europeans and legitimized the idea that God acted directly through a monarch. Divine direction even played a part in the
Therefore, their political control was more controlled by spiritual beliefs. The king even appointed Dhamma Mahamatras to look after the spiritual well being of the people. The two civilizations both differed in their views for keeping peace within the empire but still the ultimate goal for each was to keep
Qin Shi Huangdi and Caesar Augustus’s domination of multiple empires during their different lifetimes is what lead to them gaining the title of the first emperor of their empires. With peace finally brought to their territories, they gained supreme power over all. Their commitment to honoring their title showed by the way they appealed to the people. But, having great power was a substantial responsibility. They constantly had to show dedication to their empires, so the people never doubted why they were in power.