Pax Romana - Council Rock School District



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.

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