Rome and America

Rome and America are two different names of somewhat similar empires. Several similarities and dissimilarities can be pointed out between the two. The two can be compared in size to each other as both are approximately equal in physical size. The Roman Empire was the dominant power of the time and the current status of USA can be compared to it. The dominance was not just militarily; the Roman Empire exerted its vast influence over the world through its culture, language, trade and technology juts like America does today. The Roman society, like the modern American, was an open society accepting immigrants from all over the world and assimilating the diverse groups of people into their society. So societies in both the empires came out to be composed of vast genres of race (Murphy, 2007).

Both the societies exhibited vast cultural similarity. The two societies had the habit of entertaining themselves through the humiliation of well-known personalities. This is imminent in today's America through the way they use comedy and satire in TV, radio and film. The Romans dwelled on censorial nota which were taking to public, things that famed people needed to be ashamed of (Murphy, 2007). Homosexuality and abortions were allowed by both the societies.

Nationalities of both the empires had the notions of pride and arrogance deeply embedded inside their minds. Both considered themselves as chosen people and their culture as being the most momentous one (Murphy, 2007).

There are many differences as well. America is more advanced technologically than the Romans, having entered the biotech age as of now, while the Romans never crossed the Iron Age. The Romans had slavery as part of their culture while the Americans abolished slavery. There was no middle class in the Roman Empire (Murphy, 2007). These differences may seem major but, in fact owe their existence mostly on the part of the two different time periods these empires emerged. Revolutions and movements around the world in America catalyzed these differences. New economic theories led to the evolvement of the middle class while the abolition of slavery happened on account of the distaste that the American society had acquired towards it. The same goes for technological advances that increased with time.

The abundance of wealth in America as compared to the Roman Empire is a major difference that stems from the fact that while the Roman Empire was an aristocracy, the American society is many times more democratic and allows for private ownership of property. This resulted in American economy being transformative as compared to the Roman economy which was a still one (Murphy, 2007).

The Roman society though not a democracy was in fact, surrounded with democratic ideas. It had adopted Christianity as a major religion while allowing people of other religion to practice their beliefs. This highlights the significance of similarity between the two. Cultural impact of the Roman Empire on America can be felt through the constructions of domes, the flying buttress and the use of arch in New York and ...