Article 6- Did the Roman Empire Really "Fall'

The Roman Empire was one of the most powerful empires in the history of the world, but did it really fall? Roman ways of life have stood the tests of time and made all the way into the modern world. Without the influence of Roman ideals, the modern society may have been very different than it is now. Rome set a precedent for future countries all over the world to follow with revolutionary military tactics, governmental policies, and system of justice.
Rome was the home of many great generals like Scipio, Pompeii, and Julius Caesar who used battle tactics that were used for thousands of years to come. The most famous of Rome as an empire was Julius Caesar. Caesar was a politician in the Roman Republic who became the governor of Gaul. As the governor he conquered much of Gaul and traveled as far and England. He was then commanded by the Romans to return to Rome to be tried in a court for his offense against Rome, which was going on a military campaign without permission. He decided that he would bring his army to Rome and take the city. At the time, there was a popular military general named Pompeii. Caesar defeated Pompeii and took control of Rome as the emperor. Caesar was a brilliant military tactician who took control over a great Republic and turned it into an empire. A Roman senator wrote about Caesar: “The despotisms of Cinna and Sulla were brief; the rule of Pompey and of Crassus soon yielded before Caesar; the arms of Lepidus and (Mark) Antony before Augustus; who, when the world was wearied by civil strife, subjected it to empire under the title of "Prince."( Tacitus: Annals, Book 1 But the successes and reverses of the old Roman people have been recorded by famous historians; and fine intellects were not wanting to describe the times of Augustus, till growing sycophancy scared them away.” This shows that many of the senators did not like Caesar and his second in command Mark Antony, but still, Julius Caesar ushered in a new era for Rome with great military tactics passed on from Rome to countless civilizations to come.
Rome also used governmental policies that changed the world. Rome was once a republic which many of the ideas from it are still used in the modern world. The Roman Empire was one of the first civilizations to elect their leader. After the reign of the “bad Emperors”, a Roman senator suggested that the leaders of Rome should be elected, not just in the blood line. The way of election for the leader is still in use today. Rome made such an impression on the world that the governmental policy of having an elected official has stood the tests of thousands of years and made it to modern society used in our very own government in America (Senate of the Roman Empire, Wikipedia).
The Romans also were the first to have a trial for their criminals instead of just immediately sentencing them to a death. Rome had a law system called the “Twelve Tables” with had the information to do with many situations, like family rights, physical injuries, and others. Rome put in effect a law system and was the first civilization to really be run on the basis of a law system and some form of trial by jury(Roman Empire, Wikipedia).
The Roman Empire may have fallen but it left its legacy on the world and its impact throughout history is still here today. The Romans have left an imprint on the world to follow, not only their shining moments, but also ways to not follow in their mistakes. The Romans Empire did fall, but people need to think about the legacy left on the world and ask themselves, did the Roman Empire really "fall"?




Works Cited
"Ancient History Sourcebook: Tacitus: The End of the Republic." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. .
"Roman Empire -." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. ."Senate of the Roman Empire -."
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. .