preview

What Are The Similarities Between Rome And The United States

Good Essays

The United States founding fathers used many of the ideas from the ancient Roman Empire - one of history’s largest and most powerful empires. Because the United States based parts of its government on Rome’s, there are similarities between the societies. Both Rome and the United States have been predominant countries, and both have had very powerful militaries. The United States established a system of checks and balances between the legislative branch, executive branch, and judicial branch. This was based off the system of checks and balances in the Roman Republic. There, the Roman Senate of patricians – the aristocrats - were kept in check by the tribunes, who protected the interests of the plebeians – the lower and working-class citizens. In 27 BC, the Roman Republic became the Roman Empire when Augustus (also called Octavian) became emperor. When the last emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed by the Germanic prince Odovacar, the Western Roman Empire fell. Because the United States has many similarities with Rome, some people think it may fall in a similar way. The Roman Republic started in 509 B.C. when the Romans overthrew their Etruscan conquerors and established a republic – a form of government in which citizens …show more content…

The two politicians were Julius Caesar and Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, who was also called “Pompey the Great.” Caesar supported Gracchus’ policies, while Pompey was a traditionalist. Both of them were conquerors, Caesar had conquered France, and Pompey conquered what is now Turkey. War broke out in 49 B.C. and by the next year, Pompey was beheaded. Caesar became dictator of Rome, and got the honors usually reserved for the gods. He didn’t get to rule for long, because he was murdered by a posse of senators in 44 B.C. For the next decade, Caesar’s supports fought against his assassins and

Get Access