Similarities Between Rome And America

Of all the civilizations in history, there is perhaps none as influential (to the Western world at least) as that of Rome. From its earliest roots as a small kingdom, through its era as a republic, to the dominance and decline of its empire, the Roman civilization stood for over two millennia, nearly half of recorded history. Since its fall, countless nations attempted to emulate Rome, attempting to recapture even a hint of its former glory. It can be argued, however, that of all these imitators none came as close in spirit as the United States of America. But while America’s adoption of Roman ideologies helped it mirror the latter’s rise to power, disturbing parallels are coming to light between the state the Roman Republic was in before its fall and United States today.
The similarities between America and Rome stretch back to both nations’ beginnings; both were formed in revolution against a tyrannical monarchy, and both established themselves as …show more content…
Rome was the largest power in Europe and Near East, and quite possibly the world. Today, America is seen as a global superpower, dominating other cultures with a large military and cultural influence. However, with this power also came a degree of arrogance. Many would agree that Americans have a certain “superiority complex,” rejecting foreign ideas and imposing their own culture on the world. A good example would be the general attitude of the American public to demonize the concept of socialism, despite its proven effectiveness in European nations. A similar attitude was held in ancient Rome. The Romans quite literally saw themselves as the central hub of the world. This national solipsism was so ingrained that the phrase “all roads lead to Rome” remains a common idiom even to this day. This sense of pride bordering on arrogance lead to a certain abuse of