Yes, the Pax Romana was not completely peaceful and many people suffered. Nevertheless, it was better than the constant war in the Mediterranean that had been inflicted on the population since the beginning of organized states. I mean, which would you rather be – – a peasant in the Peloponnese
in the third century BC, with constant warfare as well as agricultural problems, or a peasant in the Penloponnese in the first century, a D where there were only agricultural problems?
Yes, well the Pax Romana refers I think quite precisely to those areas in the Mediterranean that had witnessed war for 700 years and now did . Yes, frontiers are indeed always frontiers, but we are talking about the mass of the Mediterranean population.
That is a very good point - wasn't it around a third of the entire population at that time? And yes, if we are comparing time periods, surely Pax Americana is much better than WWI and WWII (a parallel to the third century BC). I think one of interesting points of the article however is how 'peace' is felt very differently from within an empire, than from without. Part two will address specifically the Parthian campaigns...
Thanks for your comment, Mr. Smith. As noted, this particular column was primarily concerned with the wars outside the empire, not within its gates. From the fifth paragraph:
“Though Roman citizens of the Pax Romana era enjoyed a period of relative peace inside the imperial gates, with some very notable exceptions, bloody wars raged on almost constantly outside them, as the empire fought for control of lands and trade routes near and far.”
The wars you cite - First Jewish–Roman War, Kitos War and the Bar Kokhba Revolt - occurred inside the borders at the time… and therefore fall under the “with some very notable exceptions,” clause above.
Certainly one could fill many a tome covering all Rome’s wars… as indeed many have! Thanks again for bringing these important moments in history to our attention.
Your guessing is quite amusing, placing thoughts in the minds of men centuries past. I am not sure that your hind-site is 20/20, you must have made-up your view from reading history and one can never be sure history is recorded with great accuracy. Anyway, fun to read
Pax America?! “Rome”,if u include the East, was mighty for a thousand years, even if just the West was more than 500. The US?, post WWII, thru the early 60s; the shortest running “empire”, in my reading of history…
Yes, the Pax Romana was not completely peaceful and many people suffered. Nevertheless, it was better than the constant war in the Mediterranean that had been inflicted on the population since the beginning of organized states. I mean, which would you rather be – – a peasant in the Peloponnese
in the third century BC, with constant warfare as well as agricultural problems, or a peasant in the Penloponnese in the first century, a D where there were only agricultural problems?
I suppose the question presupposes the author/peasant in question is Roman or within the Roman Empire, rather than in Dacia, Germania or Parthia...
Yes, well the Pax Romana refers I think quite precisely to those areas in the Mediterranean that had witnessed war for 700 years and now did . Yes, frontiers are indeed always frontiers, but we are talking about the mass of the Mediterranean population.
That is a very good point - wasn't it around a third of the entire population at that time? And yes, if we are comparing time periods, surely Pax Americana is much better than WWI and WWII (a parallel to the third century BC). I think one of interesting points of the article however is how 'peace' is felt very differently from within an empire, than from without. Part two will address specifically the Parthian campaigns...
Three bloody wars with the Jews, in Egypt and Cyprus as well as Judea, don't warrant mention?
Thanks for your comment, Mr. Smith. As noted, this particular column was primarily concerned with the wars outside the empire, not within its gates. From the fifth paragraph:
“Though Roman citizens of the Pax Romana era enjoyed a period of relative peace inside the imperial gates, with some very notable exceptions, bloody wars raged on almost constantly outside them, as the empire fought for control of lands and trade routes near and far.”
The wars you cite - First Jewish–Roman War, Kitos War and the Bar Kokhba Revolt - occurred inside the borders at the time… and therefore fall under the “with some very notable exceptions,” clause above.
Certainly one could fill many a tome covering all Rome’s wars… as indeed many have! Thanks again for bringing these important moments in history to our attention.
It was only part 1! And also covering a large period of time..
"they make a wasteland and call it peace" Tacitus, Roman historian
Your guessing is quite amusing, placing thoughts in the minds of men centuries past. I am not sure that your hind-site is 20/20, you must have made-up your view from reading history and one can never be sure history is recorded with great accuracy. Anyway, fun to read
RALPH W.
It's a good point, its hard to find accurate history, especially as so much of it was written by the victors or the historians...
Pax America?! “Rome”,if u include the East, was mighty for a thousand years, even if just the West was more than 500. The US?, post WWII, thru the early 60s; the shortest running “empire”, in my reading of history…