Many say the USA is like the Modern Day

Roman Empire, but is it?

A Comparative Essay by Philip Katz

Author of “Imperator”

Copyright 2011

GLOSSARY @ http://www.imperatorbook.com

Despite being separated in time by millennia the United States’ history and society are
remarkably similar to that of ancient Rome. Naturally there are glaring differences but even in
those differences there are similarities. The principle difference was that Italy was in the center
of a thriving and dynamic Mediterranean world, whereas the United States was largely isolated
from the western world for much of its history. Had the people of the US been under similar
conditions we might very well have developed a similar bellicose nature. While there is no way
to determine the exact nature of the conditions under which Rome became an incorporated city,
the agreed upon year is 753 BC. The reason for uncertainty is due to the fact that in 395 BC the
city was sacked and completely destroyed by the Gauls. We do know something of the
geopolitical nature of the period from other sources. Even at that early time the Mediterranean
world was dominated by large empires whose central monarchies held massive resources in
materiel and man power. The shifting coalitions of the Greek city states were also a formidable
force in antiquity in addition to being the foundation of today’s western world.

In Italy it was the Etruscans that held sway over northern and central Italian peninsula. It is valid
to assume the original tribes that incorporated to form the city of Rome did so in order to pool
resources for the common defense and to free the communities that inhabited the hills and central
valley that made up the city of Rome from the yoke of the Etruscan’s tyrannical rule.

In America the European powers held sway over the fate of the colonies that would become the
United States of America. Very much like the original tribes of Rome the 13 colonies united to
overthrow the Imperial government which subjected them to military oppression and unfairly
levied tribute.
Following the founding of Rome in 753 BC, the new Romans formed a council that would come
to be called the Senate and the Assemblies of the People. The Senate was made up of
representatives from the tribes of Rome that were elected by the citizens to represent their
interests when governing the city and to oversee the public purse. The Assemblies were meetings
of the people to vote for magistrates and vote on propositions put before them in order to make
laws.

Following the founding of the United States in 1776 AD the Americans formed the congress, a bi
cameral legislative branch of the US government; The Senate, two Senators per State, and the
House of Representatives with the number of Representatives corresponding to the number of
citizens in the state. Both “Houses” meet to consider and vote on legislation and oversee the
public purse.

Romulus, no doubt a great general, was elected the first king of Rome. He is thought to have
invited all the dispossessed people of Italy to come and make their home within Rome’s
territories to help populate the city and provide soldiers for the army. The same can be said of the
early United States with the election of George Washington a great general and the US’s liberal
immigration policies.

Eventually the Roman’s elected Monarchy was replaced with the Roman Republic which was
governed by annually elected magistrates instead of the king in addition to the Senate and the
Assemblies (For background info see http://www.imperatorbook.com ).

Having conquered or otherwise acquired possession of the Italian peninsula, Romans embarked
upon a series overseas wars that were defensive in nature or on behalf of her allies. Having
vanquished the Carthaginians and Macedonia, Rome emerged from the three Punic Wars as one
of the ancient world’s two superpowers, the other being the Persian empire of The Parthians far
to the east.

Having conquered or otherwise acquired possession of what is now the continental United States,
Americans embarked upon overseas wars that were defensive in nature or on behalf of our allies
and after the Spanish American War and two World Wars the US emerged as one of two
superpowers of the modern world, the second being the Russian Empire of the Soviet Union far
to the east.

Upon Rome’s ascension to the pinnacle of power throughout the western world an
unprecedented period of freedom of movement ensued, insured by Rome’s Legions and her
roads, ushering in a golden age for those subjects of the empire in good standing.
Upon the United States’ ascension to the pinnacle of power throughout the world an
unprecedented period of freedom of movement ensued, courtesy of the U.S. Navy ensuring
largely peaceful navigation of the world’s oceans.

In Rome, in the early first century BC, Romans guarded their citizenship jealously and bestowed
it on grudgingly only upon certain prominent men of the Provinces. While Rome had subjugated
the entire Mediterranean Basin’s population, the citizenship of Rome was for Romans only and
only Romans had say in the way the world was ruled with their votes in the Assemblies. In
addition citizens had the right of appeal to the consul in capital cases and had the right to lodge a
last will and testament with the Vestal Virgins at the Forum Romanum. The allied communities
of Italy were required by treaty to provide soldiers for Rome’s armies for centuries. These allied
communities constantly agitated for the same rights as Romans of Rome since they had
contributed in a very real and substantial way to Rome’s success. Following the assassination of
a leading Roman and advocate for the enfranchisement of the Italian communities, war broke
out. The so called “Social War” between Rome with a very few loyal Italian allies and the rest of
the Italian states was fought in two theaters, north and south and brought suffering to all of the
people of Italy. After two years of bloody, destructive war the allies were granted the citizenship
and with that the reason for fighting was gone for all but the most implacable enemies of Rome.
For years to come the laws regarding voting rights of the new citizens were skewed against them
sparking periodic political and civil unrest.

In America in the 1860’s War Between the States raged destroying vast amounts of property and
costing millions of lives. Until that point in the American South, Black Africans and their
descendants were held as property, worked as slaves, and denied the rights of citizens of the
United States despite their centuries of contribution to America’s success. The South was
vanquished by the anti slavery forces of the North and the slaves were freed yet they would
endure a century of efforts to limit their voting and civil rights, sparking periodic political and
civil unrest.

In Rome following approximately 50 years of unprecedented economic growth and undisputed

world domination the mechanism of the state came to be corrupted. Massive wealth was
concentrated in the hands of capitalists who bought the favors of the ruling oligarchy and thereby
influenced the working of government for their own benefit. This caused the government to
make laws to increase its own power and that of its benefactors at the expense of the people. In
this way the financiers and politicians further consolidated their hold on power and control of the
country’s resources resulting in the collapse of the Roman Republic and the death of liberty in
Rome.

In America…
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Imperator gives the reader a fresh perspective on the life story of the man that would rise from
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Meet the Caesar you never knew! IMPERATOR.

IMPERATOR is Available in KINDLE, PAPERBACK and HARDCOVER at:

http://www.amazon.com/Imperator-Philip-Katz/dp/0983280002/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0

For more links, signing events, Select Book Stores that carry IMPERATOR and other
Writings by Philip Katz go to:

http//:www.ImperatorBook.com

Imperator, by Philip Katz, Copyright 2011.

ISBN-10: 0-9832800-0-2

ISBN-13: 978-0-9832800-0-2

Publisher: Copperhill Media