Washington D.C--A Classic City

As I walked the paths in Washington D. C., I reflected upon how the architecture, statues, and monuments hearken back to a glorious past found in the days of Rome and Greece. The classical lines reflect an order and design that embraces balance, accuracy, and organization. The commanding memorials are a tribute to the great men and ideas that have shaped our nation. But more than the buildings and architecture stands an ideal. This ideal is based on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as Thomas Jefferson so eloquently inscribed in the Declaration of Independence.

Just as Rome had a high civilization for hundreds of years, so has the United States of America. There are many parallels between the two nations and their rise to glory. However, as we look back on Rome’s decline, there are also many parallels evident today between our society and the ancient Romans.

Roman citizens enjoyed a special identity in the world which they lived. They claimed rights that were unheard of in many societies. For example, the Romans could travel the realm of the empire knowing that they had full protection of the army. Just as an American travels to another country and if he runs into difficulty, he claims the status as an American citizen to help protect him from the unfair laws of another nation. As citizens, Romans were guaranteed rights and they had privileges that allowed them the freedom to vote and their rule was by consent of the governed. They created a republic founded on principles of liberty. Eventually this liberty was eroded away because the people grew tired of their responsibility to administer the government. Case in point is how Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon without protest. He marched into the city with his army which was against the law; however, the people were willing to give away their power to one who said he would manage it for them. He claimed power that was not his to have, but the people allowed it. Overtime, corruption and decay manifested itself and the Romans were ultimately ruled by controlling and cruel despots.

The corruption and decay found in the Roman society sound eerily familiar today. For example, the practice of infanticide was widely accepted. If a parent didn’t like the color of a child’s eyes or if the child was deformed in some way, the parent would expose the baby to the elements and let it die. If anyone was found rescuing the baby, then he would be jailed and sentenced to death.

Another practice widely accepted in Roman culture was that of homosexuality. It was considered by many philosophers of the time to be the highest form of love, hence the expression “brotherly love”. Infidelity to one’s spouse was accepted and customary. Marriage was not held in high regard and its primary purpose was reproduction.

Slavery was a tool of the economy and thousands of conquered people ended up in bondage. This reduced the need for the Roman proletariat which caused economic stress for working class people. Yet, to keep the masses happy, the Roman aristocracy promised them bread and circuses. So the mass of people were contented with free food and entertainment. It was a grassroots welfare program that worked for several years. However, bankruptcy, greed, and corruption created an insolvent government. A famous example of this overspending and greed was Nero and his absurd building projects at the expense of the army and national defense.

Christians were considered a plague by Romans, yet they found a use for this nuisance. It was a common ritual to cover a believer with tar, bind them to a pole, and light them on fire while still alive. This was used as a form of lighting the paths into the city. I have observed the same type of practice in our modern, enlightened age because if a person in our society claims a belief in God, then he is figuratively burned at the stake.

We know that Rome was conquered by Vandals, Goths and other barbarous people, but the fact is that Rome ruined itself from the inside out. How unfortunate it is that as we walk down the path of history and recognize the mistakes of the past we still have not overcome the errors of fallen empires. Our founding fathers knew that America, this ideal society based on liberty and freedom, could not exist among an immoral people. If at an individual level, one cannot govern himself, how is it to be expected that he could govern a nation. The distinction of Americans is that we believe in God, are governed by his laws found in Scripture, and that we trust in Him. This nation was built on principles of truth and needs a moral people to oversee it. Otherwise, it will be a replica of other fallen civilizations bound by avarice and corruption and destroyed by depravity.

Copyright L.L. Williams