The Fall of Rome

The year 1776 was important for several historical documents. Not only was the Declaration of Independence signed, but Edward Gibbon published the first volume of “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.” By 1789 he had published the last volume ironically written during the time of America’s crucible of independence. It is considered by many to be one of the five greatest historical works ever written. It’s also a masterful expression of the English language.

Rome was the first world Super Power. Her culture was so pervasive that a man could travel from what is now Ireland all the way to Iraq and still be under Roman rule. From the beginning to the end of his journey Latin was the only language he needed. One currency was recognized and one law was enforced in every territory he crossed.

Today a man making this same trip would cross possibly a dozen national borders with almost as many changes in language and currency.

Imagine the greatness of ancient Roman law and accompanying Greek culture whose influence is still imprinted on 21^st century western civilization. The impact was equally strong during Gibbon’s day. Thus his inspiration to travel to Rome and see the cradle of English law.

One afternoon he was sitting on the Capitoline Hill overlooking the Forum which had by then become a cow pasture. He pondered the irony of sitting at the sport that had once been the epicenter of civilization, where Roman noblemen had conducted weighty discussions of law. Now there were cows grazing and hooded monks walking quietly about. Gibbon saw only remnants of what once was.

How could this be? Sitting at the geographic center of a once mighty empire Gibbon was fascinated at what was not there. Rome’s military might, economic power, law and influence had been unequalled in the world.

So he decided to write the History of the Decline and Fall of this super power.

Gibbon recognized several major factors that contributed to this great fall. One was the influence of money on Roman politicians. In a word, they were bought. Political votes were purchased by powerful interests and paid for from the public treasury. Politicians compromised values for money. Justice was overcome by greed.

Second, political infighting became so intense that the Roman constitution eventually became little more than words on paper. Men sought power with such ferocity that little respect was paid to the rights of individuals. Long term consequences were ignored to achieve short term gains.

Third, political partisanship rendered Roman leadership incapable of dealing with seemingly simple conflicts in the Middle East. A religious revival occurred in Iran among extremists which eventually spread over the civilized world and threatened the very existence of the Roman Empire. The citizens of Rome ultimately lost confidence in their leaders and began to look for a strong man to set things right. When Pompey and Caesar took office they were granted almost unlimited power.

The willingness of citizens to give up their freedom to achieve security led to the loss of a constitutional government and the ascendancy to power of their first dictator, Julius Caesar.

Caesar (the name from which the contemporary word Czar is derived) became dictator in 48 B.C. followed by a firestorm of assassinations and violent deaths of men such as Pompey, Cato, Cicero and eventually Caesar himself. The writings of these men played an important role in the founding of the only other Super Power the world has known; the United States of America. It was also the climate in which Jesus Christ was born just over four decades later.

By the time Christianity emerged on the scene men such as Caligula and Nero had taken the throne. Nero ordered the death of the Apostle Paul. A few short decades later when the Apostle John was writing the book of Revelation he used the term 666 (Rev. 13:18) as a symbol for the Beast power that some commentators recognize as a code for the dictatorial power exercised by the Roman Emperors who by this time were unchecked by any constitutional restraints.

The Caesars which followed (Caesar had by this time become a title) unleashed a reign of terror against Christians. Christianity was outlawed until the conversion of Emperor Constantine in the 4^th century at which time it was against the law NOT to be a Christian.

If these historical trends have more than a vague similarity to current events it may provide a suggestion of what is yet to come. It should serve as both a warning and hope. Warning about the consequences of allowing any man to have unlimited power. Hope because the teachings of Christ have endured.

The bones of the Caesars have returned to dust yet the teachings of Jesus have influenced the world more than any man or government that has ever lived. These enduring principles are the ethos by which the world to come will be governed.

The promise to those who witnessed the resurrection that “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11) is yet unfulfilled. We, like the patriarchs of ages past wait as pilgrims among foreign rulers. (Heb. 11:13)

But we wait in firm hope for a government of justice ruled by the only human leader who ever restrained his unlimited power so he could reign for an unlimited time.

May that time come soon!

Until next time,