What Is The Difference Between The British And Roman Empires

This paper will focus on the aspects of imperial management comparing the Roman and British Empires. It will explain what made them successful, what made them fall, and why empires seem to come into and go out of existence as they do. There are two major points that made the Roman Empire one of the longest lasting, and most successful empires. First is the governing approach that Roman leadership took in regard to its territories. The Romans took a more hand’s off approach to governing; they would have governors installed in the territories that were loyal to the Republic and require taxes be paid from that territory, but they would not send an army to occupy the territory. Instead, the Romans let the local territories carry on their own …show more content…
Becoming a part of the Roman Empire brought with it certain advantages. A few examples of these advantages are: the ability to identify as a Roman citizen and fall under Roman law, urbanized city centers, common language, common coinage system, increased trade, the patron-client relationship, and a common culture. The ability to identify as a Roman citizen after 212 CE placed the subjects under Roman Law, which was one of the most organized and advanced legal systems at the time. Only citizens could make fully binding legal contracts. Citizenship was also considered a status-symbol. Imperial Rome was seen as the peak of civilization at the time and claiming to be a citizen of Rome, even if not living in the city on the peninsula, enabled people to benefit socially. This is observed in the patron-client relationship where the clients would receive favors and protection from their patrons. The “Romanization” of the “barbarians” created a unified culture that no other empire has since been able to …show more content…
Empires rise because they have an advantage that is easily spread to other political actors within the system. They fall because that advantage loses its impact after some time has passed. Successful imperial management requires that the leaders of a political entity recognize that one or more of their resources has a degree of power that causes others to submit to them and continue to formulate their foreign policy around exporting that resource. Those who submit to being part of an empire do so for one of two reasons: either they can do nothing against the imperial will of other state or they willingly accept becoming part of an empire because other alternatives do not have similar political, social, or economic benefits. But as time moves on, the populations that submitted to imperial expansion or conquest gain the ability to resist the empire or their alternatives present them with equal (or better) benefits compared to being part of the empire. What was noticeable, at least between the Roman and the British Empires, was that both still relied on the original advantages that allowed for an empire to develop even when they were starting to decline. Empires fall because they do not adapt to or incapable of confronting the changing perspectives, influences, or technologies of other political actors. Imperial resources are limited, including resources based on material power and intangible