Gaius Octavius, also known as Octavian or Caeser Augustus, was the first official emperor of the Roman Empire. His leadership is known for being the greatest and the best in Roman history (Galinsky, 2012). He is remembered for introducing the period of peace, during which the Roman Empire was the most successful. This period was known as the Pax Romana and is remembered for tremendous success in agriculture, the Roman economy, and art. The establishment of peace and political stability in the region was a culmination of various actions. Among them include signing treaties with their enemies, which led to a peaceful correlation with them.
Additionally, he was instrumental in ending civil wars that had struck the Roman empire for a significantly long time (Osgood, 2015). He was victorious in the Battle of Actium, which solemnized his establishment as the sole ruler in Rome. He also initiated various political reforms when he was in power, which greatly contributed to strengthening the Roman State.
Among the political reforms that he initiated include balancing the powers of different arms of government including the senate, the judicial system, and himself as the sole ruler. The established balance was highly influential in preventing power from being concentrated on one individual. This was beneficial to the Roman Empire, as it created stability in the government. If Caesar Augustus were a leader in the modern day, he would still be a good leader, as he prioritized his country more than putting his interests first. He was heavily invested in facilitating political stability, which was reflected in the growth of the economy, as well as other commercial activities that took place in the Roman Empire.
Christianity spread rapidly through the Roman Empire. It initially had not received legal status and, in this case, was the victim of atrocious levels of persecution. It later received legal status in 321 CE, which was an influential development since the believers could openly practice their faith. By 325 CE, the Roman Empire recognized the legitimacy of Christianity and worked intentionally to establish a set of beliefs and principles that formed the backbone of this religion. Christianity continually became more prominent and widely accepted since it was the most popular religion by 380 CE in the Roman Empire (Cochrane, 2015). This had a significant influence as there was a need to standardize its beliefs. Since Christianity had a significant connection to the Roman government, most of its practices are a reflection of Romanian culture. A current reflection of Romanian culture in Christianity is the fact that the pope gets his title from the old Roman office. Ideally, it is impossible to understand Christianity’s development without factoring in Romanian culture.
The religion’s transition from becoming a minority belief to a mainstream practice has had a major influence on its practice. For instance, the official recognition gave rise to missionary activities as the religion continued to spread across the world. The missionaries and evangelists had more freedom to travel and create awareness about Christianity without the fear of persecution (Cochrane, 2015). Consequently, Christian faith became integrated into societal beliefs and practices, as the religion also became more institutionalized.
The Byzantine Empire is the eastern part of the Roman Empire. It was lucky to survive an additional 1000 years after the western part crumbled. The western part crumbled into feudal kingdoms, which were eventually merged into the Ottoman Empire. This empire is mainly remembered for the reservation of the Greek culture. Additionally, it also preserved Roman civilization during the Middle Ages period (Stathakopoulos, 2023). This empire can be considered the Roman empire, since it is its continuation into the middle and late ages. However, there is a difference between the Roman and Byzantine empires. Among them include their religious beliefs, since the Roman Empire practiced Paganism during its early years, while the Byzantine practiced Christianity from the onset. Consequently, the western region spoke Latin, while the Byzantine spoke Greek.
Art and architecture went through significant changes during the Byzantine Empire. The change was mainly to ensure that they were a reflection of the religious, political, and cultural practices. First off, the visual arts were used to mainly convey the theological concepts that were being practiced at the time. Elements such as the Eastern tradition, the Orthodox churches, religious icons, and monasteries were heavily reflected in the art. The architecture was also quite distinctly different from what was practiced in the Western Roman Empire (Bougiatioti et al., 2020). Arches, domes, and elaborate decorations characterized them. An iconic example of byzantine architecture is the Hagia Sophia, found in modern-day Istanbul. It is a massive done that is supported by mosaics, and pendentives. It is also important to note that the Roman Empire highly influenced the Byzantine architecture. The elements that they took up from the rich Roman heritage include geometric patterns, capitals, and columns. Ideally, the Byzantine Empire allowed the exchange of cultural ideas and techniques between the West and the East.
During that period, the women were mainly associated with conducting domestic roles. They were in charge of homemaking and housekeeping activities. Other domestic roles that they took up included raising the children and managing the family’s finances. At the same time, the elite women were involved in other social activities such as charitable work and patronage of artwork. In the Byzantine Empire, marriage was a significant social institution (Cartwright, 2018). The men were also considered the head of the home, and in this case, the women were under their husbands’ authority. Their legal status and rights were closely associated with their marital status. This shows that, at the time, women were considered a minority part of the population, especially if they were not married. Women were a legal entity, but they had limited rights compared to men. Their husbands and the men in the society were responsible for their legal affairs, finances, and property. Despite the limitations, the women had a right to inheritance and would exercise authority over their newly gained possessions.
The wealthy people in the society could educate their daughters and, in this case, prioritize it. However, education opportunities were limited for women whose families were unable to afford it. The education focused on religious instruction, domestic skills, and general literacy. There is a significant difference between the work and economic activities undertaken by women from low-income families and the elite. For the latter, they mainly worked so they could be able to support their families. They mainly offered labor in textile industries, domestic service, and agricultural farms. On the other hand, the women from the elite families mainly managed their family’s wealth and finances and oversaw the work done by their servants. They also engaged in charitable work and entrepreneurial ventures.
References
Bougiatioti, F., & Oikonomou, A. (2020). Architectural characteristics and environmental performance of Byzantine houses and streets. Building and Environment, 170, 106605.
Cartwright, M. (2018). Women in the Byzantine Empire. The Ancient History Encyclopedia.
Cochrane, C. N. (2015). Christianity and classical culture. Ravenio Books.
Galinsky, K. (2012). Augustus: Introduction to the Life of an Emperor. Cambridge University Press.
Osgood, J. (2015). Ending civil war at Rome: rhetoric and reality, 88 BCE–197 CE. The American Historical Review, 120(5), 1683-1695.
Stathakopoulos, D. (2023). A short history of the Byzantine Empire.
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