History Week 8

The Mediterranean World – The Roman Age

Discuss the legacy of Ancient Rome to the western world/ Discuss the place Ancient Rome has in bible prophecy.

(Hyper History n.d., 'Roman Empire')

(Zyworld n.d., 'Nebuchadnezzar's Dream')

Ancient Rome has had a significant impact on the modern world with its legacy still seen and even spoken today. The modern Romantic languages such as French, Spanish and Italian evolved from Latin, the language of the Ancient Romans (Eduplace n.d., p.2). Similar to today’s society, education was also an extremely important aspect of Roman life; schooling the children of the affluent in reading, writing and mathematics (History Learning Site 2012, ¶1).   However unlike their Grecian contemporaries who cherished ‘knowledge for its own sake,’ the Romans sought ‘to use their knowledge for practical purposes’ (Cambridge University Press 2012, p.176 ¶3). These pragmatic philosophies led to the ‘architectural and engineering feats’ such as the aqueducts which allowed Romans access to fresh water and in turn develop sewerage systems that minimised the outbreak of disease (Cambridge University Press 2012, p.176 ¶2). The construction of roads totalling approximately ‘80450km’ provided not only shorter travelling distances for armies but increased trade (Cambridge University Press, p.176 ¶5). Unfortunately the construction of the roads proved to be a double edged sword as although they allowed easy navigation for the army and ‘united the Empire’, so too did it allow enemies to invade and conquer without many obstacles (Eduplace n.d., p.3). The fall of Rome has been well documented, however the Bible had foretold of Rome’s demise long before it had even risen. In the Book of Daniel, Daniel interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in which he saw,

‘an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace’ (Dan. 2:31-35, NIV).

Each element of the statue represented a kingdom that would have a ‘direct impact upon and reign over Israel’ (Seeking Truth 2012, ¶2). Scholars suggest that the head represented the Babylonian Empire, the chest and arms represented Persia, the belly and thighs represented Greece and that the legs ‘symbolised the eastern and western empires’ of Rome (The Underground Bible n.d., ¶2). The prophecy stated that the elements of the statue would be ‘broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace,’ thus foreseeing the fall of the great Empire of Rome and securing its place in Biblical prophecy (Dan. 2:35, NIV).

 

References

Cambridge University Press 2012, Ancient Rome, http://www.cambridge.edu.au/education/resource/pageproofs_6_675933.pdf, [Accessed 4 November 2012]

Eduplace n.d., World History: Ancient Civilisations, http://www.eduplace.com/parents/socsci/ca/books/bkf3/reviews/pdfs/LS_6_15_04.pdf, [Accessed 4 November 2012]

History Learning Site 2012, Roman Education, http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/roman_education.htm, [Accessed 4 November 2012]

The Holy Bible: New International Version 1998, New American Library, NY

Seeking Truth 2012, World Government And The Revived Roman Empire, http://www.seekingtruth.co.uk/world_government.htm, [Accessed 4 November 2012]   

The Underground Bible n.d., Bible Prophecy: The Four Empires Of Earth, http://undergroundbible.wordpress.com/2010/02/28/sour-grapes-the-evolution-of-four-empires-on-earth-part-4-of-5/, [Accessed 4 November 2012]

Images

Hyper History n.d., ‘Roman Empire’, picture, http://www.hyperhistory.com/online_n2/maptext_n2/roman_emp.html, [Accessed 4 November 2012]

Zyworld n.d., ‘Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream’, http://www.zyworld.com/RevelationScrolls/Nebuchadnezzars%20Dream.htm, [Accessed 4 November 2012]