ancient rome and the united states

Ancient Rome and the United States are not so different as one might think. They both have similar social problems. We would be wise to take a hard look at Rome and see what we can do to learn from their mistakes.

Money In Politics

Summary: If someone wants to run for president, or even join politics on a large scale, he/she needs to start saving every dollar. Essentially, it is close to impossible for the "average American Joe" to ever win a presidential election because they simply do not have the funds to do it. Personal wealth is an extremely important factor in the campaign process. Money helps a candidate be seen by wealthy people who fund campaigns and reach the eyes and ears of American voters. Many claim that our constitutional republic run by the people and for the people is actually run by a minority of the rich who can afford to run for office. 

Ancient Rome seemed to have this problem as well. Juvenal observes: "A man's word is believed in exact proportion to the amount of cash which he keeps in his strong-box....What poor man ever gets a legacy, or is appointed assessor to an aedile? Romans without money should have marched out in a body long ago!"  

Clearly, our society and Roman society places too much importance on personal wealth. It seems like in both societies, only the wealthy have any influence in politics and can successfully rise to hold powerful positions. As Juvenal says, "It is no easy matter, anywhere, for a man to rise when poverty stands in the way of his merits."

(Juvenal, Satire 3)

Refugees 

Summary: With the rise of war in the Middle East, the number of refugees has increased--and they are turning to the United States for safety. Obama recently increased the number of Syrian refugees for resettlement in America to 10,000. This has been a controversial issue for awhile. Some believe that the United States cannot take in everyone that is in a worse position. Others argue that because the United States was involved in Iraq, they helped to exacerbate the situation in Syria. Therefore, we owe the Syrians help. Even if we do help, where do we resettle all of them? How do we integrate them successfully into our culture? 

Similarly, the Romans also argued over whether foreigners should be allowed in their domain. Juvenal observes that "the Syrian Orontes has long since poured into the Tiber, bringing with it its lingo and its manners, its flutes and its slanting harp-strings; bring too the timbrels of the breed, and the trulls who are bidden ply their trade at the Circus." Essentially, he claimed that Greek culture is polluting Rome just like many Americans feel like too many refugees from other countries are a threat to American culture. 

Some Americans believe that these refugees might take away jobs that unemployed Americans desperately need. Juvenal embodies this anger in this simple questions: "Is a man to sign his name before me, and recline upon a couch better than mine, who has been wafted to Rome by the wind which brings us our damsons and our figs?"

(Juvenal, Satire 3)

Substance Abuse 

Summary: Drug abuse is a major public health problem in the United States, causing cancer, HIV/AIDS, heart disease and other medical problems. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, more than 50,000 people died due to drug overdose. Not only does drug abuse affect the addict, but it affect the lives of people around them. Drug abuse can destroy families, harm unborn babies and raise levels of violence and crime. Solutions for this issue come from both ends of the spectrum: some advocate for prohibition of some drugs while others call for their legalization. 

This problem was much harder to find a parallel in Ancient Rome as references to drugs tend to be primarily medicinal. However there are some partially-hidden references within Juvenal's Satire that suggest that drug use may have been an issue for the Romans too. For instance, in Satire 14 Juvenal jokingly prescribes the opium-based "mixture of Mithridates" (aka mithridatium) as a "prophylactic for fathers of teenage boys" (Escohotado 305). Mithridatium is a drug supposedly created by Mithridates, King of Pontus, that fortified his body against any poison. His drug worked so well, that when he tried to kill himself no poison would work. Juvenal suggests that if fathers want to live in their old age and not be killed by their pernicious sons, they should start using this drug to prevent themselves from getting poisoned. He states: "You are already in your son's way; you are delaying his prayers; your long and stag-like old age is a torment to the young man. Seek out Archigenes at once; buy some of the mixture of Mithridates; if you wish to pluck one more fig, and gather roses once again, you should have some medicament to be swallowed before dinner by one who is both a father and a king." 

Basically, Juvenal is satirically telling the Romans that when all seems to be lost, using drugs is the answer. This is a similar source of drug use in the United States--people turn to drugs or become addicted to them as an answer to unpleasant life conditions. 

(Juvenal, Satire 14)

Separation of Church and State

Summary: In 1956, "In God We Trust" became the national motto of the United States due to a resolution passed by Congress. However, some argue that this is unconstitutional because it violates the First Amendment. The First Amendment states that there needs to be a clear separation of church and state. Proponents say that if religion and government are entirely separated, it would lead to a moral crisis. Societies, in a large part, depend on churches to help establish morals and a code of conduct. 

While Juvenal does not directly talk about the relationship between religion and government, he does pointedly show that Rome's moral structure is decaying. Juvenal warns against this decay, saying, "No deed that sets an example of evil brings joy to the doer of it. The first punishment is this: that no guilty man is acquitted at the bar of his own conscience, though he have won his cause by a juggling urn, and the corrupt favor of the judge."  In other parts of his Satire, Juvenal describes how the Romans use money to manipulate outcomes in their favor (see Satire 3). 

Juvenal relates that many people think that they do not have to worry about the gods. These people mistakenly say to themselves, "The wrath of the Gods may be great, but it assuredly is slow; if then they charge themselves with punishing all the guilty, when will they get my length? And besides I may perchance find the God placable; he is wont to forgive things like this. Many commit the same crime and fare differently: one man gets a gibbet, another a crown, as the reward of crime."

Essentially, because people have stopped believing in their religion, they believe they can get away with dishonesty. Juvenal sadly declares that in Rome, "there is no room for honest callings." 

(Juvenal, Satire 13, Satire 3)

Pornography

Summary: Pornography has become an increasingly dangerous issue in American society. Frequency of porn use leads to depression, anxiety, stress and other mental health issues. It destroys users and families--much like substance abuse. It increases behavioral aggression and, in some instances, has led to violent assaults. Pornography is also an element that adds to the problem of sex trafficking. America is becoming habituated to a rising sexual culture.

A heavy focus on pornography is not something new to American culture however. Rome also had this problem interwoven into their culture. Instead of obscenity being propagated through technology (which did not exist in ancient Rome), it was spread as live entertainment. Juvenal says, “You may look perhaps for a troop of Spanish maidens to win applause by immodest dance and song, sinking down with quivering thighs to the floor----such sights as brides behold seated beside their husbands, though it were a shame to speak of such things in their presence. . . . The clatter of castanets, words too foul for the strumpet that stands naked in a reeking archway, with all the arts and language of lust, may be left to him who spits wine upon floors of Lacedaemonian marble...”

Just like in modern times, pornography destroyed families in Rome. Juvenal talks about how husbands and wives tried to hide their enjoyment from each other. Keeping secrets is never a good foundation to build a marriage on.

(Juvenal, Satire 11)

Other Resources Used:

Escohotado, Antonio, and G. W. Robinette. The General History of Drugs. Valparasio, Chile: Graffiti Milante, 2010. Web. 8 Mar. 2017.