At some point between 137 and 200 AD, most historians will say that the Roman Empire and it's influence probably hit maximum potential.
When you go and look at the map, and the literally hundreds of cultures and societies that that they came to face over the build-up.....it was a difficult task to keep people focused on Roman authority and keep challenges to a minimum.
One of the things that this map helps to drive is the influence of commerce. It didn't matter what society or culture they came across....everyone had something to trade or barter. The Romans would come into a region.....establish a path or road system....ensure stability....establish taxation....and give everyone the feeling that they were getting something from this deal.
Most people will agree that there were hundreds of challenges to Roman authority. The Romans were typically able to come back from a defeat, with a massive presence or use of various manipulation practices.....to continue their authority. The biggest challenge? Judea.
On the far eastern side of the Roman region lay Judea. Around 64 BC, the Romans established an authority in the region of Syria. Around 6 BC, the Romans came to establish some authority in Judea....which was mostly a Jewish region.
What the Romans found was a heavily religious-orientated community.....of which there was nothing like this in the entire Roman empire. Normally, you'd find a ruler, or a family-run situation.....which people of some region would fall under. In this case.....the Jewish religion was the unifying factor.
Around 66 AD, the first rebellion occurred with the Jews putting their foot down and saying 'no'. This led onto a major confrontation between the Romans and Jews.....with the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the holy temple as the final fall of the Jewish empire. The Romans killed off thousands in this confrontation.
Ended? No, that's the funny thing about this big battle. Fifty years would go by and another rebellon would take place (115 AD). The Romans would establish authority yet again by use of the legions. Twenty years would pass, and yet another rebellion would take place.
The Romans sat and observed this situation. Absolutely nothing was having the intended affect on these heavily religious-minded Jews. Battles were intense and this was bothering the Romans in a way that other cultures might figure out the dedication involved and also get motivation like the Jews.
Some today suggest that Romans eventually sat down and realized that it was the religion itself that had created opposition to Rome. Some think.....that Rome decided it was time to create a religion to counter-balance the Jewish faith, and be an anchor against the anti-Rome attitude.
The odd part of this story is that virtually every single culture that Rome across and conquered....had religious practices which were allowed to continue. No state religion from Rome was ever established....until the bitter end when the empire was falling apart.
No comments:
Post a Comment