Roman Extrapolation

Extrapolation of the World had the Roman Empire succeeded

Everyone has wanted, at one time or another, to go back and change history. Have you really thought about what would happen should you do that? Things would be different, you wouldn't be who you are, and the world would potentially change.

Throughout the course of history, mankind has been judged on its actions and advancements. From the beginning of written history, we have strove to better ourselves in all aspects. Certain peoples stand out in our texts as the people that lead to these strides. Arguably, none greater then the Romans. Through the process of extrapolation, I will show you how the world's governments, medical care, and culture would change had the Roman Empire not fell.

Rome was considered by many to be the height of civilization. Their advancements in every field were leaps and bounds ahead of what scholars today thought they were capable of. Their amazing advancements in technology undoubtedly lead them into this position. The Roman's however should not, and cannot be held responsibly for their rise to power.

Rome started off like any other, as a small city-state with dreams of advancement. Unlike the other cities in the region, Rome was bloodthirsty. The Romans love for blood started early. While other cities were concentrated on scientific and agricultural advancement, Rome was preparing for war.

Around the year 740 Rome started advancing its forces. They easily conquered their close neighbors. Knowing that expansion depended on people Rome decided instead of enslaving its conquests, it would absorb them. Rome continued this policy throughout its career. "Rome's policy of taking in conquered outsiders produced tremendous expansion (Hunt et al 138)."

This absorption of different peoples is how Rome achieved all its great discoveries. Some of which were said to have happened before Rome was founded. The common technological advancement credited to the Romans is roads. The ability to move an army quickly over land, it was thought roads were used to move troops quickly across the growing republic. In 509 B.C. Rome overthrew its last king and created the worlds first republic.

Said to be their greatest achievement, the Roman republic is what many of today's governments are based upon. Using Hammurabi as an example the Romans established a stable system of laws that its people were expected to follow. The "Laws of the Twelve Tables" was published in 449 B.C. These granted plebeians (commonplace members of society) their rights to marriage and gave patricians (those of noble birth) a greater grasp on consulship.

It was the original idea of the patricians to form a governing body to protect the interests of the plebeians. The plebeians were in favor of this idea, thinking the patricians would resolve any disputes quickly. Furthermore they realized that the growing military needed some sort of advanced leadership.

This was the starting ground of the famed Roman Senate. The Senate however was not without its problems. "Rome had no highest judicial authority, such as the U.S. Supreme Court, to resolve disputes about conflicting laws or verdicts.(Hunt 146)" Rome's governing body was "jumbled network of institutions, lacked an overall integration (Hunt 146)." This created opportunities for many high ranking Roman officials to bribe their way into power and see that certain laws were passed.

Without this unique setup, many of the world's governments would still be thrown into the chaos of monarchy. Worse yet would be under some form of dictatorship. The Roman republic, even in its early stages was the turning point for how society looked to its leaders for governing.

Not only did this system of governing help the people live a life of more freedom. It allowed the military to expand. The area of expertise for the Romans was always their military. It brought them lands, money, power and advancements. These advancements, in the form of medical care for the troops lead many ancient peoples to believe the Romans impossible to beat.

"The Roman solider had a longer life span because of their addition of surgeons to their ranks. Capiable of performing many kinds of procedures on the front line, these surgeons were the prime reason the Roman military had so few losses.(Campanella)" These surgeons discovered the process of amputation (the act of taking a limb). This cut down the infection rate among soldiers and prevented battle losses. Along with surgeons, the Roman military was first to offer any sort of medical care to its soldiers. They were fed nutrious meals and given much more rest while enlisted, this lead to higher morale and longer campaigns of service.

The Republic also gave its long-time soldiers the option of medicinal care for their families and a program that extended their care even after their terms of service were ended. This paved the way for much medical advancement. This also increased the lives of Roman citizens, giving doctors at the time, more research possibilities. Humongous advancements in anatomy came out of this period. From the surgeons on the military to the doctors in the cities, new medical technologies were being discovered nearly yearly.

These methods granted could have been discovered later, by different peoples. But the Romans love of warfare and conquest gave the medical world much to talk about. The Field surgeon, doctors at home and an advanced medical system would all be lost had the Romans not had this insatiable thirst for more.

The Roman doctors had to have a set of morals instilled before they could do proper work. These morals came from their devotion to the gods they worshiped. Like so many cultures at the time, Rome was a polytheistic base. Amazingly it was from under this system our own religion, Christianity, originated from.

The first challenges Christianity faced were internal. After hammering out their initial laws, they had to decide on their relationship to Judaism. Under Judaism the new sect would still need to follow certain laws and rituals. This was terrifying to the Christians, especially the rituals like circumcision. Paul of Tarsus knew that these would deter converts from joining and as such stood in favor of being a separate, unique organization. With the support of the Hellenists,