Democracy is typically viewed as the superior form of government that allows for the maximum representation of citizens. Therefore, there are sufficient reasons to believe that democracy is preferable to a monarchy or any other type of government. However, the transformation that the Roman Empire experienced after the power had been seized by the emperor could not be seen as inherently negative. Although the absolutist power that the emperor wielded prevented the rest of the citizens from accessing it or being represented to the necessary extent in the political and economic systems of the state, important changes on the international level of political interactions were made, solidifying the image of the Roman Empire as that one of a hegemon within the political arena of the time.
Therefore, while most of the population of the Roman Empire was drastically underrepresented on political and social levels, greater opportunities for increasing the extent of diversity and cross-cultural collaboration emerged. Specifically, with the increase in the influence of the Roman Empire greater opportunities for international trade and cross-cultural communication were created (Hunt et al. 195). Consequently, the emergence of the empire and the subsequent economic development that Rome experienced could be seen as a significant step toward a massive improvement. Therefore, the transformation of the political system within which the Roman Empire operated could be seen as a twofold concept. At the same time, it is important to bear in mind that, without democratic principles at its core and the split into patricians and plebeians, the Román Empire was doomed to eventual stagnation (Hunt et al. 198). Thus, the change observed in the target setting could be seen as a short-term improvement and at the same time the foundation for a long-term failure.
Work Cited
Hunt, Lynda, et al. The Making of the West, Volume 1: To 1750: Peoples and Cultures. 6th ed., Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2018.