Chapter 19 – Pax Romana and the son of god | Dan L. White Homeschool Helpers

The End Time Church: from the Cathedrals to the Catacombs

By Dan L. White

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB) which is in the public domain.

Chapter 19

Pax Romana and the son of god

Rome was a republic!

When you think of Rome, you think of the world’s largest empire, with its vainglorious emperors, oppressive all-controlling government and tyrannical dictators, ala Nero. But that Rome came after the Roman Republic.

A republic?

Israel, of course, was never a republic or a democracy, because such governments are still run by people, just many people instead of a few. Israel was never a theocracy, because a theocracy is run by people, just religious people who claim to have the support of God. Israel was Yah-tocracy — governed directly by Yahweh God himself.

Of all human governments, though, a republic seems best because it most limits evil human nature.

A monarchy is the worst. There is absolutely no restraint on the pharoah, king, emperor or czar. The only question is how unrestrained the monarch will be.

An oligarchy is rule by a few, and to that degree is better than a monarchy because the few can be a check on each other. However, these few carnal people are largely unchecked. The politburo is inherently polluted by human shortcomings.

A democracy is rule by the many, with government decisions made directly by a vote of the people. Power is extremely decentralized among many people. This is somewhat unworkable with a large population. The worst thing about a democracy, or rule by the majority, is that at some point the majority tyrannizes the minority. A simple vote can lead to eradicating the opposition, just as a king could do with his enemies.

A republic has representatives of the people do the governing. This lessens the tyranny of democracy somewhat. A simple vote of the majority cannot eradicate the minority, because the governing laws and institutions of the republic do not allow such tyranny. A republic seems to be the best form of human government, because it places the greatest restrictions on human nature in government. A republic is not a government of god, but it does limit human power. Limiting human power is good, because human nature is so bad.

Of course, a republic does not eliminate human nature, but only restrains it for a while. And that was Rome — a republic — for a while.

This may be one of the great surprises of history. The greatest tyrannical empire that the world has ever known began as a republic. The widest reach of despotic kings controlling the lives of the greatest number of other people began with a government designed to limit the power that kings, emperors and dictators could have.

In the late 6th century BCE, the small city-state of Rome overthrew the shackles of monarchy and created a republican government that, in theory if not always in practice, represented the wishes of its citizens. From this basis the city would go on to conquer all of the Italian peninsula and large parts of the Mediterranean world and beyond. The Republic and its institutions of government would endure for five centuries, until, wrecked by civil wars, it would transform into a Principate ruled by emperors.[1]

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia article, ‘Rome,’ discusses the rise of Rome’s republic, after the Romans had overthrown the Etruscan kings in 509 BCE.

The prerogatives of the kings passed over to the consuls. The reduction of the tenure of power to a single year and the institution of the principle of colleagueship were the earliest checks to the abuse of unlimited authority. But the true cornerstone of Roman liberty was thought to be the lexicon Valeria, which provided that no citizen should be put to death by a magistrate without being allowed the right of appeal to the decision of the assembly of the people.[2]

Remember how Ahasuerus had the power to kill anyone who dared speak to him? With the ‘lexicon Valeria,’ the Republic of Rome eliminated that little grievance against government. The Republic also had term limits — one year of power. Power was also placed by tradition in a group of men, the Senate, rather than just one man.

The kings had reduced the senate to the position of a mere advising body. But under the republican regime it recovered in fact the authority of which it was deprived in theory. The controlling power of the senate is the most significant feature of the republican government, although it was recognized by no statute or other constitutional document.[3]

The Roman Republic had offices filled by annual elections.

Under the fully developed constitution the regular magistracies were five in number, consulship, praetorship, aedileship, tribunate, and quaestorship, all of which were filled by annual elections.[4]

Rome also had a body of written law. The nation was, to whatever degree, controlled not by an individual who ruled by royal decree or executive order, but by established laws of the nation. Ironically, those laws, like another famous law, were written on tablets.

In 451 bce Rome received its first written law code, inscribed upon 12 bronze tablets and publicly displayed in the forum. Its provisions concerned such matters as legal procedure, debt foreclosure, paternal authority over children, property rights, inheritance, and funerary regulations. This so-called Law of the Twelve Tables was to form the basis of all subsequent Roman private law.[5]

Again, how incredible it was that Rome, known for its nutty Neros and demonic Diocletians, was a republic. That human government, although designed to limit human nature in government, was still plagued by human nature in government. Eventually, after five centuries, the citizens of the Roman Republic decided they wanted a saviour, a knight in shining armor — an emperor.

Why?

Civil wars.

The Roman world had for two generations been steadily drifting toward monarchy, and at least one generation before the empire was set up clear minds saw the inevitable necessity of one-man government or supreme power, and each political leader made it his ambition to grasp it. The civil wars ceased for a century with the death of Antony. But the struggles of Tiberius Gracchus and Scipio Aemilianus, Caius Gracchus and Opimius, Drusus and Philippus, Marius and Sulla, Pompey and Caesar, and lastly Octavian and Antony had exhausted the state, and this exhaustion of political parties opened the way for monarchy.[6]

Corruption.

Events had proved that a narrow exclusive aristocracy was incapable of good government because of its utterly selfish policy and disregard for the rights of all lower orders. It had learned to burke liberty by political murders. Neither was the heterogeneous population of later Rome disciplined to obey or to initiate just government when it had seized power. This anarchy within the body politic opened an easy way to usurpation by individuals. No republic and no form of free popular government could live under such conditions. Caesar said of the republic that it was “a name without any substance,” and Curio declared it to be a “vain chimera.” The law courts shared in the general corruption. . .Elective assemblies refused to perform their proper functions because of extravagant bribery or the presence of candidates in arms. In fact, the people were willing to forego the prerogative of election and accept candidates at the nomination of a despotic authority. The whole people had become incapable of self-government and were willing – almost glad – to be relieved of the necessity.[7]

Better commerce.

To another considerable class monarchy must have been welcome – the industrial and middle class who were striving for competence and were engaged in trade and commerce. Civil wars and the strife of parties must have greatly hindered their activity….They desired only a stable condition of government under which they could uninterruptedly carry on their trades.[8]

The Romans grew tired of the Republic because individual freedoms led to societal anarchy. Like Israel, they wanted a king to protect themselves from themselves.

Just as in Israel, the people were incapable of self-government. They were out of control. Therefore government changed from rule by the many to rule by the meanest.

… [T]he actual political assemblies were made up largely of the worthless element which was so numerous in the city, whose irrational instincts were guided and controlled by shrewd political leaders, particularly those who united in themselves military ability and the wiles of the demagogue. Sulla, Crassus, Julius Caesar, Antony, and lastly Octavian were in effect the ancient counterpart of the modern political “boss.” When such men realized their ultimate power and inevitable rivalry, the ensuing struggle for supremacy and for the survival of the fittest formed the necessary process of elimination leading naturally to the establishment of the monarchy, which was in this case the rule of the last survivor.[9]

The original written law of the Republic was overruled by the superior wisdom of whoever had the most power at the time. However, the Republic was so historically respected after five centuries among the Romans that when it ended, most said it still existed. That is, while Julius and Octavian were setting themselves up as dictators, they did so while saying they still supported the Republic.

Julius Caesar is famous as a Roman emperor. He actually preceded but enabled the Roman Empire. In the image that Nebuchadnezzar saw, Rome was the fourth kingdom to reign over the Jews. All those kingdoms were not republics but were totalitarian dictatorships. Julius brought that to Rome.

Julius had won a military campaign in Spain that made him popular in Rome. Pompey was another successful Roman general who had conquered Jerusalem in 63 BCE. In their battle for supremacy, Julius defeated Pompey in 49 BC in one more Roman civil war and after that had himself declared dictator.

For a couple of generations political leaders had foreseen the coming of supreme power and had tried to grasp it. But it was Julius Caesar who best succeeded in exploiting democracy for his own aggrandizement. He proved the potent factor of the first triumvirate (60 BC); his consulship (59) was truly kingly. In 49 BC he crossed the Rubicon and declared war upon his country, but in the same year was appointed Dictator and thus made his enemies the enemies of his country…. Between 46 and the Ides of March 44 no emperor before Diocletian was more imperial. He was recognized officially as “demigod”; temples were dedicated to his “clemency.” He encouraged the people to abdicate to him their privileges of self-government and right of election, became chief (princeps) of the senate and high priest (pontifex maximus), so that he could manipulate even the will of the gods to his own purposes. [10]

Notice that Julius was a “demigod,” which the dictionary says is a minor god. He encouraged the people to abdicate their self-government to him, he became chief of the Senate and religious high priest, and he was appointed dictator for a term.

However, remember this was a republic, purposely established to avoid dictators. Julius was high handed in his approach to Roman government and he instituted laws — executive decrees — with little regard for the Senate. In other words, he really acted like a dictator. In response to Julius’ actions, a group of senators stabbed Julius to death in 44 BCE. They called themselves Liberators, for ending the dictatorship and saving the Republic.

However, the Roman people, like Israel long before them, were ready for a king. The Liberators, who expected to be hailed for their heroism, were run out of Rome. Even to this day, Julius is hailed and the Liberators are assailed.

After his assassination, Julius’ will revealed that he had adopted his grand-nephew Octavius, later called Octavian. That young man of 18 took on the popular family name of his uncle, Caesar, then set about on a calculated campaign to become successor to Julius as ruler of Rome. After fourteen years of political maneuvering and military battles, Octavian defeated Marc Antony in 31 BCE to become the prime power in Rome.

In the battle for power, Octavian was the last one standing. Like so many other rulers, he was king because he killed off all the competition.

Octavian (Augustus) proved the potent factor of the second triumvirate. The field of Actiuim on September 2, 31 BC, decided the fate of the old Roman republic. The commonwealth sank in exhaustion after the protracted civil and internecine strife. It was a case of the survival of the fittest. It was a great crisis in human history, and a great man was at hand for the occasion. Octavian realized that supreme power was the only possible solution. On his return to Rome he began to do over again what Caesar had done – gather into his own hands the reins of government. He succeeded with more caution and shrewdness, and became the founder of the Roman empire, which formally began on January 16, 27 BC, and was signalized by the bestowal of the title AUGUSTUS (which see). Under republican forms he ruled as emperor, controlling legislation, administration and the armies.[11]

Octavian seized power while saying he still supported the Republic, so the people and the Senate supported him as dictator while telling themselves they still had a republic.

By carrying the name Caesar, Octavian transferred to himself much of the popular appeal of Julius. Like his Uncle Julius, Augustus named a month after himself. And early in his political career, Octavian or Augustus, made the departed Julius Caesar a god.

That was more a political move than pious dedication to his dear departed uncle.

Octavian did not claim to be a god himself. Therefore he did not appear to exalt himself in that way. He only exalted departed Julius, in making him a Roman god.

Logically, though, since Augustus was the adopted son of Julius, that made Augustus the son of a god. In that way, he could be humble and exalted at the same time!

So Augustus became the son of a god while appearing not to exalt himself at all, and he became absolute ruler of Rome, while saying that he supported the Republic.

In 27 BCE, Octavian was declared by the Senate to be Augustus.

The epithet implied respect and veneration beyond what is bestowed on human things.[12]

Here Octavian was named Augustus, a word ringing with religious (augur) and social (auctoritas) meaning but not suggestive of overt political dominance. C. Julius Caesar Octavianus now became Imperator Caesar Augustus….By means of this settlement, Augustus was simultaneously commander, leader, savior.[13]

Commander, leader, saviour — Augustus!

From Horace, Odes
Your times, O Caesar, have brought back fertile crops to the fields and have restored to Jupiter the military standards which had been taken from us by our enemies the Parthians. You have made the temple of Janus close because we are at peace. You have put reins on sin and keep the people within the boundaries of right. You have wiped away our sins and revived the ancient virtues which made Rome great, and the fame and majesty of our empire is spread from the sun’s bed in the west to the east. As long as Caesar is the guardian of the state, neither civil dissension nor violence shall banish peace, nor will it be ended by the anger that forges swords and brings discord and misery to cities. None of our enemies shall violate the orders of Caesar. And we, both on profane days and sacred days, amid the gifts of merry Bacchus, together with our wives and children, will first pray to the gods; and then we will sing songs, with accompaniment of Lydian flutes, to great leaders whose duty is done.[14]

Augustus was a very effective dictator, or emperor. He put in place the Pax Romana, the Roman Peace that prevailed throughout the Roman Empire. As long as Caesar is the guardian of the state, neither civil dissension nor violence shall banish peace.

The founding of the Roman empire was the grandest political achievement ever accomplished. The conquests of Alexander the Great, Charlemagne and Napoleon seem small compared with the durable structure reared by Julius and his successor, Augustus…

The first universal blessing conferred by the empire was the famous pax Romana (“Roman peace”). The world had not been at peace since the days of Alexander the Great. The quarrels of the Diadochi, [Alexander’s successors] and the aggression of the Roman republic had kept the nations in a state of constant turmoil. A universal peace was first established with the beginning of the reign of Augustus and the closing of the temple of Janus [opened only in times of war]. In all the countries round the Mediterranean and from distant Britain to the Euphrates the world was at rest. Rome had made an end of her own civil wars and had put a stop to wars among the nations. Though her wars were often iniquitous and unjustifiable, and she conquered like a barbarian, she ruled her conquests like a humane statesman. The quarrels of the Diadochi which caused so much turmoil in the East were ended, the territory of the Lagids; Attalids, Seleucids and Antigonids having passed under the sway of Rome. The empire united Greeks, Romans and Jews all under one government. Rome thus blended the nations and prepared them for Christianity. Now for the first time we may speak of the world as universal humanity, the orbis terrarum [the whole earth],… the genus humanum [human race]. These terms represented humanity as living under a uniform system of government. All were members of one earthly state; the Roman empire was their communis omnium patria [common homeland]…

With the dawn of the pax Romana all these roads [that Rome built] became alive once more with a galaxy of caravans and traders. Commerce revived and was carried on under circumstances more favorable than any that obtained till the past century.[15]

Notice these points made there.

Rome ended her own civil wars and stopped wars among nations.
Rome conquered like a barbarian and ruled humanely, as long as the conquered humbled themselves before Rome.
The Roman Empire united Greeks, Romans and Jews; the empire was universal humanity under one government.
Commerce thrived under the enforced peace.

roman_empire-75

Of course, the empire did not include the Orient, Arabia, Africa or the Americas. Distances set the limit of area that could be governed by one empire and in 285CE the empire was divided into east and west divisions for better administration. The Roman Empire, though, was the epicenter of human civilization and had the most influence of any government in the world.

History records that there were around 100,000,000 people within the 1,500,000 square miles of the Roman Empire during the time of Christ.[16]

Even today the days of the week, the months of the year, the calendar of the world and the three major holidays of the world all come from Rome.

Like the rest of the civilized world, Israel was also under Augustus. Judea was ruled by a puppet king Herod, but he ruled under Augustus. This pattern of puppet kings was repeated across the empire. Augustus was truly a king of kings, a king who ruled over other kings.

Was Israel right when they told Samuel they wanted a human king, to bring them peace and prosperity?

With the Pax Romana, it now appeared so. Wars were mostly ended, with Rome only squashing periodic pushes for freedom. Roads were built across the Empire and commerce was conducted more safely than at any time up until recent history. Even today, historians laud the great Roman Empire and its most worthy emperor, Augustus.

The Roman Empire was like the Kingdom of God on earth.

Except for a few problems.

One, God wasn’t in it.

Two, socialism inevitably sinks in its own sinkhole. No human government can endure, although they all think they can.

One of the three mothers of American libertarianism wrote of the Roman Empire in the middle of World War II, when Hitler was trying to do the same thing and set up a thousand year Reich.

It was sober, ascetic, conscientious Augustus Caesar who laid the firm foundations of the misery in which all Europeans lived for generations. He began to establish a planned world-economy, the famous Roman Peace that the Roman legions gave the whole world’s people by conquering them. (Just such a peace as Hitler, and some of his enemies, are planning now.)

That Roman Peace was designed to last forever. When Diocletian perfected it, its economy was so thoroughly planned and so well administered that farmers could no longer farm nor workers work, and Government took care of them on the relief that taxes provided, until the increasing taxes pushed so many farmers and workers onto tax-supported relief that there was not enough productive energy left to pay the taxes, and the Roman empire with its world peace collapsed into the Dark Ages.[17]

In his time, though, Augustus was the king of the world, a king of kings, with puppet kings under him. He was from a noble family, he gained his kingdom by ruthless force, and he ruled by the spears and swords of the most powerful army on earth. The glory of the Empire replaced the freedom of individual choice. The Pax Romana was the epitome of this world’s government, with peace by power and faith by force, and its Emperor Augustus was revered as the son of a god.

Augustus reigned as undisputed emperor from 27BCE to 14CE. About the middle of that reign, in ~4BCE, he issued a decree. He could do, that, you know. He was emperor. That decree by Caesar Augustus, king of kings and son of god, set the stage for the birth of another King of Kings —

THE Son of God.

[1] http://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Republic/

[2] ‘Rome,’ The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE).

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] https://www.britannica.com/place/Roman-Republic

[6] “Roman Empire and Christianity,” ISBE.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.