Factors Contributing To The Pax Romana

[caldrail]

I think you're taking the meaning too literally... Pax Romana means peace within the roman world, not war on the frontier of it. It didn't mean an actual existing situation, rather it was an expression of roman power and control. It was an ideal, if you will, something the romans believed in and strove to maintain. Lets face it, by and large they did.

[Germanicus]

I'd say the Pax Romana lasted until well after Trajan, covering the period including the five good emperors. War with Dacia didn't negatively effect the vast majority of the Roman world.

[caldrail]

I would also remember that it depended on where you lived. The majority of romans didn't travel far from home (holidays for the rich, would-be rich, and the well-armed excepted) so their view of the Pax Romana would definitely differ from ours. In a quiet province, things would seem peaceful. Elsewhere there may be another hairy horde coming over the hill and peace has just gone out the window.

 

We're looking at this from the overall perspective of a consistent united empire.

[coolgolfer]

I don't agree with your statement. People will always have different ideas and thoughts, but I truly believe whether wealthy or not weathly, or whether lived in border province or quetier province the PAX romana was something that the entire empire experienced. The PAX Romana was a time generaly belived to last from 27BC to 180AD to describe the economic growth, growth in roman litature, langaue and so forth.

 

 

 

I would also remember that it depended on where you lived. The majority of romans didn't travel far from home (holidays for the rich, would-be rich, and the well-armed excepted) so their view of the Pax Romana would definitely differ from ours. In a quiet province, things would seem peaceful. Elsewhere there may be another hairy horde coming over the hill and peace has just gone out the window.

 

We're looking at this from the overall perspective of a consistent united empire.

[caldrail]

My point was that people didn't experience the entire empire, merely the parts they lived in. We use the term Pax Romana to describe a period, they didn't. Our view is very different from theirs.

 

I still see this 'small-world' attitude even today with holidays worldwide. There are plenty of people in my area that think the nearest town is on another planet. The romans were no different.