Pax Romana #2: Driven by Self-Interest

In this blog, we’ll see some of the entirely selfish reasons why peace suited Rome and also at some of the checks and balances to minimize excesses and violations.

 

Negotiations for peace are always tricky, points out Adrian Goldsworthy in Pax Romana. Even more so in ancient times. A side that surrendered always worried whether they’d be enslaved or killed. Rome wanted its enemies to trust them in such scenarios. Not out of any goodness of heart, but just practical calculations. Wars were costly, and a quick surrender was preferable. Additionally, the animosity generated by acts of savagery and trickery post-surrender hurt in the long run. Revenue via empire, remember, was the goal.

 

Inevitably though, individual commanders and governors sometimes did not follow these rules. The wrath of Rome would usually follow major violations. Mostly because it hurt the long-term prospects of Rome. Political opponents of the offender would seize the opportunity to imprison or exile a rival. And lastly, the prosecutor in Rome in such cases got very positive visibility as an upholder of the law and ensuring the good of the empire, so he went about his job with full enthusiasm and sincerity. Cynical reasons can sometimes produce positive outcomes.

 

Goldsworthy’s point is not that such a system of long-term thinking and checks and balances was perfect – it wasn’t. Rather, his point is that it kept the savagery by the conquering Roman army in check most of the time.

 

Given the vast distances and kind of communication systems in that age, regional governors and commanders had to be given a lot of operational freedom (If every decision had to be made or checked with Rome, it would never work). While this meant some could and did abuse their power, it also limited the area over which any one man could do damage. Even a mad emperor in Rome could not inflict savagery across the entire empire.

 

That takes us back to the eternal debate - if the outcome is good, should one really care about the reasons behind it?

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