The Roman Empire, founded by Augustus Caesar in 27 B.C. and lasting in Western
Europe for 500 years, reorganized for world politics and economics. Almost the entirety of the
civilized world became a single centralized state. In place of Greek democracy, piety, and
independence came Roman authoritarianism and practicality. Vast prosperity resulted. Europe and
the Mediterranean bloomed with trading cities ten times the size of their predecessors with public
amenities previously unheard of courts, theaters, circuses, and public baths. And these were now
large permanent masonry buildings as we…
