How closely does America resemble Ancient Rome?http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2010/04/20/entertainment/doc4bce100ac10ce258973070.txtBy Nicole Sipe
Ticket Intern
It’s a well-known fact that when our forefathers started our country, they had life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in mind. But who knew that they also had ancient Rome in mind as well? “Ancient Rome and America,” the National Constitution Center’'s current exhibition, examines just that.
The National Constitution Center has been providing the Philadelphia area with culturally rich and historically accurate exhibits for years and this exhibit is no different. Chock full of authentic artifacts, this exhibit explores the questions that have been present among historians since the birth of our nation: Will America have the same fate as Rome? Will we use Rome as an example and not make the same mistakes? How similar are America and Rome?
The exhibit is presented in five sections, the first titled “Introduction,” followed by “Building a Republic,” “A Classical Revival,” “Expansion and Empire” and “Enduring a Legacy.” Guests can walk leisurely through the five sections, stopping to view artifacts such as jewelry, pottery, busts and much more.
Visitors to the exhibit will start by examining symbols that were present in ancient Rome and present in America, including a look at the significance of the eagle in both cultures, and view an original carved bald eagle dating back to the 1700s.
In the next section, “Building a Republic,” the similarities between the birth of Rome and America can be viewed. The breakaway from a monarchy and the formation of a republic are events shared by both Rome and America, and this section compares major events and stories in Roman culture to those in American culture, such as those of Romulus and Remus and Paul Revere. Among others, artifacts in this section include slave collars from both cultures, illustrating the struggle with slavery that Rome and America both faced. Also present are writings from America’s forefathers, examining the comparisons between Rome and America that they made when laying the groundwork for our country.
Next is “A Classical Revival,” which examines Rome’s influence on America’s art and culture. Also present are examples of citizenship in both cultures and a view of how Rome impacted American entertainment and architecture. Guests can see original, handwritten letters between John and Abigail Adams, as well as jewelry and clothing from both cultures. Also present is a collage of Roman influences in modern entertainment, including movies such as “Gladiator.” This section even compares ancient gladiators to today’s football players.
Next up is “Expansion and Empire,” which examines the growth and expansion of Rome, both geographically and culturally, compared to that of America. On display are busts of prominent Roman emperors. Also shown here is the struggle people went through to obtain citizenship. You can see tablets engraved to allow a Roman soldier citizenship in 93 CE, as well as papers granting citizenship to an American soldier in 1864.
The final section of the exhibit is “Enduring the Legacy,” and it is meant to leave guests with questions as well as answers. With their newfound knowledge of the similarities between ancient Rome and America, guests are left to their own devices to decipher what it all means.
The stunning artifacts and displays in this exhibit serve their purpose to inform and expand the visitor’s impressions of American history. The comparison of major events in both American and Roman histories, as well as the comparison of the structure of both governments is highlighted by the stunning visual effect that this exhibit offers.
There’s no question about it — this exhibit was meant to be a conversation piece, and it more than meets its goal of educating while still remaining stimulating.
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