Success of Second-Wave Civilizations

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Slavery was possibly the biggest reason Rome ran smoothly and was able to survive for so long. Slaves made up about 33 to 40 percent of Roman population. Roman slaves were primarily prisoners of war. Romans would own slaves as a sign of their power and wealth. Slaves were treated quite poorly, with killing, raping, and beatings constantly happening to slaves. However, due to the nature of the Roman government, no occupation was off-limits to slaves except military service, and no distinction existed between jobs for slaves and those for free people. Frequently, they labored side by side. This allowed slaves to have similar rights to citizens through jobs such as advisers for officials and government jobs. They were treated very fairly in this matter and were even able to acquire their own possessions. However, like the peasants of China, many slaves felt mistreated and a famous uprising led by Spartacus showed the resistance of slaves, and also how this resistance helped the Empire. Spartacus managed to put together a force of 120,000 rebellious slaves and put them to work, harassing and killing slave owners and government officials. However, the Roman government showed their power when their superior numbers and power led to the breakup of the uprising and the crucification of over 6,000 rebel slaves. Thus, slaves that were thinking of rebelling against Rome were discouraged due to the defeat of a very powerful slave rebellion. The slaves in Rome did the majority of the work and kept the empire running for the multitude of years that it thrived.

These second-wave civilizations all thrived in many different ways. India’s caste system, China’s class system, and Rome’s slave system allowed each civilization to survive for so long. Though they often met rebellion, these civilizations were able to defend their laws and policies and keep the empire running in a majorly peaceful nature. These classes and castes also apply to modern life. Social classes still exist, especially in terms of wealth and power. Powerful people still control others and due to this inequality, the world runs as smoothly as it does. Though there is conflict and resistance, everything eventually comes back to this system because it works. Classes offer a feeling of responsibility for people and as a result, they follow the protocol and parameters that the world has set for them.

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