The Pax Romana

The Pax Romana — the 'Roman Peace' — refers to the roughly two-century period from Augustus' establishment of the Principate in 27 BCE to the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 CE. During this era, the Roman Empire experienced a degree of internal stability, economic prosperity, and cultural flourishing that was unprecedented in scale and duration.

The peace was not absolute. Rome fought wars on its frontiers throughout this period, and political violence — including the assassination of emperors — occurred with disturbing regularity. But within the empire's borders, the vast majority of inhabitants lived without experiencing major armed conflict. Trade routes were secured by the Roman military. A common legal framework facilitated commerce across the Mediterranean. Cities grew, public works expanded, and standards of living rose.

The Pax Romana's significance extends beyond the Roman world. It demonstrated that large-scale political stability could create conditions for extraordinary economic and cultural development. It also created the conditions for the spread of Christianity, which took advantage of Roman roads, a common Greek language, and the relative safety of travel to expand from a small Jewish sect into the empire's dominant religion within three centuries.