The P.E.T (political, economic, technological) of Rome and Islam

Rome and Islam are very much alike in some ways but they are also different. Rome and Islam are similar by how they socialize and how their leader both made a huge significance in their own political aspects. Their differences are how they use their technology. For example, Rome has aqueducts while Islam doesn’t. Rome and Islam have different products to trade and Islam uses distillery to make perfume. These information on political, technology, and economic will help you picture life in Ancient Rome and Islam but it may also take you back in time.


“The Romans established a form of government known as a republic” (pg.48). A republic is that citizens get to vote who their leaders are going to be. “The Romans created a government in which average citizens had a voice.”(pg.48). On the other hand, Islam had caliphs which meant successor. Islam and Rome had strong leaders and militaries. “In battle, Muslim armies proved to be disciplined and their leaders were highly skilled.”(pg.101). It is important that they have strong militaries because it can help them prevent invasion. The roman republic was a great idea because at one point they can actually vote for their leaders and it limits the power that a person can have. Even though Islam didn't have a republic, caliphs were still important because they helped rule the Islamic World. The political aspects in Rome and Islam was important because it establishes the government type.

Technology is important and is very useful back then and now. In the Islamic World, they had a war torpedo for sea attacks. The Romans didn't have that but they had aqueducts which were like waterways to bring water into the city. This helped farming easier and it can also be used as drinking water. Rome and Islam both have public baths and they use that to socialize. "Rome had very talented engineers."(pg.69). Their architectures used many arches, vaults, and domes. "To improve communications and travel across their far-reaching empire, the Romans built some 50,000 miles of roads."(pg.69). So now the communications were improved. Islam had a different way of getting points across. They use the Qur'an to spread teachings of Muhammad. The technology had a very useful effect in Rome and Islam. It helped get communications across and it helped with trading. This shows that technology is very important because without it they wouldn't have empires and mosque. Probably without technology, they would have to use more time in working and they would have lots of problems for invasions. Technology made differences back then and now.

Economic aspects both occur a lot in Rome and Islam. In Islam, merchants traded animals, textiles, metals, crops, and spices. "Merchants carried information as well as products."(pg.88). The information was mostly knowledge of different religions. Large oases were important because it became the stops along the trade routes. It also had good soil and farming . Rome traded with Italy and throughout the Mediterranean Sea and that's where most Islamic trades were happening. The Arabian peninsula is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea and that's where Romans traded. The Romans don't actually consider trade important in cultural exchange but Muslims did. Trade is important because you can get something that you don't have. This shows that trade is not only for products exchange, it is also exchanging knowledge. Many people don't think of trade much but it is really important. The Economic aspects are mostly about trade.


Rome and Islam have about the same amount of similarities and differences in its political, technological, and economical aspects. The information is important because all the things they had or did has increasingly improved. It is fascinating to know what we have now that they didn't have. If you know these information, you can kind of take step by steps on how they improved during our time period, like Rome using arches to create the Colosseum but now it is used for so much more things. "Rome has had significance influence on modern society."(pg.71). Even though, it's been ages ago, it still relates to our life now.

-Michelle Cuatrona