the many many similarities and differences of Rome and Islam

Imagine you were riding towards the city of Mecca, in the hot, sandy desert and the travel was the first time you’ve ever gone on a travel because you had been living in the Byzantine Empire. Didn’t it seem different, but very familiar? Well, it was. The Byzantine Empire (the Roman Empire) and Islamic Empire were very different, but also similar in various ways, including political, economic, and technological ways. These two empires had similar and different ways of ruling, types of architecture, and trading techniques.

The Roman and Islamic Empires were similar and different in many political ways, and an example of this would be how their governments functioned. “The Romans decided to base their government largely on the will of the people.”(pg. 48) This decision helped the government prosper and the rulers were not as harsh as they were before the republic began. The government was also then led by the people and represented the citizens of the Roman Empire. In the Islamic Empire, however, the Muslims “found guidance on how to live their lives in two primary sources, the Qur’an and the Sunnah.” (pg. 94) The leaders of Islam rules by their religion and therefore based their rules and regulations on Muhammad’s teachings. The two governments were also similar because of the way they ruled. Both governments ruled with the people’s consent and had sufficient rulers who did not rule with a harsh hand. The Roman and Islamic Empires were very important because they contibuted much to the political world.

The Romans and Muslims were also very similar and a little different in economics because of their trading techniques. Roman traders, as well as Muslim traders used bodies of water to spread their goods and trade with others. “The nearby Tiber River enabled the Romans to engage in a busy and prosperous trade network throughout Italy, and later through the Mediterranean Sea.”(pg. 47) This shows the Romans were able to trade through various trade routes that gave them a wide range of countries to trade good with. Their trading processes also gave them opportunities to socialize with neighboring kingdom/empire’s citizens. “The Arabian peninsula was also well situated for trade.” (pg. 87) The Arabian Peninsula was surrounded by bodies of water, including the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Persian Gulf. Furthermore, these bodies of water affected the trade of Islam. The empire used these bodies of water to connect themselves with other empires. The Roman and Muslim Empires reasons for trade were different. In the two cultures, trading held different places of importance. “Trade was also important in cultural exchange. Merchants carried information, as well as products.” (pg. 88) This could have also led to spread of popular religions throughout the continent as well as the world. The trade of cultural exchange in Islam could have also led to the increase in population in the Islamic Empire, although a lot of the religion was spread by the empire gaining land and giving easier lives to Muslims, with things such as lower taxes and such. Trading in the Roman and Islamic empires was a very big factor for gaining wealth and food.

Not only were the Roman and Islamic Empires similar in political and economic ways, but also in technological matters. The two empires’ architecture was similar, for the most part, but they were also different in a couple of ways. “Roman architecture used many vaults, arches, and domes.” (pg. ) These tools of architecture were used in some of the greatest architecture of times, including some modern structures, such as the White House and the Capitol Building. The Islamic architecture was also very similar to the Roman architecture because of its arches, columns, and domes. In the Islamic world, this architecture led to the mosques and therefore people were able to pray to Allah and follow their religion. The architecture in Islam also helped people in their region build beautiful buildings. These buildings might have also made the Islamic world more colorful and religious, in a way. The two cultures’ architecture was also used in different ways. Romans didn’t only use architecture for buildings and churches, but also used it as technology. “Aqueducts, bridge like structures designed to bring fresh water into cities and towns,”(pg. 69) were made up of arches and columns. The aqueducts of Rome were important to not only the Roman Empire, but also to the rest of the world, and through them so was architecture. Meanwhile, in Islam, architecture was only used for religious places, such as mosques, and government buildings. Although these religious buildings have had an influence on today’s churches and temples, they weren’t used for many other things. Rome and Islam’s way of using architecture has long been very useful throughout the world, very much like how their religions are still followed.

All in all, the Roman and Islamic Empires had a lot in common and many things that were different. Their ways of ruling, trading techniques, and architecture were closely related, but in the end, both empires contributed a lot to today’s world of politics, economics, and technology.

ROME & ISLAM: TWO INFLUENTIAL EMPIRES!!

Jonathon Xue
Period 3

Even though Islam and Rome thrived in different areas and time periods, there were as many similarities as there were differences in the areas of politics, the environment, and technological development. A few examples of these were Rome’s waterways and Islam’s arid climate. Altogether, Islam and Rome both had a strong influence on many modern countries, including the United States of America.

First of all, Rome and Islam had several political differences. One example was the way the two empires chose their leaders. According to Chapter 3 Lesson 3, Abu Bakr, the first caliph, was chosen because he was Muhammad’s close friend and was trusted and reliable. This is a more logical approach to selecting a leader. Furthermore, he did not announce himself leader; he had the support of many Muslims on his side. On the other hand, Rome’s government was more unpredictable. Their government changed from a kingdom, which was inherited through the generations, to a republic, where citizens voted, and finally transitioning into an empire, where emperors conquered more lands. In addition, rulers weren’t always chosen for reliability and trust. Some military generals named themselves the leader of Rome, and some even fought for more power in the empire (page 49). All in all, Islam’s political aspects were more stable than Rome’s.

Next, there were also technological similarities and differences between Rome and Islam. For instance, both empires had areas where merchants would gather and sell products, and this improved trade. However, because Islam was an important center of trade, the Islamic marketplace had a larger variety of items, livestock, and even sleeping quarters for merchants (pages 87-91). This shows that Islam was a multi-cultural empire because of all the trade occuring in Islam. Rome and Islam's aspects of trade were similiar and different in all these ways.

Lastly, the enviroment Rome and Islam were located in were very different. Rome was located mostly where present day Europe is, and Rome had access to areas of water, such as the Tiber River for drinking and irrigation, and the Mediterranean Sea for fishing and trade boats. Rome also built waterways like aquaducts to transport water to Rome cities. This relates back to the technological relations with land features. On the other hand, Islam didn't build waterways. Because Islam's land was more like a arid desert region, Islamic cities were built near water sources, like oases. This shows that Rome and Islam's differences were greatly influenced by enviromental features. In the end, both empires took advantage of their environmental features.

To sum things up, Rome and Islam showed many differences and similarities when their empires were thriving. These differences and similarites relate to trade, enviroment, politics, and technology. The comparisons and contrasts betweem these two empires show the different ways a strong empire is formed.

ROME AGAINST ISLAM, WAR AGAINST RELIGION, BUT ARE THEY REALLY THAT DIFFERNT?

Augustine Ng

Two great cultures, Rome and Islam, thrived at different times and in different places. Despite their different locations and time of strength, both cultures have similarities in technological advances in architecture and political situations. However, these cultures aren’t two clones. They have their differences too, particularly in their economy.

Both Roman and Islamic architectural styles were similar. They had used arches, domes and columns (p.69), which could be found in Roman aqueducts (p.69), and Islamic mosques (p.88 (picture)). This means that although these cultures thrived at different times, and places (p.81 timeline), they had similar ideas for architecture. Most likely, another culture traded with Rome and these ideas spread around the world. By the time Rome fell to hands of enemy invaders, the idea of arches, columns, and domes had reached the Arabian Peninsula. That is what probably happened and thus, Rome and Islam used similar architectural ideas.

Also, Rome and Islam also had similar political situations. For example, after Julius Caesar died (p. 49), a “bloody power struggle” (p.49) occurred before Augustus Caesar rose to the throne (p. 49). Likewise, after Muhammad’s death, panic and discord spread through out the Islamic people (p.99) before Abu Bakr replaced him (p.99). Both situations show that it is natural for people to be afraid and insecure when a strong leader is not present. Also, some people tend to struggle for the power seat, because of the ever present desire for more power and wealth in people’s minds. Because of these drives for power and insecurities, the Roman and Islamic Empire had similar political situations.

Aside from similarities in architectural styles and political situations, one thing that sets Rome and Islam apart is their economy. Rome was built on a series of hills, making farming ideal (p.47). However, Muslims settled down in the desert, so it was harder to obtain food (p.85). However, the Arabian Peninsula connected 3 continents, so although farming wasn’t ideal, trading was clearly the reason why to settle (p.88). All the different cultures that passed by traded different things. Because of this, Muslims probably traded a more diverse set of goods, such as silk, weapons, and even stories. Rome on the other hand probably traded mostly with Europe and thus did not trade as much as Islamic people. Because of this, Rome's and Muslim's economy was different

As stated above, Roman and Islamic cultures, like everything else in the world, share similarities and differences. In this case, they both share technological advances, and political situations of power struggles and insecurities. However, their economy is something that sets them apart. These are examples of how Rome and Islam compare and contrast.

Islam and Rome, seemlingly different, but are they really?

When you think of the great distances between Rome and Islam, you would think that they have nothing in common. Whether you are talking about political, technological, or socio-cultural aspects of both cultures, both the Islamic nation and the Roman Empire had great impact on our people of today.

The way of worship for many countries past and present are very different, just like the Islamic and Roman religions. Well, while Islamic people worshiped the religion of Islam, Romans usually worshiped either Orthodox Christianity or Roman Catholic. Furthermore, Islamic worshipers usually prayed in a mosque, while Roman citizens either worshiped in cathedrals, synagogues, or churches. Lastly, Roman’s worships were led by priests, popes, bishops, or patriarchs, while Islam’s worships “had no clergy but a scholar class called the ulama and imams, who may lead prayers”. (pg R76) These contrasts show how different many cultures were long ago, just like how people and their different opinions are today. Those points are important because comparing and contrasting cultures of the past can help us see how much our modern-day cultures have morphed from ideas and beliefs from the past. To conclude, ways of worship for all cultures are different, yet these differences show that you should be tolerant of others’ opinions because all people think differently.

Despite being in different areas of the world, Rome and the nation of Islam both have inventions that are still of much use today. For instance, some of the most important inventions that Rome has created were umbrellas, scissors, shoes with different shapes for the different sides of feet, and Islam has created the distillery, astrolabe (which is used to measure time), torpedoes, and the crank connecting rod system, which is an easier way to transport water. These inventions are important because they have had a great impact on our lives today. This also shows us how the technologies of long ago, (though primitive), have been spruced up by us modern people of today to become our newly advanced technologies. To close, ancient inventions and technology of places like Rome and the Islamic nation have many similarities, and without their inventions, present day life would be much more difficult than it is right now.

While Rome and Islam had their similarities, they also had their distinct differences in governing styles, and political thinking. For example, Islam and Rome chose their leaders in different ways and processes. In Islam, leaders were chosen if they were the former leaders trusted advisor, friend, or close family member who had the same political opinions as them. On the other hand, Roman leaders came to power if they were either voted in, a great military leader, rich, or by inheritance, depending on which time period you were talking about in Rome’s history. Also, when Islamic leaders led mainly tolerantly, while Roman leaders led with a harsh hand. Many times, there were forced taxes, and severe punishments for “wrong” actions in Roman society. In Islam, people were tolerant of other religions, though people of other beliefs were charged with extra taxes. Lastly, there were many different types of government forms that the Romans and Islamic leaders used in ruling the citizens of their area. Rome started out as a kingdom, led by Etruscan kings, and later formed into a republic, then an empire, while Islam started and stayed a Muslim made by the prophet Muhammed for all of its existence. This is important because the ways people ruled in past settlements are examples that modern countries use to decide the best and most fair way of ruling for the kind of people of all social classes that live in that certain area. All cultures and people have different political beliefs and aspects on what is fair, so Roman or Islamic, neither ones politics are right, because there are no rights and wrongs in opinions.
Either Rome or Islamic, there are always differences and similarities between cultures, though both have had a great impact on our lives and cultures of today. They both have left behind important technologies and inventions, political types and judgments, and religious beliefs that have been fixed up by the modern age into what cultures and traditions that exist today.

The Different Twins

Kyle Lu

As the years went by from the beginning of the time until now, countries have developed. For example, Rome started s a speckle on the world map in the Italian Peninsula. As time went by, it grew to a spectacle on the map. It was strong, wealthy, powerful, making people envy it. Islam also, started the same way as Rome did, becoming another powerful empire. They both had aspects of social culture, environmental, and political. Even though these two empires started the same, they used their resources differently.

Both Rome and Islam had main religions and other small religions in their empires. In the Roman Empire, Romans had many gods which they worshipped. However there was a new religion in the empire. It was Christianity and it troubled many Roman leaders. The Roman Empire couldn’t stop the spread of the new religion. The Empire couldn’t be stabilized. On the other hand, Islam was a So, they killed many Christians causing more problems. In my opinion, the Roman Empire should have kept the Christians, because they were wasting their time on them killing them. It was important for the Romans to socialize with others, getting new ideas from different point of view. On the other hand, Islam was a welcoming kind of empire welcoming all kinds of religions. The Islamic Empire consisted of Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Unlike the Romans, they didn’t try to kill them. Instead, they treated them as noble people. In the textbook on page 101, they were called “people of the book”. This shows that the Islamic Empire was really kind, because they treated the outsiders as nobles. From the information of social culture, we can conclude that Rome was a harsh Empire, while Islam was a benevolent Empire.

Environment is important because it affects the people who live on that area. In the Roman Empire, Rome had acres of farmland because they had cool, rainy weathers. Rome was located around the Apennines Mountains, which protected Rome from harsh weathers and invasions. The Tiber River was the source of water for the Romans. Rome was located on seven hills, which later became an empire. In my opinion the Rome became into an Empire cause of the seven hills. The hills helped them defend and attack other people. This allowed Rome to expand quickly. However Islam’s geography is much different from the Roman’s. The Islamic Empire was practically filled with sand, really hard to have farmland. It was hard to find the sources of water too. Lucky for the Islamic people, they had oases. On page 86, it quotes “Some large oases can support an entire city. Others might simply be a small spring.” So not all of Islam is filled with deserts, part of it was water. Mostly, farmlands for the Arabs were up in the southern mountain. The Islamic Empire is on the Arabian Peninsula, between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. The Red Sea and the Persian Gulf provided them with water and trade routes. In my opinion, the Islamic empire expanded because of the food they got and the trade routes. This also shows that environment and cli mate can affect people both the good and the bad.
Every place needs a government to be controlled. The way that people run their government was much different from place to place. Rome was a republic, which meant that everyone had a voice and could vote, if they were an average citizen. They had emperors which they ruled by family. On page 49, it says “Caesar’s adopted son, Octavian, emerged as the winner and unchallenged ruler of Rome.” Successors of Roman Empire had to be related to the former king by mirage, blood, or were adopted. It was probably not good to let a family rule. The family would have all the same war strategy or the way they governed. In my opinion they shouldn’t pass down their rule to their family members. They would have all the same kind of war strategy, which the enemy could easily foretold their attacks. Muslim’s styles of governing were much different from the Roman. Instead of successors that were relate to the former ruler, they had caliphs. They were successors too, but they were people that had to know the religion or Muhammad really well. Unlike the same kind of blood ruling, they had people that ruled that were not that related to each other. They promised to rule like Muhammad’s rule. In my opinion, both the empires should have chosen rulers who were worthy to rule by their smartness and war strategy. People who were in the empire for a long time, so they would know everything from the empire and from their enemies. The people who rule the empire affects the people who live in that empire.
Roman Empire and the Islamic Empire were like twins, growing up from the same thing, but later becoming much different from each other. There social culture, environmental, and political aspects were different from each other. Things that started the same will gradually become much different from each other.

How the Islamic World and the Roman Empire are the Same but Different

Poonam Bhakta
Period 2


Suppose you live in a desert, on the Arabian Peninsula, part of the Islamic World. Say your relative lived in the Roman Empire years before, and stories passed down in your family about life in the Roman Empire. You would notice some similarities and differences of life in the Islamic World and in the Roman Empire. Such as trade practice and war, which were similarities. A difference would be the way they worshipped.


Trade would fall into the technological area of the P.E.S.T. analysis from my point of view. “To improve communications and travel across their far-reaching empire, the Romans built some 50,000 miles of roads.” (pg. 69) One reason they built the roads in the Roman Empire was probably to make trade routes easier. “Arabs could meet travelers from near and distant lands and trade a variety of goods, including spices from India and ivory form Africa.”(pg. 87) Arabs had crossroads that allowed them to travel to India and Africa and trade many things for a long distance. This is important because it shows that the Roman Empire and the Islamic World both had interest in trade, and some people even depended on trade to live. Trade was very important to them, and it was almost an every-day activity for them.

War would be classified into the political part of the P.E.S.T. analysis. “By 661, Muhammad’s successors had increased the size of the Muslim Empire nearly four times, either through conquest or by treaty.” (pg. 101) This shows that they have skillful troops for war, if it increased four times in size. The Romans were very skillful when it came to war, too. They expanded the empire just by conquering the land. Over all, you could see that the Islamic World and the Roman Empire both engaged in war.


One difference between the Islamic World and the Roman Empire was the way they worshipped. Muslims believed “Abraham and his son Ishmael built the Ka’aba in Mecca and a temple to God.”(pg. 88) Arabs called God, Allah. They prayed to the Ka’aba in Mecca or at mosques, facing the direction to Mecca. They also had the Five Pillars, which were requirements for a Muslim to do in their lifetime. They also believed in the Qur'an. In the Roman Empire however, Christianity was the official religion. They believed in the Bible. Before, the Romans executed Christians, but after the empire spilt into east and west, it became the official religion. Then when the west side was invaded and taken over, the two sides started disagreeing in how things work in the church. “These differences led to a split in the Christian church.” (pg. 61) The new Christian religions were the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Orthodox Church in the East. By this you can see that the Islamic World and the Roman Empire are very different when it comes to religion.


Wouldn’t you be amazed at these similarities and differences? How trade was a priority of life for some people in both the Islamic World and the Roman Empire. Why war was so important to both of them. How different their religions were after so many other similarities that they shared. For example, it would definitely amaze me if all of a sudden I found out that things work the same in the U.S. as they did decades ago in Australia.

Romr and Islam's Similar Differences

Across what we already knew and have learned, there are many differences and similarities to be defined between the Islam’s and Roman’s regional and political cultures. To describe these, P.E.S.T. Analysis is needed to detail the aspects of Islam’s and Roman’s political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, and environmental features. Several examples would include their political powers, geographical features, and systems of virtue. As we can see, many archaeological findings that were cited to be related to the subject has given much information that archaeologists and anthropologists can study to form inferences of their subject. However, though creating detailed inferences of the past, these historical theories have been becoming more accurate, and so between Islam and Rome, an abundance of knowledgeable comparisons can be made.
In Islam and Rome, there was a large difference of how they interpreted political power. During early Rome, they determined the Roman officials by their land ownership and amount of wealth. To their belief, they may have thought that the richer they were, the smarter they were, meaning that the wealthiest would be the “most intellectual”. Islamic people following Muhammad based their government by religion, believing that their leaders should only be descendants of Muhammad, or had a respected relation with him. However, they were then divided into two groups of Muslims when a group of rebels took over, and some were resistant, and others just let them, becoming the Shi’a and the Sunni. Given a division in society, it's what probably would cause a major problem.
As an environmental comparison, their geographic climates are contradictory. A hilly, fertile land is where Rome had begun its origins in. On the contrary, the Islamic people, originated from nomadic clans that lived within the desert. Romans, however, unlike the Islamic people, could easily make permanent settlements because of the land they were in so that they could simply cultivate crops. Since the Romans' geographic location began in a much better area, it is probably why it had much more quickly flourished than the Islamic region.
Through a socio-cultural view, the Romans and Islamic people did have some similarity that led them through their lives. With this, they held a system of virtues in society, and believed that they were one of the most important values of life. The Romans followed Stoicism, a philosophy in which importance held virtue, duty, and endurance in life. For Islam, they had the "Five Pillars of Islam", with the first being faith, the second as prayer, the third as alms, the fourth as fasting, and the last one as pilgrimage. These two systems were both abode by either the daily lives in Rome or Islam. But even to now, people still conform to these values in daily life so that they stay strong in what they believe.
Throughout Rome and Islam, their aspects of comparison may differ, and so would our opinions of them, given the information. Judgement of the past may help us link to what we need to know of any subject. Organizing both the similarities and differences of the Roman and Islamic empire may help us better understand the features of both regions and cultures.

Similarly Different? Differently Similar?

When thinking about ancient Rome, thoughts about chariot races, the Coliseum, or Christianity might come into mind. When thinking about ancient Islam, thoughts of burning hot deserts, oases, or trade might come into mind. These two ancient places may seem very different and far away from each other, but there are also a few similarities between them as well as differences. Rome and Islam were different and similar in political, technological, and environmental ways.


Politically, Rome and Islam had many differences, such as their ways of government. “The Romans established a form of government known as a republic.”(Pg 48) In a republic, citizens voted to elect their leaders. Some leaders were very harsh, and were elected because they had great power. Diocletian, for example, was a strong yet harsh leader. This shows that power was a great influence in Rome, and people with great power and wealth were well respected. The use of a republic was a fair way to choose leaders because the citizens were allowed to choose who they thought would be the best leader. People might stand out and be chosen because of their wealth or power, because of its importance in Rome. On the other hand, Islam leaders, called caliphs, were elected more because of religion. Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali were selected “from and by the top ranks of Muslim believers.”(Pg 100) It was said that these four caliphs used the Qur’an and Muhammad’s actions to guide them. This shows that in Islam, religion was first while warfare was probably second or third. The Islamic wasn't interested much in warfare, but religion, while power and warfare was more important in Rome.

The Romans and Islamic used both similar and different technology to improve their lifestyle. Rome and Islam both had public baths, and were both used for cleaning. It was also a way to socialize, though Islam’s public baths were more on the religious side. Again, this shows that in Islam, religion very important, and many things were based on religion. Rome's public baths was more of a public place where everyone could come and socialize. Also, the Romans “built some 50,000 miles of roads”(Pg 69), while the Islamic didn’t build many roads, maybe because of their desert-like sandy region. Roads made it easier to travel to other parts of the empire and helped organize the empire in a way, too, because people could easily transport information to others farther away. The Romans also built aqueducts and waterways that lead water to their crops easily. This made it easier to farm and helped them to grow crops without too much work. The Islamic didn’t have aqueducts of any sort, but, they did have inventions that helped them, such as war torpedoes, distilleries, and an invention that could shoot water to another area, which was used to water their crops. Even though the Islamic didn’t have the same resources or structures as the Romans, they still had certain inventions that helped them with their everyday life. Also, a lot of the things the Romans and Islamic used and invented are still used today, and it's important to know where the inventions came from.


There were many differences in environmental ways. Their climates were very different. Islam had a desert-like region with very little rain, while Rome had a more favorable environment. “The region experienced cool, rainy winters that created areas of productive farmland.”(Pg 47) The Romans were easily able to farm, unlike the Islamic. In terms of the environment, the Romans were luckier. Some Islamic and Romans farmed differently because of their different geography. Some Islamic settled near oases, and used various methods to bring water to their crops, such as using a type of machine that could shoot a fountain of water to another area. The Islamic had to settle near an oasis in order to successfully grow things, or it would’ve been harder to water their crops. Living farther away from oases, they wouldn't have access to a water source. The Romans didn’t have to worry about this. They built aqueducts, which were “bridge-like structures designed to bring fresh water into cities and towns.”(Pg 69) The Romans led the water from rivers directly to their crops with waterways. This was much easier than the Islamic way, and took less work. This shows that the environment was very important. More rain meant more crops. More crops meant surpluses, so they were able to support the whole Roman Empire. The Roman Empire might have grown so large because of this, while the Islamic had to settle near oases. The Romans were lucky to have such a helpful environment.

Despite the fact that Rome and Islam were far away from each other and were from different times, there were similarities in technology, such as their public baths. Politically and Environmentally, Rome and Islam had many differences, such as their ways of government and their different climate and way of farming. The differences make each world unique and interesting to learn about.

A BIG POT OF SOUP!!!=THE WORLD!!!

The world is like "a big pot of soup" filled with different ingredients to make the delicious finish, with the different cultures, religions, and people as the ingredients. The Roman Empire and the Islamic world were different but yet similar in many ways. They had their own cultural, environmental, and political aspects.

The Roman Empire was the beginnings of Christianity as the Muslim territories mainly followed the Islamic ways of life. Both religions are very similar because they both believe in monotheism and that God(one and only Christian god)/Allah(Islamic version of God) is the creator of the world. Known as the son of God, Jesus taught his followers about God, heaven, and how to live a good life. Muhammad, known as the messenger of Allah(Islamic version of God),was a prophet. He taught the Islamic beliefs, practices, and laws. The Christians read from and Bible and attended church at least every Sunday to cleanse themselves from their sins while the Muslims had more strict practices. They had to recite parts of the Qur'an, read from the Sunnah, and follow the Five Pillars of Islam. Over many years, Rome and Islam expanded greatly. But just like almost every empire that became to large to control, they split. In 1024 AD, the struggle for final authority between the emperor and the pope split Christianity. And thus, the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church was made. There were four caliphs that ruled for short periods of time after Muhammad died, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. After Ali was assassinated, "a family known as the Umayyads took power and set up a hereditary dynasty". (pg 102) While most people accepted him as the new ruler, few believed that only relatives of the prophet could take Muhammad's place. To maintain peace, the Muslims split into two groups. The ones who believed that only the relatives of Muhammad's could replace him were part of the Shi'a group of Islam. The other group was called the Sunnis, they believed that anyone could rule Islam as long as they followed the Qur'an and the Sunnah. But all in all, Christianity and Islam are very well practiced religions to this day.

The Roman Empire and Muslim lands' environments differed tremendously. Rome originated from a location that gave them a great advantage. They had settled near the Tiber river and the Apennines Mountains while being surrounded by the the Seven Hills of Rome. The mountains provided protection from harsh weather and invaders while the Tiber River allowed them to "engage in a busy and prosperous trade network throughout Italy". (pg 47) But as Rome grew bigger and bigger, it became much more difficult to obtain water. Aqueducts, "a bridge-like structure designed to bring fresh water into cities and towns" (pg 69), was invented sometime after this problem had sprouted. They became an efficient and effective way to transport water for short or long distances and a few can be found in parts of the world. But besides the water situation, it had become inconvenient to travel in Rome. This resulted in one of the first roads ever built. Muslim lands, on the other hand, was mainly located in the Arabian Peninsula which is mostly desert land. There was little farmland and oases weren't very common. They had later invented the crank, but it couldn't transport as much water or as quickly as the aqueducts could. So, they relied heavily on trade, which wasn't a problem because the Arabian Peninsula is bordered by Asia, Europe, and Africa. The Roman Empire and Muslim territories definitely had own challenges with their environmental surroundings but they have all found some way to solve or at least improve the situation in their advantage.

Just like many other civilizations, the Islamic community and Rome had many political issues. The last king of the Roman Empire was Tarquin the Proud, who was overthrown by the citizens for ruling cruelly. Rome, then, changed into a republic in which "average citizens had a voice". (pg 48) As Rome expanded, it went from a republic to an empire. Julies Caesar brought back order but was later killed by those who opposed him. Caesar's adopted son, Octavian who later renamed himself as Augustus, took his father's place. Under Augustus's rule, the Roman Empire began to enlarge and grow stronger. In Islam, Muhammad was ruler for over twenty years until he passed away. His death caused some havoc in the Muslim communities until Abu Bakr, the first caliph, calmed and reassured the Muslims back to order. "By 661 AD, Muhammad's successors had increased the size of the Muslim Empire nearly four times, by either conquest or treaty". (pg 101) During the time that Rome had expanded, Christianity began to spread. Even as the persecutions were going on, the Christians remained loyal to their religion and grew stronger. But unlike the Christians, "Muhammad "fled with his supporters to Yathrib" and ended the killings against his followers to preserve peace. (pg 93) But disloyal military, an increase in taxes, and uninformed citizens led to the fall of most of Rome. Contantine and Diocletian made big contributions to the last of Rome in the process of trying to bring it back order.

Just like everything else in the world, no two things are alike. They may be similar, like Islam and Rome, but never exactly the same. They both have similar cultures, beliefs, and political issues. But each country will only tell its own specific histories, stories, and memories that occured there.

michelle ni

SIMILAR YET DIFFERENT

Worlds apart, Rome and the Arabian Peninsula share both similarities and differences. Some differences and similarities include the way they worshiped, their tolerance levels, how they used different tactics to expand their empires, and the climate conditions of both regions.

The religions of both worlds were similar in certain areas but different at the same time. For instance, Islamic people believed in only one God, (monotheistic) Allah. Muhammad, in the Arabian Peninsula, was believed to be the Prophet of Allah. It was said that at the age of forty, he was praying and a voice told him “You are the messenger of God.” (pg. 93) From then on, he began preaching that there is only one God, named Allah. “Some of the requirements of being a Muslim included: bowing to the Ka’aba five times a day at certain times, praying in Arabic to Allah, giving to the poor and needy, fasting, and believing that there is only one God, Allah.” (pg. 95) This shows that Muslims were very loyal to Allah. Even though praying to Allah five times a day might be exhausting, they did it steadfastly. Islam had a holy book called the Qur’an similar to the Bible in Christianity. Muhammad wrote the Sunnah that contained “Muhammad’s words and deeds that were guides for proper living.” (pg.94) Muhammad focused not only on religion but on politics and military matters. Muhammad was a wide minded leader. He focused not only on religion, but military and politics as well. “He made treaties and used his military skills to fight off attacks." This was a main factor of the spread of Islam.(pg. 94) Other leaders might just focus on one particular thing, such as the military. Rome had changed their religion to Christianity where they worshiped God, similar to the Islamic religion, though they had once believed in Roman gods. They believed that Jesus was the Son of God, and that he taught people to love God, their neighbors, and their enemies. (pg. 50) He was crucified on the cross where, in three days had rose up from the dead. Christians were persecuted for their belief in Jesus. Even though Christians were hunted down, tortured, and killed by the Roman officials, Christianity flourished in the Roman lands. The officials could no longer stop the spread of Christianity. Christianity became too strong for them to control. However, shortly after Constantine came into power, he declared that Christians were free to worship God. Constantine cared also about religion. He didn’t feel that Christianity would be a threat to his authority; “unlike many other Roman leaders that had Jesus put to death because they felt their authority might be in jeopardy.” (pg. 50) Islam and Christianity have many beliefs in common even though their holy books and the way they worship God may be different.

Both Rome and the Arabian Peninsula used war to expand their empires. Rome was very successful at expanding their empires. However, the people living in the land they conquered, “were either put to death or they were treated very harshly. They had a chance to live, but they had to believe in the Romans religion.” (The gory video about Rome) Rome was very strict about their religion. By forcing people to believe, many people resented them. However, Islam didn’t force the people they captured to believe in Islamic religion. They let them live freely in the land such as Jews and Christians. Yet they were not allowed to convert people to their religion. “Jews and Christians were thought of “people of the book” by the Muslims. The Muslims believed that the Jews and Christians worshipped the same God, they received special treatment. They played an important role as officials and scholars in the Muslim state.” (pg. 101) The Muslims were not hated as were the Romans because their tolerance levels were much higher. Rome and Islam were both split into two: Catholicism and Christianity, (Rome) Sunni and Shi’a (Islam). Both splits led to the weakening of the two sides. Even though they still remain, they are not as strong as they were when they were united.

The weather conditions of the two lands differ greatly, one being a desert and the other a complete opposite. In Rome, they were protected from harsh weather by the Apennines mountain range. “They had cool, rainy winters that created acres of productive farmland.” (pg. 47) They were very successful at agriculture. This led to trade with other lands which helped with their wealth. This is probably one of the main reasons Rome grew to it's immense size . They had enough food to eat and surpluses that they were able to trade with neighboring lands. Unlike Rome, the Arabian Peninsula was very dry and arid. Most of the lands were deserts and it received very little rain. Because of the lack of rain, “they used only a small amount of land for agriculture.” (pg. 85) Despite the lack of water, they used oases to help with agriculture and water for people. A large oasis was able to support a whole city if big enough. “Nomads often traded with people that settled at oases.” (pg. 86) Also, the peninsula was the “crossroad of three continents so it was well situated for trade.” (pg. 87) Even though the Arabian Peninsula was extremely dry, they adapted well to the climate and grew very prosperous, similar to Rome. Also, in the desert, they found many herbs that were useful in health. Some were even used as spices in cooking. Both lands grew very wealthy and were well positioned for trade.

Despite how far they may be away from each other, they share similarities in religion, war tactics, and wealth. At the same time, they share difference in tolerance levels and climate. Though they may not realize that they are common in many ways, both the similarities and differences of both regions have shaped them into what they are today.

God in Arabic writing

TWO WORLDS COLLIDE

Long time ago, many civilizations were growing. However not all the civilizations were the same like Rome and the Islamic World for instance, but they were both similar and different in their geography, religion, and schism.


First of all, their geography differed completely. Rome began near the center of what is now Italy, also known as the Italian Peninsula. (pg. 47) It was built on a series of seven hills near the Tiber River. This was a great place to start a civilization because this region experienced cool rainy weathers. This allowed the Romans to farm. Because of the productive farmland, Romans were able to have surpluses that lead to trade. This helped a lot because this was the first step to building a prosperous civilization. This is how most civilizations break out into empires. In addition, the Tiber River allowed trade throughout Italy and later throughout the Mediterranean Sea. On account of Rome growing into a wealthy settlement, it soon became a kingdom. Like Rome, the Islamic world started on a peninsula, the Arabian Peninusla. Even though they both started on a peninsula, the geography of it was way different. It is full of the red desert and the flaming hot sun. Unlike Rome, the Arabian Peninsula receives little rain throughout the year causing them to have only a limited amount of space that is useful for agriculture. Because of this, they were not able to prosper as well as Rome. Life seems harder on the Arabian Peninsula then Rome! The Romans were very lucky they had such a strong water source. They were able to help the growth of Rome by planting agriculture. As you can see life was harder on the Arabian Peninsula.

Next, their religion is also dissimilar, but also very identical. Rome followed the teachings of Jesus which is Christianity. Jesus taught that the Romans the belief of one god. (pg.50) They would worship and pray to God in a church. Those who followed Christianity were persecuted. Even thought the Christians were mistreated, Christianity flourished throughout the Roman land. It seemed that Christianity helped the Romans believe in their own thoughts and have their own ways. Like Rome, the Muslims were had a “teacher” that taught the religion of Islam. This teacher was Muhammad. Muhammad was known as the prophet God. In this case, God was called Allah. Similarly, Muhammad also told the Islamic people that there was only one god to worship. They too were monotheistic. They worshiped Allah at the Ka’aba five times a day at certain times. To me, they take their religion very seriously. They follow all the rules and make sure they worship the right way. There were even pilgrimages that came from far away places. These two religions were a big part of growth in both their cities.


Last, Rome and the Islamic World both separated into two groups, but for different reasons. This is known as a schism. For Rome, Christianity split into two groups, the Orthodox and Catholic. They had a split because of religion tensions between popes and emperors. It’s bad when there is a split because many things will begin to fall and the whole civilization will go down into nothingness like dust. The Islamic people also had a split but for a different reason. Because of Muhammad’s death, great sadness was cast throughout the land. This followed into the problem, who will teach us the religion of Islam now? Many people had different ideas, but the main two are the Shi’a and the Sunnis. The Shi’a were a group of people that thought that the next caliph should always be a relative while the Sunnis thought that caliphs should be elected. I personally think that the Sunnis are right. What if Muhammad’s second revolved cousin was a serial killer and he was the only one alive? Then what? We should always think beyond because many appalling things can happen without us knowing it. There were soon many wars, and still today are there arguments that are happening. As you can see, when splits happen, it caused sinful happenings. During this period of time, both kingdoms were at its lowest point.


All in all, both Rome and the Islamic World are very different, but similar in their geography, religion, and schism. Because of their differences, they have grown into the wonderful worlds they are today.

~JESUS CHRIST (L) ~MUHAMMAD (R)

~Daphne Chiang

rome was a civilization that conquered many lands...

Justin Wu
period 2

Rome was a civilization that conquered many lands and had many harsh leaders while Islam was a religion that spread throughout the Arabian peninsula. although they are very far apart, the roman and the Islamic world can be compared and contrasted in many ways. Some of these aspects include how they worshipped their god, their technology, and the environmental about the two worlds. Rome and the Islamic world were different in the technological and environmental and the political ways but similar in the religious ways.


First of all, in the technological ways they were different and similar in many ways. They were different in the ways they got their water. The Romans built aqueducts, an aqueduct is a man made structure that brought freshwater to the city. (pg. 69) the Islamic peoples used a device that draws water from a river using two buckets. After the two buckets were filled up, they would have to bring the water back to Saudi Arabia, where they lived. This water lifting device is called a shadoof (shaduf, dhenkli, picottah or counterpoise-lift). (video) This shows that Romans and Muslims thought that it was a good idea to invent an object to lift water or bring the water to the civilization directly. Overall, Rome and the Islamic world both invented many wonderful and useful technological devices.


Next, they were similar and different ways in the social cultural ways. Both Rome and the Islamic world had a religion that believed in only one god. Romans believed in roman gods but then later on, they switched over to Christianity due to the fact that the prophet Jesus came and taught them to believe in only one god, god, and Muhammad the prophet taught that there should only be one god, Allah. If it weren't for Constantine, Christianity would not have spread throughout the roman empire, Constantine was the one who stopped the persecution of all Christians. (pg.54) Islam never changed over to any god, because they always stayed the same, they didn't have as many persecutions as Rome. Rome worshipped there gods in roman churches, on the other hand, Muslims worshipped their god in a mosque. this shows that both Romans and Muslims were really into religion if they actually spent the time to build the churches.if they weren't into religion they would just build a little worship tower in the middle of the city and let the people that want the religion to go to the center of the city and pray. in conclusion, Rome clearly had many differences int the area of religion


in the environmental area, the Rome and Islamic world had many differences because they were located in a different area. the roman empire was located on the Italian peninsula near the Mediterranean sea. so they had a good area for growing crops and good for irrigation. on the other hand, the Muslims were located on the Arabian peninsula which was in the desert so they had a hard time to get to the supply of water because the only water source was an oasis. (pg. 86) they probably had many fights between other places around the Arabian peninsula because the people would sometimes want more water than others so they would get into a fight because the other person wants water and there is not enough of it. all in all, the environmental differences are very obvious.


in conclusion, the roman and Islamic world both have many similarities and differences. Rome had many things in common with Islam but also many differences.





JUSTIN WU

Islam and Rome, A Tale of Two Worlds

The Islamic and Roman worlds, two far away worlds, are full of interesting facts. The two, both similar, utilized many techniques that made life easier. On the other hand, different strategies and items made these worlds completely different. The Islamic and Roman worlds were different technologically, but they were similar in social-cultural and environmental ways.


First of all, both Islam and Rome were similar culturally. They both had a religion, Islam for the Islamic people, and Christianity for the Romans. Both of these religions focused on one god, either God, or Allah (the Islamic god). Under this, each religion had its own prophet. Muhammad and Jesus spread their religions, respectively, to others. This shows that religion was very important for building large civilizations. Without religion, people would not be as unified, and the civilization may eventually fall apart. Rome and the Islamic people were just a few of the many civilizations that prospered due to a religion. Overall, Rome and the Islamic people all benefited from religion.


Next, Rome and Islam were different, yet similar in technological ways. Rome used aqueducts to get water from the far away bodies of water. (pg. 69) They transported water in a waterway from the mountains all the way to the city. On the other hand, Islamic people used a shadoof (or shaduf), a water lifting device. (What the Ancients Did For Us) This shows that for both worlds, water was essential for daily life. Even the Roman Empire discovered advanced technology just to get this simple necessity that could have been miles away. In addition, both empires used domes and arches in their architecture. This shows that both worlds decided that this was a good design. These designs were very influential in some of the most famous landmarks today, such as the White House and the US Capitol building. Arches, domes, and water systems made the Islamic world and Rome very significant and different.

Finally, their differences environmentally made life completely different for each of them. Rome was located around the Mediterranean Sea. This made the land very fertile and cool, which was good for farming. The Islamic people, on the other hand, faced many hardships living in the barren, arid desert. Romans got their water by using aqueducts to get water from far away. Muslim people had to settle in deserts with oases which were not too common. In addition, they would have to move if the oasis ran out of water. From this, I imagine life as hard, because it was very inconvenient. Despite this, people must have been very happy with the food and supplies they had. Overall, each world had different environments that altered how they lived.

In conclusion, different aspects made the Roman and Islamic world very unique. Environmental, cultural, and technological standards changed the normal life of these people. Despite all these differences, people still lived similar lives. The Islamic and Roman civilizations were greatly distinguished by culture, technology, and environment.

HARRISON

Islam and Rome are different? This is how!!!

Nicole Waldecker
Per. 2 11/16/09

In our world today, our cultures blend. We interact with each other and get a look at different life styles to see how they compare to our own, as I will do with the Roman and Islamic Empires. Both empires were different and similar in various ways. The two nations differed in their technological advances, in their religious beliefs, and their environment.


Ancient Rome and Islam had basically no same technological advances. The Roman Empire constructed a structure for carrying water, called the aqueduct. Islam, however, couldn't have such a thing because it was all deserts where they were located. Islamic clans settled near oases, a fertile or green spot in the midst of a desert that contains water, because sometimes it cold have supported a entire city. Another technological difference was the architecture of their buildings. Rome had many arches, vaults, and domes. An arch is a curved opening that holds up a structure. A vault is an arched structure that forms a ceiling or roof. A dome is a large, half-globe-shaped roof. Islamic buildings, on the other hand, had more of a flat roof than arched roofs. One other technological difference in technology is the way the two nations traveled. Roman citizens traveled by chariot and Muslims traveled by camel.


Rome and Islam also differed in environmental aspects. Rome was located near the Apennines Mountain Range and the Tiber River. Rome was also filled with hills. While Islam was located in the Arabian Peninsula, Islam had no rivers or aqueducts to get their water. They had to find an oasis. The one thing that the two nations did have in common was they both had some kind of a mountain range. Rome, however, used the Apennines Mountain Range to protect them from invasions and harsh weather. Islam used the Southern Mountains, along the Northern coastline, for farmland and agriculture. Although the two regions had a mountain range, they used them for different reasons. Another example of how they differed environmentally, was their weather. Rome experienced cool, rainy winters that created acres of productive farmland. While, Islam was Arid, and received little rain because of its desert climate, only a small amount of land was useful for agriculture.

Not only was Rome and Islam environmentally and technologically different, they also differed in their religious beliefs. Rome was a Christian society. Islam also contained some Christians, along with Jews, but were mainly worshiping the Ka'aba and following the teachings of Muhammad. Each year Muslims from around the world come to Mecca to worship the Ka'aba. This was called a pilgrimage. In Rome, the Christians worshipped Jesus and his teachings, in churches.

All in all, Islam and Rome were mostly different. The two empires differed and technologically, environmentally, and religiously.

Islam is the same as Rome !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Islamic culture and the Roman Empire had several similar aspects. Both were very technologically advanced, economical secure, and they shared several social cultural ideas.

First of all, Islam and Rome were both very technologically advanced. This included their architecture. “Roman architecture used many arches, vaults, and arches.”(Pg.69 )Islam mainly used domes for religious buildings. I think Islamic people believed the domes looked nice and were only for their churches because most of their houses had flat roofs. They also had advanced ways of getting water. I think this was important because they didn’t really have to worry about droughts affecting their crops.

Next, Rome and Islam were both economically safe. They both traded with many different places. I think this was important because it kept money coming into the cities. They also both expanded to a very large point through conquer. Even though Rome used mainly war to expand, Islam also used treaty. “Persecuted people often welcomed Muslim invaders as liberators.”( Pg.101) I think that this was expanded because it helped expand Islam faster than it would have been with out supporters.

Finally, Both Rome and Islam shared several Social Cultural aspects including religion. They both believed that there was only one god. Islam believed that Allah was the only god. They both had a leader-like-figure. To Islam this was Muhammad, but for Rome it was Jesus. Islam had lots of religious tolerance but Rome didn’t have as much tolerance. I think it was important for Islam to be tolerant because it helped gain support from other people which helped them expand.

In conclusion, I think Rome and Islam were different in many ways but had several similar aspects in technology, Social Culture, and economically.

Comparing, constrasting, and analyzing Rome and Islam

The two Roman and Muslim Empire were not in the same time periods nor the same places. The Muslim Empire and the Roman Empire are, though different, similar in certain ways. For example, some of these ways include the conquest of lands, religion, and power struggles.

The Muslims and the Romans both conquered many lands but for different reasons. The Muslims did it for a religious purpose while the Romans just did it to get more land for the empire. The Romans can be seen more powerful for that reason. The Muslims wanted to spread Islam. “They were energized by their faith and were willing to spread Islam.”(pg.101) The Muslims were very passionate about their religion. The Romans conquered land to increase the size of their empire. Both empires conquered land but the purpose were different.

Religion was a big part of the both Rome and Islam's culture. In both empires, someone who was very religious came to their empire. For Rome, it was Jesus Christ, believed to be the son of God. He preached and spread the words of God. For Islam, it was the prophet Muhammad, who was believed to be the messenger of their god, Allah. He did the same as Jesus, only difference was he preached and spread Islam. They were probably doubted by some people because it is a religion and not all people believe in it. Christians were persecuted at Rome, but the Islam culture was based on Islam so there were no persecution for religion for them. For both, Rome and Islam, religion was an important part of their culture.

Romans and Muslims both had power struggles. For both, Muslims and Romans, the power struggle were caused by the death of their leader. After Julius Caesar's death, there was a big power struggle until Augustus Caesar became emperor. For the Muslims, it was caused by the prophet Muhammad's death. Before Abu Bakr replaced the place of Muhammad the same had happened. For both occasions, there were people mourning for their old leaders. Many people strive for more power and this is how the power struggles in both empires probably started. Power struggles were a part of both empire's history.

Religion was a big part of the both, Roman Empire and the Muslim Empire. Within the time of their empire, they had someone holy come to them. For the Romans it was Jesus Christ, believed to be the son of God.

In conclusion, both Roman and Muslim Empires share many similarities and differences. They may have been thriving at different times, but they both grew and became a strong empire.

Two Different Worlds
(Rome & Islam)



Rome and Islam share many different ways of living their everyday life. They share different ways of ruling, attacking in wars, and architecture. There will be many differences appearing here and there. For instance, there will be contrasts of how the Romans& Islams rule, how they each attack in wars, and their architecture.


To start with, Rome& Islam have different ways of ruling. “Roman emperors choose their successors by blood.” (pg. 49) So basically the whole line of emperors is a big family altogether. If the emperor happens to not have a son, then that’s a different story. Also when the emperor has many sons, the eldest son gets to rule, and then followed by the second, third, and so on. I think that this isn't a very good solution. It just doesn't feel right, because some emperors aren't very good at ruling the empire. So they might cause their empire to fall very quickly. However, Islam has a different way of choosing the next in line to rule. “They choose rulers that believe in the Islamic Religion.” (pg. 100) The ruler also has to be at least related to Muhammad. This is a solution I agree to. It's because then, it gives everyone a chance to rule. The ruler will also be wise and courageous. The biggest difference between the two is probably that one has to be related by blood, while the other doesn’t.

Next, there are many ways to fight on the battlefield. “Some includes using weapons or shields. Others include bombs.” (pg. 49 Augustus’s weapon) Well Rome uses swords and shields mainly in wars. In Islam, they use something called a “War Torpedo.” (Video “What the Ancients Did for Us”) It’s some sort of a weapon that glides swiftly on the water. It attacks without the enemies knowing. It is a very useful weapon to use on the seas. This shows that Islam have a totally different strategy of attacking in war than the Romans, I think that both have a unique way of fighting. But I like the way how Islam uses their strategy. It is very smart and useful.

“In architecture, Rome has columns, arches& coliseums” (pg. 44+48 picture) Ancient Rome is very powerful.” In Islam, they have houses shaped like domes& cubes.” (pg. 91 picture) They don’t have any coliseums like the Romans. I think both have their reasons in building the different types of buildings. It’s because Rome doesn’t have deserts near them. However Islam does. So that’s why they have different building structures.

Hence, even two very different worlds can share many different things. But as the differences surfaces, we can all see what each has to offer. Rome& Islam are two very different places to contrast. Therefore, we can learn even more from these two distant places.

-Jennifer Poh

The Differences and Similarities between Two Different Worlds

As we all know that Rome and Islam are from different times and of course different places, they were both similar and different in many ways. Some of those ways include environmental, political, and technological aspects. By saying environmental, their climates were completely different. In the political ways, Islam was more to a religious side for ruling while Rome included more of the military or the wealthy side. Lastly, for the technological aspect, there were differences between the roads while being similar at the same time.


The climates of Islam and Rome were completely different. For Rome “The region experienced cool, rainy winters that created acres of productive farmland.”(Pg.47) had a great impact to the Romans. The productive farmland meant that there wouldn’t be any troubles farming for crops. Rome also had the Seven Hills which protected Rome from harsh weather. However for Islam “It receives little rain and is covered mainly by deserts.” (Pg.85) Islam received a small amount of land for agriculture that could lead more people to become nomads, starvation, and event more hardships for irrigation.


For ruling, Islam was more to the religious side while Rome included either the military or the wealthy side. What was meant by both the military and the wealthy side, Julius Caesar was one of them in those categories. “In 45 B.C., a powerful Roman general named Julius Caesar brought order to Rome and named himself sole ruler.”(Pg.49) for being a general and coming to become a ruler, they may have brought many strategies for war. After Julius Caesar was murdered and his adopted son Octavian took over, Rome became and empire. However, Islam used more of a religious side for ruling. “In 632, Abu Bakr became the first caliph, a title that means “successor.”(Pg. 100) Abu Bakr was Muhammad’s father-in-law and also his best friend. Also, most of the other caliphs weren’t related to Muhammad in any way. Islam could rule with the family members becoming a caliph, however, that wasn’t the only case. Other caliphs that weren’t related to Muhammad in any way however followed the religion well, became a caliph. Rulers of Islam became Caliphs mainly because of the religion. This shows that religion was important for Islam while in Rome, warfare and the army was important.


Although their roads might have been similar, there were also many differences. They both created roads however each were for different reasons. For Rome, “Workers built many roads for the specific purpose of transporting Rome’s powerful army.” (Pg.69) they used the roads for the transportation of the army. On the other hand, Islam had another reason. Their roads were used for trade. Islam is the crossroads of three continents, Asia, Africa, and Europe. “In these cities, Arabs could meet travelers from near and distant lands and trade a variety of goods.” (Pg.87) Islam used the routes for trade while Rome used them for the army’s transportation. This showed that Islam didn’t care about war or the army. However, Rome was all about the army and their roads were for their transportation.


Now we can see that Rome and Islam had numerous amounts of similarities and differences. Environmental, Political, and Technological aspects were the couple of many ways that Islam and Rome were alike and different. They were from different times and different places, but they still had many comparisons and contrasts throughout the Roman and the Islamic times.

This is an illustration of Abu Bakr!!!