Independent Writing Prompt: Experiencing the Splendor of Rome

This year, my school's English focuses of preparations for TOEFL, and one part is the independent writing. This practice essay was made for the following prompt I chose: If you could go back to some time and place, when and where would you go? For the lack of Star Wars today, I think this could be an interesting discussion about the most interesting period in time according to myself:

Of all the empires on Earth, Rome, once called the Paragon of Civilization, was perhaps the greatest of them all, bringing Western influence and culture throughout the known world. This was achieved during the reign of its first emperor, Augustus, who brought a period of peace and prosperity historians call the Pax Romana, Roman Peace. This period deeply fascinates me, and if I could go to any place and time in history, I will surely want to witness the Pax Romana, where it had many interesting places and events which would be wonderful to live through, and also was relatively safe compared to other periods.

The Roman Empire during Pax Romana reached the height of its wealth, so that the cities in the Empire, most notably Rome, were at the peak of their splendor, and I could walk through those cities myself if I went back to that period. Emperor Augustus brought Rome to victory over many campaigns and these new territories brought immense wealth to the Empire, which Augustus used to make Rome even grander than ever before. While neither the Coliseum nor the aqueducts of Claudius have been built yet, it would still be a truly wonderful experience to walk the streets of Rome where crowds of Romans gather, while witnessing the grandeur of marble landmarks such as the Baths of Carcalla, the Temple of Jupiter, and the Circus Maximus still whole and vibrant, where today only their ruins remain.

During the Pax Romana, there were also many important events which happened that shaped the Empire, and in turn shaped the course of the world. These events would be a one of a kind experience to live through with the Romans, knowing that the world’s future will depend on them. I could see for myself how the citizens of Rome went through their days waiting for the news on the Legion’s numerous exploits, living it through with them while knowing that these events will shape the Empire. However, not all interesting events involve soldiers returning victorious from a campaign in a triumphal procession. It was also in this period that many different events occurred, among them the legions in Germany defeated in the ambush at Teutoberg Forest and the birth of Jesus Christ—both pivotal to the future of the Empire and the world.

Finally, while there were many other eras which were comparably eventful, Pax Romana was the most peaceful, at least in the cities at the heart of the Empire. Augustus had just risen victorious over a civil war, reforming Rome from a republic into an empire. With these reforms, as the name Pax Romana suggests, came peace and prosperity. Travelling to Rome at the time would be relatively safe, as the barbarians such as Celts and Parthians were kept at bay on the frontiers of the Empire, far from the major cities including Rome itself. Meanwhile, the public unrest and political assassinations common during the Republic and the Empire to come reached their lowest point, due to the public being satisfied with the leadership of Emperor Augustus, and thus I could experience the landmarks and events from the safety of Rome without fear of being chased by political enemies.

To live as a citizen of Rome during the reign of Emperor Augustus, the Pax Romana, would not be a chance to miss if I could travel to any place and time. I would be able to visit the city of Rome and see the magnificent landmarks still bustling with Romans, living with them through important events that shaped the Empire and the world. Even more importantly, I could safely witness those places and events as Rome was virtually free from both internal and external conflict, unlike other equally important time periods. It is a shame that time travel is currently impossible, leaving us unable to experience these times of great significance and grandeur for ourselves.

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EDIT 31/3/16: revised the essay on grammar and word choice