A few years ago, my friend and I traveled to Poland. We went around the place, spending most of our time in a little town called Gorzow Wielkopolski, with an old church and a rather charming mix of new-style apartments, malls and old buildings.
Poland joined the EU, recently, which gave us remarkably little trouble in visiting the country. In fact, all I had to do was wave my passport at the border guard – I didn’t even have to open it – and they waved us buy. Of course, when they saw that my friend had an American passport, they quickly halted us, took his passport away and went into a little house to check it up.
That was when it hit me: I am a citizen of Rome.
Paul the Apostle had a similar experience, which we can read about. As soon as he waved his Roman citizenship around (which you either got by birth, or by a large sum of money), special privileges and laws applied to you, and you were treated with better dignity.
The Roman Empire was an enormous empire that spanned most the entire Europe, Middle East and North Africa. And while it was founded on a military power, states were usually willing (with some initial resistence) to join as it brought trade, money, a distinct legal code, culture, and many other benefits – not the least protection from neighboring tribes. The Pax Romana ensured a peaceful environment within which trade could flourish from all parts of the empire.
When the West Roman Empire ceased to exist 476 A.D., Europe quickly degenerated into a chaos of Germanic tribes and remnants of the empire. The different cultures solidified and became the basis of the European nations, which were more or less continually at war with each other for over 1500 years, eventually culminating in the First and Second World Wars.
To put an end to this division – to bridge the gap between the different nations, and establish a peaceful European community – the European Union was formed, the basis of which was the Treaty of Rome in 1957. All the European nations are now coming together into one democratic union, which will establish a Pax Romana, whose foundation is entirely economic – the benefits of trade and commerce under peaceful conditions will far outweigh any sentiment towards military confrontation.
For the first time since 476, we now have a new, peaceful, economically united Europe, wherein all citizens may travel freely (within the Schengen territories), with a single currency (within the Euro zone) and trade without hindrances.
I am a member of the European Union. I am a Citizen of Rome.