Throughout written history, great empires have had many similarities. These similar characteristics have allowed these empires to flourish and expand successfully. One of these significant traits shared by great empires is a hierarchical system of administration and government. Almost all the powerful states of the past have possessed this quality, and the Roman Empire was no exception. Prior to the development of Rome, the Greek Empire instituted a system of government reliant of an unbalanced distribution of powers. This also applies to the social aspect of the empire, in a sense that certain citizens were of a higher status than others. The Roman Empire shared this inequality. Dionysius of Halicarnasus, a Greek History, said "one may suspect that he found his model in the system of government which at that time still prevailed at Athens."( Dionysius 337). The "he" he refers to is Romulus, who was believed to have started the empire of Rome after defeating his brother Remus. Obviously, it would be wise to base one's empire on another that has experienced success. Another great power which utilized a hierarchical form of government was Nazi Germany. It cannot be induced that Fueher Adolf Hitler was solely influenced by the structure of the Roman Empire, but it is evident that Rome and Germany under Nazi rule both experienced an unequal balance of powers. Shortly after Hitler became a dictator, he transformed Germany from a democracy to a somewhat monarchial state where personal freedom started to disappear. This lack of freedom in Germany can be compared to the slave/master relationship of the Roman Empire. And although, many people were discontented with Nazi Rule, it is obvious that Germany under Hitler's rule experienced change. Not only did the state expand quickly to the point where it controlled a large portion of Europe, but the economy and military also experienced exponential growth.
