Two millennia ago, the Western world was in a state of uneasy peace, commonly referred to as Pax Romana. This peace was brought about by the region's only superpower, an entity powerful enough to give pause to nations thinking about independence. While this peace led to an explosion in literature, culture and technology, it did not last long.
As the Roman Empire collapsed under the strain of supporting a morally—and financially—bankrupt society, this state of uneasy peace came to an end, throwing the region into chaos. History is repeating itself.