Izici Ekuwa KoMbuso WaseRoma
Ukuwa koMbuso WaseRoma kungenye yezenzakalo ezinethonya elikhulu emlandweni womhlaba. Sekungamakhulu eminyaka, iRoma yayiwuphawu lwamandla empi, uhulumeni ohleliwe, kanye nengqalasizinda ethuthukisiwe kanye nomthetho. Kodwa-ke, lolu dumo aluzange luhlale phakade. Ukuwa kweRoma—ikakhulukazi iRoma YaseNtshonalanga—kwakungeyona into eyenzeka ngokuzumayo, ngobusuku obubodwa, kodwa kwakuwuchungechunge olude lwezithiyo ezibangelwe yizici ezahlukene zangaphakathi nezangaphandle. Lesi sihloko sihlola izici eziyinhloko ezaholela ekuweni koMbuso WaseRoma, ekugcineni kwaqeda iRoma YaseNtshonalanga ngo-476 CE.
1. Inkinga Yezepolitiki Nokulwa Kwamandla
Esinye sezimbangela ezinkulu zokuwa kweRoma kwakuwukungazinzile kwezepolitiki. Ngemva kokubusa kwamakhosi amaningana amakhulu, kwavela isikhathi sokushintsha kobuholi okusheshayo nokuvame ukuba nobudlova. Amakhosi amaningi akhuphukela emandleni ngokusekelwa kwezempi, kunokuba abe semthethweni wezepolitiki oqinile. Ngenxa yalokho, ubukhosi baba yindawo yokulwa nethonya phakathi kwabaholi bezombusazwe, ojenene, namabutho.
Ngekhulu lesi-3 AD, iRoma yabhekana "neNkathazo Yekhulu Lesithathu," isikhathi esiyinkimbinkimbi lapho amakhosi amaningi abulawa noma asuswa khona. Lapho uhulumeni ophakathi ungazinzile, ikhono lombuso lokubusa indawo enkulu lalincipha. Izifunda zaqala ukubeka phambili izintshisekelo zendawo, kanti ezinye zaze zahlukana okwesikhashana. Le nkinga yezepolitiki yanciphisa ukusebenza kahle kokuphatha, yandisa inkohlakalo, futhi yaqeda ukwethembana komphakathi kuhulumeni.
2. Ukwehla Komnotho kanye Nomthwalo Wentela
IRoma yayidinga izindleko ezinkulu ukuze iphathe umbuso wayo omkhulu: ukukhokhela amasosha, ukwakha ingqalasizinda, ukuvikela amadolobha, nokuvikela imingcele. Kodwa-ke, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, umnotho wamaRoma waba ngaphansi kokucindezeleka okukhulu. Inkinga enkulu kwakuwukukhuphuka kwamanani emali, ikakhulukazi ngoba uhulumeni wayexuba izinsimbi zemali nezingenamsebenzi kangako ukuze enze izinhlamvu zemali ezengeziwe. Ngenxa yalokho, inani lemali lehla futhi amanani ezinto ezidingekayo akhuphuka.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, umthwalo wentela wanda. Uhulumeni wakhokhisa intela enkulu ukuze axhase izimpi nokuphatha, okwabeka ingcindezi kubantu—ikakhulukazi abalimi nabathengisi abancane. Abantu abaningi abampofu balahlekelwa umhlaba wabo futhi bathembela kubanikazi bezindawo ezinkulu, okwenza ukungalingani komphakathi kwanda. Njengoba umnotho wawuncipha, imali engenayo kahulumeni yehla, okwenza kwaba nzima kakhulu ngeRoma ukukhokhela amasosha ayo nokuvikela indawo yayo.
3. Ubuthakathaka Bezempi Nokuthembela Kwabaqaphi Bezempi
Ezinsukwini zayo zokuqala, amandla amaRoma ayesekelwe amabutho aqeqeshwe kahle futhi aqeqeshwe kahle. Kodwa-ke, ngesikhathi sokuwa kwayo, ikhwalithi yempi yehla. IRoma yabhekana nobunzima bokuqasha amasosha ezakhamuzini zayo, kokubili ngenxa yokuncipha kokuthanda izwe kanye nezimo zomnotho ezadikibalisa abaningi ekukhonzeni ebuthweni.
Njengesixazululo, iRoma yaqala ukuqasha amasosha avela ezizweni ezingezona ezamaRoma, ikakhulukazi izizwe zaseJalimane. Babevame ukukhonza njengamasosha aqashiwe (foederati), bethola inkokhelo noma umhlaba ngokubuyisela. Inkinga yayiwukuthi la masosha ayengathembekile njalo eRoma. Kwezinye izimo, la maqembu aphendukela embusweni noma akha amabutho awo ngaphakathi kwendawo yamaRoma.
Ngesikhathi esifanayo, imingcele yaseRoma yaba nzima ukuyivikela ngenxa yendawo yayo enkulu. Njengoba ukuhlasela kwangaphandle kwanda kakhulu futhi amasosha ayo eba buthakathaka, iRoma yalahlekelwa ikhono layo lokuvikela izindawo ezibalulekile.
4. Ukuhlaselwa Kwamaqaba Nokucindezela Kwangaphandle
Abantu abaningi bahlobanisa ukuwa kweRoma nokuhlasela “kwabantu abangewona amaqaba.” Leli gama lalisetshenziswa amaRoma ukubhekisela emaqenjini angaphandle kwempucuko yamaRoma, njengamaVisigoth, ama-Ostrogoth, amaVandal, kanye nabanye abantu baseJalimane. Ukuhlasela kwabo kwakungeyona into engenasizathu: ukufuduka kwabantu abaningi kwakubangelwa ingcindezi evela kumaHun evela e-Asia Ephakathi, okwaphoqa ezinye izizwe ukuba zingene endaweni yamaRoma.
Esinye isenzakalo esikhulu kwaba ukuxoshwa kweRoma ngamaVisigoth ngo-410 AD, okwanyakazisa umhlaba wamaRoma ngoba iRoma yayibhekwa njengedolobha "elingunaphakade". Ngemuva kwalokho, amaVandal aphanga iRoma futhi ngo-455 AD. Lokhu kuhlasela akulimazanga nje kuphela idolobha, kodwa futhi kwathinta ingqondo kanye nokufaneleka kweRoma njengamandla angenakunqotshwa.
Ekugcineni, ngo-476 AD, uRomulus Augustulus—umbusi wokugcina waseNtshonalanga yamaRoma—wagumbuqelwa ngu-Odoacer, umholi waseJalimane. Lesi senzakalo sivame ukubhekwa njengokuphela okusemthethweni koMbuso WaseRoma WaseNtshonalanga.
5. Ukuhlukaniswa Kombuso Nobuthakathaka BeNtshonalanga Roma
UMbusi uDiocletian (owabusa kusukela ngo-284–305 AD) wahlukanisa umbuso waba izingxenye ezimbili zokuphatha: iRoma Esentshonalanga kanye neRoma Empumalanga. Inhloso yalokhu kuhlukaniswa kwakuwukwenza kube lula ukuphathwa kwendawo enkulu. Kodwa-ke, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ukuhlukaniswa kwadala ukungalingani.
UMbuso WaseRoma WaseMpumalanga (kamuva owaziwa ngokuthi iByzantium) wawucebile, uqhosha ngamadolobha okuhweba anamandla njengeConstantinople, futhi kulula ukuwavikela. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, uMbuso WaseRoma WaseNtshonalanga wabhekana nengcindezi enkulu evela ekuhlaselweni, umnotho obuthakathaka, kanye nengxabano yangaphakathi. Njengoba uMbuso WaseRoma WaseNtshonalanga wawuya uncipha, ukwesekwa okuvela eMpumalanga kwakuvame ukunganele noma kwakungeyona into eza kuqala. Ngenxa yalokho, iNtshonalanga yawa ngokushesha, kuyilapho iMpumalanga yasinda cishe iminyaka eyinkulungwane.
6. Ukuwohloka Komphakathi Nokuziphatha (Umbono Wendabuko)
Izazi-mlando eziningana zakudala, okubalwa kuzo u-Edward Gibbon, zigcizelele ukwehla kokuziphatha njengento ebalulekile. Kulo mbono, umphakathi wamaRoma wawubhekwa njengolahlekelwa umoya wokuzithiba, ukusebenza kanzima, kanye nokuzidela okwakusekela amandla amaRoma. Inkohlakalo yanda, izindlela zokuphila ezibizayo zabantu abaphezulu zandisa izikhala zomphakathi, futhi ukwethembeka kuhulumeni kwehla.
Nakuba lo mbono ungahlanganyelwa ngokugcwele njalo yizazi-mlando zanamuhla, kusalokhu kuyiqiniso ukuthi ukungalingani kwezenhlalo kanye nenkohlakalo yezikhulu kwenze isimo saba sibi kakhulu. Lapho izakhamuzi zibona uhulumeni njengongalungile, zivame ukungamsekeli kangako uhulumeni, okuhlanganisa nezintela kanye nokuzivikela.
7. Ushintsho Lwenkolo Nokuguqulwa Kwamasiko
Ukwanda kobuKristu nakho kube yimbangela yezingxoxo mayelana nokuwa kweRoma. Ngemva kokuba ubuKristu bube yinkolo esemthethweni yombuso ngekhulu lesi-4, izakhiwo zomphakathi kanye nezindinganiso zamasiko zashintsha. Abanye bathi ukunakwa komphakathi kwashintsha kusuka ezindabeni zombuso kuya ezindabeni ezingokomoya, okwaholela ekunciphiseni kwentshiseko yezempi kanye nobuzwe.
Nokho, izazi-mlando eziningi zanamuhla zibheka ushintsho lwenkolo njengoshintsho kunokuba kube yimbangela eqondile yokuwa. UbuKristu babuye basiza ekuhlanganiseni umphakathi ngezindlela ezintsha futhi baba yisisekelo esibalulekile sempucuko yaseYurophu ngemva kokuwa kweRoma. Ngakho-ke, lesi sici siqondwa kangcono njengengxenye yoshintsho olubanzi ngaphakathi kombuso, kunokuba kube yimbangela yalo kuphela.
Isiphetho
Ukuwa koMbuso WaseRoma—ikakhulukazi uMbuso WaseRoma WaseNtshonalanga—kwaba umphumela wenhlanganisela eyinkimbinkimbi yezici. Inkinga yezombusazwe, ukwehla komnotho, ubuthakathaka bezempi, kanye nengcindezi yangaphandle kwakha umjikelezo oqhubeka ukhula. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukuhlukana kombuso kwashiya uMbuso WaseRoma WaseNtshonalanga ngemuva koMbuso WaseRoma WaseMpumalanga ozinzile. Ukwehla komphakathi kanye noshintsho lwamasiko nakho kwaba negalelo ekusheshiseni izinguquko ezinkulu ezagcina ziqede inkathi yamaRoma Akudala.
Ekugcineni, iRoma ayizange "iwele" nje kuphela, yashintsha. Emanxiweni okubusa kweNtshonalanga yamaRoma, kwavela imibuso emisha eYurophu eyayizobumba umhlaba wesikhathi esiphakathi. Naphezu kokuwa kombuso, ifa leRoma—emthethweni, olimini, ekwakhiweni kwezakhiwo, nakuhulumeni—lisaphila futhi lithonya impucuko kuze kube namuhla.
