Podcast Summary

Podcast: Le Cours de l’histoire (France Culture)
Host: Xavier Mauduit
Episode Title: Paix, une histoire pas si paisible : Pax Romana ? Quand Rome dicte les termes de la paix
Date: January 5, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Xavier Mauduit and his guests—Christophe Badel (Professeur d’histoire romaine, Université Rennes 2) and Stéphane Benoît (Professeur d’histoire romaine, Université de Lille)—explore the concept of "Pax Romana" (Roman Peace). They examine the historical authenticity, meaning, and ideological uses of this term, contrasting Rome's so-called peace with its persistent state of war, and highlighting the complexities, ambiguities, and propagandist elements of Roman notions of peace from the Republic to the Empire.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Meaning and Usage of "Pax Romana"

• Origins and Etymology

  • “Pax” originally means "treaty" rather than our modern understanding of "peace."
  • Roman "peace" refers to treaties imposed by Rome after victory, not a general ideal of harmony.
  • (Christophe Badel, 01:20)

    "Au départ, étymologiquement, la Pax veut dire plutôt traité... origine étymologique va vraiment marquer la conception romaine de la paix..."

• Absence in Roman Official Language

  • The term "Pax Romana" barely appears in Roman sources—only 3 or 4 instances in literature, never in official imperial discourse. Officially, terms like "Pax Augusta" are used instead.
  • (Christophe Badel, 05:01)

    "L'expression Pax Romana n'apparaît jamais dans les documents officiels... ce n'est pas un élément... de l'idéologie impériale."

• Territorial and Propagandist Function

  • Where it does appear, "Pax Romana" denotes the territories controlled by Rome; i.e., “the frontiers of peace” are really the borders of empire.
  • The phrase often becomes synonymous with the empire itself rather than with a state of non-violence.

2. War and "Peace" in Roman Practice

• Rome as a Warrior Society

  • The default state in Roman society is war—peace is merely the interval between conflicts, usually marked by treaties.
  • (Christophe Badel, 06:34)

    "Rome est une cité de la guerre... l'état normal de Rome, c'est l'état de la guerre..."

• Calendar, Religion, and War

  • Roman religious rituals mark cycles of war (e.g., the Saliens and the god Mars inaugurate the war season in March).
  • Janus, not the god of peace but of transitions, presides over the symbolic closing/opening of the temple's gates to mark "peace."
  • (Stéphane Benoît, 03:55 & 04:29)

    "Les portes ont été fermées qu'à deux reprises avant [Auguste]..."
    "Je ne dirais pas que Janus est le dieu de la paix..."

• No True Roman "Peace" God Until Late

  • The abstract deity "Pax" is introduced late (70-80 CE, temple by Vespasian). Even then, Pax is an abstraction, not a vibrant figure.

3. From Republic to Empire: Peace as Political Tool & Propaganda

• Civic and Internal Peace

  • "Peace" inside Rome (concordia) becomes an ideological tool post-civil-war, especially under Augustus.
  • The principal function is to signal the end of civil unrest, not general non-violence or peace with external enemies.
  • (Christophe Badel, 11:49)

    "La guerre civile a joué un rôle important dans l'émergence de la paix comme slogan idéologique..."

• The Augustan Shift

  • Augustus instrumentalizes "peace" to legitimize his regime and transition from Republic to Empire.
  • (Stéphane Benoît, 13:49)

    "Si on essaye de comprendre ce qu'est la notion de paix... c'est la figure de l'impérator qui est mise en avant..."

• The Reality of Augustan and Later "Peace"

  • Augustus personally prefers stability over constant warfare, but is not pacifist; his reign involves further military campaigns for prestige and consolidation.
  • Successors (e.g., Trajan, Septimius Severus) occasionally pursue expansion, but over time “stabilization” of borders becomes more frequent, partly thanks to necessity rather than principled restraint.
  • (Stéphane Benoît, 22:56)

    "Pour les contemporains, ça n'avait pas de sens de se présenter comme pacifiste..."

• The Role of Propaganda

  • Repeated invocations of “peace” on coins and in public discourse are best understood as compensatory propaganda—often, the more peace is spoken about, the less it is a lived reality.
  • (Stéphane Benoît, 36:54)

    "Dire paix, paix, paix, ça montre aussi que ces empereurs-là ont besoin d'affirmer à un moment donné la paix..."

4. Philosophy, Stoicism, and an Ideal of Peace

• Stoic Universalism and Imperial Discourse
  • Late imperial peace discourse is shaped by Stoic ideas of cosmic harmony—empire as a reflection of divine order.
  • (Christophe Badel, 43:25)

    "Les stoïciens pensaient... le devoir du dirigeant, c'était de faire l’articulation entre l'harmonie universelle... et la paix dans l'empire."

5. Religious Evolution and the Christian Peace

• Christianity’s Challenge and Adaptation
  • The integration of Christianity, with its own strong notions of peace, further modifies the meaning and use of peace in imperial ideology and politics.
  • Tension arises between military values and Christian teachings (soldiers' oaths vs. peace ideals).
  • (Christophe Badel, 48:11 & 49:40)

    "Les chrétiens qui... valorisaient la paix... pour eux, la paix était une valeur fondamentale..."

6. The View from Outside: Roman Peace as Oppression

• Barbarian (and Literary) Critiques
  • Tacitus’s speech of Calgacus (Scottish chieftain, c. 83 CE): Rome calls the desolation it brings "peace."
    • (Tacite, read at 51:44)

      "Ils font d’une terre un désert ? Ils diront qu’ils la pacifient."

  • Such critiques may reflect Roman anxieties and internal criticism more than actual perspectives of subjugated peoples.
• Complex Relationships with Barbares
  • Many border populations benefit from and seek integration into the empire through trade and military service, even as they sometimes resist it.
  • (Christophe Badel, 52:21)

    "Les barbares cherchent autant à profiter des richesses de l'Empire qu'ils ne le combattent..."

7. Modern Reflections: The Myth-making of "Pax Romana"

• Historiography and Modern Analogies
  • The use of “Pax Romana” as a term flourishes in 19th-20th century historiography and popular culture, sometimes invoked as an analogy to American power ("Pax Americana").
  • The concept often serves ideological needs in later contexts, projecting fantasies of harmony and order on a far more violent and complex reality.
  • (Stéphane Benoît, 38:00)

    "...les années 1960... on commence à mettre ça un peu en avant..."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the ambiguity of "peace" in Rome:
  • (Stéphane Benoît, 01:48)

    "La paix romaine, en fait, n'existe pas."

• Roman peace as an interval:
  • (Christophe Badel, 06:34)

    "La paix, c'est un moment, le moment où on impose un traité à un adversaire avant de déclarer une autre guerre."

• On Augustus, war, and personal values:
  • (Pierre Grimald, via host, 21:07)

    "Il n'aimait pas tellement la guerre... On a même dit qu'il était assez peureux."

• Pliny’s Idealized Peace
  • (Pliny the Elder, read at 29:24)

    "...cela grâce à la majesté sans limite de la paix romaine qui fait connaître mutuellement non seulement les hommes appartenant aux terres et aux nations les plus éloignées..."

• Tacitus’s Critique (via Calgacus):
  • (51:44)

    "Ils font d’une terre un désert ? Ils diront qu’ils la pacifient."

• Roman propaganda’s use of “peace”:
  • (Stéphane Benoît, 36:54)

    "Dire paix, paix, paix, ça montre aussi que ces empereurs-là ont besoin d'affirmer à un moment donné la paix..."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:20]: Origins and etymological meaning of 'pax'
• [03:25] – [04:58]: Rituals, gods, and the seasonality of war and peace
• [05:01]: Scarcity of "Pax Romana" in official sources
• [06:34]: The primacy of war in Roman society
• [11:20] – [13:25]: Civil wars and the internalization of "peace" as an imperial slogan
• [13:49] – [16:17]: Augustus’ political transformation and the message of peace
• [21:07]: Pierre Grimald on Augustus’ temperament and ambitions
• [29:24]: Pliny the Elder’s utopian description of the empire’s harmony
• [36:54]: Peace as repeated propaganda and its implications
• [51:44]: Tacitus’ critique via Calgacus: "Ils font d’une terre un désert ? Ils diront qu’ils la pacifient."

Insights & Conclusion

• The "Pax Romana" is as much a myth carefully constructed for propaganda as it is a historical reality, representing a territory under Roman rule rather than a state of peace in the modern sense.
• War remained omnipresent—peace was intermittently celebrated more as a sign of stability or concord within, rather than with the outside world.
• The notion of peace in Rome is inseparable from power, ideology, and the constant threat (and reality) of violence and discord.
• The idealized image of a unified, harmonious empire is late, rare, and often surfaces when threatened by disorder or used to justify authority.
• The image and vocabulary of Pax Romana have been leveraged in later centuries for new ideological purposes, both positive and critical, echoing into modern debates about imperialism and global order.

This episode invites listeners to critically interrogate our inherited images of Roman “peace” and understand them as products of their time—contested, ambiguous, and deeply entangled with the reality of Roman power.