The Ara Pacis was built to commemorate the end of the third civil war in Rome. It is beautifully designed and carved with elaborate flowers, scenes of victory, and the emperor. As its name suggests, it was meant to honor peace after a time of national war and conflict. Yet looking beyond the celebration represented in the monument, it actually shows Rome’s loss of power and structure. If Rome were truly still as strong as they once were, would civil war even have occurred in the first place? What part of the Roman political and cultural system splintered to cause the right conditions for war? While the Ara Pacis is an exquisite dedication to peace and prosperity, it should not have been necessary if Rome could sustain itself.