Rome and the Roman Empire
As the story goes, Rome was founded by a pair of feuding brothers who were allegedly raised by wolves. Romulus and Remus. From that point on, the Roman Empire would play a pivotal role in the development of both Eastern and Western society alike. Its influence can still be noticed. The Empire bought us such inventions as aqueducts, elevators, and innovations like urban planning. This essay will discuss the evolution of the Roman Empire and its impact on the Western World.
As the story goes, Rome was founded in 753 B.C by two brothers by the names of Romulus and Remus. The two feuded over leadership and the end result was Romulus killing Remus and becoming emperor on his own. The city was only a small settlement at this time with almost no women. Romulus decided to invite their neighbours, the Sabines to a harvest festival. After they all had arrived, the Romans abducted 600 of their women at sword point. In this way, the growth of Rome was insured.
The Romans learnt many of their artistic and technological from a group of people known as the Etruscans who lived in the hills of Tuscany. The Etruscans were notably accomplished artists and inventors. They taught the Roman people how to work metal and many other materials. The gladiatorial games, in fact, came from an old “Etruscan rite. The very first roman Emperors were Etruscans. The first of these was a man known as Serbius Tullius. He was the very first emperor to conduct what would become a yearly tradition. A census. Unfortunately, he was murdered and deposed by another Etruscan by the name of Tarquin, who was hated by the Roman people. Following the murder of a popular Roman woman by the name of Lucrectia by Tarquin, the people had him deposed and vowed never to live under the rule of one man again. This would hold true for an extremely long time.
The Roman people decided that yearly elections would be held to determine which pair of people would rule Rome as Consul’s. Yearly elections were held to make sure that no two people would remain in power for an extended period of time. This led to the establishing of the senate and the motto SPQR. The Senate and the People of Rome. This is one of the many ways that Rome had a lasting impact on western civilization. Both the United States and Canada have a senate modeled after the Romans. In this way, Ro...
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...ort years, it had wiped out 1 quarter of the population. A staggering number considering that in the year 100 50 million people were living in the empire. The onset of the plague only worsened the news that barbarians were once again beginning to invade Rome. The Legions were horribly out of practice and were not able to provide adequate defense. As a result, Rome was launched into a downward spiral of turmoil from which it would never recover. Gradually, the empire diminished until what was left was barely a glimpse of what the past had held for the once great city which rose into an empire that encompassed nearly all of Europe, most of Asia, and some Africa.
Rome left a lasting impact on the Western world, however. The Roman government was the basis for the political system in Canada and the United States. They provided us with marvels in engineering. Things like the aqueduct system, the elevator, and many others. Hitler was greatly influenced by the Roman Empire, and Napoleon even claimed to be a descendant of the emperors. For these reasons and many more, it remains clear that even though the Roman Empire is long since gone, it has left an indelible mark in history.
Whether it is war, the church, or influential contact Rome has made a huge impact on western civilization. From its strong followers trying to recreate the Republic, to lasting impressions imposed on its conquered lands, Rome has sent its culture and heritage throughout the entire globe. Even though Rome its self only lasted one thousand years its presence is still felt today. Rome in the eyes of the world never actually died, but was born over and over, and still remains standing to this day in one form or another. The mighty Roman Empire is and forever will be the rock of hope, advancement, and pure culture that holds this world together.
After Rome established itself, they were determined to never again be ruled by a monarch. The Roman setup a new government called a republic. Romans thought a republic would keep any individuals from gaining too much power. Later Romans looked back with enormous pride on the achievements of the early republic. Between 509 B.C. and 133 B.C., Rome adapted the government to fit the need of the people it served. It also developed the military power to not only conqueror not only Italy, but also the entire Mediterranean world. In the early republic power was controlled by the patricians, the land holding upper class. Senators, who served for life, interpreted laws and issued decrees. In the event of a war the senate might elect a dictator who ruled for only six months in time of emergency.
Rome soon made enemies with other countries. The first country to declare war on Rome was Carthage. Carthage was a nation in North Africa. This led to a big war called the Punic Wars. After Rome won the Punic Wars many other nations decided to try and fight Rome as well. Other invasions by other countries/groups were, Invasions by the Vandals, Huns, Angles, and the Visigoths. A major invasion was when the Huns pushed the Goths into Rome. Rome then has to pay the Goths not to attack, and after Rome stopped paying, the Goths destroyed the city. This made Rome even more destroyed and more poor. Foreign Invasions were a huge reason that led to the decline of Rome( Doc. C). Another reason for the decline of Rome, is natural disasters, and diseases. A disease that was brought over to Rome from southern Asia was Measles. This disease was a major contributor to the fall of Rome . This disease took a toll on whoever had it and eventually eliminated “a million to 250,000” people in Rome. This made Rome fall because farmers with the disease could not tend to the fields, store owners could not run their shops,
Although both Roman and Greek civilizations shared similarities in the areas of art and literature, their differences were many and prominent. Their contrasting aspects rest mainly upon political systems and engineering progress, but there are also several small discrepancies that distinguish between these two societies. This essay will examine these differences and explain why, ultimately, Rome was the more advanced civilization of the two.
The Roman Empire was a great and big empire that lasted hundreds of years. It had a great impact on a lot of civilizations. The Romans went from a small civilization to one of the greatest empire of all. But then, was ripped apart into pieces until there was nothing left.
The Roman Empire dominated much of Europe, Asia Minor, and parts of Northern Africa for nearly five hundred years. The Roman Empire lasted from 27 BC to 476 AD and is credited with being the world’s greatest superpower. The Roman Empire was known for their wealth, which was gained from conquest, their citizens, who lived in luxury, and their military, which was extensive and well trained. There was not an outside force strong enough to bring down an Empire so large and so powerful. In the end, it was the Roman Empire itself that led to its demise. Over the last three hundred years of Imperial rule the Empire was slowly crumbling.
The Roman Empire will always be known as one of the largest, most influential, and most powerful civilizations in history. Ancient Rome gave the world many things essential to our daily lives even today from concrete to sewage systems. Because of the magnitude of Ancient Rome, it’s collapse was a watershed moment in the history of the world. The primary cause of Rome’s fall is widely debated but what is clear is that there were many factors, internal and external, that eventually caused Rome to collapse. The factors which were the most impactful to Rome’s downfall were the rise of Christianity, overexpansion and a failing economy. The diverse impact of these three causes were combined too much for the empire to overcome and Rome fell in 476
Rome was first ruled by seven kings and several were Etruscans. The Etruscans had the greatest influence on the Romans including things like fashion. T...
Roman Empire, political system established by Rome that lasted for nearly five centuries. Historians usually date the beginning of the Roman Empire from 27 bc when the Roman Senate gave Gaius Octavius the name Augustus and he became the undisputed emperor after years of bitter civil war. At its peak the empire included lands throughout the Mediterranean world. Rome had first expanded into other parts of Italy and neighboring territories during the Roman Republic (509-27 bc), but made wider conquests and solidified political control of these lands during the empire. The empire lasted until Germanic invasions, economic decline, and internal unrest in the 4th and 5th centuries ad ended Rome’s ability to dominate such a huge territory. The Romans and their empire gave cultural and political shape to the subsequent history of Europe from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to the present day.
Height possible reason had cause the fall of the Roman Empire. The invasion by the Barbarian Tribes, an economic troubles an over reliance on slave labor, the rise of the western empire, a government corruption and political instability, the arrival of the Huns and the migration of the Barbarian tribes, christianity and the loss of traditional values and weakening of the Roman legions. As well as the Black Death also called the Plague. The next several decades the empire had spent, was under threats. In 476, the Germanic leader had organized a revolt that deposed the Emperor Augustus. Even Rome was under attack from outside forces, it was also crumbling from within thanks to a severe financial crisis. With a such a vast territory to govern the empire faced their nightmare on a administrative and legislative level. The invading army reached the Roman’s wall, which had been left totally undefended. In 410 C.E., the Visigoths, led by Alaric breached the wall of Rome and sacked the capital of the Rome empire. The Visigoths looted, burned, and pillaged their way through the city, leaving a wake of destruction wherever they went. These acts continued for three days. For the first time in nearly a millennium the city of Rome was in the hand of someone other then the Roman. Either way was the
“The Romans were a people of genius whose empire dominated the western world for 500 years.”(Pg. 7, Ancient Rome) What made the Romans so powerful was their way of government. It was very similar to the one that we have today, except emperors don’t rule us. The pax romana, or ‘the Roman Peace,’ gave millions of people in Italy and surrounding areas peace. Rome fell when it was invaded by overwhelming tribes and groups of barbarians. Rome was first founded on the legendary date of 735 B.C. The myth of Romulus and Remus was how Rome got its name. The myth was that Mars, god of war, came down to the mortal world and met a human princess. Romulus and Remus were then born shortly after, but abandoned. A She-Wolf nursed them until they were old enough to be on their own. Their dream was to make a beautiful city, and govern it and become powerful. Romulus and Remus had an argument. Which led to a fight to the death. Romulus won, killing his brother Remus. The peoples called his city Rome, after Romulus, who became the founder. Rome’s Symbol is the She-Wolf that nursed Romulus and Remus nursing them. Rome started out as just a group of farmers and Romulus as the emperor. Eventually, the small city-state became larger, and the government stronger, and more sophisticated. In 509 B.C., the Roman Republic was founded. Patricians were the ones who organized the state. Instead of a King, Rome picked 2 magistrates, or consuls, to rule Rome. Eventually, the consuls became too powerful, and the plebeians (peoples of Rome) became angry because they wanted rights equal to those of the consuls in ways. In 494 B.C. the plebs revolted. They elected certain members to be called ‘the Tribunes,’ and be their leaders. The plebs wanted the consuls to notice them. Eventually, after a year of rebelling, the 2 consuls let the plebs have the rights they wanted because in the future, Rome would need some of the plebs to become an army for the protection of Rome and the conquering of new territory. Eventually, The 2 consuls’ decisions became useful. Rome started to wage wars with its neighbors, the Aequi, Volsci, Celts, and Samnites. For 250 years, the Romans were almost at war constantly. The Romans either made alliances with their neighbor’s or they conquered them.
The Romans have had almost every type of government there is. They've had a kingdom, a republic, a dictatorship, and an empire. Their democracy would be the basis for most modern democracies. The people have always been involved with and loved their government, no matter what kind it was. They loved being involved in the government, and making decisions concerning everyone. In general, the Romans were very power-hungry. This might be explained by the myth that they are descended from Romulus, who's father was Mars, the god of war. Their government loving tendencies have caused many, many civil wars. After type of government, the change has been made with a civil war. There have also been many civil wars between rulers. But it all boils
The Roman Empire was one of the largest in history. At its height in 117 A.D.,it spanned from Iberia all the way to the Caspian Sea, covering over 5 million square kilometers. The Roman Empire left behind a vast legacy, consisting of art, architecture, and religion. However, like all empires, the Roman empire fell. Usually, when people think of the fall of the Roman Empire, they think of the fall of the Western Roman Empire, formed after Diocletian split the Roman Empire in 284 A.D. The three main reasons that the Western Roman Empire fell were economic problems, flaws in the military, and barbarian invasions.
Each Roman province and city was governed in the same way. The Romans were proud of their unique ability to rule, but they acknowledged Greek leadership in the fields of art, architecture, literature, and philosophy. By the second century B.C., Romans had conquered Greece and had come to greatly admire Greek culture. Educated Romans learned the Greek language. As Horace, a Roman poet, said, “Greece, once overcome, overcame her wild conqueror.” The mixing of elements of Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman culture produced a new culture, called Greco-Roman culture. This is also often called classical civilization. Roman artists, philosophers, and writers did not merely copy their Greek and Hellenistic models. They adapted them for their own purposes and created a style of their own. Roman art and literature came to convey the Roman ideals of strength, permanence, and
"Rome, History of Ancient Rome From Its Founding To Collapse." World History International: World History Essays From Prehistory To The Present. Web. 16 Dec. 2009. .