It's been a while since my last post, but I decided to pick things up again today. This post is historical again, sorry to those of you who object! I'll keep it brief...
After the city of Rome was founded (753 BCE), it was ruled by kings. Romulus was the first king and he populated his new city with fugitives and bandits from all around central Italy. After Romulus, there were 6 more kings. The last king of Rome was Tarquinius Superbus and he was driven out of the city by some rebels in 510 BCE. The kings of Rome had ruled with an iron fist and the successful rebellion resulted in the Roman senate voting to never allow 1 individual to hold so much power. Instead they decided that the city should be governed by 2 individuals (called consuls) who would make joint decisions.
The period of history ushered in by the expulsion of the last king is called the Republican period. The Roman stat
e was politically stable and prosperous. During this time period, through its military might, Rome established itself as the dominant force in the greater Mediterranean area. They lovingly referred the the Mediterranean sea as "our sea." Those who attempted to take power away from Rome were brutally defeated. As Rome grew, the political structure weakened and one very intelligent and crafty man, Julius Caesar, capitalized on the instability. Caesar was a populist and, as such, he was beloved by the normal Roman citizens. The love that the populace had for Caesar paired with his increasing political and military power made the Roman aristocracy uncomfortable. Several individuals from the most elite Roman families tried to put Caesar in his place. Really, all they managed to do was start a series of civil wars that pitted Roman against Roman and hundreds of thousands of lives were lost. Ultimately Caesar was murdered. However, his death ushered in the final phase of Roman history called the principate or empire.
e was politically stable and prosperous. During this time period, through its military might, Rome established itself as the dominant force in the greater Mediterranean area. They lovingly referred the the Mediterranean sea as "our sea." Those who attempted to take power away from Rome were brutally defeated. As Rome grew, the political structure weakened and one very intelligent and crafty man, Julius Caesar, capitalized on the instability. Caesar was a populist and, as such, he was beloved by the normal Roman citizens. The love that the populace had for Caesar paired with his increasing political and military power made the Roman aristocracy uncomfortable. Several individuals from the most elite Roman families tried to put Caesar in his place. Really, all they managed to do was start a series of civil wars that pitted Roman against Roman and hundreds of thousands of lives were lost. Ultimately Caesar was murdered. However, his death ushered in the final phase of Roman history called the principate or empire.Caesar willed control of Rome to his adopted nephew, Octavius. However, Octavius coul
d not smoothly take over leadership, he was challenged by Marcus Antonius. After second round of bloody civil wars, he finally managed to thoroughly crush all opposition and too control. He became Rome's first emperor and was renamed Augustus. Augustus took it upon himself to beautify Rome which had really become an eye-sore during the civil war years. On his deathbed, he commented "I found Rome a city of brick, and left it a city of marble." It's true. He began a series of building projects which are responsible for some of Rome's most impressive structures. Almost all of what you see in Rome today comes from the Roman principate. Emperors after Augustus continued to build lavish palaces, triumphal arches, amphitheaters, public baths and aqueducts. While Rome was certainly ruled by some great, good, and politically successful emperors, the ones that most people remember are the guys who were completely nuts. You'll see some of their creations in Rome too. By the 4th CE, Rome could no longer be called an Empire. It was divided into parts and had lost virtually all of its power to other groups of people. Rome had fallen...
d not smoothly take over leadership, he was challenged by Marcus Antonius. After second round of bloody civil wars, he finally managed to thoroughly crush all opposition and too control. He became Rome's first emperor and was renamed Augustus. Augustus took it upon himself to beautify Rome which had really become an eye-sore during the civil war years. On his deathbed, he commented "I found Rome a city of brick, and left it a city of marble." It's true. He began a series of building projects which are responsible for some of Rome's most impressive structures. Almost all of what you see in Rome today comes from the Roman principate. Emperors after Augustus continued to build lavish palaces, triumphal arches, amphitheaters, public baths and aqueducts. While Rome was certainly ruled by some great, good, and politically successful emperors, the ones that most people remember are the guys who were completely nuts. You'll see some of their creations in Rome too. By the 4th CE, Rome could no longer be called an Empire. It was divided into parts and had lost virtually all of its power to other groups of people. Rome had fallen... 