Ancient Rome Research Paper

First of all Rome is very advanced. They are advanced because they had an astounding army and had excellent builders to help build buildings for their army. It was founded in 753 BC and is called “ The eternal city “ because it was so old. In class we did a project all about Rome. To see it click here City to Kingdom to Empire.

One example of a Roman Contribution are the Roman Roads. They were very important to the economy and the of the Romans. They allowed for easier trade between towns and cities the roads were made out of concrete. They were built by the Roman army during the times of peace and prosperity also known as Pax Romana. As the new areas were conquered a new road would be built connecting it to the rest of the empire.

Many people know Rome as one of the greatest and powerful cities of history. Rome started out as a little city and slowly started gaining land as time went by. In the beginning of Rome the Greeks were the most powerful and wealthy of the area. Again as time drove by the Romans gained more power and wealth without really meaning to. The fall of Rome occurred because as Rome grew older it started to turn into an Empire with one sole leader, they conquered people who were unwilling, and the economy was starting to crumble.

The Roman empire is one of the greatest empires knew today that started in 750 BCE, it started off as a small city that turned into a giant. Since Rome had such a strong army it made the empire expand extremely, and its government went from a republic to a dictatorship. Over time, the empire had gotten lazy and had been sacked by the outside.Because of the poor government, military problems which lead to foreign invasions, and natural disasters with illnesses Rome fell apart.

When we think about the historical significance of Rome, it comes down to its leaders and how these leaders ruled in their era. Confidence, commitment, inspiration, intuition, and creativity, are all essential traits that a ruler must possess. In my opinion, no one has demonstrated these important characteristics better than Caesar Augustus, or better known as Octavian. Octavian showed how good of administrator he was, which was well needed after years of civil strife and social unrest. On the other hand, military genius, Julius Caesar, was lacking in administrative qualities which infect, lead his era to have a period of civil war and bloodshed.

The Roman leaders found Rome empty and built it into one of the greatest cities of all time. Augustus build a new Forum, with statues of great heroes of Rome, theatres, porticoes,etc. (Document 1). It was called “to be a spectacle from which its is hard to tear yourself away from,” Strabo. Augustus and his men built aqueducts, arches, etc. which are all 21st century items. The government leaders in Rome were always looking out for the safety of the people. There are ancient pictures of Augustus telling the architects to structure all the buildings to stand at least seventy feet high (Document 6). Rome’s people all were permitted to freely gather and bathe. Today we have swimming pools in which all people are allowed to access. Something that has shaped society today, when reflecting back on Roman times, are aqueducts. The Romans received water by using this method of irrigation which was first used in 312 BC. In America and throughout other countries we use irrigation as our water source, a similar source to the aqueducts. Romans used cement to build arches in which water would flow through (aqueducts), today in modern life we still use bridges/arches for many things. Roman architecture is still shown throughout America

After Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus in 750 BCE, Rome went through three very important eras/periods. The Regal period the Republican period and the Imperial period. In the Regal period rome was just being started, it wasn't very big or important and needed to be started off right. The abduction of the sabine women gave rome women so rome could become a proper civilization. When the republican period rolled around Rome was a monarchy but the last king was soon dethroned and the republic was founded lasting 500 years. During the republic period 3 punic wars increased the strength of the roman military especially the navy and boosted the roman economy. The Gracchi brothers in the middle of the roman republic gave rights back to the lower class lasting until sulla's dictatorship. Nearing the end of the republic period a

The base of the Roman Republic’s political system was the Assemblies in which Roman males would pass laws, elect Magistrates, and perform ceremonial duties. They had the power to approve or disapprove the Senate’s policies. In the empire, Augustus became a perpetual Tribune. He alone had the power to approve or veto laws.

“With laws unwritten, patrician officials often interpreted the law to suit themselves. In 451 B.C., a group of ten officials began writing down Rome’s laws. The laws were carved on twelve tablets, or tables, and hung in the Forum. They became the basis for later Roman law. The Twelve Tables established the idea that all free citizens had a right to the protection of the law.” (page 156)

From 509 BC to about 27 BC, Rome was considered a republic. During this time there was no single leader of Rome and the government was run by elected officials. The main leaders of the Roman Republic were the consuls. There were always two consuls in power at a time. Each year new consuls were elected to serve for a one-year term. This kept any one man from becoming too powerful in the government. At the time the Senate was the most powerful governing body in Rome. The Senate had control of the state’s finances and foreign policies. Senators were elected by the people to represent them in government. The Senate was made up of 300 of the most elite and wealthiest of the Roman Republic. One of the most important roles of the Senate to undergo the checks and balances of the Roman government. Checks and balances are the “principle of government under which separate branches are empowered to prevent actions by other branches and are induced to share power” (The Editors). The checks and balances of Rome helped to stabilize the government and allowed the power to be distributed somewhat equally between the consul, the Senate, and the people. However, the fall of the Roman Empire eliminated this type aspect of government in Rome (Kagan 101-103).

The law had 12 tables of rights. Each table had a different topic on laws. I gave Rome an overall grade of providing a rule of law be a B. I graded this topic a B because the most of the laws are fair but some are lacking fairness. One of the laws from the 12 tables states that, “Anyone who gives false testimony shall be hurled from the Tarpeian Rock.” This punishment is harsh even though the person giving false information to sound true.

As mentioned earlier, the Roman Empire was initially being ruled by Etruscan kings and as many people were not in an accord in being ruled by a king, the last king called Tarquinius Superbus was thrown out through a revolt led by a man named Lucius Junius Brutus in 509 B.C and a new type of government had started. Like many countries today, The Roman government became a republic. In a republic, citizens in the empire vote to elect representatives to rule on their favor; this way, things were fairer in some ways. In the Republic, both men and women were considered citizens, however, only men could vote. Along the structure of the Republic were magistrates who were two consuls who worked together. These ran the government and led the army in wartime (Grolier Online). Consuls were selected every year in assemblies in which adult male citizens voted. There was also the Senate, which was made up of wealthy aristocrats, the heads of noble families, and hereditary priests (Ward). The Senate offered advise to the

In ancient Rome, architecture and engineering were highly regarded. It contributed much to Rome’s development, power, as well as the longevity of such an immense and substantial empire. Architecture displayed an immense amount of workmanship as well as innovation. This is seen through Rome engineers as they created the concept of concrete, constructed the famous Roman aqueducts, and the luxurious Roman baths. Roman’s were clearly superior engineers compared to their competitors because Roman engineers developed new and innovative concepts that were never introduced before, therefore contributing to the success of the Roman Empire.

In the Roman government, the emperor stood at the top of the administrative system, not a President. He served as military commander in chief, high priest, court of appeal, and source of law. The soldiers under the emperor did not swear their oath to a constitution or flag, they swore their oath to the emperor. The emperors took over the Senate's political and legislative power, but they needed the help of senators who had experience in diplomacy, government, and military command.

Rome began as an italian city state then went on to become one of the largest empires the world has ever seen. By using superior military tactics and having a superior economy due to its large size Rome was able to begin their expansion by conquering the rest of italy before expanding farther outward in the Mediterranean. Rome was able to quickly expand its territory and number of citizens by making the remaining people in conquered villages roman citizens. The vast and ever expansive roman empire, once the most powerful on earth, represents both the good and the bad about creating an empire. Rome is often used as the standard by which others are compared.