The first great world military power, who shaped Europe forever.
Who were the Romans?
The Romans were the ancient world’s most powerful civilization. At their height, they took control of other ancient powerhouses, such as the Ancient Egyptians and the Ancient Greeks. They also controlled Crete and Mesopotamia, where the Minoans and Sumerians once thrived.
The Romans were known for their advanced technology, including aqueducts, roads and bridges. Roman medicine was also highly advanced for its time; they had an understanding of anatomy from dissecting animals, used herbal remedies to treat illnesses, and even performed surgery on humans.
They are also regarded as the final civilization of the ancient world. When their society collapsed, in 476 CE, the ancient period came to an end.
Modern studies
The Romans were meticulous record-keepers, and their written accounts have been invaluable to modern historians, just like the works of the Ancient Greeks.
For example, they kept detailed records of military campaigns and government decisions. These documents provide a wealth of information about Roman life, from the everyday activities of Roman citizens to political developments like an emperor’s rise to power.
There is also plenty of archaeological evidence of the Roman civilization. Monumental buildings, like the Colosseum, are still standing. Other ruins can be found throughout Europe, North Africa and Asia. When a civilization is as huge as this one, it does not collapse without leaving a major trace.
The origins of Ancient Rome
The origins of the Roman Empire can be traced back to a small, unassuming settlement, which is usually dated to 753 BCE. This was right at the end of the Greek Dark Ages, when Europe was just starting to recover.
This settlement – which grew into modern Rome – was well positioned on the banks of the Tiber river. It went from strength to strength over the centuries that followed, and became a kingdom at some point in the 6th century BCE, then a republic not long afterward.
In the Roman Republic, citizens elected their leaders, and had a say in how they were governed. This system was extremely successful, and the Romans continued to grow. They conquered their neighbors one by one, and went on to dominate Europe, North Africa and parts of Asia.
The birth of an empire
In 27 BCE, after several centuries of great power, Ancient Rome underwent a change in leadership.
Augustus rejected the democratic principles of the Roman Republic, and declared himself the leader of the Roman Empire – effectively becoming the first Roman emperor, though he never officially adopted the term for himself
Emperor Augustus ruled like an absolute monarch, and not without success. He used military force to expand Rome’s borders even further, building an empire stretching from Britain to Egypt.
The next two centuries saw unprecedented levels of peace and prosperity throughout the Roman Empire. The period became known as Pax Romana (Roman Peace). Of course, it was only peaceful for Roman citizens, not for the cultures they forcibly claimed and controlled.
Military prowess
A lot of the Roman Empire’s success was built on their powerful army. It was the most advanced military in the ancient world, with extremely well-organized troops. They used sophisticated siege tactics such as battering rams and catapults, while their naval forces developed ship designs which allowed them to dominate the seas.
In addition to their technological advances, the Romans also had an effective system for recruiting soldiers from all around the Empire. This ensured they had a steady supply of troops ready for battle at any given time. They gave generous military pensions to retired veterans, which helped to ensure loyalty, and encouraged more people to sign up.
Roads and sewers
The Romans were masters of engineering. They pioneered the construction of roads throughout their empire, allowing for easier transportation between cities. These roads were often paved with stones to make them more durable, while bridges were built over rivers and valleys to make journeys even easier.
They also designed aqueducts that could transport water from distant sources into cities. Ancient civilizations had been redirecting water for thousands of years, but never to the extent of the Roman aqueducts.
The Romans also built sewers which allowed them to dispose of waste safely and efficiently. The Cloaca Maxima in Rome is one such example – it was built around 600 BCE, and some parts are still in use today. The Roman sewers were so efficient that they rivaled those of the Indus Valley.
The adoption of Christianity
In their early years, the Romans adopted some of the Greek gods and goddesses, giving them Latin names such as Jupiter for Zeus and Juno for Hera. They also had their own pantheon of deities, including Janus – the god of beginnings and endings – and Fortuna – the goddess of luck.
Things changed in 312 CE, when Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. From that day onwards, Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, with millions of people converting. The Church became increasingly powerful, until it was officially recognised as the state religion by Emperor Theodosius in 380 CE.
This was a major moment in global history. Even when the Roman Empire collapsed, Christianity continued to grow in strength, and has dominated the world ever since.
The city of Constantinople
Emperor Constantine was a pivotal figure in the history of Rome, and not just because of his conversion to Christianity. He also founded the city of Constantinople in 330 CE, and turned it into a new capital for the Roman Empire. Positioned at the junction between Europe and Asia, it helped future emperors to rule the eastern portion of the empire: Egypt, Mesopotamia, and beyond.
This was probably the peak of the Ancient Roman civilization: two glorious capital cities, one in the east and one in the west, which allowed them to control the largest empire the world had ever seen. At this point in time, the Roman Empire existed on a scale that other ancient cultures could not have even imagined.
The decline of Ancient Rome
The collapse of the Ancient Roman civilization is easy to trace. Ultimately, the size of the empire was unsustainable, and bound to topple with the right amount of force.
In 410 CE, Rome was attacked by the Visigoths: a Germanic people who had joined the empire a few decades earlier. The Roman civilization was too large and bloated to properly defend itself, and the Visigoths sacked the city. Other tribes were inspired by this, and barbarian invasions began to plague the western portion of the empire.
In 476 CE, the western portion of the Roman Empire officially fell. The eastern part of the empire survived, centered around the city of Constantinople, but it was a fading power. The last civilization of the ancient world had finally reached an end.
The end of the Ancient World
Historians use the fall of Rome to mark the end of the Ancient World. The days of glorious civilizations, from the Sumerians to the Romans, had drawn to a close. Europe entered a period of time which is sometimes called the Dark Ages.
This term, however, is misleading, and it is generally rejected by modern historians. After the fall of Rome, the world did not collapse into darkness. Instead, the period should be viewed as a new beginning.
Without the dominating presence of the Roman Empire, new civilizations began to form. From the Mayas of Mesoamerica, to the Mongols of central Asia, this new generation of civilizations rose from the ashes of the Ancient World.
