History
What was ancient Rome?
Quick answer
Ancient Rome began as a small city in Italy and grew into a huge empire around the Mediterranean. The Romans are known for roads, law, Latin and big stone buildings.
In one sentence
Ancient Rome was a city in Italy that grew from a small town into the centre of an empire that stretched across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
Explained
Roman stories say that Rome was founded in 753 BCE by Romulus. Historians think the city grew from villages beside the River Tiber. For about 500 years Rome was a republic, ruled by elected officials and a council called the Senate. In 27 BCE Augustus became the first emperor, and the republic became an empire.
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The Roman army was well trained, and soldiers also built forts and roads. Roman roads were so well made that parts are still used today, which is where the saying "all roads lead to Rome" comes from. Engineers built aqueducts to bring clean water into cities, public baths, and large buildings using arches and a strong kind of concrete. The Colosseum, opened in 80 CE, is one of the most famous.
At its largest, around 117 CE, the empire stretched from Britain to Egypt. Rome invaded Britain in 43 CE, and Hadrian's Wall in northern England was begun in the 120s CE. Many people in the empire were not citizens of Rome. Society was unequal: there were wealthy families, ordinary workers and enslaved people who had no freedom.
The Western Roman Empire ended in 476 CE. The eastern half carried on from Constantinople for nearly 1,000 years more. Roman ideas still shape our lives: Latin lies behind many English words, and the Roman numerals on clocks come from Rome. Compare it with ancient Egypt, which was already thousands of years old when Rome began.
Examples
| Roman idea | What it gave us |
|---|---|
| Latin | the roots of Italian, Spanish, French and Portuguese |
| Roads | long, straight routes built in layers of stone |
| Aqueducts | water carried by gravity into towns |
| Roman numerals | I, V, X, L, C, D, M |
| Law | written laws and trials that influenced later legal systems |
Common mistakes
- Confusing the republic and the empire. Julius Caesar lived in the republic. Augustus, his adopted heir, started the empire.
- "The Romans only fought wars." Most people farmed, traded, cooked and built.
- "Rome fell in a day." Its western half faded over many decades.
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Ancient Rome
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