The Settlement and Innovations of Ancient Rome

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The Settlement and Innovations of Ancient Rome

Rome is an ancient city located on the western coast of Italy by the

Meditterranian Sea.(3:289)

The city of Rome was founded, according to the legend, by Romulus in 753

BC. Remus and Romulus were two mythological sons of Mars, the god of war.

"Through military expansion and colonizations, and by granting citizenship

to conquered tribes, the city joined all of Italy south of the Po in the

100-year period before 268 BC." First, the Latin and other tribes were

joined, then the Etruscans (a civili zed people north of Rome) and the

Greek colonies in the south. "With a large army and several hundred

thousand in reserve, Rome defeated Carthage in the 3 Punic Wars, 264-241,

218-201, 149-146, (despite the invasion of Italy by Hannibal, 218),

therefore gaining territory in Spain and North America."(1:721)

New provinces were added in the East as Rome exploited local disputes to

conquer Greece and Asia Minor in the 2d century BC and Egypt in the first

(after the defeat and suicide of Antony and Cleop atra, 30 BC). All the

Mediterranean civilized world up to the disputed Parthian border was now

Roman, and remained so for 500 years. " Less civilized regions were added

to the Empire: Gaul (conquered by Julius Ceaser, 56-49 BC), Britain (43

AD) and Dacia , NE of the Danube (117 AD)."(1:721)

" The original republican government, with democratic features added in

the fourth and fifth centuries BC, deteriorated under the pressures of

empire and class conflict (Gracchus brothers, social reformers, murdere d

133,121; slave revolts 135,73). After a series of civil wars (Marius vs.

Sulla 88-82, Caeser vs. Pompey 49-45, triumvirate vs. Caesar's assassins

44-4...

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...s of the city were wide and beautiful with white marble buildings,

great columned pourches, and triumphal arches. Anciant Rome had the

population of modern Rome. The centers of Roman life were open places

where public meetings were held. Such a meeting place was called a forum.

One of these was so much more important than the others that it was called

the Roman forum. The long, narrow Roman Forum was also the market place of

the city. The temple of Jupiter Capitolinus was the oldest and most sacred

temple of Rome.

"Historians beleive that Rome once had as many as three hundred temples.

The best known of these was the Pantheon, which was the temple to all the

gods. The Pantheon became the Christian Church of Santa Maria Rotonda in

608 AD.This circular domed church is today is the most perfectly preserved

of all the anciant roman building."(1:721)

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