Rome History

Gladiators were Roman warriors who fought solely for the entertainment of the masses. Some would fight with weapons while others would simply wrestle it out. The fights were held in arenas called colosseums, with each arena able to host more than 50,000 spectators at a … Read more >>

The Roman Empire has seen a long history with many ups and downs, and witnessed a large number of social, economic, and financial changes during its development. The Roman Republic survived for more than 500 years before the Roman Empire began when Augustus Caesar announced … Read more >>

“The Holy Roman Empire is neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire” – Voltaire The Roman Empire once covered large parts of Europe and Asia, but now it has vanished. It did not disappear suddenly, but slowly over time due to corruption and a series … Read more >>

One of the greatest empires in the history of human civilization, the ancient Roman Empire, was born from the Roman Republic which began in 509 BC. Emperor Augustus (son of Julius Caesar) created the Roman Empire in 27 BC, and it reached its height in … Read more >>

The Roman military was instrumental in making the Roman Empire great. In many ways, it was the reason that a small city on the Italian landmass gained control over the greater part of the Western world, from the British Isles to the Near East, from … Read more >>

1. Roman Engineering Roman engineering was of the utmost importance in the development of the complex buildings which dominated the Roman era. The many arches and vaults involved in their buildings required a specific type of cement, and the improvement of the general infrastructure (streets, … Read more >>

Nothing could be truer than the famous saying, “Rome was not built in a day.” While Rome is well known for its lavish and indulgent way of life, many wars were fought along the way to ensure the survival of the republic and the empire. … Read more >>

The Latin expression imperium sine fine (“empire without end”) communicates the idea that neither time nor space could constrain the Roman Empire. The Romans’ enthusiasm for creating and expanding their cities led to significant changes to their environment, such as extensive quarrying and deforestation to … Read more >>

More than 150 sovereigns ruled over ancient Rome before the Western Empire fell; the Eastern Empire continued for a little longer. The first Roman emperor was Augustus Caesar in 27 BC, and the last was Romulus Augustulus whose reign ended in 476 AD. Roman sovereigns … Read more >>

Military tactics have constantly evolved throughout history, but it was the Romans who contributed the most to progressive technologies and analytical military tactics. The Roman military was adaptable, and its approach to battle was quite different from other war units. This special ability of the … Read more >>

The Roman Colosseum is a building that often provokes debate. While we all know what it looks like, what it was used for, and that it’s a huge and amazing structure, most of us do not know much more about it. So the question is, … Read more >>

After plunging the Roman Republic into civil war in January of 49 BC, Julius Caesar returned to Rome triumphant. It is claimed that his legions killed almost two million people in 50 decisive battles during his campaign against the republic. On his return, he was … Read more >>

A couple of millennia ago, ancient Rome ruled over much of Europe, Africa, and western Asia. The formidable might and efficiency of the ancient Roman military played a pivotal role in the rapid expansion of ancient Roman civilization. Roman legions formed the largest units in … Read more >>

The ancient Roman legions played a key role in the rapid expansion of contemporary Roman civilization. The average Roman soldier was trained to fight in a formation of about 5,000 fellow warriors, each group forming a Roman legion. Their disciplined fighting tactics played a crucial … Read more >>

Roman architecture took over right where the builders from ancient Greece left off after the decline of Greek civilization. But unlike their predecessors, the Romans placed far more emphasis on the practicality of their architectural designs. This was a major departure from contemporary practices which … Read more >>

The ancient Romans were not as into philosophy and teaching as the Greeks, but they absolutely loved finding new forms of entertainment to spice up their otherwise mundane lives. Today, even the thought of gladiators beating each other to death in a huge arena full … Read more >>

Ancient Rome is one of the biggest cradles of civilization in human history. Rome started off as a small town on the banks of the Tiber in central Italy at the beginning of the eighth century BC. After countless wars and military campaigns, it soon … Read more >>

Ancient Rome was one of the largest empires of its time, primarily based around the Mediterranean. Naturally, many of the eating and drinking habits of the ancient Romans were influenced by popular foodstuffs grown in the Mediterranean region, primarily wheat. Romans typically had three meals … Read more >>

It is well known that ancient Rome was one of the biggest empires in human history. For this reason, the topic of ancient Roman art is broad, since it includes traditional art practiced for over 1,000 years across the vast regions of Africa, Asia, and … Read more >>

Rome has always been the place for art. The streets of Rome are filled with sculptures of the greatest artists that the world has ever known. Roman art thrived in the Augustan age, but the Augustan era was not the starting point for Roman art. … Read more >>

Ancient Rome and Carthage had a long history of conflict that lasted for more than a century. All this tension culminated in a series of three wars fought between the two states from 264 BC to 146 BC. These wars were called the Punic Wars. … Read more >>

The Romans had their own unique religion and religious observance was important for both family and state. Festival and ritual were commonplace and were occasions of great merriment. Every Roman house had a sacred fire, and people believed that the lit fire would protect the … Read more >>

According to legend, Rome was founded in 753 BC by Romulus and Remus and eventually became the largest empire of the ancient era with a population of 50 to 80 million. It started as an Iron Age hunting village in the middle of the eighth … Read more >>