History of the Rise of the Roman Empire

Rome grew from a small kingdom in Italy. It became a republic, and was one of the mightiest empires of the ancient world, with an empire stretching the length of the Mediterranean Sea. Rome was built on seven hills, near a crossing place of the river Tiber. Since the area was fertile, a tribe of people called Latin’s settled here they were herders and farmers who lived in a group of small villages. This explains why Roman Institutions are strong in Italy. Roman is deep rooted in them from a long time ago.

The river Tiber provided the means of transportation and communication. Later, another tribe called Etruscans arrived from Etruria. Though their cultures were different the Latin’s and the Etruscans later became known as Romans. The Etruscan civilization played a major role in developing ancient Roman Art and Culture. The infusion of Etruscans and Latin’s brought about the mighty Romans. Great things come from taking two distinct things and putting them together.

Their economy was based on agriculture, trade, and mineral resources. They maintained a strong trade relationship with Greece and was experts in metallurgy. The Etruscans homes were built of mud bricks, with timber on stone foundation. They dug canals and ditches to bring water to the fields which were then followed by many other tribes in Italy. The ancient Romans considered Romulus and Remus, the twins as the founder of the city. Even in today’s world, the economy is greatly driven by agricultural resources. Countries have gone to war because of access to these resources.

As babies they were abandoned on the banks of river Tiber, but they were rescued by a she wolf who suckled them and they survived. In an argument over who would rule the city, Romulus killed Remus and named the city after himself. According to the legend he was the first king of Rome, which was founded in 753 B.C. The small city of Rome overthrew the shackles of monarchy and created a republican government that represented the wishes of its people. The Roman republic was established around 510 B.C, after the expulsion of the king Tarquin. It is no wonder Moses was abandoned by the river. It was their norm.

The Romans were highly superstitious so they often carried lucky charms or talismans to ward off the evil eye. They built aqueducts, system of channels and bridges to carry water to their city. The Roman army was the finest in the ancient world, it was made largely of volunteer soldiers from the time of Augustus Caesar. The legions were commanded by senators except those in Egypt. The roman army used big catapults and wind-up crossbows. By 200 B.C it was able to challenge many of its rivals in Mediterranean world. Some of the superstitions practised by the Romans are still with us today. People believe in things that at times do not make sense. They may not even know the origin of some of their beliefs. However, do not confuse superstition with witchcraft.