State of the Roman History

Rome
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Rome
Rome is regarded as one of the greatest civilizations known to man. Historians are drawn to studies of Roman civilization because they are the most prestigious and exciting. But perhaps the most attractive aspect of Roman society is the system of governance, the culture, the unquenchable thirst for glory, and the leaders that emerged with it. Understanding how a small city-state in the Italian Peninsula became a world empire requires an in-depth study. Various political, social, and economic changes enabled Rome to evolve over 1,000 years. In this paper, the author reconstructs the history and monuments of ancient Rome to show how they reflect the development of the city into the sole ruler of the Mediterranean.
Rome’s history begins with two brothers, Remus and Romulus. As the legend goes, the two brothers chose to found a city in present-day Italy instead of assuming the throne of Alba Longa (History, 2016). However, they got into a conflict over which hill to build their city. Remus wanted the city to be on top of the Aventine Hill, but Romulus wanted it on top of the Palatine hill. Eventually, the conflict ended in Romulus killing Remus. Romulus went ahead to finish his wall and named his new city Rome (History, 2016). As Rome grew, it occupied all the seven surrounding hills. The “seven hills of Rome” are an important monument to the city. Most importantly, however, is the fact that the seven hills were a strategic move by the Romans against their neighbors. The seven hills provided a defensive wall against any external attacks (Bradley, 2013).
According to Roman mythology, Romulus also built Rome’s official forum. It is believed that the forum is where Romulus allied with his rival, Titus Tatius (History, 2016). During Roman times, the forum initially served as a marketplace. Over time, however, it transformed into a more versatile area.
After Romulus came a line of Latin, Sabine, and Etruscan kings, including Romulus, there were seven Kings of Rome (History, 2016). Each of these kings was elected by the Senate. Also, they had complete power over the city. In 509 B.C., the monarchy came to an end. This is after the seventh King, Lucius Superbus, became tyrannical. A popular uprising emerged led by the Senate that led to the overthrow of the monarchical system. A republic system of governance was introduced, led by two consuls. The consuls had equal powers (Bradley, 2013). In addition, one consul could veto the other. A vital monument to note until this point is the Senate House. The Senate house or the Curia was the council house where all the senators gathered for debate. The Senate house was also a site for various political events. Throughout Roman civilization, the Senate House was rebuilt several times. Throughout this time, the Senate would remain a critical component of Rome. Without the Senate, Rome’s structure would have crumbled centuries before it did. Through the Senate, Romans were able to check their consuls and emperors, ensure the rule of law was followed, and facilitate a smooth administration (Bradley, 2013).
When the republic was...