A Brief History of Rome

The story of Rome is often told in two very different, yet equally interesting ways. The first and most popular account concerns two mythical brothers. According to the legend, Romulus and Remus founded the Eternal City on April 21, 753 BC. Why the brothers choose to build a city has never been adequately explained, but what we do know is that Romulus killed his brother Remus after an argument. Later, he named the great city after himself. What a swell fellow!

As you might expect, historians and archaeologists have a very different interpretation of the founding of Rome. According to the evidence they have collected over the centuries, the city was most likely established in the middle of the 8th century after a growing number of nomads settled in areas on the outskirts of Rome. Today the area is home to Rome vacation apartments and accommodation. .

But before Rome grew into a great republic it was a kingdom, ruled by seven wise kings. Later, the Romans, who had learned about democracy from the ancient Greeks, established a Senate and the Republic was born. The Senate officially took power in 510 BC.

Fortunately for the Roman people, their new leaders were students of history. They had learned from the Persians and later from great leaders like Alexander the Great that success was a product of military conquest, active trade and rapid assimilation of passive populations. These were the basic tenets that helped the city build one of the greatest empires the world has ever seen.

Though Rome was successful as a Republic, it was not until the first Emperor took office that the city actually became an Empire. His name was Augustus and he consolidated power shortly after the death of Julius Caesar. Contrary to popular belief, Caesar was not an emperor, he was a dictator. That means that he was merely a temporary leader. Augustus changed all that when he declared himself emperor and vowed to rule for life. He did.

Home