The Rise of the Roman Republic

The Rise of the Roman Republic

The Roman Republic began as a small town on a small hill next to the Tiber River in Italy; it grew to become one of the top five culturally impactful empires of all time. It is one of the top five most culturally impactful empires of all time because it had an significant influence on the modern Western world’s government system’s. Ancient Roman settlers founded the town on a small hill which was one of seven hills by a descendant of the Trojan War (Aeneas). The flowering of the Roman Republic started with the overthrowing of the last of seven successive Roman kings, Tarquinius Superbus. The rise of the Roman Republic started with the founding on the Palatine Hill and officially began when the last seven kings of Rome were overthrown.

Roman settlers founded the city of Rome in the year 753 BCE by the first out of seven kings of Rome. It was a very small city at first.[1] Rome was founded on one of seven hills (the Palatine Hill) near the Tiber River.[2] Over the centuries of Rome’s growth, it grew to expand and encompass all seven hills and became a city that housed over a million people. A million people living in Rome in the 2nd century BCE is considered big deal; a million people in a city is a large city today even by today’s standard’s; the modern-day world population is much larger now. Rome began their quest to conquer Europe with the seven successive original kings. Eventually, the kings started making alliances with neighbors and they started conquering their nearby cities. The Roman’s largest opposition were the Etruscan’s in Northeastern Italy. After conquering all but Sicily and Northern Italy (Gaul); the Roman kingdom turned into a republic around the 4^th century BCE.

The Roman Republic began when the very last of the seven kings of Rome were overthrown. This Roman king was overthrown because he raped a nobleman’s wife who retaliated by killing him and overthrowing the kingship in revenge.[3] This cruel crime made the Roman’s hate kings forever; and it even effected Italy during the prime time of kings throughout the world. Proof of this was when the broader Italy was more likely to be a republic during the Middle Ages and Renaissance compared to broader Europe. The Roman Republic was based on a senate, and elected positions. The Roman Senate made the Roman Republic slightly an oligarchy; but the elected positions were completed freely elected. The Roman Republic was defined into four classes: The Plebeian’s, commoner Roman citizen’s, slaves, foreigners(non-citizen’s) and the Aristocratic class. This type of Republic lasted until the Roman Empire fell (the Western part) in 476CE.

The Roman Republic turned into the Roman Empire when Julius Ceasar overthrew the Roman Republic and he became dictator. He was assassinated but his nephew, Octavian, who continued his legacy and became the emperor of Rome. Octavian had to first fight multiple civil wars and fight many of Rome’s major enemies. He left a crucial legacy for the rest of history to continue.

After the Roman Empire fell, there was a long period of darkness throughout Europe… this time period was called the Migration period. The early Middle Ages of Europe ended in the 12^th century AD. The decline of the Roman Empire caused a massive decline of culture, art and learning. Even though the Roman Empire fell its legacy lived on through the Lombards, who were one of the main Roman descendants in the late 8^th century AD.[4] The Roman Empire’s fall led to a massive decline in Europe.

The Roman Republic led to longstanding changes in world civilization. The United States main government body; the U.S Senate is based on the ancient Roman Republic’s Senate. This is an example of how Rome changed the world. Other examples of how Rome changed the world are by developing roads throughout Europe which are still used today. The Roman Empire is a key player throughout history and is one of the top five longest lasting and most powerful civilizations.

Bibliography

Winks, Robin W. The Ancient Mediterranean World. New York: Oxford University Press, 1972.

Platt, Mary. A Short History of Italy. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1918.

Beard, Mary. SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. New York: Liveright Publishing, 2015.

[1] Robin W. Winks, The Ancient Mediterranean World (New York: Oxford University Press, 120.

[2] Robin W. Winks, The Ancient Mediterranean World (New York: Oxford University Press, 15-16.

[3] Mary Beard, SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome (New York: Liveright, 2015), 113.

[4] Mary Platt, A Short History of Italy (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1918), 1.