Early Rome and the Roman Republic

Early Rome (753 BCE - 509 BCE)

• Romulus and Remus, sons of Rhea Silvia and the god Mars, were grandsons of Numitor.
• Romulus killed Remus and founded Rome in 753 BCE.
• Rome was initially a monarchy, ruled by Etruscan kings.
• Kings introduced engineering advancements (e.g., sewage).
• Rome became a republic in 509 BCE after overthrowing the last Etruscan king, Tarquin the Proud.

Roman Republic (509 BCE - 27 BCE)

• A system of checks and balances, sharing power among the Senate, consuls, and popular assemblies.
• Consuls: Two elected annually, leading the government and army.
• Senate: Advisory council, influential in policy decisions.
• Tribunes: Representatives of the plebeians (common people).
• Social classes: Patricians (wealthy land-owning elite) and plebeians (commoners).
• Plebeians struggled for more rights.

Expansion of the Republic

• Unified the Italian peninsula.
• Fought the Punic Wars against Carthage (264-146 BCE), becoming a dominant power in the Mediterranean.

Rise of the Roman Empire

• The Roman Empire began in 27 BCE with Augustus, Julius Caesar's adopted heir.
• Augustus initiated the Pax Romana, a period of peace and stability lasting 200 years.
• He consolidated power after civil wars.
• Reformed the Roman army and strengthened institutions.

Major Emperors

• Augustus (27 BCE - 14 CE): First emperor, brought stability.
• Trajan (98-117 CE): Expanded the empire's territory to its greatest extent, including Dacia (modern-day Romania) and parts of the Middle East.
• Marcus Aurelius (161-180 CE): Renowned for his leadership in defending the empire from invasions and plagues.
• Constantine (306-337 CE): Made transformative changes including legalizing Christianity and shifting the empire's capital to Constantinople.

Fall of the Western Roman Empire

• The Crisis of the Third Century (235-284 CE): Economic decline, internal political turmoil, and constant military threats.
• Barbarian Invasions: Germanic tribes (Visigoths and Vandals) invaded Roman territories.
• Visigoths sacked Rome in 410 CE, and the Vandals in 455 CE. These events weakened Roman authority, leading to the Western Roman Empire's fall in 476 CE.