– [Narrator] The story of ancient Rome
is a story of evolution, of how a civilization’s ability
to adapt and dominate can lead to its survival
for over 1,000 years.
Rome began as a small village
on central Italy’s Tiber River.
In the coming centuries, it grew into an empire
that stretched from the north Atlantic
all the way to the Persian Gulf.
During this transformation, Rome displayed a political,
military, and cultural prowess that enabled it
to become a super power and helped shape
what would become known as western civilization.
The lifespan of ancient Rome can be divided
into three major periods, the regal,
the republican, and the imperial.
During the regal period, Rome was monarchical
and ruled by a succession of about seven kings.
Rome’s first king, according to legend,
was a man named Romulus.
He and his twin brother Remus are said
to have founded Rome in 753 B.C.
In 509 B.C., Rome adopted a republican system of governance
in which the state was primarily ruled
by two annually representatives called praetors,
who were later called consuls.
One of them become a famous general
and dictator, Julius Caesar.
The imperial period followed.
It was characterized by the rise of the Roman Empire
and notorious leaders such as Octavian,
Rome’s first emperor, who issued in an era of peace,
and Nero, who, some scholars believe,
was Rome’s cruelest emperor.
Rome’s focus and pride in its military
was vital to the civilization’s growth,
and this ethos was evident as early as the regal period
when Rome was only a small village.
Still, Rome slowly conquered and annexed
neighboring peoples.
This slow and steady expansion eventually lead
to the Romans’ domination of the Italian peninsula
and the entire Mediterranean Sea,
where they conquered the Greeks,
Egyptians, and Carthaginians.
Military conquests would later help Rome
conquer lands as far away as Britain and Iraq.
This massive scale and growing populous
necessitated advancements in Roman engineering.
Aqueducts were constructed, which increased
the public’s access to water, helped improve public health,
and paved the way for Rome’s famed bath houses.
A 50,000 mile long road system was built as well.
While made originally for the military,
it facilitated the movement of people
and ideas throughout the empire.
This transmission of ideas and increased contact
with diverse cultures also enabled
other aspects of Roman culture to evolve.
A key to Rome’s success and longevity
was the empire’s inclusion of cultures
from the lands they conquered.
From the nearby land of Latium,
Rome acquired the Latin language,
which became the empire’s official language
and the ancestor to Europe’s Romance languages.
Romans also adopted cultural aspects
from the ancient state of Etruria,
including their religion, alphabet,
and the spectacle of gladiator combat.
However, no other civilization influenced the Romans
as much as the ancient Greeks.
Their influence is probably most apparent
in Rome’s art and architecture.
Upper class Romans commissioned paintings and sculptures
to imitate Greek art.
Greek architectural styles, such as columns,
were implemented in Roman structures
such as the Pantheon and Colosseum.
One cultural shift in particular that resonated
throughout the empire was the rise of Christianity.
Originating in the Middle East,
the religion found a strong advocate in Constantine I,
the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity.
He enabled Rome’s transition into a Christian state
and encouraged the religion to spread across Europe.
By the fourth century, after a lifespan
of over a millennium, the Roman Empire declined.
Factors including political corruption,
economic crises, and class conflict led
to the empire’s decay from within
while invasions and other military threats
caused it to break down from outside.
Rome’s ability to incorporate diverse cultures,
dominate rivals, and adapt political systems
to the needs of its people are all lessons to be learned
for time eternal.
