History of Ancient Rome: a brief outline. The Roman Empire. Ancient Rome

According to one version of the history of the founding of Rome, the following happened. After the destruction of ancient Troy, few defenders of the city managed to escape. They were led by the same Aeneas - the “motor boy”. The fugitives wandered the sea on their ships for a long time. And after a long journey, they were finally able to land on the shore. On the shore they saw the mouth of a wide river flowing into the sea. Along the banks of the river there is a forest and dense bushes. A little further under the blue sky lies a fertile plain, illuminated by the gentle sun.

Exhausted by the long journey, the Trojans decided to land on this hospitable shore and settle on it. This coast turned out to be the coast of Italy. Later, the son of Aeneas founded the city of Alba Longa on this site

Decades later, Alba Longa was ruled by Numitor, one of the descendants of Aeneas. Numitor was not very lucky with his close relative. His younger brother Amulius fiercely hated the ruler and longed to take his place. Thanks to insidious intrigues, Amulius overthrew Numitor, but allowed him to live. However, Amulius was very afraid of revenge from the descendants of Numitor. Because of this fear, the former ruler’s own son was killed on his orders. And their daughter Rhea Silvia was sent as a vestal virgin to. But, despite the fact that priestesses should not have offspring, Rhea Silvia soon gave birth to twin boys. According to another legend, their father could be the god of war, Mars.

Having learned about everything, Amulius became very angry and ordered that Rhea Silvia be killed and the newborns thrown into the city. The slave carrying out the order carried the children to the river in a basket. At this time on the Tiber there were big waves because of the strong flood, and the slave was afraid to go into the raging river.

He left the basket with the children on the shore in the hope that the water itself would pick up the basket and the twins would drown. But the river only carried the basket lower to the Palatine Hill, and soon the flood ended.

She-wolf

The water went away, and the boys fell out of the fallen basket and began to cry. In response to the children's cries, a she-wolf, who had recently lost her puppies, came to the river. She approached the children and the maternal instinct overpowered the predatory instinct. The she-wolf licked the children and gave them her milk. Nowadays, installed in a museum, it is a symbol of Rome.

Who raised Romulus and Remus

Later, the boys were noticed by the royal shepherd. He picked up the children and raised them. The shepherd named the twins Romulus and Remus. The children grew up in nature and became strong and agile warriors. When Remus and Romulus grew up, the named father revealed to them the secret of their birth. Having learned the secret of their origin, the brothers decided to return the throne to their grandfather Numitor. They gathered a detachment each and headed towards Alba Longa. The indigenous inhabitants of the city supported the uprising of Romulus and Remus, since Amulius was a very cruel ruler. So, thanks to the townspeople, the grandchildren were able to return the throne to their grandfather.

The young men fell in love with their way of life and did not stay with Numitor. They headed towards the Palatine Hill, to the place where the she-wolf had once found them. Here they decided to build their own city. However, in the process of deciding: “where to build the city?”, “Whose name should it be named after?” and “who should rule?”, a very strong quarrel broke out between the brothers. During the dispute, Romulus dug a ditch that was supposed to surround the future wall of the city. Rem, in mockery, jumped over both the ditch and the embankment. Romulus became angry and impulsively killed his brother with the words: “Such is the fate of anyone who crosses the walls of my city!”

Founding of Rome

Romulus then founded a city on this site, starting with a deep furrow that marked the boundaries of the city. And he named the city in his honor - Rome. In the beginning, the city was just a group of poor huts made of mud and straw. But Romulus really wanted to increase the population and wealth of his city. He attracted exiles and fugitives from other cities and carried out military raids on neighboring peoples. To get married, a Roman had to steal a wife from a neighboring settlement.

Rape of the Sabine Women

Legends say that once war games were organized in Rome to which neighbors and their families were invited. In the midst of the games, adult men rushed to the guests and, grabbing the girl, ran away.

Since most of those abducted belonged to the Sabine tribe, the incident became known in history as the Rape of the Sabine Women. Thanks to the kidnapped women, Romulus managed to unite the Sabines and Romans into one, thus expanding the population of his city.

Development of ancient Rome

Years, decades and centuries passed. Rome developed and provided the basis for the most powerful of ancient civilizations - Ancient Rome. When Ancient Rome was at the height of its power, its power, culture and traditions spread across much of Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. And the heart of this state was Italy.

Ancient Rome created the basis for the development of European civilization.

Thanks to him, some unique architectural forms, Roman law and much more appeared. Also, it was on the territory of the Roman Empire that a new faith was born - Christianity.

The capital of Italy has more than once experienced periods of both decline and revival. This Eternal City, standing on seven hills, harmoniously combines different eras with their diversity of styles. Antiquity and modernity, a certain freedom and religion created a multifaceted image of the great city. In modern Rome, the ruins of ancient temples, majestic cathedrals, luxurious palaces coexist with advertising of popular companies on billboards and facades of houses, numerous retail outlets with their noisy traders.

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Ancient Rome represents one of the leading civilizations of the Ancient World and antiquity. Why does civilization have this particular name? It's all about the legendary founder Romulus, after whom it was named main city(Roma). The center of Rome was formed on marshy plains, which were bounded by the Capitol, Palatine and Quirinal. The formation of ancient Roman civilization was influenced by the culture of the Etruscans and ancient Greeks.

There are several periods in the history of Rome:

Tsarist period

According to numerous ancient sources, the place where Rome arose was inhabited since ancient times and attracted foreigners. The ancient Greeks became the first colonists of Italy.

Romulus became the first king of Rome. Initially, the city was inhabited by criminals and exiles from other cities. Soon crafts and trade began to develop in the city. State structures were formed - the Senate and the Institute of Lictors. The influence of Rome increased significantly, but in all subsequent years it was forced to wage protracted wars with its neighbors: the Sabines, Latins and Etruscans. All kings after Romulus had Etruscan names. The king's power was limited and his position was not yet inherited. The Senate appointed a temporary king, who ruled for no more than one year and during this time had to find a candidate for the position of the next king and put her to a vote. Subsequently, power was transferred either through sisterhood or adopted children. The last kings came to power as a result of conspiracies and the murder of their predecessors. The last king of Rome was Lucius Tarquin the Proud. He became famous as a tyrant and was expelled by the Romans. After Tarquin the Proud was overthrown, a Republic was proclaimed in Rome. The reign of the last king ended in 510 BC.

At the initial stage of development, Roman society consisted of two main classes - patricians and plebeians. The patricians are the native inhabitants of Rome, and the plebeians are the newcomers. Later, horsemen appeared - people who were not always noble, but engaged in trade and had untold wealth in their hands.

IN early period history of Rome, the most important thing was to have your own home and children, while family relationships regulated by tradition. The head of the family was called pater familias, and his authority included children, wife and other relatives. The power of the father lay in the fact that, at his own discretion, he could marry or divorce his daughter, sell his children into slavery, and he could also recognize or not recognize his child. This power also extended to adult sons and their families. Until the late Republic, there was a type of marriage "at hand", that is, when a daughter got married, she fell under the authority of the head of the husband's family. Later, “hands-off” marriages began to take place, in which the wife was not under the authority of her husband and remained under the authority of her father or guardian.

Republic

The highest government body of Rome was the Senate. The Republic period is famous for its conquests. First, the Romans conquered all of Italy. Then the era of the Punic Wars began. The First Punic War lasted 24 years, the result of which for the Romans was the possession of Sicily, the first Roman province, followed by the occupation of the coasts of Sardinia and Corsica. The Second Punic War is the most dramatic episode in ancient history. In 201 BC, Carthage had to accept difficult conditions peace: he ceded Spain and all his island possessions in the Mediterranean to the Romans, transferred almost the entire fleet to them, and pledged not to wage war against the Roman Senate. As a result of the Second Punic War, the entire Western Mediterranean came under the rule of Rome, and Carthage lost its significance as a great power. As a result of the Third Punic War, Carthage was completely destroyed.

It was the Romans who destroyed the Macedonian kingdom, but did not take possession of the country itself. They divided it into four independent federations. When 17 years later the Macedonians rebelled under the banner of the impostor Andriscus, who posed as the son of Perseus, the Romans turned Macedonia into a province - the first on Greek soil. Then the hour came for Greece, which took part in the uprising. The terrible destruction and plunder of Corinth by Mummius was the beginning of Roman rule over Athens and Sparta.

Jubilee coin in honor of the millennium of Rome (“Saeculum Novum”) with a portrait of Philip the Arabian

Soon the Romans peacefully acquired the province of “Asia”: their ally, King Attalus III of Pergamon, bequeathed his kingdom to them.

The Roman Empire

All rulers during this period were officially titled emperors. However, in history, the imperial period is usually divided into principate and dominance. The Empire split into Western Roman and Eastern Roman. The Eastern Roman Empire soon turned into an independent state - Byzantium. The fall of the Western Roman Empire can be considered the end of the Roman Empire itself. During this period, the unification of the entire ancient world took place, which was already accomplished by the Roman Republic. But then it was somewhat different: it was based on conquest and subjugation. During the period of empire, this process was already spiritualized, it became more complicated:

There is a comparison between the conquerors and the conquered, the Roman and provincial elements.
Changes are taking place in the unifying power itself.
There is a unification of legal ideals.
There is a unification of moral ideals.

This process of unification reaches its full development towards the end of the 2nd century. However, he also has back side: it is accompanied by a decrease in cultural level and the disappearance of freedom, which manifests itself in the 3rd century.

During the period of the so-called early empire, the system of the principate began to take shape. This happened under Augustus. The highest civil and military power was simultaneously concentrated in his hands and in the hands of his successors. However, formally the republican structure continued to exist: the Senate, the comitia (people's assemblies), and the magistracy.

The Principate was replaced by another form of government in Ancient Rome- dominant. It was established by Diocletian, who established at his court customs borrowed from the East. The Roman Republic became a monarchy in which the emperor had unlimited power. The emperor accepted the laws of the empire, appointed officials at all levels and many army officers, and until the adoption of Christianity by the empire bore the title of head of the college of pontiffs.

Ancient period

The beginning of Roman history is considered to be the founding of the city of Rome in the Italian region of Latium. The first settlements arose in the 10th-9th centuries BC. on the hills of Palatine, Esquiline, Quirinal and Viminal. The city was founded in 753 BC. Romulus. Presumably by the 8th century BC. refers to the unification of the settlements of Esquiline and Palatine, later the communities of the remaining hills joined them. As a result, the City on Seven Hills was formed. The core of the urban settlement of Rome consisted of Latin and Sabine villages, with the determining influence of the Greeks and Etruscans in the political and cultural fields.

Royal period (VIII -VI centuries BC)

The names of seven kings are mentioned under which Rome achieved a dominant position in Latium: Romulus, Numa Pompilius, Tullus Hostilius, Ancus Marcius, Tarquinius the Ancient, Servius Tullius and Tarquinius the Proud. The last kings came from the Etruscan Tarquin dynasty. During the tsarist period, the transition from a primitive communal society to a class system was completed. A state appeared with its inherent institutions, and slavery arose. A particular expression of this development was the reform of Servius Tullius (VI century BC), who divided all citizens capable of bearing arms into five classes according to property qualifications, and also included the plebeians in the Roman people. As a result, the social position of a Roman citizen was determined not only by belonging to an ancient family, but also by wealth. With the expulsion around 510 BC. The Romans found the Etruscan king Tarquin the Proud state independence in the form of an aristocratic republic.

Republic period (510 -31 BC)

During the Republic, the state was governed by annually replaced regular or extraordinary magistrates. The highest government posts were the positions of two consuls, elected for a term of one year, and the highest authority was the Senate. The internal political development of the early republican period (about 510-287 BC) was marked by the struggle of classes, waged by free but powerless plebeians against privileged patricians. During its course, the plebeians managed to achieve major concessions from the patricians: the allocation of land, written legislation, access to political positions, the people's tribunate, the abolition of debt slavery. The result of this struggle was the formation of the Roman ancient civil community, which became the basis for the entire subsequent history of Rome. In 287 BC. According to the law of Hortensius, all decisions made by the plebeian comitia received legislative force. Thus, the patricians, together with the top of the plebs, organized a new socially privileged class - the nobility. In foreign policy, Rome achieved hegemony over neighboring tribes and peoples. Despite the heavy defeat suffered by the Romans in 387 BC. As a result of the invasion of the Gauls, by 265, as a result of wars with the Etruscans, Aequians, Volscians, Samnites, Latins and the Greek cities of southern Italy, they managed to gain dominance over the entire peninsula. During the late Republican period, Rome's predatory interests spread beyond Italy. During the three Punic Wars, the Romans defeated their greatest rival, Carthage. They annexed Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica, conquered the Po Valley, the coast of Liguria, Spain and destroyed Carthage. At the same time, Roman expansion into the eastern Mediterranean began. Wars in Illyria (229 -228; 219 BC) and Macedonia (215 -205; 200-197; 171-167 BC). The culmination of the wars in the East were victories over the king of the Seleucid state Antiochus III (190 BC), the Aetolian (189 BC) and Achaean leagues (146 BC). As a result of the conquest of these vast areas, the military and political power of Rome increased. The merciless enslavement of part of the conquered peoples supplied more and more labor to the Italian latifundia, as well as to city workshops, quarries and mines. Slaves became a decisive factor in the ancient mode of production. Roman slave society around the middle of the 2nd century BC. reached its classical form. At the same time, the plebeian strata became impoverished and impoverished. Free Italian peasants, who had hitherto formed the basis of the economic and military power of the Roman slave state, migrated to the cities and replenished the army of proletarians. This ancient lumpen proletariat lived at the expense of society. Socio-economic development intensified the class struggle and led to democratic movements, slave revolts and a deep crisis of the republican system. Further aggressive wars in Gaul, Africa, Pontus and others (with Mithridates) and the need to repel the Cimbri invasion required the creation of a professional army by Marius (105 BC). A fierce struggle broke out within the ruling class between the Optimates and the Populars. The civil war between Marius and Sulla, the First and Second Triumvirates, the emergency powers of Pompey and the dictatorship of Caesar clearly demonstrated the inability of the ruling class to break the power of the now reactionary Senate. It became obvious that the nobility was no longer able to rule by republican methods over the Roman power, which had gone far beyond the borders of Rome. The republic was replaced by an authoritarian form of government.

Imperial period (31 BC - 476)

The early imperial period (principate) (31 BC - 284) was a period of individual power, which was a form of monarchy with the preservation external signs republics. After the victory over Antony in 31 BC. young Octavian Caesar became the sole ruler of Rome. He learned a lesson from the assassination of Caesar and demagogically proclaimed the "restoration of the Republic", but assumed a number of higher magistrates. In 27 BC. took the title "Augustus". During the reign of Augustus, a bureaucratic apparatus loyal to him was formed. Particularly loyal senators were given the new position of city prefect. The person of the emperor himself was protected by the Praetorian Guard. The urban plebs received “bread and circuses” instead of real political rights. Augustus passed many laws in favor of slave owners. Foreign policy successors of Augustus, despite the absence major wars, was of an aggressive nature. New provinces were annexed and the external border was strengthened. Under Emperor Trajan, the Roman Empire reached its largest size. Dissatisfied with the metropolis' policy of pumping out taxes, the colonies repeatedly rebelled. Another problem was the intensified onslaught of the Parthians and Germans in the 2nd century. Beginning with Marcus Aurelius, emperors tried to resettle conquered peoples to new lands of the Roman Empire. Colonation, which arose due to the low productivity of slaves, became even more widespread. Numerous Asia Minor religious cults became widespread, and in the 1st century Christianity arose, developing in world religion. The general crisis of production and the state was expressed in the frequent change of emperors, in the temporary fall of Gaul and Palmyra. In the late imperial period (dominant) (284 -476), Emperor Diocletian for the first time succeeded in reinforcing the dominance of the aristocracy by establishing absolute monarchy. It finally took shape under Constantine the Great. However, he also failed to overcome the general crisis. Colonate increasingly resembled slavery, until in 332 Constantine finally secured the colones to the land. From the beginning of the 4th century, the state system included Christian church, as a means of containing the masses. Overcoming the deep crisis was seen in the division of the empire into 2 parts. This finally happened after the death of Theodosius in 395. By the 5th century the situation became catastrophic. Increasingly, attacks by barbarian tribes and the plunder of Italy and Rome occur. In 408-410 the attack of the Visigoths of Alaric, in 409 - the invasion of the Vandals in Spain and in 429 in North Africa, in 451 the invasion of the Huns by Attila, in 455 the sack of Rome by the Vandals. The deposition of the last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustus, in 476 by the Rugian king Odoacer is considered the end of the Western Roman Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire continued to exist until 1453.

Ancient Rome is not just geographical name. Not just territory on maps ancient world. This is a whole era. The era of the formation of man as a creator, as a conqueror, as a builder of states, philosopher, sculptor, legislator and guardian of civil rights and freedoms. It is difficult to list all the global heritage that the ancient Romans left us. But we encounter it every day - in medicine and law, in science and art, in literature and in everyday life. And even though the great Roman Empire was not destined to exist forever, part of what the Romans created will remain with humanity for centuries.

History of Ancient Rome

The history of Ancient Rome is a vivid illustration of how a country that starts as a swamp can grow to cover half of the world map. And how easy it is to destroy the well-functioning work of the largest state if you do not pay sufficient attention to the interests of all its regions.

The history of Ancient Rome takes 723 years and illustrates the birth, formation and death of one of the most powerful ancient civilizations.

Rome began in 753 BC. from the construction of a city on seven hills, in the middle of a marshy area, surrounded by constantly warring peoples - the Etruscans, Latins and ancient Greeks.

By the second century AD, the city, which began as a swamp, had conquered Europe, the Mediterranean, the coast of Africa and the Middle East, becoming the largest world state.

The formation of all subsequent European civilization took place under the powerful influence of Ancient Rome. And despite the fact that in 476 AD. The powerful Roman Empire fell, its historical, cultural and legislative heritage still plays a global role in the entire structure of human civilization.

Periods of Ancient Rome

Scientists usually divide the formation and development of Rome as a state into main periods:

Tsarsky. It begins with the creation of the city of Rome itself. According to legend, it was erected on the hills by two brothers, Romulus and Remus, who were suckled by a she-wolf. The name of the first of them is the “eternal city”. Romulus became the first of the kings in the history of Rome. At the dawn of its appearance, the population consisted mainly of fugitive criminals. But the gradual improvement of crafts and the formation government agencies led to an unexpectedly dramatic development of Rome. Soon his influence grew so much that neighboring states, fearing to be under the yoke of an unexpectedly strengthened country, were constantly in a state of military aggression.
Power in Rome during this period belonged to the kings, but was not inherited. The rulers were appointed by the Senate. The first Roman king was Romulus, the last was Lucius Tarquinius. When a succession of rulers began to come to power solely through blood, bribery and manipulation, the Senate decided to proclaim a republic in Rome.
Republican. All power is in the hands of the Senate. Distinctive feature period - many successfully realized conquests. Gradually, the borders of the Roman Republic captured all of Italy, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica. Further development Rome was significantly suppressed by Carthage, which was flourishing at that time, giving the Romans possession of the entire Western Mediterranean. The Romans also captured Macedonia, splitting it into four separate possessions.
Period of the Roman Empire. Power is still concentrated in the Senate, but there is also a single ruler - the Emperor. By that time, Rome had grown to incredible proportions. Maintaining power over such a huge state becomes difficult and a split gradually occurs into the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern (later Byzantium). At the same time, it was during the period of the Empire that an extraordinary unity of the entire Ancient world took place, not under fear of force, but on a more spiritual basis.
The early imperial period was the Principate. Formally, power was in the hands of the Senate and the magistracy, but in fact it was in the hands of the emperor. Later, this form will be replaced by a dominant, who will essentially return the monarchy to the vastness of Rome, giving the emperor unlimited power. It is this conviction of permissiveness that later leads to the collapse of the Great Empire.

Gods of Ancient Rome

The religion of Ancient Rome is paganism. It did not have any clear organization. However, at that time this was a natural situation - almost all the beliefs of the world were a synthesis of ancient cults of various nationalities. In Rome, each of the gods was assigned a separate sphere of human life and a separate natural strength. Everyone chose who to worship himself, depending on his craft and needs. There were no atheists in Ancient Rome - everyone honored the gods, observing the appropriate rituals. Some of them were carried out at the house level, and some at the state level. Important government decisions were even made on the basis of various fortune telling and appeals to the gods.

All Gods of Ancient Rome are anthropomorphic, but endowed with the forces of nature.

The main God of Ancient Rome is Jupiter. By analogy with the Greek Zeus, he is the thunderer, the ruler of Heaven.
His wife, Juno, took care of issues of female fertility. She was considered the patroness of marriage and childbirth. Inspired by the image of Juno, the Romans became the first people to legislate monogamy.
The top three main gods of the Pantheon are completed by Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, an analogue of the Greek Pallas Athena. She was patronized by useful discoveries, but was famous for her warlike character, which is why she was also called the lightning goddess.
The flora and fauna in Ancient Rome were protected by the goddess Diana.
Venus is a special goddess for the Romans, because she was considered the ancestor of Aeneas and the patroness of the entire Roman people. And also by identifying spring, female beauty and fertility.
Flora is the goddess of field fruits, flowering and spring.
Janus is one of the most interesting gods of the ancient Romans. He was a two-faced personification of doors, beginning and end, entrance and exit. The owner of the key to the heavenly gates and the staff that drives away uninvited guests.
Vesta is the goddess of the hearth. It was revered in every home, since the family in Rome was also a subject of cult.
Ceres was especially revered by farmers, as she was the goddess of fertility.
Bacchus is another special God for the Romans. Patron of winemaking. The cult of Bacchus was one of the most revered in the Empire.
Vulcan was especially revered by artisans, as he was the patron of fire and blacksmithing.

This is only a small part of the vast Roman pantheon. Constant contacts with other nationalities also left their mark on the religion of the Romans. Most of The Roman Pantheon was borrowed from the Greeks. Scientists explain such a high number of borrowings by the large-scale expansion of Rome and respectful attitude towards other people's beliefs. By including the gods of the subordinate people in their religion, the Romans simplified the process of assimilation of the next nationality.

Art of Ancient Rome

A distinctive feature of the art of Ancient Rome is its practicality. If the Greeks carried out culture through educational processes, the Romans focused on organizing space through art. The main task of any work is to be useful. The rest is secondary.

Sculpture

Sculpture in Ancient Rome had a special place. It was abundantly decorated with the walls of buildings, columns, fountains and courtyards in the houses of the nobility. In many ways, Roman sculpture was formed under the influence Ancient Greece. The influence of the Greeks is clearly visible in the idealized depiction of the sculptures of the gods. But the Romans also had their own innovations, the main one of which was the sculptural portrait.

It was in portrait sculptures that the Romans were the first to use special realism. If you carefully examine the busts of Roman emperors and senators, you will notice double chins, sagging skin, and excessively thin hair. All these flaws in appearance, in fact, are what distinguishes one person from another. And in this case, the Romans did not strive for idealization, conveying human appearance as it is. This was their innovation.

Painting

The purpose of painting was purely decorative. The paintings were supposed to make the room more visually attractive. You should not look for special philosophical meaning, edifying scenes from life and other pedagogical purposes in Roman frescoes. Everything is much more practical. The main thing is that it is beautiful. The Romans were among the first to use wall painting to visually expand the space in a room. Ancient Roman artists were the first to achieve high skill in using light and shadow and creating perspective. That’s why they were especially good at landscape images.

Literature

As in many other branches of art, the influence of Ancient Greece is clearly felt in Roman literature. A striking example of this is one of the most famous Roman works, Virgil’s Aeneid, which is strikingly similar to Homer’s Iliad. However, if we forget about the fact of borrowing, one cannot help but recognize the wonderful literary style of the work and the ideal Latin.

Another famous Roman writer is Horace, a court poet who gave the world many talented poems.

Architecture of Ancient Rome

The ancient Romans achieved the greatest innovation in the field of architecture. Architects worked in strict accordance with the needs of the state, constantly improving existing or borrowed developments. Thanks to this, arches appear instead of cross beams, the system of aqueducts, military vehicles and camps, supporting walls and sewage treatment plants is being improved.

In matters of decorating buildings, the Romans also went further than the Greeks. The architecture of Ancient Rome was built not on marble blocks, but on light mountain tuff, brickwork and mortars. This made it possible to create a greater variety of architectural forms, make buildings larger and taller, and achieve architectural diversity.

It was the Romans who gave the world concrete, with which they learned to cast various architectural forms. This made it possible to make a rapid breakthrough in matters of decorative architecture and, at the same time, increase the strength of buildings.

The greatest architectural monuments of Ancient Rome are the Roman Forum, the buildings of ancient theaters, mausoleums and, of course, the Colosseum. The latter became a kind of personification of Rome in world culture. This is an example of truly thoughtful architecture. Despite the amazing capacity for its time - the building was designed for 45 thousand spectators, there was never any crowding or crush in the Colosseum. All thanks to the well-planned separation of traffic and pedestrian flows. The Colosseum was the first building that was designed to influence the rest of the city's landscape.

Cities of Ancient Rome

Urban planning in ancient Rome is a vivid illustration of the dawn of human civilization as such. The construction of cities in the empire was approached more thoughtfully than ever. Cities of Ancient Rome in mandatory included at least two roads perpendicular to each other. At the intersection of roads there was a city center and a market, as well as all significant social buildings.

Rome

Rome is the capital of the empire. The metropolitan city, the eternal city, has proven the validity of such a title. Built on seven hills, it was developed by a people based on the synthesis of at least three tribes - the Etruscans, Sabines and Latins. At the height of the prosperity of the Roman Empire, Rome could rightly be considered the center of human civilization.

Carthage

Ancient Carthage is a city that was not built by the Romans, but became part of the Roman Empire as a result of a military takeover. At one time, the inhabitants of Carthage did not want to surrender to the enemy and initiated mass self-immolation. The city was completely destroyed by the Romans who captured it. But during the reign of Julius Caesar, it was the Romans who rebuilt it, turning it into a model for the development of human civilization.

Trier

Speaking about the cities of Ancient Rome, one cannot help but recall the mythical Trier, built by Octavian Augustus. This beautiful city was one of the three largest settlements Empire and was considered its western capital. Moreover, at one time Emperor Constantine made Trier his residence, planning to subsequently make the city a capital.

Instead of an afterword

It is difficult to overestimate the greatness of Ancient Rome. This state showed us how far human thought can go, how much beauty can be created and achieved, and how easy it is to lose what has already been created, being in the grip of one’s ambitions. The history of Ancient Rome is worth learning, if only to take into account its successes and always remember the reasons for its failures.

The report on the topic “Ancient Rome” will talk about the culture and life in this country. A 5th grader can present a report on “Ancient Rome” in a history lesson.

"Ancient Rome" report

Ancient Rome– powerful ancient civilization, which takes its name from the capital, Rome. His possessions extended from England in the north to Ethiopia in the south, from Iran in the east to Portugal in the west. Legend prescribes the founding of the city of Rome by the brothers Romulus and Remus.

The history of Ancient Rome dates back to 753 BC. e. and ends in 476 AD. e.

In the development of the culture of Ancient Rome, the following main periods can be distinguished:

1. Etruscan VIII-II centuries BC. e.
2. “royal” VIII-UІ centuries BC. e.
3. Roman Republic 510-31. BC e.
4. Roman Empire 31 BC e. — 476 yr. e.

What did the ancient Romans do?

Rome was originally a small city-state. Its population consisted of three classes:

patricians - indigenous residents who occupied a privileged position in society;
plebeians - later settlers;
foreign slaves - they were captured during the wars waged by the Roman state, as well as their own citizens who became slaves for breaking the law.

Slaves did housework, heavy work in agriculture, worked in quarries.
The patricians received servants, communicated with friends, studied law, the art of war, and visited libraries and entertainment venues. Only they could hold government positions and be military leaders.
The plebeians were dependent on the patricians in all spheres of life. They could not govern the state and command troops. They had only small plots of land at their disposal. The plebeians were engaged in trade and various crafts - stone, leather, metal processing, etc.

All work was done in the morning. After lunch, residents rested and visited baths with thermal waters. Noble Romans could go to libraries and the theater.

Political system of ancient Rome

The entire 12-century path of the Roman state consisted of several periods. Initially, it was an elective monarchy headed by a king. The king ruled the state and served as the high priest. There was also a Senate, which included 300 senators elected by the patricians from among their elders. Initially only patricians participated in popular assemblies, but in a later period, plebeians also achieved these rights.

After the expulsion of the last king at the end of the 6th century. BC, a republican system was established in Rome. Instead of a single monarch, 2 consuls were elected annually, ruling the country together with the Senate. If Rome was threatened serious danger- a dictator was appointed who had unlimited power.
Having created a strong, well-organized army, Rome conquers the entire Apennine Peninsula, defeats its main rival, Cargafen, and conquers Greece and other Mediterranean states. And by the 1st century BC, it turned into a world power, the borders of which ran across three continents - Europe, Asia and Africa.
The republican system could not maintain order in the expanded state. Several dozen of the richest families began to dominate the Senate. They appointed governors to rule over the conquered territories. The governors shamelessly robbed both ordinary people, and rich provincials. In response to this, uprisings began and civil wars, which lasted for almost a century. In the end, the victorious ruler became the emperor, and the state began to be called an empire.

Education in ancient Rome

The main goal of the Romans was to raise a strong, healthy, self-confident generation.
Boys from low-income families the fathers taught them to plow and sow and introduced them to various crafts.
Girls were prepared for the role of wife, mother and housewife - they were taught to cook, sew and other feminine activities.

In Rome there were three levels of schools:

Elementary schools, gave students basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics.
Grammar schools taught boys from 12 to 16 years old. The teachers of such schools were more educated and held a fairly high position in society. Special textbooks and anthologies were created for these schools.
Aristocrats sought to educate their children in rhetoric schools. Boys were taught not only grammar and literature, but also music, astronomy, history and philosophy, medicine, oratory and fencing.

All schools were private. Tuition fees in rhetoric schools were high, so the children of rich and noble Romans studied there.

Legacy of the Romans

Ancient Rome left humanity a great cultural and artistic heritage: poetic works, oratory works, philosophical works of Lucretius Cara. Roman law, Latin language- This is the heritage of the ancient Romans.

The Romans created centuries-old architecture. One of the grandiose buildings - Coliseum. Heavy work The construction was carried out by 12 thousand slaves from Judea. They used the new one they created construction material, - concrete, new architectural forms - dome and arch. The Colosseum could accommodate more than 50,000 spectators.

Another architectural masterpiece is Pantheon, i.e. temple complex of the Roman gods. This is a dome-shaped structure with a height of about 43 m. At the top of the dome there was a hole with a diameter of 9 m. Through it, sunlight penetrated into the hall.

The Romans were rightfully proud of aqueducts - water pipes through which water flowed into the city. total length The aqueducts leading to Rome were 350 km! Some of them were heading towards public baths.

To strengthen their power, Roman emperors widely used a variety of mass spectacles. In 46, Caesar ordered a lake to be dug on the Campus Martius, where a battle was organized between the Syrian and Egyptian fleets. 2000 oarsmen and 1000 sailors took part in it. And Emperor Claudius staged a battle between the Sicilian and Rhodesian fleets on Lake Fucin with the participation of 19,000 people. These spectacles were impressive in their scale and splendor, convincing spectators of the power of the rulers of Rome.

Why did the Roman Empire fall? Scientists believe that the state and military power of the Romans was not able to manage such a huge empire.