History of Ancient Rome: a short sketch. The Roman Empire. Ancient Rome

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

Exhausted by the long journey, the Trojans decided to land on this hospitable coast 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 place.

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

Having learned about everything, Amulius was very angry and ordered to kill Rhea Sylvia, and throw the newborns into. The slave carrying the order carried the children to the river in a basket. At this time, there were big waves on the Tiber due to the strong flood, and the slave was afraid to go into the raging river.

He left the basket with the children on the shore, hoping that the water would catch 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 left, and the boys fell out of the fallen basket and began to cry. A she-wolf, who had recently lost her puppies, came to the river at the children's cries. She approached the children and the maternal instinct overpowered the predator instinct. The she-wolf licked the children and gave them her milk to drink. Nowadays, it is 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. Children grew up in nature and became strong and dexterous 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 for themselves and headed towards Alba Long. 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?" and “who should rule?”, a very strong quarrel broke out between the brothers. During the dispute, Romulus dug a moat that was supposed to surround the future city wall. Remus, in mockery, jumped over the ditch and over the embankment. Romulus got angry and in an outburst killed his brother with the words: "Such is the fate of everyone who crosses the walls of my city!"

Founding of Rome

Then Romulus 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 (Roma). In the beginning, the city was just a group of poor clay and straw huts. But Romulus really wanted to increase the population and the well-being of his city. He attracted exiles and fugitives from other cities to himself and made military raids on neighboring peoples. To get married, a Roman had to steal his wife from a nearby settlement.

The abduction of the Sabine women

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

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

The development of ancient Rome

Years, decades and centuries passed. Rome developed and provided the basis for the most powerful of the ancient civilizations - Ancient Rome. When Ancient Rome was at the height of its power, its power, culture and traditions spread to most 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 creed was born - Christianity.

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

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Ancient Rome is one of the leading civilizations of the Ancient World and Antiquity. Why does a civilization have such a name? It's all about the legendary founder Romulus, after whom the main city (Roma) was named. The center of Rome was formed on the marshy plains, which were bounded by the Capitol, Palatine and Quirinal. The formation of the ancient Roman civilization was influenced by the culture of the Etruscans and the 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 from ancient times and attracted foreigners. The ancient Greeks became the first colonists of Italy.

Romulus became the first king of Rome. The city was originally 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 office was not yet inherited. The Senate appointed an interim king, who ruled for no more than one year, and during this time had to find a candidate for the post of the next king and put her up for a vote. Subsequently, power was transferred either through the nursing line or to adopted children. The last kings came to power as a result of conspiracies and assassinations of their predecessors. The last king of Rome was Lucius Tarquinius the Proud. He became famous as a tyrant and the ball was expelled by the Romans. After Tarquinius the Proud was overthrown, the 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 estates - patricians and plebeians. The patricians are the indigenous inhabitants of Rome, and the plebeians are the alien population. Later, horsemen appeared - persons not always noble, but engaged in trade and having in their hands untold riches.

In the early period of the history of Rome, the most important thing was considered to have your own home and children, while family relations were regulated by tradition. The head of the family was called the pater familias, and the children, wife and other relatives were in his power. The father's power consisted in the fact that, at his will, he could marry or divorce his daughter, sell his children into slavery, 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 kind of marriage "at hand", that is, a daughter, getting married, fell under the authority of the head of the husband's family. Later, “no hand” marriages began, in which the wife was not under the control of her husband and remained under the control of her father or guardian.

Republic

The highest state 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 shores of Sardinia and Corsica. The Second Punic War is the most dramatic episode in ancient history. In 201 BC, Carthage had to accept difficult peace conditions: he ceded Spain and all his island possessions in the Mediterranean to the Romans, gave them almost the entire fleet, and pledged not to wage wars against the Roman Senate. As a result of the Second Punic War, the entire Western Mediterranean fell under the rule of Rome, and Carthage lost its significance as a great power. As a result of the Third Punic War, Carthage was finally 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 Andrisk, 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 devastation and plundering of Corinth by Mummy was the beginning of the rule of the Romans over Athens and Sparta.

Commemorative coin in honor of the Millennium of Rome ("Saeculum Novum") with a portrait of Philip the Arabian

Soon, the Romans peacefully took over the province of Asia: their ally, the king of Pergamon Attal III, bequeathed his kingdom to them.

The Roman Empire

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

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

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

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

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

Ancient period

The founding of the city of Rome in the Italian locality of Latium is considered the beginning of Roman history. The first settlements appeared in the X-IX 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. the unification of the settlements of Esquilina and Palatina belongs, later the communities of the remaining hills joined them. As a result, the City of Seven Hills was formed. The core of the urban settlement of Rome was made up of Latin and Sabine villages, with the decisive influence of the Greeks and Etruscans in the political and cultural fields.

Tsarist 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 dynasty of the Tarquinians. During the tsarist period, the transition from a primitive communal society to a class system was completed. A state appeared with its inherent institutions, slavery arose. A private expression of this development was the reform of Servius Tullius (VI century BC), who divided all citizens capable of carrying weapons 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 B.C. Etruscan king Tarquinius the Proud Romans gained state independence in the form of an aristocratic republic.

Republic period (510 -31 BC)

In the era of the Republic, the state was ruled by regular or extraordinary magistrates who replaced each year. The highest government posts were the posts of two consuls, elected for a period 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 the estates, which was waged by free but disenfranchised plebeians against privileged patricians. In its course, the plebeians managed to get major concessions from the patricians: the allotment 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 civil society of antiquity, which became the basis for the entire subsequent history of Rome. In 287 B.C. according to the Hortense law, all decisions taken by the plebeian comitia received legislative force. Thus, the patricians, together with the elite of the plebs, organized a new socially privileged class - the nobility. In the foreign policy area, Rome achieved hegemony over neighboring tribes and peoples. Despite the heavy defeat suffered by the Romans in 387 B.C. due to the invasion of the Gauls, by the year 265, as a result of the wars with the Etruscans, Equim, Volsci, Samnites, Latins and the Greek cities of southern Italy, they succeeded in conquering dominion over the entire peninsula. In the late republican period, the predatory interests of Rome spread beyond the borders of Italy. During the three Punic Wars, the Romans defeated their strongest 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 wars in the East culminated in the victories over the Seleucid king Antiochus III (190 BC), the Aetolian (189 BC) and Achaean unions (146 BC). As a result of the conquest of these vast areas, the military and political power of Rome increased. The merciless enslavement of a part of the conquered peoples supplied all the new labor force to the Italic latifundia, as well as urban 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 has reached its classical form. At the same time, the impoverishment and impoverishment of the plebeian strata took place. Free Italic peasants, who until now formed the basis of the economic and military power of the Roman slave state, migrated to the cities and replenished the army of the proletarians. This ancient lumpen proletariat lived at the expense of society. Socio-economic development exacerbated 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 Cimbrian invasion required the creation of a professional army by Marius (105 BC). Within the ruling class, a fierce struggle broke out between the optimates and the popular. The civil war of Mary and Sulla, the I and II triumvirates, the extraordinary 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 state, 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 sole power, which was a form of monarchy with the preservation of the external features of the republic. After the victory over Antony in 31 B.C. 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 took over a number of higher magistrates. In 27 B.C. took the title "August". During the reign of Augustus, a bureaucratic apparatus devoted to him was formed. The most devoted senators were given the new post of city prefect. The person of the emperor himself was guarded by a praetorian guard. The city plebs received “bread and circuses” instead of real political rights. Augustus issued many laws in favor of the slave owners. The foreign policy of Augustus' successors, despite the absence of major wars, was aggressive. New provinces were annexed, the external border was strengthened. Under Emperor Trajan, the Roman Empire reached its largest size. Dissatisfied with the policy of the metropolis to pump out taxes, the colonies repeatedly raised uprisings. Another problem was the increased onslaught of the Parthians and Germans in the 2nd century. Beginning with Marcus Aurelius, the emperors tried to resettle the conquered peoples to the new lands of the Roman Empire. Colonates, which arose due to the low productivity of slaves, became even more widespread. Numerous religious cults of Asia Minor became widespread, and in the 1st century Christianity arose and developed into a world religion. The general crisis of production and the state was expressed in the frequent change of emperors, in the temporary falling away of Gaul and Palmyra. In the late imperial period (dominat) (284 -476), Emperor Diocletian for the first time managed to re-consolidate the rule of the aristocracy by establishing an absolute monarchy. Finally, it took shape under Constantine the Great. However, he also failed to overcome the general crisis. The colonate more and more resembled slavery, until in 332 Constantine finally fixed the columns to the ground. Since the beginning of the 4th century, the Christian Church has been included in the state system as a means of restraining the masses. Overcoming a 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 becomes catastrophic. Increasingly, attacks by barbarian tribes and plundering of Italy and Rome are taking place. In 408-410, the Visigoths attacked Alaric, in 409 - the invasion of the Vandals in Spain and in 429 in North Africa, in 451 the invasion of the Huns of Attila, in 455 the sack of Rome by the vandals. The deposition of the last Roman emperor Romulus Augustus in 476 by the king of the Rugians, Odoacer, is considered the end of the Western Roman Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire continued to exist until 1453.

Ancient Rome is not just a geographical name. Not just territory on the maps of the 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 him every day - in medicine and law, in science and art, in literature and in everyday life. And even if 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 starting from a swamp can grow half the world map. And how easy it is to destroy the well-functioning work of a major state if not enough attention is paid 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 the city on seven hills, in a swampy area, surrounded by constantly militant peoples - Etruscans, Latins and ancient Greeks.

By the second century AD, the city, which began with marshes, conquered Europe, the Mediterranean, the African coast 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 A.D. the mighty Roman Empire fell, its historical, cultural and legislative legacy to this day plays a global role in the entire structure of human civilization.

Periods of Ancient Rome

Scientists have decided to divide the formation and development of Rome, as a state, into the main period:

Tsarsky. Begins with the creation of the city of Rome itself. According to legend, it was erected on the hills by two brothers fed by a she-wolf - Romulus and Rem. The name of the first of them is the "eternal city". Romulus became the first king 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 of state structures led to an unexpectedly sharp development of Rome. Soon, its influence increased 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 series of rulers began to come to power exclusively through blood, bribery and manipulation, the Senate decided to proclaim a republic in Rome.
Republican. All power is in the hands of the Senate. A distinctive feature of the period is the many successful conquests. Gradually, the borders of the Roman Republic capture all of Italy, Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica. The further development of Rome significantly suppressed Carthage, which was flourishing at that time, we will give the Romans possession of the entire Western Mediterranean. The Romans also captured Macedonia, splitting it into four separate possessions.
The 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. It becomes difficult to retain power over such a huge state, and gradually a split into the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern (later - Byzantium) occurs. At the same time, it was during the period of the Empire that an extraordinary unity of the entire ancient world took place, and not under fear of strength, but on a more spiritual basis.
The early imperial period is a principate. Formally, power was in the hands of the senate and magistracy, but in fact it was already in the hands of the emperor. Later, this form will be replaced by the dominant, which, in fact, will 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. She did not have any clear organization. However, at that time it was a natural situation - almost all beliefs in the world were a synthesis of ancient cults of various nationalities. In Rome, each of the gods was attributed to a separate sphere of human life and a separate natural force. Whom to worship - everyone chose for 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. On the basis of various fortune-telling and appeals to the gods, important government decisions were even made.

All the 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 legally perpetuate monogamy.
The three main gods of the Pantheon are closed by Minerva - the goddess of wisdom, an analogue of the Greek Athena Pallas. She was guarded by useful discoveries, but was famous for her warlike character, which is why she was also called a lightning goddess.
The flora and fauna in ancient Rome took care of 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 the identification of spring, female beauty and fertility.
Flora is the goddess of field fruits, flowering and spring.
Janus is one of the most interesting gods among 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. Revered in every home, since the family in Rome was also the subject of a cult.
Ceres was especially revered by farmers, as she was the goddess of fertility.
Bacchus is another God special to the Romans. The patron saint of winemaking. The cult of Bacchus was one of the most revered in the Empire.
The volcano was especially revered by artisans, as he was the patron saint of fire and blacksmithing.

This is just a small part of the vast Roman pantheon. Constant contacts with other peoples also left an imprint on the religion of the Romans. Most of the Roman Pantheon is borrowed from the Greeks. Scientists explain such a high number of borrowings by the large-scale expansion of Rome and a 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.

Ancient Rome Art

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

Sculpture

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

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

Painting

The purpose of the painting was purely decorative. The paintings were supposed to make the room visually attractive. You should not look for a special philosophical meaning, edifying scenes from life and other pedagogical purposes in Roman frescoes. Everything is much more practical. The main thing is to be beautiful. The Romans were among the first to use wall painting to visually expand the space in the room. Ancient Roman artists were the first to achieve high skill in using light and shadow, creating perspective. Therefore, 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, Virgill's Aeneid, strikingly similar to Homer's Iliad. However, if we forget about the fact of borrowing, one cannot 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 quite a few talented poems.

Ancient Rome architecture

The ancient Romans achieved the greatest innovation in the field of architecture. The architects worked in strict accordance with the needs of the state, constantly improving the existing or borrowed developments. Thanks to this, arches appear instead of transverse beams, the system of aqueducts, military vehicles and camps, retaining walls and treatment facilities is being finalized.

In matters of decorating buildings, the Romans also went beyond the Greeks. The architecture of Ancient Rome is not built on marble blocks, but on light rock 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 the help of which they learned to cast various architectural forms. This made it possible to make a rapid breakthrough in decorative architecture and, at the same time, to increase the strength of buildings.

The greatest architectural landmarks of Ancient Rome are the Roman Forum, ancient theater buildings, mausoleums and, of course, the Colosseum. The latter became a kind of personification of Rome in world culture. This is a piece of really thoughtful architecture. Despite the amazing capacity for its time - the building is designed for 45 thousand spectators, the Colosseum has never been crowded and crowded. All thanks to a well-planned separation of traffic and pedestrian flows. The Colosseum was the first building to be created with the influence on the rest of the city's landscape in mind.

Ancient Rome cities

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

Rome

Rome is the capital of the empire. A metropolitan city, an eternal city that has proven the validity of such a title. Built on seven hills, developed by a people based on the synthesis of at least three tribes - Etruscans, Sabines and Latins. At the peak 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 military conquest. 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 anew, turning it into a model for the development of human civilization.

Trier

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

Instead of an afterword

It is difficult to overestimate the greatness of Ancient Rome. This state showed us how far human thought can step, how much beauty can be created and achieved, and how easy it is to lose what has already been created, being at the mercy of our ambitions. The history of Ancient Rome is worth learning at least in order to take on board its successes and always remember the reasons for its failures.

The report on the topic "Ancient Rome" will tell about the culture and life in this country. "Ancient Rome" the report of the 5th grade can present at a history lesson.

"Ancient Rome" report

Ancient Rome- a powerful ancient civilization, which got its name from the capital - Rome. His possessions stretched from England in the north to Ethiopia in the south, from Iran in the east and to Portugal in the west. The legend prescribes the founding of the city of Rome to the brothers Romulus and Remus.

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

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

1.Etruscan VIII-II century BC NS.
2. "royal" VIII-VI in BC NS.
3. The Roman Republic 510-31. BC NS.
4. Roman Empire 31 years. BC NS. - 476 Mr. NS.

What did the ancient Romans do?

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

patricians - indigenous people who held 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, hard work in agriculture, and worked in quarries.
Patricians received servants, socialized with friends, studied law, martial arts, and visited libraries and entertainment establishments. Only they could hold government positions and be military leaders.
The plebeians in all spheres of life were dependent on the patricians. They could not run the state and command the troops. They had only small plots of land at their disposal. The plebeians were engaged in trade, various crafts - the processing of stone, leather, metal, etc.

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

The political system of ancient Rome

The entire 12-century path of the Roman state consisted of several periods. Initially, it was an elective monarchy led by a king. The king ruled over the state and acted as the high priest. There was also a senate, which included 300 senators, chosen 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, who ruled the country together with the Senate. If Rome was in serious danger, a dictator was appointed with unlimited power.
Having created a strong, well-organized army, Rome conquers the entire Apennine Peninsula, defeats its main rival - Kargafen, conquers Greece and other Mediterranean states. And by the 1st century BC, it turns 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 wealthy provincials. In response to this, uprisings and civil wars began, which lasted almost a century. In the end, the victorious ruler became the emperor, and the state became known as the empire.

Education in ancient Rome

The main goal of the Romans was to educate a strong, healthy, self-confident generation.
Fathers taught boys from low-income families to plow and sow, and introduced them to different crafts.
Girls were trained for the role of wife, mother and housewife - taught to cook, sew and other women's activities.

There were three levels of schools in Rome:

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

All schools were private. The tuition fees in rhetorical schools were high, so the children of wealthy and noble Romans studied there.

Roman legacy

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

The Romans created age-old architecture. One of the grandiose structures - Coliseum... Heavy construction work was carried out by 12 thousand slaves from Judea. They used a new building material they created - concrete, new architectural forms - a dome and an arch. The Colosseum held over 50,000 spectators.

Another architectural masterpiece is Pantheon, i.e. temple complex of the Roman gods. This dome-shaped structure is about 43 m high. At the top of the dome there was a hole 9 m in diameter. Sunlight penetrated the hall through it.

The Romans were rightfully proud of aqueducts - the aqueducts through which water entered the city. The total length of the aqueducts leading to Rome was 350 km! Some of them went to public baths.

To strengthen their power, the Roman emperors widely used a variety of mass spectacles. Caesar in 46 year ordered to dig a lake on the Champ de Mars, on which a battle was organized between the Syrian and Egyptian fleets. It involved 2,000 rowers and 1,000 sailors. And the emperor Claudius staged a battle of the Sicilian and Rhodes fleets with the participation of 19,000 people on Lake Futsin. These spectacles impressed with their scale and splendor, convincing the audience 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 rule such a huge empire.