CHAPTER CONTENTS A. How Do We Know about the Romans? B. The Roman Army C. Life in Rome
D. The Gods and Customs of Rome E. The Legacy of Rome Apply Your Learning
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A short history of the Roman Empire The Roman Empire was the greatest empire Europe has ever known. It stretched over Italy, Spain, France, England, Wales, Turkey, Greece, Germany and Belgium as well as most of North Africa and large parts of Iraq. What started as a cluster of villages around the river Tiber in Italy became a superpower that lasted for one thousand years. It is thought that Rome was founded around 753 BC. At first it was ruled by a line of kings, but in 510 BC King Tarquin was expelled and Rome became a republic (a country that elects its leaders). Due to a mixture of attacking and making alliances with tribes living in the area, Rome managed to conquer all of Italy by 272 BC. Over the next 100 years the Romans moved into North Africa and Greece. In 49 BC a Roman general named Julius Caesar took control of Rome and civil war began. Caesar defeated his rivals and became dictator for life. After his assassination in 44 BC another civil war broke out as various powerful Romans tried to become ruler. The Roman Empire continued to expand for the next 200 years before slowly declining. It was sacked by the Visigoths (a tribe from Germany) in AD 410. However, for almost one thousand years the Romans dominated European political, social, economic and cultural life. As a result, they have had a large influence on our society today.