Ancient Rome began as an
Italic settlement, traditionally dated to 753 BC, beside the
River Tiber in the
Italian Peninsula. The settlement grew into the city and polity of Rome, and came to control its neighbours through a combination of treaties and military strength. It eventually controlled the Italian Peninsula, assimilating the
Greek culture of southern
Italy (
Magna Grecia) and the
Etruscan culture, and then became the dominant power in the Mediterranean region and parts of Europe. At its height it controlled the
North African coast,
Egypt, Southern Europe, and most of Western Europe, the
Balkans,
Crimea, and much of the Middle East, including
Anatolia,
Levant, and parts of
Mesopotamia and
Arabia. That empire was among the
largest empires in the ancient world, covering around 5 million square kilometres (1.9 million square miles) in AD 117, with an estimated 50 to 90 million inhabitants, roughly 20% of the world's population at the time. The Roman state evolved from an elective monarchy to a
classical republic and then to an increasingly
autocraticmilitary dictatorship during the Empire.
Ancient Rome is often grouped into
classical antiquity together with
ancient Greece, and their similar cultures and societies are known as the
Greco-Roman world. Ancient Roman civilisation has contributed to modern language, religion, society, technology, law, politics, government, warfare, art, literature, architecture, and engineering. Rome professionalised and expanded its military and created a system of government called res publica, the inspiration for modern republics such as the
United States and
France. It achieved impressive
technological and
architectural feats, such as the empire-wide construction of
aqueducts and
roads, as well as more grandiose monuments and facilities. (Full article...)
La Lupa Capitolina "the Capitoline Wolf". Traditional scholarship says the wolf-figure is Etruscan, 5th century BC. The figures of Romulus and Remus were added in the 15th century AD by
Antonio del Pollaiuolo. Some modern research suggests that the she-wolf may be a
Romanesque sculpture dating from the 13th century AD. In
Roman mythology, Romulus and Remus (Latin:[ˈroːmʊlʊs], [ˈrɛmʊs]) are
twin brothers whose story tells of the events that led to the
founding of the
city of Rome and the
Roman Kingdom by
Romulus, following his
fratricide of Remus. The image of a
she-wolf suckling the twins in their infancy has been a symbol of the city of Rome and the
ancient Romans since at least the 3rd century BC. Although the tale takes place before the founding of Rome around 750 BC, the earliest known written account of the myth is from the late 3rd century BC. Possible historical bases for the story, and interpretations of its local variants, are subjects of ongoing debate. (Full article...)
Image 50Relief panel from
Trajan's Column in Rome, showing the building of a fort and the reception of a
Dacian embassy (from Roman Empire)
Image 51Pride in literacy was displayed through emblems of reading and writing, as in this portrait of
Terentius Neo and his wife (c. 20 AD) (from Roman Empire)
Image 52Mosaic depicting a theatrical troupe preparing for a performance (from Culture of ancient Rome)
Image 56Forum of Gerasa (
Jerash in present-day
Jordan), with columns marking a covered walkway (
stoa) for vendor stalls, and a semicircular space for public speaking (from Roman Empire)
Image 57Cinerary urn for the freedman Tiberius Claudius Chryseros and two women, probably his wife and daughter (from Roman Empire)
Image 63A fresco from
Pompeii depicting the foundation of Rome.
Sol riding in his chariot;
Mars descending from the sky to
Rhea Silvia lying in the grass;
Mercury shows to
Venus the she-wolf suckling the twins; in the lower corners of the picture: river-god
Tiberinus and water-goddess
Juturna. 35–45 AD. (from Founding of Rome)
Image 70Landscape resulting from the ruina montium mining technique at
Las Médulas, Spain, one of the most important gold mines in the Roman Empire (from Roman Empire)
Image 71Dressing of a priestess or bride, Roman fresco from
Herculaneum, Italy (30–40 AD) (from Roman Empire)
Image 75A teacher with two students, as a third arrives with his loculus, a writing case (from Roman Empire)
Image 76Fragment of a sarcophagus depicting
Gordian III and senators (3rd century) (from Roman Empire)
Image 77Aeneas's route in
Virgil's Aeneid. The epic poem was written in the early first century BC. (from Founding of Rome)
Image 78Excavation on the
Palatine Hill has found the foundations of a hut believed to correspond to the
Hut of
Romulus, which the Romans themselves preserved into late antiquity (from Founding of Rome)
Image 79Solidus issued under
Constantine II, and on the reverse
Victoria, one of the last deities to appear on Roman coins, gradually transforming into an
angel under Christian rule (from Roman Empire)
Antoninianus of Etruscus as emperor. Legend:
imp
c
q
her
etr
mes decio
aug.
Quintus Herennius Etruscus Messius Decius (died June 251), known simply as Herennius Etruscus, was briefly
Roman emperor in 251, ruling jointly under his father
Decius. His father was proclaimed emperor by his troops in September 249 while in
Pannonia and
Moesia, in opposition to
Philip. Decius defeated Philip in battle, and was then proclaimed emperor by the
Senate. Etruscus, still a child, was elevated to Caesar (heir) in 250, then further raised to Augustus (emperor) in May 251. When the
Goths, under
Cniva,
invaded the
Danubian provinces, he was sent with a
vanguard, followed by the main body of Roman troops, led by Decius. They ambushed Cniva at the
Battle of Nicopolis ad Istrum in 250,
routing him, before being ambushed and routed themselves at the
Battle of Beroe. Etruscus was killed in the
Battle of Abritus the following year, alongside his father. After the deaths of both emperors,
Trebonianus Gallus, who had been governor of Moesia, was elected emperor by the remaining Roman forces. (Full article...)
...That when Caesar's troops hesitated to leave their ships for fear of the Britons, the aquilifer of the tenth legion threw himself overboard and, carrying the eagle, advanced alone against the enemy?
...That the most well paid athlete in human history, Gaius Appuleius Diocles, was an illiterate Roman Chariot racer, and earned the equivalent of $15 Billion US Dollars.
Add a fact which our readers would find interesting as a Did you know? entry.
Add relevant quotes about Rome or by a Roman to the Quotes section.
Expand the
Ancient Rome article with a referenced fact, or copy-edit the article prose to improve its quality.
Quotes
“
[...]
Caesar is a god in his own city. Outstanding in war or peace, it was not so much his wars that ended in great victories, or his actions at home, or his swiftly won fame, that set him among the stars, a fiery comet, as his descendant. There is no greater achievement among Caesar's actions than that he stood father to our emperor. Is it a greater thing to have conquered the sea-going Britons; to have led his victorious ships up the seven-mouthed flood of the papyrus-bearing Nile; to have brought the rebellious Numidians, under Juba of Cinyps, and Pontus, swollen with the name of Mithridates, under the people of
Quirinus; to have earned many triumphs and celebrated few; than to have sponsored such a man, with whom, as ruler of all, you gods have richly favoured the human race? Therefore, in order for the emperor not to have been born of mortal seed, Caesar needed to be made a god. [...]
Augustus, his 'son', will ensure that he ascends to heaven as a god, and is worshipped in the temples. Augustus, as heir to his name, will carry the burden placed upon him alone, and will have us with him, in battle, as the most courageous avenger of his father's murder. Under his command, the conquered walls of besieged Mutina will sue for peace; Pharsalia will know him; Macedonian Philippi twice flow with blood; and the one who holds Pompey's great name, will be defeated in Sicilian waters; and a Roman general's Egyptian consort, trusting, to her cost, in their marriage, will fall, her threat that our
Capitol would bow to her city of Canopus, proved vain.
Why enumerate foreign countries or the nations living on either ocean shore? Wherever earth contains habitable land, it will be his: and even the sea will serve him!
Ancient Rome began as an
Italic settlement, traditionally dated to 753 BC, beside the
River Tiber in the
Italian Peninsula. The settlement grew into the city and polity of Rome, and came to control its neighbours through a combination of treaties and military strength. It eventually controlled the Italian Peninsula, assimilating the
Greek culture of southern
Italy (
Magna Grecia) and the
Etruscan culture, and then became the dominant power in the Mediterranean region and parts of Europe. At its height it controlled the
North African coast,
Egypt, Southern Europe, and most of Western Europe, the
Balkans,
Crimea, and much of the Middle East, including
Anatolia,
Levant, and parts of
Mesopotamia and
Arabia. That empire was among the
largest empires in the ancient world, covering around 5 million square kilometres (1.9 million square miles) in AD 117, with an estimated 50 to 90 million inhabitants, roughly 20% of the world's population at the time. The Roman state evolved from an elective monarchy to a
classical republic and then to an increasingly
autocraticmilitary dictatorship during the Empire.
Ancient Rome is often grouped into
classical antiquity together with
ancient Greece, and their similar cultures and societies are known as the
Greco-Roman world. Ancient Roman civilisation has contributed to modern language, religion, society, technology, law, politics, government, warfare, art, literature, architecture, and engineering. Rome professionalised and expanded its military and created a system of government called res publica, the inspiration for modern republics such as the
United States and
France. It achieved impressive
technological and
architectural feats, such as the empire-wide construction of
aqueducts and
roads, as well as more grandiose monuments and facilities. (Full article...)
La Lupa Capitolina "the Capitoline Wolf". Traditional scholarship says the wolf-figure is Etruscan, 5th century BC. The figures of Romulus and Remus were added in the 15th century AD by
Antonio del Pollaiuolo. Some modern research suggests that the she-wolf may be a
Romanesque sculpture dating from the 13th century AD. In
Roman mythology, Romulus and Remus (Latin:[ˈroːmʊlʊs], [ˈrɛmʊs]) are
twin brothers whose story tells of the events that led to the
founding of the
city of Rome and the
Roman Kingdom by
Romulus, following his
fratricide of Remus. The image of a
she-wolf suckling the twins in their infancy has been a symbol of the city of Rome and the
ancient Romans since at least the 3rd century BC. Although the tale takes place before the founding of Rome around 750 BC, the earliest known written account of the myth is from the late 3rd century BC. Possible historical bases for the story, and interpretations of its local variants, are subjects of ongoing debate. (Full article...)
Image 50Relief panel from
Trajan's Column in Rome, showing the building of a fort and the reception of a
Dacian embassy (from Roman Empire)
Image 51Pride in literacy was displayed through emblems of reading and writing, as in this portrait of
Terentius Neo and his wife (c. 20 AD) (from Roman Empire)
Image 52Mosaic depicting a theatrical troupe preparing for a performance (from Culture of ancient Rome)
Image 56Forum of Gerasa (
Jerash in present-day
Jordan), with columns marking a covered walkway (
stoa) for vendor stalls, and a semicircular space for public speaking (from Roman Empire)
Image 57Cinerary urn for the freedman Tiberius Claudius Chryseros and two women, probably his wife and daughter (from Roman Empire)
Image 63A fresco from
Pompeii depicting the foundation of Rome.
Sol riding in his chariot;
Mars descending from the sky to
Rhea Silvia lying in the grass;
Mercury shows to
Venus the she-wolf suckling the twins; in the lower corners of the picture: river-god
Tiberinus and water-goddess
Juturna. 35–45 AD. (from Founding of Rome)
Image 70Landscape resulting from the ruina montium mining technique at
Las Médulas, Spain, one of the most important gold mines in the Roman Empire (from Roman Empire)
Image 71Dressing of a priestess or bride, Roman fresco from
Herculaneum, Italy (30–40 AD) (from Roman Empire)
Image 75A teacher with two students, as a third arrives with his loculus, a writing case (from Roman Empire)
Image 76Fragment of a sarcophagus depicting
Gordian III and senators (3rd century) (from Roman Empire)
Image 77Aeneas's route in
Virgil's Aeneid. The epic poem was written in the early first century BC. (from Founding of Rome)
Image 78Excavation on the
Palatine Hill has found the foundations of a hut believed to correspond to the
Hut of
Romulus, which the Romans themselves preserved into late antiquity (from Founding of Rome)
Image 79Solidus issued under
Constantine II, and on the reverse
Victoria, one of the last deities to appear on Roman coins, gradually transforming into an
angel under Christian rule (from Roman Empire)
Antoninianus of Etruscus as emperor. Legend:
imp
c
q
her
etr
mes decio
aug.
Quintus Herennius Etruscus Messius Decius (died June 251), known simply as Herennius Etruscus, was briefly
Roman emperor in 251, ruling jointly under his father
Decius. His father was proclaimed emperor by his troops in September 249 while in
Pannonia and
Moesia, in opposition to
Philip. Decius defeated Philip in battle, and was then proclaimed emperor by the
Senate. Etruscus, still a child, was elevated to Caesar (heir) in 250, then further raised to Augustus (emperor) in May 251. When the
Goths, under
Cniva,
invaded the
Danubian provinces, he was sent with a
vanguard, followed by the main body of Roman troops, led by Decius. They ambushed Cniva at the
Battle of Nicopolis ad Istrum in 250,
routing him, before being ambushed and routed themselves at the
Battle of Beroe. Etruscus was killed in the
Battle of Abritus the following year, alongside his father. After the deaths of both emperors,
Trebonianus Gallus, who had been governor of Moesia, was elected emperor by the remaining Roman forces. (Full article...)
...That when Caesar's troops hesitated to leave their ships for fear of the Britons, the aquilifer of the tenth legion threw himself overboard and, carrying the eagle, advanced alone against the enemy?
...That the most well paid athlete in human history, Gaius Appuleius Diocles, was an illiterate Roman Chariot racer, and earned the equivalent of $15 Billion US Dollars.
Add a fact which our readers would find interesting as a Did you know? entry.
Add relevant quotes about Rome or by a Roman to the Quotes section.
Expand the
Ancient Rome article with a referenced fact, or copy-edit the article prose to improve its quality.
Quotes
“
[...]
Caesar is a god in his own city. Outstanding in war or peace, it was not so much his wars that ended in great victories, or his actions at home, or his swiftly won fame, that set him among the stars, a fiery comet, as his descendant. There is no greater achievement among Caesar's actions than that he stood father to our emperor. Is it a greater thing to have conquered the sea-going Britons; to have led his victorious ships up the seven-mouthed flood of the papyrus-bearing Nile; to have brought the rebellious Numidians, under Juba of Cinyps, and Pontus, swollen with the name of Mithridates, under the people of
Quirinus; to have earned many triumphs and celebrated few; than to have sponsored such a man, with whom, as ruler of all, you gods have richly favoured the human race? Therefore, in order for the emperor not to have been born of mortal seed, Caesar needed to be made a god. [...]
Augustus, his 'son', will ensure that he ascends to heaven as a god, and is worshipped in the temples. Augustus, as heir to his name, will carry the burden placed upon him alone, and will have us with him, in battle, as the most courageous avenger of his father's murder. Under his command, the conquered walls of besieged Mutina will sue for peace; Pharsalia will know him; Macedonian Philippi twice flow with blood; and the one who holds Pompey's great name, will be defeated in Sicilian waters; and a Roman general's Egyptian consort, trusting, to her cost, in their marriage, will fall, her threat that our
Capitol would bow to her city of Canopus, proved vain.
Why enumerate foreign countries or the nations living on either ocean shore? Wherever earth contains habitable land, it will be his: and even the sea will serve him!
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