• The ancient Romans were a complex civilization. They were very organized with their military, and they had a retirement plan for soldiers, which proved helpful in their time. The ancient Romans were also very inventive. They learned to build aqueducts, which are long, manmade channels that carry water from a source to another area, which enabled the ancient Romans to have running water. This invention paved a path to improving the system of moving water from a source. Rome’s beginning is very mythological. The ancient Romans had a myth about how Rome began. This made the Romans very proud their start was mythological. Ancient Rome’s climb to being a large power would not have been scaled if the many aspects of its history were not included. Some of these aspects are Rome’s founding, which was centered on a myth about how two brothers founded and named Rome, Rome’s geography, which played an important part in its expansion and cultural growth, the government change from kings to a republic, which happened because of an Etruscan king named Tarquinius Superbus, and the fall of the Roman republic, which happened because of the Senate’s selfishness.
    One aspect of Rome’s climb to a becoming a great power was its founding. The founding of Rome happened through many events that were vital to its rise and succession. Rome’s beginning start is centered on a myth about two brothers named Romulus and Remus. This myth told of how a Latin king’s brother took the throne from him. When the rightful king’s daughter had two boys, which were then named Romulus and Remus, the brother who took the throne feared that these boys would grow up and take the throne away from him. The evil king ordered the babies to be drowned in the Tiber River. According to the myth, a she-wolf found and rescued them, then took them in as her own. Then later on, a farmer took them home. The two boys set out to build a settlement along the Tiber River. Then they argued on which hill to build it on and what to name it. They got into a fight, and Romulus killed Remus. Romulus then made a settlement on the hill he wanted and named it Rome in his honor. During Rome’s development they forged alliances with others, and traded goods and ideas, which led to Greek and Etruscan influence in mainly architecture and religion. The earliest rulers of Rome were kings descended from the Latins. However Etruscan rule was growing north. They were wealthier and more advanced than the Romans. They also had more experience in long-distance trade and governing large areas. The Etruscans had one king for each city-state. Then the city-states formed a confederation of 12 city-states called the Latin League. Soon, the Etruscan confederation expanded into Roman territory. Their takeover of Rome was very peaceful because they already had a lot of Etruscan influence. According to legend, an Etruscan king named Tarquinius Priscus took the throne in 616 B.C. and after he died, another Etruscan took his place. Both had completed many large building projects. Rome’s power was just beginning.
    The geographical region of the Seven Hills on the Italian Peninsula allowed ancient peoples to settle in the area and establish a defendable settlement on the Hills. The Seven Hills were just seven hills in a circle-like arrangement near the Tiber and the Rubicon Rivers. These hills and their placement were very helpful in Rome’s growth, because each hill had villages, and in the center of all the hills was a flat piece of land later known as the Roman Forum. This was like a public square, an area where people could exchange goods and ideas. The land around the Seven Hills was arable and good for growing crops because there was a mountain range along the length of the Italian Peninsula and some mountains used to be volcanoes, which would’ve have enriched the soil with volcanic ash from eruptions. The Seven Hills were also very helpful because they built their villages on hillsides and if danger threatened, they could climb up to higher ground for better protection. Later conquests soon took Rome to ruling the whole Mediterranean world, making it appear that the Mediterranean Sea was a “Roman Lake”. The Tiber and the Rubicon Rivers also were important trade routes. Because Rome was located in the center of the Italian Peninsula, with the Greeks to the south and the Etruscans to the north, Rome established trade routes with them which helped them flourish.
    The wrongs of the Etruscan king Tarquinius Superbus pushed Rome to eliminate the “ruling of kings” system and replace it with a republic. The third Etruscan king of Rome, Tarquinius Superbus, was different from other earlier kings. He ignored needs of his people. Tarquinius Superbus was a tyrant. Nobody dared to stand up to him for more than 20 years. Then, in 509 B.C., Brutus and Collatinus, two Romans, planned to overthrow Tarquinius and they forced him to leave Rome. The Romans suffered long under a tyrant, and did not want to make the mistake of electing one again. They wanted a type of government where no individual person would have total power. They no longer had kings. The citizens of Rome would now elect their leaders. This is when the Roman Republic was born. The Roman Republic was a tripartite government, meaning it has three parts. These three parts were the consuls, who were two Romans elected by the city people so no one person would have too much power. The second branch was the Senate, which was composed of 300 upper-class men who advised the consuls. The third branch was the assemblies, which helped make the laws in Rome. Also, in emergencies, Rome could elect a dictator, which was one person who had complete power, to take control, which was limited to six months duration. The Roman Republic had two social classes. These were the patricians, who were descendants of the early settlers of Rome. Patricians were very wealthy, and only they could become a senator in the Senate.. The other class was below the patricians. These were the plebians, which were all Roman citizens except patricians.
    The selfishness of the Roman Senate led to the downfall of the republic system. The Roman Senate was very greedy, and they became all about wealth and power. There were many poor and many slaves. Force was used to rule Rome not law, and the peace and stability and Rome were broken by the Senate’s use of violence to keep its power and wealth. Outside forces were also attacking Rome. Sulla and Marius, who were generals, defeated the rebels, took power, and kept it. Now Rome was ruled by generals This led to civil war between the two generals, and Sulla won, then becoming the dictator of Rome. He did not rule for six months though, because he kept the power and used it to rule for years. Later on, Tiberius Gracchus and his brother, Gaius Gracchus, attempted reform, but they were both killed by the Roman Senate, for the Senate was very selfish and wanted to stay wealthy. After Sulla retired, three Roman men agreed to share power in a type of government called a triumvirate, which means “a group of three rulers”. All three of them were powerful generals whose names were Pompey, Crassus, and Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar put together a careful plan to rule all Roman lands. He formed an army and captured Gaul, which is present day France. As governor of Gaul, Caesar kept a close eye on Rome. He planned to get rid of two powerful senators named Cato and Cicero, he did not want anyone to challenge his power while he was gone. Without these two senators, the senate would have little power. He made Cato governor of a province in Africa, and he forced out Cicero. Under Roman law, a governor could not lead his army out of their own province. The Rubicon River was the border between Gaul and the Italian Peninsula. Caesar and his army then crossed the Rubicon River in 49 B.C., and his plans were clear. Caesar crushed all of his enemies in 44 B.C. and declared himself dictator of Rome and all of its provinces. A month later, on March 15, a group of senators assassinated Caesar. The Roman Republic was coming to an end.
    In conclusion, ancient Rome’s climb to becoming a great power would not have been scaled without Rome’s mythological founding, the geography of the Seven Hills, the government change from kings to a republic, and the fall of the republic. Ancient Rome was a fascinating yet violent civilization which actions changed the course of history and the way people lived on Earth. Rome made Christianity a world-wide religion. It also made concrete buildings, which are still standing today and influenced others to build on top of that. Roman government also influenced other civilizations around the world, such as the United States of America, which is a republic. The first stylus was created in Rome too. That also influenced others to build on top of that creation, like pens and pencils today. Ancient Rome is still in us today, for they have given us their calendar.