Download ancient-rome-publish-2

TheBirthofAncientRome
Beginnings
Whenwethinkaboutbeginnings,weoftendon’tknowthat
theyactuallyarebeginningsuntiltimeiswellonitsway.
Mostcivilisationsandculturestellthestoriesoftheirown
beginnings.Littlewaswrittendownaboutmuchoftheancient
world.Also,manystoriesinvolvedthedifferentgods
belongingtoeachculture.Legendandfactbecame
interwoven.
Imaginelivingbackin753BCE.Wouldyouhaveanyideaa
newerawasabouttobeginthatwouldchangetheworld
forever?Thisiswhathappenedwiththebeginningofthe
RomanEmpire.Later,twostoriesweremeldedintoone,
whichcoveredmanyyears:
Aeneas
Inhispoem,TheIliad,theGreekpoetHomertoldofmythical
heroAeneas.Inabout1184BCEheescapedfromTroy,which
hadbeendestroyedbytheGreeks.Aeneastravelledtowhatwe
nowknowasItalyandmanykingsandemperorsdescended
fromhim.
Muchlater,theRomanpoetVirgilwroteTheAeneid,describing
Aeneas’journeytoRome.
RomulusandRemus
KingNumitor,adescendantofAeneas,losthisthronetohis
brotherAmulius,buthisdaughterRheaSilviaboretwinboys,
RomulusandRemus,bythewargodMars.Theirbirthday,21
April,753BCE,isthetraditionalfoundingdateforAncient
Rome.Amuliusdidn’twantthesechildrentochallengehimto
thethrone,sohesetthebabiesafloatontheriverTiber.They
didnotperish,butwashedupbeneathafigtree.Ashe-wolf
suckledandraisedthem.
RomulusandRemusgrewintostrongandboldleaders.They
killedAmuliusandregainedthethronefortheirgrandfather
Numitor.Afterthis,theysetouttogethertofoundacityoftheir
own.Theyquarrelledaboutwherethisplaceshouldbe,and
whoshouldleadthenewcity.Romuluskilledhisbrother,and
foundedthecityofRome.
ThisplacebeganasatinyvillagealongtheriverTiber.There
wasplentyoffreshwaterandgoodsoilforcrops.Theriver
couldbeusedfortransportation.SurroundingRomewere
sevenhills,anaturaldefensivebarrier.
OrganisedWarfare
Inancienttimes,humancivilisationwasgrowingindifferent
partsoftheworld.Groupsofpeoplewoulddeclarewaragainst
eachotherinordertostrengthentheirownlandholdings.The
Romansbecamethestrongestofthesetribes.
TheRomanswantedtoexpandthekingdomandbecamevery
organisedintheirmethodsofwarfare.Theirarmieswere
highlydisciplined;theyworeuniformsandcarriedweapons
andshields.Theleaderofagroupofonehundredsoldierswas
calledacenturion.
Thelegionswouldcarryoutdifferentmarchesandformations:
warstrategiesthatweresuccessful,andstunningtowatch!
Forexample,whenapproachingenemyfortifications,they
usedtheturtleformation,ortestudo,overlappingtheirshields
forprotection.
RomanrulebeganinItaly,andspreadtomanyotherlands
ARepublic
NowthatRomewasapowerfulforceintheworld,changes
happenedwithinitswalls.Thereweredistinctionsbetween
theupperclassandthelowerclass.Corruptionandgreed
filtereddownfromtheupperclass.
Anewsystemofrulingwascreatedaround509BCE.Itwasthe
firstmodelofgovernment:electedofficialsoversawequality
andjusticeforallcitizens,similartoourowndemocratic
system.Insteadofkingstherewerenowsenators.TheRoman
Republicbegan.Itstayedthiswayforseveralhundredyears.
TheRomanEmpire
JuliusCaesarbecamethemostpowerfulsenatorinRome.He
endedtheRepublicbyhavingtheSenateproclaimhimdictator.
Hewasverypopular,andcreatedstrongandstable
governmenttoincreaseprosperity.Caesarwasassassinatedin
44BCEbyhisenemies,andfinally,aftermanybattlesand
troubles,AugustusbecamethefirstEmperorofRomein27
BCE.
TheRomanEmpirewaseventuallydestroyedbytheVisigoths
in476BCE(fromwherewenowcallGermany);itslast
emperorwasRomulusAugustus.
WhatwelearnedfromAncientRome
TheRomanswereknownfortheirstrongwarlikeactivities.
However,theyalsobequeathedtousthefoundationsformany
thingsmodernsocietyvalues.Herearesome:
Subject
Example
Language
Terrafirma,statusquo
Entertainment
Plays,baths
Philosophy
Aristotle
Architecture
Colosseum,Pantheon
Watermanagement
Aqueducts,drainsandsewers
LawandOrder
Senators,elections
Agriculture
Farming,foodproduction
FUNFACT
TheRomansbuiltaqueducts–systemsofchannelsandbridges
–totransportwaterforpublicbathsandtoilets.Inotherparts
ofEurope,peoplewerestillthrowingtheirwasteoutof
windowsintothestreet,whichaddedtodiseaseand
unpleasantsurroundings!IttookuntiltheRenaissance,inthe
15thcentury,forthingstoimproveelsewhere.
LearnmoreaboutAncientRomebyvisitingthese
websites:
www.ngkids.co.uk
www.ancient.eu/Rome/
References:
Coverillustration:Romanaqueducts,withpermissionfrom:
www.homeschoolingwaldorf.com/…/grade-6-roman-history
Map:www.commons.wikimedia.orgExtentoftheRomanRepublicandtheRoman
Empirebetween218BCand117AD.png
www.ancient.eu/Rome/
www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rome-founded
www.historytoday.com:ThefoundationofRome
www.ngkids.co.uk