Roman history stretches from the emergence of the culture of Ancient Rome to its subsequent reorganization into a republican, and then into a monarchical state. Each time this meant new rights, laws, the emergence of new layers of the population and experienced leaders. Often some laws changed radically, and even the flag changed depending on the ruler and the situation. Therefore, the whole history of the Roman people is divided into several stages, where there are famous and charismatic heroes.
Roman republic
An interesting fact is considered that the tsarist government for a long time in the history of the Roman Empire was limited and was considered unacceptable. Actually, this happened due to the expulsion of Tarquinius the Proud, and this position of the people became the main prerequisite for the formation of the republic. However, the country needed a leader who was solely responsible for all the mistakes and made decisions. At first, for these purposes, there were two consuls, ruling alternately and from time to time restricting each other in certain matters. Later it became clear that we need someone who in an emergency situation will concentrate all the strength of the country in his hands - a dictator.
At the same time, the aristocracy (patrician) was limited in possibilities, although it could hold public office. But rich people simply didn’t have this right, although they were vested with all political privileges and could “live well” due to their good financial situation. This led to the emergence of a class war, which painted the state and made it weaker. On this basis, pretenders to the throne physically exterminated Caesar's family members and relatives. Among all stood out Octavian, who was the adopted son of the ruler.
Octavian Augustus
As it is specified about the structure of the Roman Republic in the 5th grade history textbook, two equal parts of the country were subordinate to different rulers, one of whom was Octavian, and the other - Anthony. Peace was maintained through a marriage between Anthony and Octavian's sister, Octavia. However, then Anthony was captivated by Cleopatra, and he divorced his wife, further pursuing a policy in the interests of the eastern countries. For this, Octavian avenged the war and won the war. Having come to power, he chose the name Augustus.
The history of the Roman Republic did not suffer errors, and therefore the policy was at first leisurely: the people had to get used to the sole ruler, and Augustus succeeded. However, he was not guided by luck, but rather relied on his mind and prudence. The mistakes of the adoptive parent were always before his eyes, and therefore the new leader knew exactly what Roman history would not forgive him. He always spoke carefully, thinking through his speeches and often writing down everything. Octavian was in no hurry to change traditions, since the treacherous assassination of Caesar clearly showed how strong the deep-rooted foundations of the republic are.
The Roman Empire
First of all, Octavian carried out military reforms, and thanks to this, the Roman Empire relied on the strength of soldiers from beginning to end . Because of the increased military power, an aggressive policy became possible: Germanic tribes, Spanish were annexed, and even troops successfully entered Ethiopia. So, the history of the Roman Republic ended in victorious wars that marked the beginning of the Roman Empire. The annexed territories needed to be managed.
Constant wars have taken root in the empire, again thanks to the disposition of the people. The mentality of the Roman inhabitants included greed for land and a thirst for dominion. Both desires were united together because of the opportunity to realize them on enslaved peoples. However, philosophers and orators made this aspiration noble and humanized as they could: the Roman people must be obeyed, since they bring cultural values to the wild tribes and endow them with the civilization so needed. Since then, the Romans fought, "bringing peace to the peoples."
The culture of a grown empire
Although the superiority of Roman emperors is often described in various textbooks on the Roman Empire (Grade 5), there were two main problems that impeded the development of culture as such. The first is the presence of freedmen, "yesterday" slaves. They were capable of anything for the sake of the owner and were now unprincipled citizens who, in an effort to earn some extra money, could consider betrayal a fairly common thing. And it was not 100-200 people for the whole state. There was a whole stratum of society that did not have its own convictions, ideals, and left no trace in culture.
The second problem was the warriors. Since their success was obvious, the soldiers became more and more respected people in the empire. They wanted to imitate and follow on the heels, but it was a double-edged sword: their presence gave power, which meant that there was no need to use other methods of persuasion. It was perfectly normal not to pay for lunch or hit by the passing. What kind of culture can we talk about under such conditions? In fairness, theaters, poetry, circus and above mentioned oratory were well developed in Rome.
History of the neighbors of the Roman Empire
From the very beginning of the wars and the formation of a new state system, the borders of Rome were constantly changing. When conquering some nations, they often lost others, and yesterday's slaves became free neighbors. As already mentioned, the Germanic tribes were conquered by Octavius, but later freed. It turned out that they were neighbors on the northern side of the empire. This happened not only with the Germans, but also with other peoples. Under the rule of the Romans, the Celts were a freedom-loving people who did not want to accept the culture of the empire imposed on them. The Celts lived in a communal system, and even, centuries later, family ties were of great importance to them.
As Roman history testifies, Rome conquered Britain only partially, since there was no way to send numerous troops there. And later this part also became free, acquiring the status of neighbors. In addition, the Slavs were located nearby, whose relations with the Roman Empire ranged from the world to irreconcilable hostility. After that, as they forced the Germans to move west and took up a free place themselves, the Great Migration of Peoples began. Again, the borders and location of neighboring nations began to change.
Interesting Facts
- The history of the Roman Republic is replete with elements of the oligarchy, monarchy and democracy. This was supposed to bring chaos to the state system, but in the absence of a leader, on the contrary, it helped: uncertainty allowed applicants for power not to accumulate "trump cards", but to use what they have.
- On behalf of Caesar, the following words occurred: "Kaiser", "king" and their derivatives. Later, in the Roman Empire, rulers were called Caesars, and this name sounded like a title. This has confused history for a long time — it has become more difficult to understand who is related to whom.
- Octavian dissolved most of the legions, and many united among themselves. The fact is that they have long become a place where it was possible to boast of strength, and not to improve combat skills. Therefore, he created a new army, which was located in the center of the empire and later became victorious.
Legacy of the roman empire
The emergence, and, later, the slow destruction of such a powerful state could not but affect Roman history and the history of the whole world. For a long time, Latin was considered the dominant and world language. After the collapse of the empire, it continued for many decades in the church. Sometimes it was only in Latin that one could find many manuscripts, which later no one began to translate into another world language. Nowadays, Latin terms are used in medicine, and therefore this language can be called “dead” with a stretch.
In addition, paintings, poems, architecture, music and inventions made a huge contribution to the development of society. Often the topic in the textbooks of the Roman Empire of the history of 5th grade about the heritage is painted quite widely, but no one pays attention to one. After what actions the Roman Empire collapsed, why it was created, what caused the emergence of the republic and why many leaders left the throne, should show what actions pose a threat and which will allow to solve the situation without fists. The lessons of the past can be taught by example and, if taken into account, many mistakes can be avoided.