The Roman Empire, the third period of Roman civilization, emerged after the expulsion of the last king, Tarquin the Proud, and the creation of a permanent senate. The empire went through various phases, including the Republic, the Julio-Claudian dynasty, the Flavian dynasty, the Antonine dynasty, and the Tetrarchy. The Roman Empire reached its maximum extent during the reign of Emperor Trajan and experienced a golden age under the Antonine dynasty. However, the empire eventually declined due to internal instability, external pressures, and the rise of Christianity. The Western Roman Empire fell in 476, while the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire, survived for another thousand years. The Roman Empire's legacy includes its architecture, engineering, law, and territorial dominance. Roman society was divided into classes, including patricians, plebeians, and slaves, with the latter having no rights and being forced to perform hard labor. The Roman Empire's impact on Western civilization is still felt today, with its influence on politics, culture, literature, and way of thinking.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The Roman Empire was the third period of Roman civilization, following the Monarchy and the Republic.
2. According to Roman tradition, the origin of Rome dates back to the twin brothers Romulus and Remus.
3. Romulus killed Remus and founded the city of Rome on the Palatine Hill, becoming its first king.
4. The political form of Rome was a Monarchy until the last king, Tarquin the Proud, was expelled.
5. After the expulsion of the king, a permanent senate was created, and the Monarchy was abolished, turning Rome into a Republic.
6. During the republican phase, Rome's main competitor was the Punic city of Carthage.
7. The Punic wars caused Rome to leave its natural borders on the Italian Peninsula and acquire new territories.
8. The well-known acronyms SPQR ('Senatus Populusque Romanus') became the symbol of Rome during the Republic.
9. Rome continued to control the Mediterranean basin, but its domains became difficult for the senate to govern.
10. General Julius Caesar emerged and expanded Rome's dominions by conquering Gaul.
11. Caesar challenged the authority of the Roman Senate and showed the importance of having authority over the army to obtain political advantage.
12. After the civil war, Caesar became the absolute ruler of Rome and was appointed 'Dictator Perpetuus'.
13. Caesar was murdered by the Roman Senate, leading to the reestablishment of the Republic.
14. Caesar's adopted son, Octavian, became the first emperor of Rome after defeating Caesar's assassins and Mark Antony.
15. Octavian was granted the title of 'Imperator Caesar Augustus' by the Senate, which means 'victor in battle'.
16. The first emperors from Augustus until the death of Nero formed the Julio-Claudian dynasty.
17. The Julio-Claudian dynasty ruled from 27 BC to 68 AD.
18. Nero's reign is associated with tyranny and extravagance.
19. After Nero's death, the Flavian dynasty took office, followed by the Antonine dynasty.
20. The Antonine dynasty brought about the golden age of the Roman Empire.
21. Emperor Trajan was the first Roman emperor born in a province of Rome and was an effective ruler.
22. During Trajan's reign, the empire reached its maximum extent.
23. The last of the 'five good emperors' of the Antonine dynasty was Marcus Aurelius.
24. After the murder of Commodus, the empire entered a period of civil confrontation.
25. Septimius Severus assumed the throne and established the Severan dynasty.
26. The Severan dynasty ended with Alexander Severus.
27. The Roman Empire entered a period of crisis in the 3rd century, known as 'the crisis of the 3rd century'.
28. The crisis was characterized by external pressure, political, economic, and social crises.
29. Diocletian carried out an important reform program and divided the empire into four rulers, known as the Tetrarchy.
30. The Tetrarchy system collapsed after Diocletian's abdication.
31. Constantine the Great emerged as the emperor and legalized the Christian religion through the Edict of Milan.
32. Constantine called the first universal ecumenical council in Nicaea in 325.
33. The capital of the empire was moved to the ancient city of Byzantium, rebuilt and expanded by Constantine.
34. The empire began to decline, and Emperor Theodosius I made the Catholic religion the official religion of the empire.
35. After Theodosius' death, the administrative division of the Roman Empire occurred into two halves.
36. The Western Roman Empire disappeared in 476, marking the end of the Roman Empire.
37. The Eastern Roman Empire lasted about a thousand more years and survived until 1453.
38. The Byzantine Empire, which adopted the Greek language, ended with the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
39. The Roman Empire dominated three continents and numerous cities at the height of its power.
40. The empire's architecture and engineering were evidence of its power, including amphitheaters, circuses, theaters, spas, aqueducts, roads, temples, and basilicas.
41. Roman law was one of the greatest legacies of the Roman Empire and the basis of current law.
42. The Roman Empire managed to dominate a vast territorial extension with the same customs and 'modus vivendi' for a multi-ethnic citizenship.
43. The empire's territorial dominance was possible due to its powerful army and infantry units, the legions.
44. The army was made up of thirty legions of 5300 men each, divided into ten cohorts and centuries.
45. The century was the basic infantry unit, forming the backbone of the legions.
46. Each century had 80 men and was commanded by a centurion.
47. To join the militia, an indispensable condition was to be a Roman citizen, and it was prohibited for slaves.
48. Roman society was divided into several classes, including patricians and plebeians.
49. Patricians were members of the oldest families in Rome, who formed an aristocracy and possessed privileges.
50. Commoners were peasants, artisans, merchants, and made up the bulk of the army.
51. Slaves did not have any type of rights and were usually prisoners of war.
52. Slaves could gain their freedom in several ways, and freed slaves were called 'freedmen'.