ancient city of rome

The ancient Romans were able to build a great empire that began with the establishment of the city of Rome on the Tiber River, and over time it dominated regions of the European continent, in addition to parts of the Middle East and Africa, and its control extended from Spain to Iraq, from England to Egypt, and from southern Russia to Morocco, and this civilization and empire had a prominent impact on the various peoples of the areas it controlled, and was able to maintain its prosperity and development for about a thousand years, as the Romans were able to manage their sprawling empire through the adoption of an effective bureaucracy, and the preparation of an organized and disciplined army.

 History of ancient Rome

The founding of ancient Rome began in the year 753 BC by King Romulus, according to some legends. Spain, Turkey, North Africa, Greece, and the Roman Empire began in the year 31 BC under the leadership of Augustus as its emperor, after the collapse of the republic due to civil war, where a new political system was established

The emperor kings were later able to expand the borders of the state to include the Mediterranean, Britain, and most of northern and central Europe and the Near East by the end of the first century AD. (Eastern and Western), the Western Empire collapsed with the invasion of the Mongols, followed by the Eastern Empire in the fifteenth century.

Geography of ancient Rome

The ancient city of Rome is located in the central corner of the Italian peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides (the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic Sea or the Sea of ​​Venice, and the Ionian Sea), and it extends along the Tiber River. This helped it to provide water sources for humans, animals, and plants, and the river made it easier for the Romans to move and travel, and to reach the Mediterranean Sea, which is about 15 miles (24 km) away from the city center. In addition, the city’s presence between the hills and mountains contributed (The Apennines and the Alps mountain range) in protecting it from external invasions and aggressions, due to the difficult and rugged road

Demographics of ancient Rome

Statistical estimates indicate that the population of the ancient city of Rome amounted to one million people, and given the geographical area of ​​the city, which is about 13.86 km², the population density is 72,150 people per km², which is considered a relatively high rate. Population statistics conducted in 69 BC indicated that the number The population of ancient Rome amounted to about 900,000 people, while the statistics of Emperor Augustus that took place in 28 BC revealed that the population reached 4 million people, and it is believed that the reason for the clear discrepancy in the census is that Augustus included women and children in his census, not Only heads of household.

Language and religion in ancient Rome

The Latin language represented the official language of the Romans, and this language is considered the basis for several languages ​​spread on the European continent today, such as the Italian language, French and Spanish. The god Zeus on Jupiter, Hera on Juno, Ares on Mars, and Athena on Minerva.

Economy in the ancient city of Rome

The ancient city of Rome had a strong economy despite its simplicity; Its economy was based mainly on agriculture, in addition to small-scale industrial production, and the most important agricultural crops were grains, olives and grapes, and farmers sometimes resorted to donating agricultural crops to the government instead of cash taxes

Rome was able to advance the sector of trade by shipping grain, food, precious metals, stones, and building materials to various parts of the Roman Empire through the sea or trade routes established by the state (some of which are still used today), and exchanged many goods and products with Regions and countries of Europe, Asia and Africa. The imports were represented by silk from China and the Far East, minerals from Spain and Britain, cotton and spices from India, and other imports.

The mining industry represented the largest and most prominent industry in the ancient city of Rome, and this industry contributed to the provision of minerals for tools, weapons and stones needed for construction, and other industries that spread in the cities of the Roman Empire (among them ancient Rome) were the manufacture of pottery, glassware, jewelry, and hand-made textiles. .

Building and architecture in the ancient city of Rome

The Romans excelled in their architectural design of buildings and facilities, and the impact of Roman innovations is still evident on the modern world, and they contributed greatly to the renaissance of the Roman Empire; The Roman aqueducts (the construction of which began in 312 BC) helped to provide Rome and Roman cities with water and improve sanitation, thus improving public health. Today, the Trevi Fountain appears as a vivid example of an updated version of the original Roman aqueducts. The Romans built concrete and Roman cement, which made the building more solid and durable, and this is confirmed by the presence of many Roman buildings existing to this day.

Among the methods used by the Romans in building were also the arches, which made the building and the bridge more powerful, and worked to distribute the weight evenly over the various parts of the building. As for the Roman roads, they are no less important than the buildings; The Romans excelled in constructing roads, and by 200 BC they were able to build about 50,000 miles of roads, some of which are still in use today.