preview

Rise Of Rome Research Paper

Good Essays

The Rise of Ancient Rome Rome’s ascension to dominance is a story of legend. Many years after the peak of Greek society and the escapades of Alexander the Great, a relatively small tribe of Latins laid the foundations for what would become one of the greatest empires the world had ever seen. Western Asia, the entirety of the Mediterranean, and France, Germany, Spain, Britain and other parts of modern day Europe were united through a common Roman heritage. Drawing from the civilizations before them, this new city helped define law and politics as we view them today. Indeed the true legacy of Rome is its contribution towards democratic representation of the people and the revolution of social and political life that models our current system …show more content…

A proud people, the Roman’s linked their prominence as ordained by the gods; it was their duty to colonize and bring law and peace to their subjects. Roman creation stories claim to be linked to Aeneas escape from the sacking of Troy, lending an ancestral history of superiority, and the famous upbringing of Romulus and Remus by a she-wolf. These stories of former glory and unlikely triumph supported the rise of Roman influence as inevitable and made people believe in the glory of Rome. Truthfully, Rome was not founded by orphaned brothers raised by a wolf but by a tribe called Latins. Hundreds of years before the brothers, Latins were migrating south from the Alps and began to mingle with the local Etruscans who had been in the Latium peninsula since the time of Greek dominance of the area. The Etruscans shared architecture, art, metalworking, and other skills and sports like Gladiatorial Combat. The success of the Roman Empire led to the absorption of Etruscan history into that of Rome’s and indeed the creation myths of Troy and the wolf were no exceptions. The Latins founded their city around 900 BCE on the banks of the river Tiber. This location facilitated trade, as only trade ships could make the trip upriver to the city, and also provided a crossroads for those crossing the river by land. Rome was primed to be a commercial hub from the start and their “Forum” or …show more content…

All law was administered by the ruling Patricians who tended to rule in favor of their own interests. The plebeians rebelled and seceded to a hill outside the city. There they created their own assembly, Concilium Plebis and demanded the Patricians recognize their newfound authority. The Patricians were trapped. The plebs composed all the soldiers of the Roman army and without them they were open and exposed to attack. Quickly, the Patricians gave in to the plebian demands leading to the Law of the Twelve Tables in 450BCE. Plebs now could elect Tribunes to represent their interests, and hold office in the Senate. “In 367 the plebeians gained the right to be elected consul, and in 366 the first was elected. Thereafter, the Licinian-Sextian laws demanded that at least one consul be a plebeian” to further cement the rights of commoners (UNRV). In 287BCE the plebs passed a law requiring any motion passed in the Concilium Plebis to be recognized by the Senate. This was a defining moment in Roman government: plebs could hold office, pass laws, and advance into higher society. Laws were passed barring senators from having an active role in commercial endeavors. This lead to the downfall of patrician dominance as many plebs became wealthier and enjoyed greater representation in the senate. Patrician senators now had to rely on wealthy family members to support their political careers or commit to poverty as

Get Access