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The Legacy Of An Empire

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The Legacy of an Empire Throughout history, civilizations have risen to and fallen from power. The accomplishments of these peoples are not important only because of their place in history, but they are also important because of the impact that they had on the world. Some of these groups of people were only able to create small, but still important settlements. Others were able to establish large empires that controlled vast areas and directly changed the lives of many who were under their rule. The Roman civilization was one of these massive empires that lasted for over a thousand years, and it has had a powerful influence on the world ever since. The impact of the Romans is not just the hegemony that they had over the people groups…show more content…
One cataclysmic event supposedly brought about the end of the monarchy. The legend that was told in the story “The Rape of Lucretia” is that Tarquinius Conlatinus, an aristocrat, was friends with Sextus Tarquinius, the prince. Sextus waited until everyone was asleep after being accepted to stay in their house before he went into Lucretia’s bedroom. There, he held a sword to her and raped her, and then he fled. In horror, she sent messengers to go and fetch her father and husband and told them each to bring good friends. She committed suicide after they had arrived, and Brutus, one of the friends, exclaimed, “By this blood, which was so pure before the crime of the prince, I swear before you, O gods, to chase the King…and never to tolerate Kings in Rome evermore, whether of that family of any other.” This was the means by which history explains the fall of the Roman monarchy which leads to the dawn of the period of the Republic. The Republic was dramatically different than the monarchy because now the population could elect officials to represent them and make laws. Rome also began to become more imperialistic as a result of fear of attack and a greedy desire to gain wealth. It was because of this that the Romans came into conflict with Carthage, a growing empire in North Africa. Three wars were fought between the two over territories including Sicily, but Rome eventually realized that Carthage must be completely
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