The beginning of Rome focuses on its foundation in the year 753 before our era. This was carried out by the twin brothers Romulus and Remus on the banks of the Tiber River. The city grew, becoming rich until it was considered the most advanced city in the “world”. Today we dedicate this space of history to know something more about the Roman Empire (27 BC–476 AD): History of the Roman Empire.
Origin of the Roman Empire
The origin of the Roman Empire is located in the year 29 BC under the mandate of Octavio and ends in the year 476 AD under the command of Romulus Augustulus.
It sets the Origin of the Roman Empire at the moment in whichand the Roman Republic disappears to give place to the Empire and therefore to the age of the Emperors. The Roman Empire arises as a result of the civil wars that occurred after the death of Julius Caesar, when the republic began to falter.
Julius Caesar was erected as the maximum and only ruler of Rome, this event caused the confrontation between Pompey and the Senate against Julius Caesar, who had established himself as perpetual dictator.
These facts caused the logical evil to be in the Senate, finding the only solution assassination, julius caesar He was killed during the festivities of the ides of march, on the Senate floor itself. With the death of Julius Caesar it seems that normalcy would return and therefore the Republic, but this restoration was short-lived.
With the expansion of borders, the way of governing the conquered territories, made necessary a profound transformation in terms of administration, army, finances, trade, infrastructure, etc. Little by little these changes were carried out, until finally Rome went from a Republic to a great and powerful Empire.
Who was the founder of the Roman Empire
Octavian, the adopted son of Caesar, always had revenge on his thoughts, first on those who murdered his father and then on Marco Antonio and Cleopatra VII of Egypt. After facing Marco Antonio and emerging victorious, Octavian returned to Rome a true triumphant hero.
In the year 29 AD he closed the temple of the god Janus, carrying peace to empire after hard years of battles and conquests. All the people surrendered to his courage and even the Senate itself, who gave him titles such as Imperator, Grand Pontiff, Prince of the Senate, Persona Grata (Augustus) and as an addition Cesarin honor of his adoptive father, César.
That was how Octavio became the first emperor taking the name of August. In it all powers were centralized, the borders of the Empire were secured, large infrastructures were created and the empire prospered during his mandate.
What was the Roman Empire like?
Politicallythe maximum figure was the Emperor, in whom the military, political and religious power of the entire empire was concentrated. The Senate it was an organ at the orders of the Emperor, although he could delegate the administration of some provinces to trusted senators, the so-called Senatorial Provinces. Prefectures appear as a police institution to ensure order in the city.
The Nobles they cease to have political power and the middle class disappears in this period. A new class, however continues to grow at great speed, the commoners. This class was made up of beggars, poor people who lived on government donations, both in the form of money, free shows, water, cereals, etc.
The bourgeoisie begins to enter the Senate, now holding positions such as finance inspectors or governors. At the other extreme we have the slaves, more and more numerous due to the constant battles and conquests. These were employed to attend to the services of the house, take care of agriculture, for the mines or for the construction of public works.
With the delivery of large extensions of land, appear the estates. This way of cultivating large areas caused the famine of the small peasants who were forced to emigrate to the city in search of better opportunities, which caused the need for Rome to import wheat.
Thanks to the conquered territories, many of them, rich in mineralsRome was able to have a healthy mining that was also easy to extract thanks to the abundant labor in the form of slaves that the empire had.
After the construction of Port of Rome, Ostia. Ships could unload all products from the mediterranean market, while merchandise from the East arrived at the port of Pozzoli. The Empire basically could be supplied from itself, provinces such as Hispania provided metals and silver, from the North Zone, coal and minerals, from the East, silks, spices, pearls, perfumes and precious stones, etc.
map of the roman empire
The Map of the Roman Empire makes two legends clear: the certainty that in this empire the sun did not set. And the solemn truth that all roads lead or led to Rome. In five centuries, the Roman Republic had gained control of Italy, Greece, Spain, the coast North of Africamost of East Medium, France, Egypteven Great Brittany it was under his control.
A conquest that began in 500 BC reached its point of greatest expansion in 100 BC. Not only that, it remained with this extension for another four centuries. But of course, maintaining such a large empire was economically unfeasible. The alternative of dividing the empire into eastern and western halves only facilitated its downfall. Despite this, the eastern third of the empire, with capital in Constantinopleremained in power for several centuries.
To get an idea of what the Roman Empire was like, the ideal comparison is the United States. The distance between Great Britain and Egypt is similar to that from Florida to Washington, that is, from coast to coast. The most surprising thing is that the emperors who passed through Rome during this glorious era kept the empire afloat, without modern infrastructures, current communication elements and with the addition of the Mediterranean Sea dividing its territory.
Roman Empire Summary
It sets the Roman empire as the period beginning with the Emperor Octavian’s proclamation Augustus in the year 29 BC and ends when the Western Roman Empire disappears in the year 476 AD c, after the division of the Empire into East and West.
Different emperors directed the designs of the Empire, but there is no doubt that it was during this period when the territorial expansion reached its peakthe period in which the differences between social classes were not so evident, is the time of the cultural boom in what was called the golden age of rome, under the mandate of the 5 best emperors that the empire had as they are Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius.
Causes of the Fall of the Roman Empire
The Causes of the Fall of the Roman Empire, as seems logical, were several and prolonged in time. It was a lot of land, a lot of people and too many cultures coexisting. In the end, despite being a organization example, ended up overthrown. These are the causes of the Fall of the Roman Empire
- Division: In the year 285, the Empire is divided into East and West. This division meant a significant reduction in resources and population on both sides of the empire, which affected the wealth of the Government. In the end, it all led to higher taxes, higher unemployment, and lower sales. Crisis.
- Christianity: The arrival of Christianity was a blow to the emperor and what it meant for the population. Considered an earthly god, his figure fell with that of humans, which generated a progressive loss of trust and loyalty.
- Shrunken Army: With the passage of time, the population stopped mythologizing the army and working for it. They knew that many people died for their country and preferred to live in it, to die for its ideals. Rome ended up hiring barbarians in her legions who, being mercenaries, were easily bought by Rome’s enemies and never defended the people in the same way.
- Corruption: Power corrupts and the emperor and his acolytes were professional spenders of public money. Between them they ruined the imperial government. Banking was left at zero, there were even no funds for public health. Famine took millions of lives and the Empire was led to its demise.
- invasions: The eternal enemies of the Romans, taking advantage of the weakness, invaded their territories. First there were the barbarians (Visigoths, Huns and Vandals). They were joined, at the end of the fourth century, by the Gauls. Visigoths and Vandals, precipitated a fall of the Roman Empire that was consummated in 476.
Division of the Roman Empire
The Roman Empire grew to such a magnitude that it became very difficult not only his governmentbut also keep multiple borders safe. Different invasions of the barbarians from the north, the constant revolts of the border towns that were pushed to cross the borders by the arrival of the barbarians, the constant disastrous campaigns that many emperors carried out, the Christianitydiscontent over the management of farmland, ended up weakening the Empire.
Already at the time of Diocletian, there was a separation of the Empire in two, it was a fictitious separation in which each part was governed by a different Emperor. The distribution was made on one side the territories of the East and on the other those of the West.
This incipient separation became effective in the year 395 AD after death dec, when Theodosius divided the Empire among his sons. the empire of East his son received it Arcadius and the empire of West his son received it Honorius.
crisis of the roman empire
The crisis that the empire suffered was greatly increased during the 3rd century, It is in this century when the Sansánida or Persian Empire, who taking advantage of the weakness of the Roman army, caused great defeats and important defeats to the Roman armies.
various civil warsa senate without power and some bad emperors, together with the continuous invasions of vandals and barbarians, periods of bad harvests that caused famines, plagues that decimated the population such as the Plague of CyprianThey gradually undermined an empire that had been strong and powerful.
Rome is forced to abandon its territories in Dacia, even leaving the empire divided for a short period of time into 3 parts, including a Gallic Empire, that of Palmyra in the East and a kind of residual state in Rome.
This crisis can be solved thanks to the extra monetary contributions in terms of defence, reinforced the borders and great walls were built that did nothing more than isolate the Empire. Little by little and due to the individual character of the Emperors, each time politics ceased to be of interest. The main military commanders ceased to hold their positions. Different defeats ended up collapsing the empire.
Roman Empire Fall
Normally when we refer to the fall of the Roman Empire, we mean the fall of the western roman empiresince that of the East would still be maintained for many more centuries.
The reason…