A Brief History Of Rome

The history of Rome is a complex and interesting one. The city was founded on April 21, 753 BC. There is a complex mythology regarding the founding of Rome based on two twins named Romulus and Remus. They were abandoned by their parents, one of whom was Mars, the god of war, and they were sent down the river to avoid being killed. They were rescued by a she-wolf and were raised by her until they founded Rome on Palatine Hill. Romulus eventually killed Remus and became the first king of Rome. He ruled for thirty-eight years before vanishing in a cloud never to be seen again. Rome, Italy was the center of trade for the region for more than seven hundred years before its downfall in the 5th century AD. The Empire conquered all of its opposers and spread throughout much of Western Europe and into the areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, making it the most powerful empire on earth before it collapsed. The Romans conquered virtually all of their surrounding opposing forces, including the Gauls, Latins and Samites, and they overtook the Greeks in the third century BC. Rome became an official republic in 509 BC. As the Empire grew, political power became more diversified and Emperors began appointing co-emperors to help rule the outer reaches of the Empire. This allowed for civil wars and internal uprisings and power struggles that ultimately led to the downfall of the Roman Empire. The city erected its first walls to protect it from attack in 270 AD, but the walls could not stop a series of sackings by Alaric and Geiseric in the early 5th century. These led to the final dissolution of the Empire shortly after these attacks. In 330 AD, Emperor Constantine established a second capital of the Empire in addition to Rome in Constantinople (formerly Istanbul). Once a society based on Roman mythology, the Empire eventually converted to Christianity, and the Bishop of Rome became the head of religion is Western Europe. The Bishop of Rome's title was eventually changed to the Pope.

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