Roman history stretches from the emergence of the culture of Ancient Rome to its subsequent restructuring into a republican, and then into a monarchical state. Each time this meant new rights, laws, the emergence of new strata of the population and experienced leaders. Often, some laws changed radically, and even the flag changed depending on the ruler and the situation. That is why the whole history of the Roman people is divided into several stages, where there are famous and charismatic heroes.
Roman Republic
It is interesting that the royal power for a long time in the history of the Roman Empire was limited and considered unacceptable. Actually, this happened due to the expulsion of Tarquinius the Proud, and such a position of the people became the main prerequisite for the formation of the republic. However, the country needed a leader who was solely responsible for all mistakes and making decisions. At first, for these purposes, there were two consuls, ruling alternately and from time to time limiting each other in certainquestions. Later it became clear that we need someone who, in an emergency, will concentrate all the power of the country in his hands - a dictator.
At the same time, the aristocracy (patricians) was limited in opportunities, although they could hold public office. But just rich people did not have this right, although they were endowed with all political privileges and due to a good financial situation they could “live well”. This led to the emergence of a class war, which painted the state and made it weaker. On this basis, applicants for the throne physically exterminated members of the family and relatives of Caesar. Among all, Octavian stood out, who was the adopted son of the ruler.
Octavian August
As it is specified about the structure of the Roman Republic in the history textbook of the 5th grade, two equal parts of the country were subject to different rulers, one of which was Octavian, and the other Antony. Peace was maintained through a marriage alliance between Antony and Octavian's sister, Octavia. However, then Antony was fascinated by Cleopatra, and he divorced his wife, further pursuing a policy in the interests of the eastern countries. For this, Octavian avenged the war and won the hostilities. When he came to power, he chose the name August.
The history of the Roman Republic did not tolerate mistakes, and therefore the policy was at first unhurried: the people had to get used to the sole ruler, and Augustus succeeded. However, he was not guided by luck, but rather relied on his mind and prudence. The mistakes of the adoptive parent were always before his eyes, and therefore the new leaderunderstood what Roman history would not forgive him. He always spoke carefully, thinking over his speeches and often writing everything down. Octavian was in no hurry to change traditions, as the treacherous assassination of Caesar clearly showed how strong the entrenched foundations of the Republic were.
Roman Empire
Octavian carried out primarily military reforms, and thanks to this, from beginning to end, the Roman Empire relied on the strength of soldiers. Because of the increased military power, an aggressive policy became possible: the German tribes, the Spanish, and even the troops successfully entered Ethiopia. Thus, the history of the structure of the Roman Republic ended with victorious wars that marked the beginning of the Roman Empire. The annexed territories had to be managed.
Constant wars took root in the empire, again thanks to the temper of the people. The mentality of the Roman inhabitants included greed for land and a thirst for domination. Both desires were united because of the possibility of their realization on the enslaved peoples. However, philosophers and orators made this aspiration noble and humanized as best they could: the Roman people must be obeyed, as it brings cultural values to wild tribes and endows them with a much-needed civilization. Since then, the Romans have been at war, “bringing peace to the peoples.”
Culture of grown empire
Although the superiority of the Roman emperors is often described in various textbooks on the Roman Empire (grade 5), there were two main problems that hinder the development of culture as such. The first is the presence of freedmen, "yesterday's" slaves. They were capable of anything for the sake of their master and were now unscrupulous citizens who, in an effort to earn extra money, could find betrayal quite common. And it was not 100-200 people for the entire state. There was a whole stratum of society that did not have its own beliefs, ideals, leaving no trace in culture.
The second problem was the warriors. Since their success was obvious, the soldiers became more and more respected people in the empire. They wanted to imitate and follow on the heels, but it was a double-edged sword: having power gave them power, which meant that there was no need to use other methods of persuasion. It was perfectly normal not to pay for lunch or to hit a passer-by. What kind of culture can we talk about in such conditions? To be fair, theaters, poetry, the circus and the aforementioned oratory were well developed in Rome.
History of the neighbors of the Roman Empire
From the very beginning of the wars and the formation of a new state system, the borders of Rome were constantly changing. When conquering some peoples, they often lost others, and yesterday's slaves became free neighbors. As already mentioned, the Germanic tribes were conquered by Octavius, but later freed. It turned out that they were adjacent to the northern side of the empire. This happened not only with the Germans, but also with other peoples. Under the rule of the Romans were the Celts - a freedom-loving people who did not want to accept the culture imposed on themempire. The Celts lived in a communal system, and even, centuries later, family ties were of great importance to them.
As Roman history testifies, Britain was only partially conquered by Rome, since there was no way to send numerous troops there. And later this part also became free, acquiring the status of neighbors. In addition, the Slavs were located nearby, whose relations with the Roman Empire fluctuated from peace to irreconcilable hostility. After that, as they forced the Germans to move west and themselves took a free place, the Great Migration of Nations began. The borders and location of neighboring peoples began to change again.
Interesting facts
- The history of the structure of the Roman Republic is replete with elements of oligarchy, monarchy and democracy. This was supposed to bring chaos to the state system, but in the absence of a leader, on the contrary, it helped: uncertainty allowed contenders for power not to accumulate “trump cards”, but to use what they had.
- From the name of Caesar came the following words: "Kaiser", "king" and their derivatives. Later, in the Roman Empire, the rulers were called Caesars, and this name sounded like a title. This for a long time brought confusion to history - it became more difficult to understand who was related to whom.
- Octavian dismissed most of the legions, and united many among themselves. The fact is that they have long become a place where one could boast of strength, and not improve combat skills. So he created a new armywhich was located in the center of the empire and subsequently became victorious.
Heritage of the Roman Empire
The appearance, and, later, the slow destruction of such a powerful state could not but affect Roman history and the history of the whole world. For a long time, Latin was considered the dominant and world language. After the collapse of the empire, it continued to exist in the church for many decades. Sometimes only in Latin one could find many manuscripts, which later no one began to translate into another world language. Now, until now, Latin terms are used in medicine, and therefore this language can be called "dead" with a stretch.
In addition, paintings, poems, architecture, music and inventions have made a huge contribution to the development of society. Often the topic in the textbooks of the Roman Empire history of the 5th grade about heritage is written quite broadly, but no one pays attention to one thing. The actions after which the Roman Empire collapsed, why it was created, what led to the emergence of the republic and why many leaders left the throne, should show which actions carry a threat, and which will allow the situation to be resolved without fists. The lessons of the past can teach by example and, if taken into account, many mistakes can be avoided.
