Rome Empire, Civilization and Republic - Essay Example

Rome civilization Introduction The history of Rome s back more than 2,800 years ago when the town rose from a small Italian village in the 9th century BC (Lewis and Reinhold 12). Rome was the center of civilization that dominated Mediterranean region. Rome was eventually dominated by people from Germanic origin thus leading to the middle Ages. The civilization started thriving in the Italian Peninsula that is located in Mediterranean Sea and was mainly centered on the city of Rome. Rome city expanded to be one of the ancient cities in the world. Rome city has existed over the last 12 centuries. The civilization moved from monarchy to aristocratic republic governments and lastly an autocratic empire. Rome became one of the most powerful entities in the world due to conquests, assimilations that were mainly carried out in Southern Europe, North Africa, Eastern Europe and Northern Europe. Romans in the city believed that the city was founded in 753 BC, but modern historians assert that the city was found from a small village in the year 625 BC. The city was governed by Kings, and several of them had ruled before the modern Rome city. The origin of the city is connected with Alba Longa, the main city of Latium that evolved from Troy in Asian Minor (Liberati and Bourbon 65). The evidence of human occupation of Rome city dates back at least 14,000 years. The ancient legendary ruler, Romulus and his close brother Remus decided to establish the city. After several bitter arguments, Romulus killed Remus and decided to name the city Rome. Rumulus invited several neighboring tribes and abducted young men whom he forced to establish Roman senate. The Ancient Rome society contributed greatly to civilization of the government, law, politics, literature, art and religion (Lewis and Reinhold 20). Rome started as pastoral settlements in the Palatine hills and the Tiber River. Rome was strategically positioned since traders crossed it when travelling to the North and South of the Peninsula. Italian speaking communities such as Sabines, Umbrians and Latinns settled in different positions surrounding the Rome city. Etruscans was the dominant tribe in Rome at around 650 BC. During this time, Pons Sublicius Bridge was constructed to replace Tiber Ford since Etruscans had some great engineers. Within years, Etruscans expanded to the south were they later encountered a deadly conflict with Greeks. In the early days, every male Roman citizen had to be registered and attend a census in Rome. He was required to disclose his wealth including children, riches, wives and slaves. The registration and census was geared at granting the citizen freedom since those who failed to comply were sold as slaves. Census was a symbolic function since it made the Romans people who were capable of collective action. Such society was characterized by high hierarchy in the society in the social ladder (Liberati and Bourbon 85). Roman republic At this time, Rome rebelled and gained self-independence from Etruscans and abandoned the traditional monarchy government system to Republic government that was composed of Senate. Magistrates were elected annually. Etruscans also had introduced the worship of gods such as Juno, and Jupiter (Lewis and Reinhold 45). After 500 BC, Rome was now a republican city and joined in rebellion against Sabines thus establishing control of the countries it had surrendered during the Monarchy. In 387 BC, Rome was burned down by Senones from the Eastern parts of Italy who had successfully conquered the Roman army in Etruria. Later, Rome pushed southwards where the community engaged in the battle of Caudine Forks. Rome was later to be faced with Conflict of Orders that entailed political struggles between the commoners, and aristocrats. The demand of equality by the Commoners (Plebeians) led to the enactment of the Constitution of Roman republic that gave the commoners some real power and limited rights. By the end of the 3rd century BC, Rome was a pre-eminent city of the Italian Peninsula and went through significant expansions due to demand of farming land from Italian farmers. Rome emerged victors during the first Punic war and expanded the territory to Sardinia and some parts of Spain. The final years of the republic were characterized by internal struggles between Rome and allies. Social wars made Rome change its policy towards slaves. Rome had gained substantial power and influence thus leading to many social problems that the Magistrates could not solve. In 49 BC, Julius Caesar marched his legions against Rome and conquered by was later assassinated (Lewis and Reinhold 135). Roman Empire By the end of Republic era, the city had dominated Mediterranean with an estimated population of 450,000 to 3.5 million people. Augustus established the Empire as the sole ruler. The great fire of Rome significantly destroyed most parts of the city. Rome was been subsidized with about 20 percent of the grain supply coming from the government. Commerce and industry was not thriving like in other cities such as Alexandria thus it had to depend on supplies from other parts of the world. Five emperors had ruled before the onset of the ‘crisis of the third century’ that was characterized by disasters and political troubles. Emperor Aurelian decided to encircle the capital with a massive wall to minimize dangers of invasions. This period saw a wave of construction activities such as Basilica in the Forum, Arch of Constantine and many others that were built by Maxentius. Christianity started to set foot in the city with the appointments of Pope thus diminishing the powers of the senate. The city was sacked by Alaric and by unpaid Roman troops composed of Barbarians in several occasions. The whole world was surprised by the fall of Rome since many inhabitants fled leaving an estimated 50,000 inhabitants. Many monuments were destroyed and statutes looted by the people for their personal use. Saint Peter’s Basilica was built at this time (Lewis and Reinhold 238). Christianity Rome was finally moving from Pegan god to Christianity that emphasized on martyr. Christianity arrived in the first AD, but the imperial authority regarded it as Jewish Sect rather than a religion in the next two centuries. There are no strict laws against religion but the local authority officials would prosecute some Christians who refused to recant. The was a war against the Jews during the Nero reign that led to suppression of the Jewish sect Medieval Rome The last Roman emperor (Julius Nepos) was murdered, and Odoacer who was of Barbarian origin declared allegiance to Eastern Roman Emperor Zeno. He continued ruling Italy as a virtually independent realm. The senate had been stripped most of the powers. After the murder of pro-imperial Gothic queen by Ravenna, Eastern Roman emperor, Justinian decided to send his troops to capture the city. Ostrogoths sacked Rome thus starting the Gothic wars. Latin language, Christianity, and Roman law ruled Rome during these middle ages (Liberati and Bourbon 106). In 552, Narses captured the city for Byzantium thus leading to decline in commerce and disappearance of senate. Pope Gregory started to emancipate the city in 590 and exercised great power than the imperial governors. Many buildings were converted in to Churches and papal elections dominated the city as the main event in the next 12 centuries. There was a division of the citizens in to soldiers, clergy, nobility and the lowest class. The coronation (800) of Charlemagne as the West emperor led to ambiguous relationships between the Popes and emperors (Liberati and Bourbon 90). Rome and Clergy and the papal elections were later dominated by the great noble families such as Frangipani and Pierleone and later Colonna. These families build fortresses in the city and impoverished the ancient palaces. From 932 to 954 AD, Alberic governed Rome with a lot of respect and restored the peace but his successor, Otto emperor relapsed Rome in to chaos. Several factions of the papal elections emerged thus leading to election of several popes at the same time. Gregory VII reformed the abuses that were occurring and claimed supremacy of both the municipality and Church. He was later to end his life in exile. Henry VII toke over Rome in 1084, but the Normans came to rescue Gregory thus sacking the city again in 1084 (Christ 45). The Papal authority in the city was challenged in the 12 century that the Communal movement that was led by Arnold of Brescia in 1144 to 1155 AD. Emperor Fredrick 1 later subdued the movement and initiated the election of a republic leader under the papal patronage that was to have an elected senator. However, civil conflicts between Guelphs and Ghibellines and communes initiated a war to subdue neighboring cities particularly Tuscany and Latium (Liberati and Bourbon 77). During the ‘Babylonian captivity’, the political structure changed and the city declined. The pope was replaced with Clement V- the first French Pope (1305-1314) and the papal seat was moved from Rome city to France. The inland areas lost the veneer of Roman culture and the local populations decided to revive the Celtic arts and even Latin language lost its dominance due to new spreading languages. A testimony of the dark period was the littered Rome with remains of the medieval fortifications that were used to defend the baronies (Liberati and Bourbon 180). Renaissance and Rome This period of civilization was characterized by efforts to restore a republic Roman. The successors of Martin V in the 1500 AD were more interested in increasing the Papal powers in 1650 AD. This period was characterized by beautification of the city, patronization in arts and letters. This period had great Popes such as Sixtus IV, Innocent VIII, Leo X, Paul III, and Julius II. Some artistic resources of the Renaissance period included Saint Peter’s Church and Sistine Chapel in Vatican. The Popes also played a critical part in leading the Italian wars thus ultimately resulting to alliance between Francis I of France and Clement VII of Rome. Rome was later invaded by Charles V army who subjected the city to chaos. The Counter Reformation of the 16th century restored the power of Papal Courts and initiated a lot of influence on Jesus society. Farnese Pope Paul II renamed Rome a ‘Holy City’ and renovated major buildings such as Splendid Palazzo Farnese, which is an impressive palace in the city. He also contributed to the founding of the order of Jesuits (1540) which later led to Jesuit Church. There was some religious tolerance between the Jews and Christians in Rome. The city benefited from economic growth due to the influx of thousands of pilgrims due to the splendor of religious events. The Popes encouraged music, arts, and the restoration of monuments thus making Rome a cultural center in the world (Lewis and Reinhold 56). Baroque Rome and Risorgimento Pope Sixtus V initiated major construction works in the city such as Acqua Felice Agueduct and three streets in the city. The district of Borgo was also incorporated to Rome city and the population was significantly cosmopolitan. The religion was expressed in Baroque style. Popes like Innocent X, Alexander VII, and Urban VII initiated the Baroque style architecture. Baroque architectures like Francesco Borromini contributed to giving the city a new look that included precious palaces, villas and parks. Some notable landmarks included French steps, and the famous Fontana di Trevi of the 18th century. Rome soon became a cultural attraction and many wealthy and young men from Britain occasionally visited the town top witness the architecture. Napoleon later of French later captured the city and proclaimed it as the second city of France senate. In 1797, French troops invaded and damaged the city both politically and economically since they stole all art treasures and brought them to France. The Popes lost their political power till the Congress of Vienna (Spielvogel 78). The Risorgimento saw the Vienna Congress that returned the pre-existing political structure before Napoleon invasion. There was restructuring of the Papal authority and Pope Pius VII returned to Rome to restore the art that had been damaged. His reign did not last long since Napoleon had provoked the uprising of Italian patriotism that led to several nationalist uprisings that finally culminated to unification of Italy. Italy shared the same revolutionary ideology with several European states and started advocating for liberty and independence. Giuseppe Mazzini was elected as the republic assembly in Rome, but the French later send an army to aid Pope Pius VII. The Kingdom of Italy finally conquered the Papal headquarters in Rome in 1870 ending the papal rule in the city (McNeese 149). Unification of Rome In 1796, French troops led by Napoleon invaded the Papal States and occupied Rome in 1798. The French troops deported Pope Pius VI and proclaimed Rome a republic. Papal rule was later restored in 1814, but Pope Pius IX yielded to the civil and liberal demands and granted Rome a constitution. The Italian Kingdom was proclaimed in 1862 and included most of the Papal States, but Rome still remained a Protectorate of Napoleon III. After the onset of Franco-Prussian War, Napoleon III was unable to protect the Papal States and soon Italian forces entered Rome city through Porta Pia. Rome and Latium were both annexed and was controlled by the Kingdom of Italy. Pope Pius IX rejected an over to control Western parts of Rome including Leonine city as a small Papal city. He later referred himself as a prisoner of the Vatican and all royal families later became known as Black Nobility. The end of Napoleon rule in 1870 saw the occupation of Rome by the Italian troops and ultimately Rome was made the capital city of Italy (Lewis and Reinhold 204). Modern Rome The modern Rome was characterized by high growth of the city. The modern Rome was preceded by the declaration of Rome as the Italian Capital. The city saw an increase in population and the area are within the ancient wall was constructed. Several new quarters and great modernization work was erected along Tiber River in order to prevent floods. Mussolini was later to come to power due to Fascist Marches of 1922. Mussolini’s dictatorship led to the destruction of some old quarters (Spielvogel 145). After the start of the World War II in 1944, Rome fell to the allied forces. After the end of the war, the city experienced high economic growth, cultural revival and artistic work. In 1950, Pope Pius XII made Rome the Spiritual Capital for the Catholic Church leading to annual pilgrims flocking the city each year. Rome city hosted the 1960 Olympic Games (Christ 178). Conclusion Current Rome reflects a long historical center and civilization. It has the archeological remains of the Ancient Rome. Artistic structures such as Galleria Borghese, Vatican Museums, and fountains can demonstrate the civilization of Rome. Rome economy is mainly supported by tourism and government activities. Rome also hosts several International organizations headquarters such as United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Roman industries produce traditional textiles, machinery, paper and metallic materials. Rome is currently the central point of the Italy railroad network. The city hosts one of the busiest airports in Europe (Leonardo da Vinci). The city is mainly composed of the inner city that is within Aurelian Wall (built in 3rd century AD) and the sprawling outer city that comprises of parts such as the Seven Hills, and Capitoline. Monuments like Pantheon (27 BC) and partly destroyed Colosseum (80 AD) provides a lot of information on the civilization of Rome including art, architecture, and literature. Works cited: Christ, Karl. The Romans: an introduction to their history and civilization. Berkeley. University of California Press. 1984. Lewis, Naphtali and Reinhold, Meyer. Roman civilization: selected readings. New York. Columbia University Press. 1990. Liberati, Annamaria and Bourbon, Fabio. Ancient Rome: history of a civilization that ruled the world. New York. Barnes & Noble. 2006. McNeese, Tim. The Romans. St Louis. Milliken Publication. 1999. Spielvogel, Jackson. Western civilization. Boston. Wadsworth. 2012. Read More