The Rise of Imperial Rome - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages Afterwards, more provinces became romanized and integrated they themselves played an increasing role in the empire governing. The people in the new provinces gradually started getting roman citizenship and later the provinces came to form significant minorities in the Rome senate (Jill, 286). However, the citizenships extended always tend to exclude women and slaves. The same time the provinces were be included in the senate, the economic centre of the empire began to move towards the provinces within the Roman Empire from Italy. Trade started expanding and extending to other markets such as Italy and beyond. The trading that went on within the provinces of trading everyday items between those in the empire created a sense of communion. However, a clear defined line between the east and west was still laid down. In the east Greek was spoken as an official language while in the west Latin was the official language at this time. However, through the years Latin remained to be a marker of Romanness. The trading opportunities for Rome Empire were diverse and plentiful. Roman glassware and pottery were traded east. Gold and silver coins were the main form of payment, draining 100 million sesterces every year from the empire. Among the trade that took place in Rome was also slave trade (history.com/topics/ancient-rome). During Augustus reign as many as 35 percent of Italian people were slaves. Therefore Rome was marked as one of the five slave societies in history. Slaves in Rome Empire constituted at least a fifth of the people in the population and played a major role in the economy. History of the rise of imperial Rome Initially, Rome was governed as a republic before it becoming an empire. It had three major elements; the central government, military and provincial government. In the 3rd century BC, Rome had begun taking over provinces. During this time, Sulla and Caesar governed Rome and they had both achieved the rank of absolute ruler, however, their reign was short lived, owing to the crisis that the empire underwent in the 3rd century, which threatened its existence. Fortunately, the situation was stabilized and reunited. This was four centuries before it became the greatest empire. Furthermore, the provinces were administered by former praetors and consuls. The consuls and praetors were elected to one year term and held right of command. Consequently, Rome transitioned from republic to imperial autocracy due to the amassing of misappropriates military power and wealth by some men through their provincial commands and this was a lead factor for the transition. After the transition from a republic to an empire the first empire was Augustus. The first empire Augustus obtained his role as a supreme ruler after defeating Antony and Cleopatra in 31 BC, at the battle of Actium. The emperor was the overall authority in decision and policy making and his practical source of power and authority was the military. Augustus rejected titles associated with monarchy and otherwise referred to him as princeps which meant the leading citizen. Moreover, in his era, Augustus order to the chaos that almost took 20 years of civil war was finally brought to an end (Duncan, 24). Areas that had been added to the Roman republic needed to be reconstructed as provinces to the empire, therefore Augustus reorganised the provinces such as Asia Minor and Syria, and then held the Parthian empire in check using cunning diplomacy. During the reign ...Download file to see next pagesRead More