The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire

Rome and Its Rise and Fall
Roman power during the Age of Caesar

Early Beginnings

Founding:
According to the legends, Rome was founded in 753 BCE by Romulus.

Etruscan Influence:
The earliest civilization expressed in Roman arts and structures was the Etruscans.

From Republic to Empire

Roman Republic:
It was begun in 509 BCE. Rome grew via warfare as well as diplomacy.

Punic Wars:
Defeated Carthage in a series of wars and became a dominant world power in 264-146 BCE.

Julius Caesar:
His ascent and death put an end to the Roman Republic in the year 44 BCE.

Augustus:
Assumed the title of the emperor in 27 BCE, began the Era of Roman peace called Pax Romana.

Expansion and Consolidation

Military Strength:
Ancient Rome was better only in terms of military and construction skills.

Infrastructure:
Transported, supplied, and urbanized territories to exercise and incorporate them.

Cultural Integration:
Thus, Romanized the empire as regards laws, culture, language, etc.

Decline of Romans
Internal Problems

Political Corruption:
These vices forced inefficiency and corruption, thus reducing the authority of the government.

Economic Issues:
The society suffered from high taxes that plunged the economy in inflation, reliance on slaves to do most of the jobs and lack of adequate funds to boost the economy.

Social Decay:
Erosion of civility caused the society to be less stable.

External Pressures

Barbarian Invasions:
Incompetent kings as well as invasions from different tribes such as the Visigoths and the Huns were destructive to Rome.

Military Overreach:
Such a huge empire was quite difficult to protect.

Division:
By settling for the division of the empire in 285 CE, the authority was decentralised.

Key Events

Sack of Rome (410 CE):
There was the invasion of the Visigoths, who plundered Rome, impacting the aspect of the image.

Fall of Western Empire (476 CE):
Thus we get to know the last emperor that was deposed by Odoacer.

Eastern Empire:
It evolved into the Byzantine Empire and remained so till 1453.

The case of the Romans informs the broad theme of how the most successful societies can see their trajectories halted by internal vices as well as external forces.