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Roman state existed for nearly thirteen centuries, repeatedly exerting a profound influence on the course of history. I present the history of ancient Rome in the individual articles below, which not always refer solely to the Eternal City itself but encompass the wider world of the Roman Empire.
I encourage you to submit your own articles and to report any corrections or factual inaccuracies.
One of the most breakthrough periods in the history of Roman Empire were the years of wars with Carthage. The First Punic War began in 264 BCE and ushered in a new chapter in the history of Rome, the so-called period of the great conquests. The very rapid spread of the territorial power of the Romans influenced many aspects of the internal life in their country, including religion, which underwent significant transformations during this period.
In the times of the republic, the Romans were famous for their extraordinary religiosity. This opinion was already expressed by a Greek Polybius and Cicero, writing that: piety and we are religious above all peoples and nations. The early Roman religion, however, was very reluctant to exalt and worship outstanding individuals. It was related to the political and social system in Rome. In this way, the possibility of the return of the monarchical system so hated by the Romans was avoided. However, despite this, as the Empire grew, eminent leaders began to play an increasing role in Roman politics and religion. Over time, they began to be assigned unique features, which were to be due to the protection of the gods. Ultimately, this process led to the divine exaltation of individuals or so-called deification.
In ancient Rome, the simplest method of conveying information or the content of your work was to deliver it – recitation (recitatio), which was certainly based on Greek symposiums (symposium). Seneca the Elder reports that a certain Asinius Pollio, who wrote during the reign of Octavian Augustus (27 BCE – 14 CE), invited guests to read his work1. Pliny the Younger, Martial and Juvenal regret that in their time there was a really big number of people reciting their songs.
