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Articles

The Roman state existed in practice for XIII centuries, being the power which was impacting the history. Therefore, I decided that I would tell the history of ancient Rome in the articles below, which will not necessarily cover only the Eternal City.

I encourage you to send articles and point out any corrections or inaccuracies.

When was ancient Rome really founded?

In general history, there is understanding that Rome was founded in 753 BCE by the legendary king Romulus, who according to the Romans was the son of Mars – the god of war and the priestess of the goddess Vesta, who was to descend from the family of Aeneas himself. The real date of founding Rome was not known fully even for Romans. Furthermore, archaeologists and researchers conducted their own attempts to determine when the “Eternal City” was founded.

Visualization of the Temple of Venus the Mother of Mother at the Forum of  Caesar in Rome

Structure of early Imperial Roman army

The Roman Legion (legio) was organized to ensure maximum efficiency not only at the level of the entire legion, but also at its individual units. To this end, a strict command structure and precise division into individual units was created, which was largely due to the long evolution of the Roman army throughout history.

Roman legionnaires

History of Rome

The origins of Rome are shrouded in mystery. There are many legends about the rise of Rome. One of them says that the city was founded by the hero of the Trojan war – Aeneas. After capturing and destroying Troy, he was to come to a land called Latium. He died shortly thereafter, which caused prolonged struggles to gain power among his descendants.

Roman Pantheon

Antonine Plague

The Antonine Plague (pestis Antonini), also called the Plague of Galen, was a pandemic brought to the Roman Empire by returning Roman soldiers from the Middle East campaign. The scourge, which according to today’s research was most likely smallpox or measles, overrun the Empire in 165-180 CE.

Antonine Plague

Secessio plebis

Ancient Rome from the beginning of its existence consisted of two social layers – patricians and plebeians; higher and lower state respectively. Lack of influence on state decisions and the use of plebe by patricians led to the so-called secessio plebis that took place five times in Rome’s history.

B. Barloccini, Plebeian Secession

Roman triumvirates

In ancient Rome, the term “triumvirate” (from trium viri – “three men”) was used to describe a college made up of three officials elected to perform certain tasks. Two such meetings have gone down in the history of Rome. Both took place during the so-called crisis of the Roman republic and decided about the division of power between influential politicians. In fact, these were agreements bypassing the senate, which was losing its prerogatives.

Three influential politicians: Pompey, Crassus and Caesar 

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