about ancient rome

According to ancient Roman legend, the city of Rome was founded by Romulus, who, along with his twin Remus, was abandoned by his birth mother and raised by a wolf. Besides this bit of lore, not much is known about Rome's origins. However, we do know quite a bit about the powerful, sprawling empire that the city became.

Ancient Rome was located near the Tiber River, and as the empire expanded from the Italian peninsula to encompass much of modern-day Western Europe, it became a hub of maritime trade in the Mediterranean. As a trading powerhouse in the ancient world, Rome was in close contact with England, Egypt, India and China. Romans had ships that could hold up to 1,000 passengers, and their land routes like the Appian Way evolved into busy roads that are still in use today. Ancient Rome put a lot of stock in civil engineering; even the empire's bridges and aqueducts are still functional.

As a society, the ancient Romans were pragmatic people who were more interested in meeting their basic needs than fulfilling their hedonistic urges; however, as the empire became wealthier, more Romans became pleasure-seekers. Ancient Rome was divided into two classes: wealthy patricians and working plebeians. Slaves were a class unto themselves and were excluded from government. Most Romans were farmers, fishermen and miners who produced olive oil, wine and metal weapons. The people worshipped gods of the hearth and harvest and would later adopt members of the Greek pantheon for their own spiritual purposes.

The ancient Romans set many important precedents for language, government and science that continue to influence our modern societies. For a closer look at the gladiators, Epicureans and the original Senate, step inside the ancient Roman portal through HowStuffWorks.

what's inside: ancient rome

 

Battles & Wars

Long ago, battles raged across Europe and Asia as the powerful Roman Empire struggled to control vast lands and diverse peoples. These articles explain important battles and the role they played in Ancient Roman politics and culture. See more »

Biographies

From poets to philosphers to mathemeticians, learn about a huge variety of Ancient Roman figures in the Ancient Roman Biographies channel. These articles trace the life stories of some of Ancient Rome's most influential individuals. See more »

Peoples & Government

Ancient Roman Peoples and Government covers the history and stories of significant political players of the Roman Government. From foreign policies to internal scandal, explore the inner workings of the Ancient Roman government. See more »

Roman Gods

Roman deities, such as Jupiter and Venus, played important roles in ancient Roman history. Learn about the roles and symbols of the ancient Roman deities. See more »

Sites & Structures

Imagining a distant time is much easier if you know a bit about the landscape. Explore Ancient Roman Cities and Sites in these articles to get a better picture of this ancient world. See more »

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Did Nero really play the fiddle while Rome burned?

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