Ancient Rome was the biggest town in the then known world. It is assumed that Rome’s population was over one million folk when the city was at the height of its power. From Rome, the guts of govt beat ; army choices were taken and the vast wealth Rome earned was invested in a series of superb buildings.
To start with, many buildings in Rome were built around the forum. Traditionally, this had been a market place and an area where folks met. it would be a natural place to put central authority buildings, temples and palaces. As Rome grew , however , the forum became more and more crowded. a second town centre was planned and built some distance from the forum but still in Rome itself.
Rome itself had some superb buildings erected within the city. Some exist to this day, all be it in a less amazing state. The most famed is maybe the Colosseum where thousands of Roman citizens would gather for their entertainment - be it animals fighting or gladiators for example. Such grand buildings were constructed so that emperors would be recollected by future generations. The Colosseum was built on the orders of the Emperor Vespasian and completed when the Emperor Titus was in power. The building was ultimately finished in AD 80.
Rome also had numerous triumphal arches assembled throughout the town to celebrate army victories. These served a twin purpose. First, they were a party of the army victories the Romans had and, 2nd, they used to be a reminder to the people of Rome of how potent the regiment was.
As with any city, Rome had its poor and prosperous areas. The poor could only afford to live in wooden houses which were a heavy fire risk in a hot country like Italy. On a number of occasions, Rome suffered severe damage as a consequence of fires beginning in the town’s slums. The slums were also deadly places to go to if you had any money as crime was very common. The Emperor Augustus made a police force to patrol the town but the poor areas remained all but wild. However , for the influential folk of Rome, this was of small importance as they never visited such areas.
The fall of ancient Rome started from about AD 190. The Roman Empire was attacked by clans such as the Goths and the Vandals. Civil wars in parts of the empire further weakened the rule of Rome and respect for Roman law dwindled as a result.
Why was the empire attacked by fierce tribes people? Tribes such as the Goths wished to move south into parts of Europe that experienced a better climate that would aid their farming. This could only bring them into contest with the Romans. Atroughly AD 190, Rome also experienced a succession of poor emperors who simply werenot capable of doing the job.
however , Diocletian faced more than simply executive issues. Moreand more army defences needed to be built across the entire empire. This cost cash that Rome did not have. To pay for these, taxes were increased and additional coins were minted. This lead to inflation causing prices to rise. Therefore , the people of Rome were less than favourable towards those that led them.
With threats from tribes in northern Europe, financial Problems in Rome itself and a civilian population becoming moreand more discontented, Rome could unwell afford further major issues.
In AD 307, Constantine became emperor. He ruled from AD 307 to AD 337. Constantine was Rome’s first Christian emperor and he is considered to once have been astrong ruler.
He thought that Rome as a town was too far away from vital areas of the empire to be of value from a governmental level. Constantine, moved the capital of the empire to a new town - Constantinople. This was a new town that was built on the old city of Byzantium. Whatever the motives were, Constantine’s decision was a poor one. Constantinople was much further east than Rome and forcefully in the eastern empire. This left the western empire really exposed - though the eastern empire was hardly free from attacks.
however , in AD 398, the leader of the Visigoths, Alaric, realized the Roman army was so thinly spread, that Rome itself was for the taking. Alaric moved cautiously south but in AD 410 he caught the city of Rome. The town was sacked. Roman held territory in Spain, France, northern Africa and Britain all fell to the assorted tribes that attacked them.
In AD 455, Rome was attacked again. This time the damage was done by the Vandals. The city suffered major damage. In AD 476, the last Roman emperor in the west, Romulus Augustulus, was removed from power by Odovacar, leader of the Goths. This date is mostly utilised by historians as the year the Roman Empire finished. However , Roman rule continued in the eastern empire for a number of years after this date - in modern Greece, Turkey, the Middle East and northerly Egypt. Even if the ancient Rome fell, today it is a cosmopolitan city. If you like to see the old and modern parts of the city do not hesitate and book your Appartment Rome. All the Appartments Rome are a good starting point to make the most out of the city.