Roman
civilization
(750 BC to 476 AD)
The Romans began as a small tribe living
in modern Italy but expanded to create the
largest and longest lasting empire of
antiquity. They were a hardy and
industrious people who survived in a
violent world mainly by creating a powerful
army. The Roman Army went through
many changes over the thousand years of
its existence and failed eventually to
defend the empire, but in general it was
consistently superior to opponents from
all corners of the world. The empire
expanded on the strength of the ruthless and aggressive Roman legions, and consolidated through
benign administration and public works on an unprecedented scale.
The people who became the Romans migrated from northern Europe and settled on the plains south of
the Tiber River. They established towns on the seven hills near the river. These towns eventually
merged to form their capital city of Rome. As first a republic and then an empire, Rome began
expanding after 400 BC and eventually controlled the entire Mediterranean coastline, Europe west of
the Rhine and south of the Danube, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Asia Minor, and modern England.
The Roman Empire in the West ceased to exist in 476 AD, although it was gone for practical purposes
many decades earlier. The proximate cause of the collapse was invasion across the Rhine and Danube
Rivers by Germanic settlers. Many underlying causes for the collapse have been suggested. The
adoption of Christianity and preoccupation with the afterlife instead of practical matters on Earth was
one. The increasing inability to administer the large empire was another. Taxes were required after the
second century to support the large army and this caused unrest and revolt in the provinces. The slave
economy went into decline because slaves became sparse when conquests ceased after the second
century. The empire failed to industrialize because of its dependence on slavery. Plague took a heavy
toll on the population and trade declined thereafter. The army declined in quality because mercenaries
had to replace citizens that avoided service as soldiers and officers. Repeated turmoil and civil war over
succession to the throne sapped the strength of the legions and brought barbarian contingents into the
army.
The legacy of the Romans was broad and far-reaching. It
includes the transmission of much ancient culture to the
modern age, especially Greek art and literature. The Romans
began urbanization of Europe. In addition to Rome, they
founded Paris, London, Lyons, Bordeaux, Cologne, Toledo,
and Milan. Modern railway gauges trace back to wagon ruts in
Roman mines. The Romans excelled at engineering and
construction, and first used the arch, the dome, and concrete.
A few of their famous roads, bridges, and aqueducts are still in
use. The Latin language influenced the later development of
the French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian
languages. Roman law was codified and updated by the
Byzantines and is the basis of law for most European
countries today.
Chapter 4: Civilizations
13
