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 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.
