Then he conquered what’s now France and invaded Britain.Įven though his troops and many Roman citizens supported him, the Senate worried he was too powerful and wanted him gone. Serving as consul, Caesar made new laws that benefitted his troops and other regular citizens. In 59 B.C., Gaius Julius Caesar, a politician and military general, used the chaos to take power. But then a series of civil wars divided the people. Next they conquered Greece.įor 500 years, the republic system mostly worked. In 146 B.C., they destroyed the city of Carthage (in modern-day Tunisia, in northern Africa), which was Rome’s greatest rival for trade in the western Mediterranean Sea. The Roman army fought many wars during this period, first conquering all of what’s now Italy. Senators were appointed by other officials and could hold their positions for life. Both consuls worked with senators, who advised the consuls and helped create laws. presidents and kept each other from taking too much power. Only male Roman citizens could cast votes women and enslaved people-often brought back as prisoners from military battles-could not.Įlected officials included two consuls who acted sort of like today’s U.S. That meant that some citizens could vote for their leaders and other important matters. (One myth says that the town was founded by two brothers-Romulus and Remus-who were raised by a wolf.) For about 500 years, the area was ruled by a series of kings as it grew in strength and power.īut around the year 509 B.C., the last king was overthrown, and Rome became a republic.

History of ancient RomeĪround the ninth or tenth century B.C., Rome was just a small town on the Tiber River in what’s now central Italy. Lasting over a thousand years, the ancient Roman civilization contributed to modern languages, government, architecture, and more. These ancient people were living in the center of a vast empire that spanned across Europe, northern Africa, and parts of the Middle East. Men wearing togas and women in long dresses called stolas will spend the next hundred days watching gladiator games and wild animal fights to celebrate the opening of this amphitheater.

It’s the year 80, and these people are entering the newly built Colosseum for the first time. Tens of thousands of Romans take their seats in an enormous stadium made of stone and concrete.

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