Roman Empire (The Land of Seven Empires)

''This article is about the Western Roman Empire and The Empire Before the Division by Diocletian. For the Eastern Empire, please see ''Constantine Empire.

Origins
The Roman Empire was started in antiquity, likely founded by Etruscans and Latins in the Province of Italia. Legend states it was founded by twin brothers Romulus and Remus, of whom Romulus became the first king.

The city came first, starting on a hill near the river Tiber. It slowly expanded to six other hills, creating the sprawling metropolis we see today. The early years, however, were not easy. They were plagued by raiders from all directions.

Early Rome was ruled by a series of Etruscan kings, ending when Lucius Tarquinus Superbus was thrown out by his own people. This began the Roman Republic and the expansion into what we know today as Rome.

Early Roman Culture
Roman culture depended largely on their neighbors, the Latins and Etruscans. However, it also drew heavily from Achaian culture in its language and architecture, as well as its laws. Later, it would draw on the Achaian idea of Democracy as well.

List of Roman Kings
Romulus

Numa Pompilius

Tullus Hostilius

Ancus Marcius

Lucius Tarquinus Priscus

Servius Tullius

Lucius Tarquinus Superbus

The Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was a largely Achaian (Athenian, specifically) invention that combined the idea of a representative government. Under the republic, Rome expanded from a city to an empire rivaling that of Alexander's or of Persia.

Roman Politics
Under the republic, Plebeians, or peasants, would vote for Patricians, who represented them in the Senate. The Senate would then choose 3 of their own to become proconsuls, who would approve measures voted on by the Senate. In addition, the Plebeians would choose Tribunes, and if the Senate wanted to get anything passed, they had to go through them. As you can imagine, this made the process tedious and hard to get through.

Culture in the Republic
The Roman Republic was largely seafaring and mercantile, much like the Achaians. The Achaians were more or less allies with the Romans, and this benefited Rome all the more. Land was owned by Patricians, and Plebeians were not allowed to own any. If a Plebeian could not pay off their debt, it meant they would become an indentured slave, sold to the highest bidder at auction.

Life was grand in Rome. Art was developing poets like Virgil and Ovid, and philosophers like Cicero. Rome had largely become the center of culture.

Rome also converted Greek gods to their liking, and to their art. Zeus became Jupiter, Hera became Juno, Heracles became Hercules, et cetera.

The Expansion in the Republic
Rome expanded to the ends of the Earth during this time, conquering Gallica, Dalmatia, Achaia, Judea, Hispanica, Asia, Tunisia, Libya, and Africa.

Early Expansion
While Rome was sacked multiple times during the early republic, it recovered quickly. By 343 BC, it was ready to fight the Samnites, and defeated them with ease in the first Samnite War. By 282 BC, after 3 wars, they had conquered the Samnites. Rome also destroyed the Etruscans, and by 280, the Etruscans were under the rule of Rome.These early efforts in the homeland were precursors of what was to come.

The Pyrrhic War
In 280 BC, there was a dispute between the Romans and an Achaian colony in Italia. This erupted into a chaotic naval war between King Pyrrhus of Epirus and Rome. Rome completely exhausted his armies, and refused to negotiate with him until he withdrew from Italia. Annoyed and tired, Pyrrhus withdrew his armies to Achaia in 275 BC. This completed the conquest of Italia. This displayed Rome's power in the Mediterranean, proving it worthy of fighting the Carthaginians in the Punic Wars.

The Punic Wars
The first Punic war began in 264 BC due to the dispute between Rome and Carthage for Sicilia, Sardinia, and Corsica. Rome won vastly in the battle of the Aegates. Carthage's navy and economy was devastated.

The second Punic war was against Hannibal and his army for the Iberian Peninsula, by attacking several villages aligned with Rome, then attempting to cross the Alps with elephants, which failed miserably. Nevertheless, he presented a pestilence to Rome for many years until he committed suicide while his camp was being raided by the Romans several years later.

The third Punic war involved the invasion of Carthage itself, and the sacking of the city. Rome was now the sole power in the Great Sea.

Rome continued to expand, conquering Judea, Asia, and the rest of Achaia.

Fall of the Republic
The republic was past its time. It was corrupt, and none of the Plebeians liked it. They needed a hero. This was found in a man by the name of Julius Caesar (The namesake of the Armenian Czar and the Germanian Kaiser). He conquered Gallica, making him extremely popular amongst his people. He also had a heart for the poor.

He was elected to proconsul, and then appointed dictator by the senate. He entered Rome with his mistress Cleopatra of Egypt. He was extremely popular amongst his people, and he defeated all of his enemies--except for one--the Senate that had appointed him dictator.

In 46 BC, on the 15th of March, Julius Caesar was stabbed to death by the Senators of Rome. The people exacted their revenge (not one of the senators survived to see the next March). Caesar was greatly mourned, but it was time to move on, and there was now a debate about who Caesar's heir would be.

The Early Empire
Mark Antony, the last opposer to Augustus Caesar's rule as emperor, was defeated, along with his mistress (Cleopatra, again)