| The city founded by Romulus in the 8th century | | | | They had many privileges and lived lives of luxury. |
| BC is located on a permanently navigable river,the | | | | They ran the government but they had many |
| Tiber, not too far from the sea. The site where | | | | obligations too, like each day had to meet with |
| Rome is, is well supplied with springs and healthy | | | | their clients, people of lower status who depended |
| because of the hills. Rome was surrounded not | | | | on them for favors and who they could ask |
| only by city walls but also by a pomerium, | | | | favors in return. Aristocrats could be required to |
| created when a furrow was solemnly ploughed | | | | serve in the military or in a governmental position |
| round the site of a city. | | | | at any moment. Roman rich men, to stay popular |
| Ancient Rome was divided in four regions within | | | | with the people had to spend a lot of money |
| the Pomerium, Suburana, Esquilina, Collina and | | | | putting on festivals and games.Most romans lived |
| Palatina, the original basis of the four urban tribes. | | | | in tiny apartments in huge buildings called insulae ( |
| The power to command the roman state during | | | | islands ) that were three to six stories tall. |
| the republican period was called in latin Imperium | | | | Insulae were not as confortable as apartments |
| and the chief magistrates of the roman republic | | | | today. Some insulae were poorly made and threat |
| were the two consuls. The consuls were the | | | | of fire was constant. But many people were |
| eponymous magistrates at Rome, that is, the | | | | willing to pay the price just to be able to live in |
| Roman year was named after the consuls holding | | | | Rome. |
| office during that year. The literary tradition | | | | Most of the work of running the roman empire |
| describes the establishment of the two consuls as | | | | fell to slaves: some wealthy romans would have |
| one of the major acts in the immediate expulsion | | | | hundreds, or even thousands of slaves, each to |
| of the last kings. Consuls had the power to | | | | serve a certain specific purpose. |
| summon the roman people to assemblies, to | | | | Romans could at times be kind to their slaves. |
| preside over the elections and to convene the | | | | many were affectionate with their slaves, and |
| senate. | | | | they often frred them. Freed slaves could |
| In the first two and half centuries of its | | | | become roman citizens. Still freed slaves owed |
| existence, the roman republic conquered first | | | | their former masters loyalty and often became |
| latium, then all of Italy. | | | | their ex masters clients. |
| The romans annexed much foreign territory to | | | | During the imperial period the streets were |
| their own state, but they also established a | | | | crowded and noisy during the day and at night |
| system of alliances with all other states.The | | | | because to make life even more expensive, it |
| concept of the italian nation is a creation of the | | | | was difficult to cook in the tiny apartments, so |
| romans. | | | | people often ate out at taverns. |
| All of modern Italy is inhabited by people speaking | | | | Discovering the history of ancient Rome allows us |
| various languages coming from the latin.Roman | | | | to understand how we live today and why we |
| society was clearly divided into social classes. At | | | | have some insitutions. |
| the top were aristocratic Romans, called patricians. | | | | |