Ancient Government
Rome was believed to be founded by two twin brothers, Romulus and Remus. The brothers were raised by a wolf. They ended up founding a city, but they couldn't agree on who the leader would be and who the city would be named after. Romulus ended up killing Remus, naming the city after himself, thus, Rome. At first, Rome's government was run by a senate with 2 consuls. However, Julius Caesar took over Rome in 45 B.C.E and named himself dictator for life. On the Ides of March, 44 B.C.E (March 15), Julius Caesar was killed by enemy assassins in front of the senate. His nephew Octavian established himself as the first Roman emperor, under the name of Augustus Caesar. Rome continued to have good, strong rulers and bad, weak rulers. Eventually, the Roman Empire was split into the Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire. In 476 CE, barbarians from all over Europe invaded the Western Roman Empire and ransacked it. The Eastern Roman Empire went on to become the Byzantine Empire, with the capital in Byzantium (Modern-day Istanbul).
Pompeii Disaster
Pompeii was a city in the Ancient Roman Empire, near modern-day Naples. It was buried completely in ash several meters thick on August 24th, 79 AD, after a catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Pompeii is believed to have been founded in the sixth or seventh century BC, but captured by the Romans in 80 BC. By the time of its untimely demise, Pompeii's population was approximately 20,000 with a complex water system, a port, a gymnasium, and an amphitheater. The destruction of the city was first recorded when a letter of Pliny the Younger describing the explosion and the death of his uncle Pliny the Elder was found. The site was discovered in 1599, but a further excavation was done by Rocque Joaquin de Alcubierre in 1748. The artifacts were well preserved because the ash blocked air and moisture from getting to the city. Pompeii is a key artifact in seeing life of the Pax Romana.
Trade Routes
Rome was famous for its roads and trade routes. The Roman Empire was actually very expensive to run, so trade paid off for most of it. Trade was one of two reasons why the Romans built roads; the other was moving the army around. Sea trade was also very common. The most important port was Ostia, which was only 15 miles from Rome itself. It was at the mouth of the Tiber River, a key geographical feature in the growth of the Roman Empire. Many ships traveled between Ostia and Carthage, a North African city, in a journey that took a zippy three to five days. Ostia also played a major role in the fall of Rome. Alaric the Goth captured Ostia in 409 AD knowing that it would starve the Romans. Trade was a key role in the expansion of the Roman Empire.
Caesar's Rise to Power
Caesar was born into a famous patrician family, but was always a democrat. When a rival of his tried to force him to divorce his wife, Caesar fled Rome. When his rival died, in 78 BC, Caesar returned to Rome and entered politics. He was a gifted orator, which made him popular among his party. By 70 BC, he became a military tribune. In 63 BC, Caesar was elected pontifex maximus, or high priest. Eventually, in 45 BC, Caesar named himself Dictator of Life. He wasn't Dictator for all that long. On March 15th, 44 BC, Caesar was stabbed to death in front of the Senate building. He left everything to his 18-year-old grandnephew, Octavian. Octavian went on to be Caesar Augustus and the first Roman Emperor.
Roman Aqueducts
One of Rome's many accomplishments included aqueducts, which are water transport systems. These arched waterways were completely ahead of their time. Today, some of the aqueducts still are fully operational. These aqueducts carried drinking water, sewer water, and bath water. Three of the most famous aqueducts are the Porta Maggiore, Nero's Aqueduct, and the Arch of Drusus. They were such magnificent architectural achievements that some people today still are boggled by how advanced they are. Using aqueducts like these today would help fix Rome's air polluto problem, as they wouldn't burn fossil fuels to transport water.