The Rise of Rome - the Foundation of the City

The Rise of Rome

In 700 B.C., Rome was a small city of 10000 in the middle of the Italian Peninsula. However, as the Ancient Greeks and their golden age came to a sudden end with the invasions of Alexander the Great, a new power in the west was beginning to awaken. By the 2th century A.D., Rome was the greatest empire the world had ever seen. But what had caused this spontaneous growth?

The foundation of the city

The Italian peninsula seemed a favorable place for the growth of a civilization. In fact, Italy is protected from three sides by the sea and the Northern section is also secured due to the existence of the Alps. Moreover, the peninsula has a rather temperate climate and a land favorable for agriculture. For all of these reasons, early Indo-European farmers began settle. Eventually, Rome, a city dominated by seven hills in the middle of the Peninsula, was born. For the first two centuries after its inception, Rome was of small importance. In fact, it was mostly dominated by a vigorous Etruscan Empire to the North and by Greek colonies to the South. Nonetheless, the Romans used this strategic area to their advantage and became an economic center for trade between the Etruscans and the Greek Colonies. Consequently, Romans were greatly influenced by the Etruscans; they adopted their religion, their language, their skill of urban planning and their love for music and dance.

Conquest of Italy

Soon, with the rise of the Greek golden age, war between the Etruscans and the Greek colonies -which eventually led to Greek victory- resulted in a slow decline of the Etruscan civilization. Later on, after many threats from the Gauls in the north and the Greeks in the south, the Etruscan empire collapsed. Rome, in turn, had become the successor of the Etruscan state, and although being a small city, it had inherited a tradition of expansion from the Etruscans. Rome also had trained a disciplined military force, but it was too early to dominate the entire Italian peninsula. Rome fought from 500 BC to 400BC merely to assure its existence. The history of the city could have ended with the sack of Rome in 390 BC, however, the builders of the city made the momentous decision to rebuild Rome.

During the 5th and the 4th centuries BC, Rome made many advances in military tactics; the javelin was invented, cavalry was used, and the infantry became organized in small regiments. Therefore, Italy gained supremacy over the Etruscans and the Greek colonies and finally, dissolved their unions and annexed these states. Yet, the Samnites, a tribe in central Italy, remained unconquered. During the course of the 3rd century BC, Rome, despite some severe losses, prevailed over this tribe.

Conquest of the Mediterranean World

After the conquest of the Italian peninsula came the next step: conquering of the Mediterranean world. However, one enemy stood firm against this: Carthage -a mighty empire set up by the Phoenicians at about 800 BC. By the 3rd century BC, Carthage possessed many territories in Spain, the Island of Malta, Sardinia and Sicily. The Carthaginian Empire depended much on naval supremacy; nevertheless, the spectacular growth of Rome, a land-based Empire, worried its rival and eventually led to the Punic Wars.

First Punic War

In the beginning of the First Punic War, Carthage was a wealthier state than the Roman Republic. It also had a larger and better trained fleet. Nevertheless, when the war began over Sicily, Rome built a navy and due to the incredible tenacity of the Republic, and several bold moves made by Roman generals, Rome eventually won.

Second Punic War

In order to pay the great debt to Rome, Hannibal invaded Spain and conquered much of it.