Friends, students educators lend me your ears.

I come to bring you this new addition of History in a Nutshell.

In this episode, we will be traveling back thousands of years to some of the earliest days of western civilization.

So what comes to mind when you hear the words Ancient Rome?

Gladiators?

Architecture?

Emperors?

Perhaps togas?

Join me as we take a journey through Ancient Rome from Rome's founding and the Republic to the reign of the emperors and its eventual collapse.

What began as a small group of villages on the River Tiber, Rome would grow to become one of the world's largest and most influential superpowers, stretching all the way from Western Europe and Asia to the Middle East and North Africa.

Now, there are two versions of how Rome began there are the grandiose mythological tales such as traditional Roman.

Legend or what is chronicled in Virgil's the Aeneid.

And then there is the true story.

According to Roman legend, Romulus and Remus were the sons of Mars, the God of War himself.

Left to die as babies on the River Tiber by king Amulius of Alba Longa.

The boys were raised by a she wolf and eventually overthrew King Amulius.

Instead of ruling Alba Longa for themselves Romulus and Remus wanted to found a city of their own.

Sadly Romulus ended up killing his brother over a dispute regarding the hill on which to settle.

Romulus eyed Palatine Hill while Remus preferred Aventine Hill.

Following Remus' death.

Romulus is said to have become Rome's first king on April the 21st, 753 BC.

In reality archaeological evidence suggests that Rome was a thriving town long before 753 BC.

For about 200 years, Rome was ruled by kings.

Though these kings were more akin to tribe or village leaders than actual kings.

These kings ruled with absolute power, known as Imperium.

They created laws, served as the chief religious leader and head of the military.

The kings were also responsible for expanding Rome's size and did so by conquering neighboring territories.

Wealth from the surrounding regions flowed in, which enabled Rome to become as large and as prosperous as it did.

However, not much is known about Rome's first four kings, which were Latins.

Romulus' successor King Numa Pompilius began some of Rome's earliest building projects, but Roman architecture wouldn't really take off until Etruscan rulers from the northern region of Etruria took power in Rome.

The Etruscans are noted for transforming Rome from a village into an actual city.

A sewer called the Cloaca Maxima was Rome's first major construction project and enabled the marshy region between Capitoline Hill and Palatine Hill to be drained and paved over with gravel.

This area became known as the Roman forum, a bustling city square which featured the king's residence where trials of political events were held and where citizens could shop and socialize.

The Etruscans are attributed to giving the Romans writing, public buildings and a new political, social and military organization.

However, while Roman culture would most certainly be influenced by the Etruscans, the Romans ultimately maintained their own way of life.

It would not be long before the Romans would throw off the yolk of monarchy and establish itself as a Republic.

The last of the Etruscan Kings Lucious Tarquinius Superbus was extremely unpopular with the Roman people.

He was not only a tyrannical ruler but was responsible for deposing his predecessor King Servius Tullius along with senators who remained loyal to him.

Now it's important to note that even before Rome became a Republic there was already an established assembly and Senate, which serve the king in an advisory role.

The Roman elite grew tired of not being taken seriously and as a result Roman aristocrats led by Lucius Junius Brutus incited a rebellion.

forced #*Tarquinius Superbus into exile.

With the overthrow of Tarquinius the people now held the leading powers in Rome, thus beginning the days of the Republic.

Republic comes from the Latin Res Public which literally translates to property of the people.

The transition from monarchy to Republic would not be an easy one however, for the overthrow of the king created major political unrest.

Not only were the leading families involved in power squabbles, but there would also be unrest between the Roman Elite, the Patricians and the lower class, the Plebeians.

After some years of conflict, the Plebeians forced the Senate to create the 12 tables, a series of laws outlining rights for Roman citizens and gave the Plebeians their own representatives in the government called Tribunes.

Even with the 12 tables rights for citizens were still heavily one sided in favor of the Patricians.

For example, at first only Patricians could become Senators.

The Plebeians felt this was extremely unfair in the period from 494 to about 297 BC became known as the Conflict of Orders.

Eventually the Plebeians did gain equal legal footing with the Patricians.

Power in the government shifted from heritage and family ties to wealth and political influence.

From its earliest days the Senate grew from about 100 men to around 900 at the height of the Empire.

How did the Republic work?

The Roman Republic actually functioned similarly to how the U. S. Congress is structured.

The Republic had three branches of government which served different functions and included checks and balances.

There was an Executive Branch, the Consulship, the Legislative Assembly held by the Plebeians and the Senate.

Other magistrate positions existed such as Praetors, Sensors and Aediles but I'll get to those later.

Since Rome didn't want kings anymore they elected Consuls which served as the chief magistrates in Rome.

Two Consuls were elected at the same time and terms only lasted for one year.

They served jointly that's making abuse of power extremely difficult.

Consuls presided over the Senate and the Assemblies when they were in session, served as head of the military and introduced laws which the Senate and assemblies would either pass or veto.

The Senate and legislative assembly, served advisory roles during the Republic.

They performed duties such as preparing legislation, manage finances and foreign relations and supervised the state religion.

While the Senate did not themselves make laws, they instead could issue decrees, which held the same weight.

There were a couple of ways, one could become a senator.

The most common way was to be appointed by either a consul or censor.

But if a person was elected to a magistrate position, he automatically became a senator.

For a Roman citizen, becoming a Senator was a highly sought after goal, for the title, Senator meant a great deal of respect and political esteem.

Other magistrate positions outside of the consulship in the Senate served crucial roles in the Roman Republic.

It was the job of Praetors to enforce Roman laws.

Think of Praetors as the Ancient Roman version of a Judicial Branch.

As Rome grew in size, More Praetors were appointed throughout the empire to enforce laws and to keep the peace.

Censors served a multitude of roles, such as counting Roman citizens and oversaw, major building projects such as roads and aqueducts.

Censors dealt with numerous aspects of daily Roman life and regularly worked with other politicians.

Lastly, Aedials were in charge of maintaining Roman infrastructure and kept records of food, water, and festivities throughout the empire.

A series of wars began in the 4th century BC which enabled Rome to expand from the center of the Italian peninsula, throughout the entire Mediterranean region.

The Gauls invaded Rome in the 4th century, but the Roman military under the command of General Camillus drove the Gauls out of Italy.

Upon the Roman victory, Camillus remarked quote: 'With iron, not with gold, Rome buys her freedom.'

After their victories against the Gauls and Pyrrhus, King of Epirus of Greece, Rome was able to seize control of the entire Italian mainland, and looked to expand into the neighboring island of Sicily.

It is here where Rome would come into conflict with arguably its most historically significant rival, another empire which also sought to take control of the Mediterranean Carthage Carthage and Rome would fight each other not once, not twice, but three times in a series of conflicts known as The Punic Wars.

This series of wars lasted from 264 BC, with the First Punic War to the third ending in 164 BC, over one hundred years of wars against Carthage!

Rome was able to claim Sicily at the end of the first, but by the end of the third, Rome had crushed Carthage into non-existence, and in the process expanded its territories into the regions of his Hispania and North Africa.

Now we have some good news and some bad news.

The good news is, with the defeat of Carthage, Macedonia and the Seleucid Empires, Rome had established itself as a significant world super power in the Mediterranean.

The bad news is, it would mark the beginning of the fall of the Republic.

As Rome spread throughout the Mediterranean, naturally, it also expanded its power and culture throughout the Republic.

Rome was getting larger and thus needed ways to connect the Republic together.

Even with the highly trained and disciplined Roman legions, keeping the peace throughout its territories was a pretty daunting task.

This is where Rome's impressive architecture comes in.

All roads lead to Rome, as the saying goes, and the advent of concrete enabled the Romans to build a network of roads, such as the Appian Way, which finished construction in 264 BC.

With its massive network of roads, Roman legions could quickly traverse long distances whenever and wherever they were needed.

Roads also enabled the Roman economy to grow exponentially, for trade goods and supplies could easily be transported across the empire.

As its roads spread so too did other forms of architecture, many of which can still be seen today.

Aqueducts brought water and sanitation to cities throughout Rome's territories.

Amphitheaters featured plays and gladiatorial games.

And temples devoted to Rome's pagan gods dotted the Empire.

As Rome physically grew in size the amount of political unrest in the Senate increased as well.

The victory against Carthage was both a blessing and a curse for Rome's Republic.

Rome may have grown richer from the spoils of war, but the Senate could not figure out what to do with them.

Arguments and sometimes outright violence broke out between senators, and social classes.

This political unrest would ultimately lead to the Republic's fall.

A pair of Roman Tribune's by the names of Gaius Gracchus and Tiberius Gracchus attempted to reform land legislation in favor of the Plebeians, but unfortunately they were assassinated for their efforts.

While the Senate was distracted with infighting, slave revolts, and piracy in the Mediterranean Sea, military reforms enabled generals to rise to prominence and power outside of the Senate's authority.

General Gaius Marius led a reform which was unheard of for the time.

Citizens who were poor and homeless could join the Army, and thus the army's loyalties shifted from the Senate to their commanding officers.

In 82 BC, a rival commanding general named Sulla, seized control for himself and ruled with absolute power as a dictator.

With the power of the legions behind Sulla, the Senate could do nothing to stop him.

During this dictatorship, social conditions in Rome went from bad to worse.

Rome's population had split into two political divisions, the Populares and the Optimates.

The rich aristocracy hoarded most of the wealth, leaving the lower classes poor and impoverished.

When Sulla stepped down as dictator in 79 BC, he left Rome a social and economic mess.

Sulla's abdication made way for younger military leaders to step forward and take control.

Enter some familiar faces, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, or Pompey, Marcus Licinius Crassus, and last but not least, Gaius Julius Caesar.

Caesar who distinguished himself as a prominent military leader during his campaigns in Spain, was a rising star in Rome.

He was not only a seasoned commander, but also a skilled orator and politician.

Taking advantage of the political turmoil, Caesar seized power by bringing Pompey and Crassus together to form an alliance known as the First Triumvirate.

Unfortunately, this Triumvirate did not last long, for Julia, Caesar's daughter and wife of Pompey, died in childbirth.

Crassus, who acted as a mediator between Caesar and Pompey was killed in 53 BC during his invasion of Parthia.

Without Crassus to be there as the voice of reason in the Triumvirate, Caesar and Pompey eventually turned against one another, and became political rivals.

Seeking more power and fame for himself.

Caesar invaded Gaul, thus earning him a hero status to the legions and the Roman people.

Pompey, now Caesar's arch rival, could do nothing to stop Caesar's armies, and after the famous crossing of the Rubicon River, Pompey fled to Egypt, where he was murdered in 48 BC.

Over the next few years, Ceasar stamped out what little political opposition was left and ultimate power in Rome was now his for the taking.

In February, 44 BC, the Senate begrudgingly named Caesar as perpetual dictator over all of Rome.

Many Optimates in the Senate feared that Caesar would personally overthrow the Republic and re-establish a monarchy.

Optimates took matters into their own hands and on March 15th, 44 BC, the Ides of March, Julius Caesar was assassinated.

Did this coup work?

Nope.

It backfired hard, and Rome was plunged into a series of civil wars.

The Optimates in the Senate had hoped that killing Caesar would restore the Senate's power back in Rome.

However, fate had other plans.

Marc Anthony who was a good friend and colleague of Caesar's, formed a Second Triumvirate, together with Caesar's adopted son, Octavian and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus.

The Second Triumvirate ultimately got revenge against Caesar's conspirators, but like the First Triumvirate, this one did not last either.

Relations between Antony and Octavian diminished when Anthony became a little too involved with a certain Egyptian queen.

Octavian viewed Antony's alliance with Queen Cleopatra as an act of treason.

And after Antony's defeat at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide, bringing an end to the civil wars and ushered in the beginning of a new era for Rome.

Octavian changed his name to Augustus and became Rome's first emperor.

The reign of the emperors had begun.

♪ The death of Julius Caesar in 44 BC plunged Rome into turmoil with a series of civil wars.

Octavian, Julius Caesar's adopted son, ultimately prevailed against his political rival, Marc Anthony in 31 BC.

A few years later in 27 BC, Octavian changed his name to Augustus, becoming Rome's first emperor and established the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

Beginning with Emperor Augustus, Rome would finally experience peace after decades of war and for the next 200 years Rome entered a period known as Pax Romana or Roman peace.

During this period Rome underwent numerous government reforms and cultural expansions.

But what exactly did it mean to be emperor instead of say a consul during the days of the Republic?

Well, unlike a consul who co- ruled under the authority of the Senate, emperors ruled with absolute power.

Important positions of authority originally distributed throughout the government now all fell under the emperor.

The Senate was still around but it existed in name only.

It no longer held the power it once had and transitioned into more of a ceremonial assembly.

The emperor's word was law, but the Roman people did not seem to mind this transition of power, for Augustus was a popular leader during his reign.

He not only further expanded the empire but also provided the people with a steady supply of grain and rebuilt Rome.

The previous civil wars left Rome looking dismal, but Augustus was able to transform the city into a grand metropolis, complete with newer and more stylish infrastructure.

The Roman historian Suetonius wrote that Emperor, 'Augustus found Rome built of sun dried bricks but left her clothed in marble.'

Unfortunately for Augustus himself, the transition of power to his successor did not go the way he had originally planned.

The three people he had in mind had all died during his reign.

And after Augustus' death in 14 AD, the throne passed to his step son Tiberius.

To put it mildly, the next few rulers after Augustus were nowhere near as effective leaders or as revered by the people.

Emperors Tiberius and Caligula were considered evil and tyrannical, especially Caligula, who had the reputation of being an insane madman taking part in all sorts of bizarre habits.

Caligula was not only obsessed with his authority and his money but even nominated his horse for a consulship.

It comes as no surprise that Caligula was assassinated only four years into his reign.

Emperor Claudius came after Caligula, and while being remembered as sickly and handicapped he overcame these adversities and managed to expand the Roman Empire further by adding Britain.

During this period, a new movement was forming which would end up shaping Roman history forever.

That movement was Christianity.

Now Christianity was in its infancy, and was not yet a worldwide religion.

While Emperor Claudius was suspicious of this growing movement in Rome, it was Emperor Nero who is credited with the first persecution of Christians.

And in 64 AD, Nero got the perfect opportunity for a purge.

A massive fire broke out in Rome, which caused catastrophic damage throughout the city.

Many people lost their lives or were left homeless.

Allegedly, Nero purposely started the fire to make room for new ambitious construction projects.

To divert the negative attention away, Nero pointed his finger at Christians, for he viewed them as the perfect scapegoat.

Christians got the blame for setting the city ablaze and were thus rounded up and executed in massive numbers.

Nero would end up taking his own life in 68 AD, putting an end to the Julio-Claudian dynasty.

After Nero's death, 69 AD was a tumultuous year for Rome.

Known as the year of the four emperors.

Four people all wanted to be the next ruler but out of the turmoil came Emperor Vespasian Flavius establishing the Flavian dynasty.

Vespasian along with his son Titus took part in crushing the rebellion known as the first Jewish-Roman War.

It's from the spoils of that uprising, where one of the world's most famous architectural feats came to be: The Roman Colosseum.

The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheater, was commissioned under Vespasian and finished under Titus in 80 AD.

Inside the Colosseum about 50,000 Roman citizens could gather and watch chariot races, gladiatorial games and even mock sea battles.

Yes, they actually flooded the center of the Colosseum and had people in boats fight each other.

Sadly, it was under the reign of Titus, when the infamous Mount Vesuvius eruption happened, wiping out the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

♪ Rome reached its peak between 96 AD and 192 AD under the Nerva Antonine dynasty.

This period saw the reign of the five good emperors and was a stable period of peace, prosperity and wealth for Rome.

Under emperor Trajan, Rome reached its largest size in 117 AD and after his rule the empire shifted from conquering new territories to maintaining order.

Emperor Hadrian is mostly remembered for his architectural accomplishments such as Hadrian's Wall in Britain and The Pantheon in Rome.

The Pantheon was built as a temple to honor Rome's pagan gods.

And today, remains one of Rome's best preserved monuments.

The last of the good emperors was the philosopher king Marcus Aurelius.

While out on military conquests to put down rebellions, Aurelius studied and wrote about the philosophy of stoicism and even had his own take on stoicism published in a book called Meditations.

So if things were going so well for Rome why did it collapse?

What went wrong?

For starters emperor Commodus, the son of Marcus Aurelius was a narcissistic megalomaniac more interested in gladiatorial games and living a lavish lifestyle instead of attending to Rome's upkeep.

Despite what you may have seen in the movie Gladiator, Commodus was not killed in an epic gladiatorial fight against Russell Crowe.

Instead, Commodus was strangled to death in a bath and his death in 192 AD, plunged Rome into chaos.

Over the next hundred years, Rome would see economic depressions, civil wars, invasions, plagues and political violence.

Two massive chunks of the Roman Empire tried to break off and form their own entities but emperor Diocletian came to power in 284 AD and reined the territories back under Roman control.

Emperor Diocletian felt that governing such a massive empire had become too cumbersome and that four smaller kingdoms would be easier to control compared to one large one.

Diocletian established the model of rule called a tetrarchy: four rulers each with kingdoms of their own, with Diocletian still being the sole ruler over all of them.

But this would come at a cost.

Rome ultimately lost the influence it once had and Diocletian resigned from the throne in 305 AD.

Guess what followed after Diocletian's abdication, more civil wars.

The tetrarchs warred against one another for power but one tetrarch named Constantine prevailed against his rivals and became sole ruler of Rome in 324 AD bringing an end to the tetrarchy.

Rome was once again under the rule of one person.

Now, Constantine is an important figure in late Roman history, for during those civil wars he is remembered for having a vision of the Christian cross, just before a major battle.

And after emerging victorious, Constantine converted to Christianity.

Constantine heavily promoted the Christian religion and put an end to centuries of Christian persecution.

To honor these victories, he rebuilt the Greek city of Byzantium in 330 AD and gave it a new name, Constantinople, which he declared to be the new capital of the Roman Empire.

While Constantine heavily supported Christianity, it did not become the official state religion until the reign of Emperor Theodosius the First, who officially put an end to centuries of Roman polytheism.

Theodosius the First was the last emperor of a fully united Roman Empire, for when his sons took over, Rome once again split into two, becoming the Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire.

While the eastern half would survive for almost another thousand years as the Byzantine Empire, the western half suffered constant attacks from barbarians like the Visigoths and the armies of Attila the Hun.

With the deposition of Rome's last emperor Romulus Augustus in 476 AD, The mighty force known as Rome was no more.

Ever since then, historians have debated why exactly Rome fell, proposing many possible theories.

But ultimately, Rome left a lasting legacy on human history.

With Rome's collapse and the establishment of new kingdoms and rulers, these would pave the way for the Middle Ages and the rise of feudalism in Europe.