Steven Freeman
HIS 206-01D
Professor Shelton
June 2, 2016
Classical Rome: From Rise to Fall
As we know, Rome is probably one of the biggest classical ancient civilizations that this
world has ever experienced. From its ruthless, uncaring leaders, its massive expansion (peaceful
and sometimes violent when other states didn’t want to cooperate) throughout Europe, Egypt,
North Africa, and the eastern Mediterranean lands, its wars between other states, and the
traditions they carried throughout the centuries is amazing. All of these factors lead up too many
different outcomes and happenings in the Roman empire. Its rise was an astonishing one, but it’s
fall was very saddening, but in between these years its political, social, and cultural contributions
have played a huge roll in its Empire. Those aspects molded the empire into what we know it as
today.
The rise of Rome is an interesting and confusing one. When the Empire first started it
was granted a monarchy where kings ruled then sooner or later they switched to a republic due to
the social elite’s hatred towards monarchy itself. One major even that helped the switched was
the Rape of Lucretia, which drove the king out and the social elites help create the republic. A
republic is where the people elected their official and laws were passed by assemblies. In this
rise, the Romans experienced its largest expansion due to the belief of divine destiny. From the
5th to the 3rd century B.C. the roman’s fought civil wars inside Italy to stretch its power, and
wouldn’t stop until it became the most powerful in the whole peninsula. Not before long, the
romans made their way down into Carthage and defeated them declaring them the most powerful
in the Mediterranean. Some of the biggest wars in the history of the Roman empire were named
the Punic Wars. The Punic wars were three sets of wars between the Carthaginian’s and the
Romans. The first was based off of Sicily, then made them the masters of the city. The second
one was based inside Italy, striking back after the first war against Rome. Last, the final war
erupted against the Roman ally the King of Numidia, but then the Roman’s finally said its time
for them to be demolished, and finished the war victoriously. This expanded the Roman empire
into Spain, North Africa, Macedonia, Greece, and the western Asia minor.
The fall of the Roman empire was very sad because such a great empire had to actually
come to an end. It all began with Julius Caesar, who was a part of a three-person alliance
including Pompey, Crassus, and himself. They were all three main superpowers in roman
history. Pompey sent Caesar to Gaul, where he gathered troops and gained his trust during the
