All roads lead to Rome

They say all roads lead to Rome , but it seems a cheap Ryanair flight can work just as well. In just over 2 months I will be embarking on my first excursion to the city that ruled the world, and I am sure it will not be my last. Having a brother who studied Ancient History at University, the subject of Rome is not foreign to me, yet its only in the last couple of years that I have really started to appreciate just how magnificant a period of history the Roman Empire was. Riddled with treachery, murder, civil war and military campaign, the Roman Empire had it all, and lost it all.

Rome, born through the bloodshed at the hands of Romulus, spanned 12 centuries, right up to its final days of Barbarian invasion in AD 476. The Roman war machine was an unstoppable force, acquring territories from the shores of Spain, to borders of Parthia (Modern day Iran/Iraq), and as far south as the Sahara. In the early years of the republic, the granting of clemency to all conquered enemies meant that not only were new provinces claimed, but the people within them had the opportunity to join forces with Rome, becoming citizens and paying its taxes. This not only lead to the aquisition of larger armed forces, and increased trade and resources, but also to a more manageable empire, with the fear of uprising diminshed through Rome's imperium over its enemies. With military campaign came a political system which can be seen in modern times, with the struggle for democracy a constant thorn in the Empire's side. Early figures in Rome's history such as Tiberius looked to bring power to the people of Rome through land reform, but this form of democracy, taking power from the senate and giving to the people, was not widely accepted, especially by the elite of Rome.

The rejection of democracy lead to an era of dictators, such as Caesar (arguably) and the creation of Emperors such as Nero and Constantine to name but a few. With "Imperium", the leaders of Rome could do as they wished, which inevitably lead to civil unrest, something which plagued Rome throughout its history. Nero took autocracy to new heights, killing all potential successors to his throne, as well as his wife and son, and through matricide of the highest treachery, his own mother. As well as political scandel, military campaign formed the backbone of the empire.
As mentioned above, the Empire's borders stretched far and wide, with victory over formidable enemies such as Carthaginians, Etruscans, and Jews, the empire grew to an unmanageable size. This lead to the empire being split in half, and the rise of the tetrachy (four emperors). 2 emperors were to control the East, and 2 to control the West. This system eventually lead to an internal battle between the Emperor of the West, Constantine, and the Emperor of the East Licinius. Constantine, the first Emperor to openly support Christianity, was victorious, but on the horizon was a more formidable enemy, the Barbarians. Following the success of Alaric, leader of the Goths, Rome's once powerful empire was in decline. The final blow came from the Huns, an army from the East, expert with a bow, and led by a formidable figure, Attila.

A true depiciton of the struggle encompassed in human nature is epitomised in the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. The inevitability of revolt caused by oppression, and the struggle to control an ever expanding empire are just a few of the factors which culminated in causing Rome's downfall. Yet the legacy of Rome is omnipresent in todays world. Political systems, military tactics, language, and the legal system are but a few of the inheritances from the Roman Empire. It seems that Rome is still very much alive, and to experience just a snippet of the once great empire when I visit in April is something I cannot afford to miss.


I advise anyone interested in Rome and the rise and fall of its empire to read Simon Baker, Ancient Rome. With far more fluidity of prose and knowledge than myself, Baker covers the pivotal moments in Rome's rise and fall, covering key figures such as Caesar, Nero, Constantine, whilst maintaining a firm grasp of the overall political and military situation. Well worth a look. (Robert Harris' "Imperium", also a good read if interested in Political masterminds such as Cicero).