Posted by The history of ancient Rome spans over 1,000 years. Here you will find a brief overview of the most important periods of ancient Roman history.
Roman Kingdom (ca. 753–509 BC):
According to legend, Rome was founded in 753 BC. Founded by Romulus and Remus.
The Roman kingdom was characterized by the rule of kings and lasted until the founding of the Roman Republic.
Roman Republic (509–27 BC):
The Roman Republic was founded in 509 BC. Founded after the fall of the last Roman king.
Rome was originally a republic with a system of separation of powers, including the Senate and the People’s Assembly.
Rome expanded its territory by conquering Italy and the Mediterranean.
Important conflicts include the Punic Wars with Carthage, which led to Roman dominance in the western Mediterranean.
Roman Empire (27 BC – 476 AD):
The Roman Republic merged into the Roman Empire with the rise of Julius Caesar and the subsequent reign of Augustus, who became the first Roman Emperor.
The Pax Romana (Peace of Rome) marked a period of relative stability and prosperity within the empire.
The empire reached its greatest extent under Emperor Trajan.
Christianity emerged and spread during the Roman Empire, eventually becoming the state religion under Emperor Constantine.
Important for travelers to Rome: We have only ever seen queues in Europe that are hundreds of meters long or several hours long in Rome. This is especially true for St. Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum and the Vatican Museums. Be sure to buy skip-the-line tickets online beforehand and skip the queue!: There are such tickets on this link
Decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire (3rd to 5th centuries AD):
Economic problems, military decline, and internal unrest contributed to the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
The Visigoths sacked Rome in 410 AD, and the Vandals did the same in 455 AD.
Romulus Augustulus, the last Roman emperor of the West, was deposed by the Germanic chieftain Odoacer in 476 AD.
Youtube video Ancient Rome history in 20 min
Our 3 articles on the history of Rome: