History of Rome
First, here is a brief history of Rome. This city has a fascinating, rich and complicated history that goes back 3,000 years. Far too much to go into detail here, therefore, but I will break down this history into eras, which will be discussed on your tours, so it is good to have a basic knowledge of this before coming to Rome.
In the beginning, Rome was an Iron Age hut village, developed near the Tiber river on a hilly region which allowed the settlers to see enemies approaching and also protected by the higher ground from the seasonal floods of the river. Not much is known about the city at this time, as there are no written references, only archaeological evidence and the later myths and legends written by the Romans to explain the origin of their city.
The Etruscans seized power of Rome in the early 7th century BC, and ruled, according to legend, with 7 kings being nominated in succession, Romulus being the first, until the final, tyrannical king was ousted in an uprising of the people, who began the Republic in around 509BC.
The Republic grew in power and wealth, first annexing the entire peninsula of Italy, and then conquering overseas lands. Their struggle for domination of the Mediterranean with Carthage, in a 150-year war known as the Punic War, ended with a conclusive victory for Rome. This, together with a professionally-trained army, allowed their continued expansion. It also led to wealthy, power-hungry leaders, who often clashed with each other on the best way to rule the Republic. Eventually, Civil War erupted in the 1st century BC, with Julius Caesar ruling as dictator for a short period, until his assassination led to another 16-year internal conflict, which finally ended with the reign of Caesar’s nephew Octavian, who became the first Emperor under the name Augustus.
The Empire, after some early problems with power-mad Emperors such as Caligula and Nero, eventually found a democratic solution to the problem of having a sole ruler, and the Emperor Hadrian wisely decided to cease expansion policies in the early 2nd century, preferring to protect his borders with powerful walls (such as Hadrian’s Wall in England) and by signing peace agreements with bordering tribes, who became allies to protect Rome’s borders in the event of an assault by barbarians. Rome continued to grow for the rest of that century, but began to decline with the accession of Commodus, and with the growth of Christianity, whose peaceful followers refused to support Rome’s army, thereby gradually weakening its greatest source of strength.
Christianity was eventually installed as the state religion by the Emperor Constantine in the 4th century, and when the Empire broke apart in the centuries that followed, the Papacy assumed control of Rome and much of the territory beyond, known as the Papal States. They consolidated their power through religion and in 800AD the Holy Roman Empire was formed, giving the Pope influence over much of Europe, as well as armies to defend his territory from potential coups.
Although the city went into decline during the Middle Ages, the population reaching a low point of around 50,000 people, it recovered during the Renaissance, and from the 14th to the 17th century was embellished by some of the greatest artists and architects of the time – Michelangelo, Raphael, Bramante and Bernini all lived and worked here, contributing buildings, paintings, fountains and piazzas which can still be admired today.
In the 19th century, the Italian Revolution (the “Risorgimento”) gradually united all of the Italian States, although the Pope was more than reluctant to relinquish control of the Papal States. Italy was declared as a Kingdom in 1861, although it took another 9 years to annex Rome, and finally unite all of Italy, with Rome as its capital. More changes were to follow in the next 150 years, as the Pope was allowed to rule over a small section of the city around St. Peter’s Basilica in 1929, and the Vatican city-state was thus born. Mussolini would try to revive the ideas of the Roman Empire and model Italy on its greatness, but in 1947, following World War II, the last of the Savoia family of kings which had ruled Italy since its inception in 1861, was sent into exile, and the people voted in a referendum to make Italy a republic.
This is only a very brief taste of the history of this vibrant city, which has remained inhabitated for 3,000 years and continues to inspire and amaze visitors today. With so many layers of history, it can be overwhelming to visit for the first time!
Read on to see how we design our tours to help you make sense of Rome and Italy, and develop a greater appreciation and understanding of its culture and history.
If you enjoyed reading this history of Rome, be sure to bookmark our blog, which we update daily with stories from the history of Rome relevant to each day of the year.
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Rome Survival Guide
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