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-Rome was founded by the brothers Romulus and Remus
-The Etruscans and Latins founded the city in a strategic location near the sea -
Rome was governed by kings of Latin and Etruscan origin. It became the most powerfull city in its region, know as Latin
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Roman defeated all the remaining peoples of the Italian Peninsula.
Once they controlled it, the Romans began their conquest of the western Mediterranean. This led to conflict with Carthage, the other great Mediterranean power, in the Punic Wars. -
Rome expanded around the Mediterranean, from the Iberian Peninsula to the Near East provinces
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Was made up of free men, who fought from the ages of sixteen to sixty. In the 1st Century BC, it became a professional army, which meant that soldiers were paid.
The army´s effectiveness was an essential aspect of its rapid expansion throught the Mediterranean. Althought it was not very large they were highly organised.
The army had a powerful cavalry, bot its true military force was the infantry, which was organised into legions. -
Augustus was thw first Roman emperor. Rome reached its greatest territorial extent. The Empire began to decline in the 3rd century AD
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- Wealthier classes had a rich diet which included meat and fish. They held banquets where up to seven dishes might be served and drank large quantities of wine
- Poor classes primarily ate bread, soup, and barley or wheat porridge
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- Agriculture was the most important activity The conquered areas were exploited economically by Rome. Each region specialised in a certain type of product. -Livestock farming was essential -Mining was among the economic activities that brought the greatest prosperty -Artisanal activity also became very important -Trade also developed, especially during Pax Romana
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With the subsequent annexation of Syria and Egypt, the Mediterranean became the Roman Mare Nostrum.
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Facting a crisis, Emperor Theodosius decided to devide the Empire between his two sons: Honorius and Arcadius
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The division did not improve the situation in the western half of the empire. The visigoths were able to cross limies and ransack Rome
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The Heruli overthrew Romulus Augustulus, the last Roman emperor in the west. This event marks the end of Antiquity and the start of the Middle Ages
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From the period of Monarchy onwards, Roman society was
characterised by social inequality. There were several very distinct social groups:
-Patricians: Descended from the founding families of rome
-Slaves: Were prisioners ofwar or the children of salves
-Plebeians: Were free, but had little involment in politics
-Clients: Were semi-free
