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Why Historians Would Be Interested in Ancient Rome

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Why Historians Would Be Interested in Ancient Rome
Why Historians Would Be Interested in Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a very important part of history. It spanned many centuries, and experienced a great amount of change throughout its existence. People of power came to rise and eventually fall throughout Rome’s legacy, as did different kinds of governments. Conflicts between Rome and its enemies (and sometimes its allies) were frequent and often affected Rome’s entire empire. Throughout Rome’s history, many different systems of money and economics were put in place (although some worked while others didn’t). Many teachers and philosophers, inventors, and revolutionists made up the intellectual aspect of Rome. And finally, the social order in Rome went through many changes and alterations throughout its life. Any type of historian would find something in Rome that they would enjoy studying. Political History is one of the more important types of history shown in Rome, as people of authority and different forms of governing constantly shifted the balance of power. Political History is defined as the effect of government and powerful figures on the common person. The rulers of Rome always had a greater position in the hierarchy than the average citizen. For instance, many of the Julian-Claudian emperors were disliked entirely or were at least disliked by many, but no one could change this aspect of their community easily. Caligula, the grandson of Livia, was deemed “brutal and insane” by the average people. Nero, the son of Agrippina, was blamed for a large fire that destroyed a great amount of Rome and often killed Christians for entertainment. The only way the citizens could overcome the rule of a leader was to murder them, as they did in the case of Julius Caesar. The government of Ancient Rome also played a large part in the average lives of citizens. The Roman Republic was originally started when citizens killed the Etruscan king Tarquinius Superbus, and vowed to “never be ruled by a king again.” The

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