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Roman civilization
(750 BC to 476 AD)
Strengths:
- Buildings cost 15% less; except towers, walls & wonders
- Towers cost 50% less
- Swordsmen attack 33% faster
The Romans began as a small tribe living in modern Italy but expanded to create the largest and longest lasting empire of antiquity. They were a hardy and industrious people who survived in a violent world mainly by creating a powerful army. The Roman Army went through many changes over the thousand years of its existence and failed eventually to defend the empire, but in general it was consistently superior to opponents from all corners of the world. The empire expanded on the strength of the ruthless and aggressive Roman legions, and consolidated through benign administration and public works on an unprecedented scale.
The people who became the Romans migrated from northern Europe and settled on the plains south of the Tiber River. They established towns on the seven hills near the river. These towns eventually merged to form their capital city of Rome. As first a republic and then an empire, Rome began expanding after 400 BC and eventually controlled the entire Mediterranean coastline, Europe west of the Rhine and south of the Danube, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Asia Minor, and modern England.
The Roman Empire in the West ceased to exist in 476 AD, although it was gone for practical purposes many decades earlier. The proximate cause of the collapse was invasion across the Rhine and Danube Rivers by Germanic settlers. Many underlying causes for the collapse have been suggested. The adoption of Christianity and preoccupation with the afterlife instead of practical matters on Earth was one. The increasing inability to administer the large empire was another. Taxes were required after the second century to support the large army and this caused unrest and revolt in the provinces. The slave economy went into decline because slaves became sparse when conquests ceased after the second century. The empire failed to industrialize because of its dependence on slavery. Plague took a heavy toll on the population and trade declined thereafter. The army declined in quality because mercenaries had to replace citizens that avoided service as soldiers and officers. Repeated turmoil and civil war over succession to the throne sapped the strength of the legions and brought barbarian contingents into army.
The legacy of the Romans was broad and far-reaching. It includes the transmission of much ancient culture to the modern age, especially Greek art and literature. The Romans began urbanization of Europe. In addition to Rome, they founded Paris, London, Lyons, Bordeaux, Cologne, Toledo, and Milan. Modern railway gauges trace back to wagon ruts in Roman mines. The Romans excelled at engineering and construction, and first used the arch, the dome, and concrete. A few of their famous roads, bridges, and aqueducts are still in use. The Latin language influenced the later development of the French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian languages. Roman law was codified and updated by the Byzantines and is the basis of law for most European countries today.
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