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Why Historians WSDL 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 Romeos legacy, as did different kinds of governments. Conflicts between Rome and its enemies (and sometimes its allies) were frequent and often affected Romeos entire empire. Throughout Romeos 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 evolutionists 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-Claudia 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 Olivia, was deemed “brutal and insane” by the average people. Nero, the son of Grapping, 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 Tarpaulins Superb, and vowed to “never be ruled by a king again. ” The Romans were steadfast in their belief, as demonstrated in the story of Cincinnati. Originally, only adult male Patricians could vote, but the Conflict of Orders changed this.
The government and leaders of Ancient Rome were an essential part of how the empire was handled and show how Political History is represented in this long-standing power. Military/Diplomatic History is a huge part of Romeos existence. Without this aspect f history, Rome wouldn’t have been the intimidating and powerful empire that it was. The Military part of this type of history relates to preparation of and the actual fighting of wars. Rome put a heavy emphasis on its military. It often fought wars with its neighbors in order to increase the number of “allies” in Rome, which were not treated the same as citizens.
Every adult Roman male who owned land had to serve in the military at one point, and were assembled and operated under strict military discipline. Even a slight act of cowardice was punishable by “decimation”, a process n which one out of ten soldiers in a decade would be clubbed to death because of blind luck. Because of this harsh treatment, however, Rome became one of the most powerful military forces in the world at that time. The Diplomatic part of this type of history refers to pre-war negotiations, discussions, and the overall decision to go to war.
Rome often thought little about the consequences of war. Typically, the soldiers of this military would be anxious to fight and would act hastily towards the possibility of any kind of negative outcome. A Military/Diplomatic historian would have no robber finding many details of Rome that explain why Rome acted the way it did towards other countries. The economy and general use of money in Rome was very important to its success as an empire. The ancient Romans were very successful with agriculture and trade.
Their economy was largely agricultural. The cash crops of this time were grapes, olives, and various grains. Trade in ancient Rome often involved taking these crops to other cultures. These crops were almost entirely foreign to other people around the world, which is why they were so successful. Farmers, at one point, could donate their earplugs crops to the government for a monetary tax as well. An Economic Historian would be able to study Ancient Rome and find plenty of information regarding how the Romans handled money.
Intellectual History is defined as knowledge and the spread of said knowledge, which is something Ancient Rome was very proficient with. The Romans often learned from those who they came to understandings with through war and conflict. For example, while the Etruscan ruled Rome, the Romans learned many things from them. They adapted the Etruscan’ written language, their skill for fine Jewelry and Lott, and even inspired in the Romans’ ideas of future plans. For example, the Etruscan did not like to keep their women away from public events and festivals.
The Romans carried on this idea eventually. Ancient Romans did not Just adapt to others’ ideas, however. One important thing the Romans invented that was adapted in many other societies was the aqueduct. This was a way of transporting water between two different places with ease. They also invented an advanced sewage system, the essence of which is still carried on today with a few minor advancements and adjustments. Any Intellectual Historian would be able to see how the flow of Ancient Roman ideas transcends through hundreds of generations.
Social History is probably the most important type of history. It illustrates how people act, why they act this way, and the effects of these actions. Romeos hierarchy was one of the most important parts about its history. The hierarchy is what kept people in their place throughout history. The relationship between plebeians and patricians is a great example of this. The patricians were the higher power compared to the plebeians, and were considered the upper class. They owned land and were wealthy (generally speaking). This group also had more political power.
Plebeians were the lower class. The plebeians were everyone besides the nobility and patricians, and made up the majority of the population of Rome. Another example of the hierarchy is slavery in Ancient Rome. Slaves were treated as one would imagine slaves are typically treated: low-class Jobs with little to no pay. However, the slaves would occasionally get higher responsibility Jobs, such as teachers or accountants. Slaves were important to both society and the economy, and affected the latter of the woo a lot more heavily than in other cultures.
A Social Historian would find a lot in Ancient Rome to study. Ancient Rome is a source rich with history of the past. It is full of different leaders, battles, economies, mindsets, and types of people. Rome itself has shaped the way many civilizations around the world, even as recent as present day, control their society. From its innovative ideas to its equal treatment of women, people have learned a lot from Ancient Romans. Historians everywhere and of all different kinds will find plenty of merit in Romeos history.