ANCIENT HISTORY / ROME
Ancient Rome
Explore the Roman Republic and Empire through politics, warfare, daily life, engineering, expansion and the long transformation of the Roman world.
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From republic to empire
Rome grew from a city-state in central Italy into a Mediterranean superpower. This hub brings together our articles on Roman government, military power, provincial rule, everyday life, building technology and the pressures that eventually transformed the Western Empire.
COLLECTION
9 Roman articles
This collection will expand into emperors, the army, society, religion, roads, aqueducts and the Eastern Roman Empire.
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The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire
Our central guide to Roman history: the Republic, Augustus and the imperial system, the Pax Romana, the third-century crisis, the fall of the Western Empire and Rome’s long legacy.
EXPLORE BY TOPIC
Stories from the Roman world
REPUBLIC & POLITICS
The Roman Republic
How Rome’s republican government worked, expanded and eventually collapsed through political violence and civil war.
DAILY LIFE
Pompeii’s Ancient Snack Bars
What Pompeii’s thermopolia reveal about prepared food, street life and urban habits in a Roman city.
EMPERORS & IMPERIAL RULE
Augustus: First Roman Emperor
How Octavian ended the civil wars and created the Principate—the political system that shaped imperial Rome.
ENGINEERING
Why Roman Concrete Survives
Modern research is revealing why some Roman concrete structures have remained durable for centuries.
PROVINCES & EMPIRE
Roman Britain
How Rome governed, defended and reshaped one of its most distant provinces.
ANCIENT ROME ARCHIVE
All Roman articles
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Julius Caesar: Life, Conquests, Dictatorship and Assassination
Explore Julius Caesar’s rise through Roman politics, conquest of Gaul, crossing of the Rubicon, dictatorship, reforms and assassination on the Ides of March.
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Augustus: First Roman Emperor and the Birth of the Principate
How Octavian defeated his rivals, became Augustus and created the Principate—the political system that became the foundation of the Roman Empire.
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Roman Republic: Government, Expansion and Fall
How the Roman Republic worked, expanded across the Mediterranean and collapsed through political violence, civil wars and the rise of Augustus.
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Ancient Pompeii Had at Least 80 Snack Bars
Pompeii contained at least eighty thermopolia—street-side establishments serving prepared food and drinks from counters fitted with large jars.
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Why Ancient Roman Concrete Can Survive for Thousands of Years
Modern research suggests that Roman builders used hot mixing with quicklime, creating concrete capable of chemical reactions that can help seal cracks.
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A Day in the Life of a Roman Soldier
What was daily life like for a Roman soldier? Explore training, marching, guard duty, food, construction work and life inside the Roman army.
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Mark Antony: The Roman Leader Who Fell Short of Power
How Mark Antony rose from Caesar’s lieutenant to triumvir, allied with Cleopatra, fought Octavian and lost the struggle that helped bring the Roman Republic to an end.
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Roman Britain: The Empire’s Influence on the Isles
How Rome conquered and governed Britain, from Boudica and Hadrian’s Wall to the mystery of the Ninth Legion and the end of Roman rule in the early fifth century.
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The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire
How Rome rose from a city-state to a Mediterranean superpower, how Augustus created the imperial system, and why the Western Roman Empire fell. Includes a timeline, key facts, causes and FAQ.
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