How did Rome go from monarchy, to republic, to empire, and then fall? : 500 BCE - 500 CE

Romans Overthrow the Last Etruscan King

509 BCE

The rule of the Etruscans rule over Romans was important because they greatly influenced the Romans to think of themselves in a certain way. They mostly taught the Romans that they did not like foreign rule. This guided them to become the powerful, independent society they did. In around 509 BCE, the Romans overthrew the last Etruscan king and they went on to create the Roman Republic. I notice that this event is before 500 BCE, but I think it's an important event to the rise and fall of Rome.

Plebeians Threaten to Leave Rome

494 BCE

Plebeians are Roman citizens that don't have patrician backgrounds. They were mainly the lower class and were a large portion of the Roman population. So, in 494 BCE, the Plebeians threaten to leave Rome because of the inequality they were facing. As a result, the Roman Republic created the idea of two Tribunes. Tribunes were two Plebeians who had the power to veto the Senate and consul's decisions. This was important because it was a step towards more equality and "fairness" within Rome.

Roman Senate Proposes Legislation

133 BCE

In my opinion, the most important "export" of Rome was its government organization and practices. Around 133 BCE, the senate proposed the idea of legislation and the idea that they could vote on legislation. This was unique for the time and was very influential for following civilizations. Being able to vote on legislation, allowed the people to have more say in their government and overall increase equality.

Julius Caesar Rises to Power

70 BCE

In my opinion, Julius Caesar was the beginning of a new type of leaders in Rome. Although it was still considered a Republic, Rome began taking on more empire-like qualities. Caesar was a successful and powerful leader who gained power quickly. The Senate became worried and eventually, Caesar was assassinated. His amount of power and desire for more is the reason why I think he acted more like an Emporer than a republican ruler.

The Roman Empire Reaches Its Height (1 CE to 200 CE)

1 CE

I wanted to include this because I, personally, think it is very interesting. The Roman Empire reached its height during its early years (within 200 years). I think this is interesting because, to me, it proves that the empire was not as strong or successful as it may seem. I blame this on the corruption, selfishness, and greediness of (most) emperors. They only focused on short-term goals and never realized what kind of effect it would have on Rome in the long run.

The Julian Dynasty (14 -62 CE)

14

The Julian Dynasty was the period of emperors who were related to Julius Caesar's lineage. Many of the emperors of this lineage were corrupt and unconcerned with the well-being of Rome. These emperors included Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero. The only level-headed emperor during this time was Claudius. He restored stability to the Roman empire and established a bureaucracy to manage the empire. This set a trend for future emperors: ignorant and corrupt with the exception of a few.

Augustus Becomes Emporer

23

Augustus Caesar was Julius Caesar's heir after he died. Augustus was the first true Emporer of Rome and it was he who solidified the shift from a republic to an empire. Augustus was a great leader who lead Rome to success, but he was also very power-hungry. He helped set a path for future emperors to follow, by being ruthless and seizing power whenever possible.

The Flavian Dynasty (69 to 96 CE)

69

The Flavian Dynasty was composed of a man and his two sons who gained control after a civil war. Vespasian, the father, was regarded as a great leader. He fixed state finances and restored the relationship between the emperor and the elites. His son, Titus, who took control after he died, proved to be just as great as his father. But, he died in a disaster so his brother, Domitian, took control. Domitian was a terrible leader. He was ignorant and arrogant and he was eventually assassinated.

The "Five Good Emperors" (96 to 180 CE)

96

This period was a dynasty of emperors who chose their successors. This was a good idea because, as we saw in the Julian and Flavian Dynasties, the related successors were rarely good candidates for the throne. During this period, there were great developments and stability in the Roman Empire. The dynasty after the "Five Good Emperors" was known as the Severans. But, following the last Severan emperor, there was a period of military defeat and instability.

The Fall of the Roman Empire

476

There were a lot of factors that contributed to the downfall of the Roman Empire. However, in my opinion, the biggest factor was the corruption of the emperors and the government. The hunger for power and selfishness of the emperors allowed the empire to become weak and susceptible to attacks. There were other important factors that contributed like overexpansion and barbaric attacks. But, to me, the corruption within the government had a larger impact.