Ancient Rome | WCIV102 Project

Defining Characteristics

Ancient Romans were very big fans of community life – in fact, as we said in class, they were more into community activities than the ancient Greeks were, and certainly more than modern-day Americans are!
Rome can be classified as a mixed regime at this point: there is a monarchical aspect (2 consuls), there is an aristocratic aspect (the unelected Senate), and there is a democratic aspect (the elected Assemblies).
Rome's downfall began during the Second Punic War. This downfall led directly to the Roman welfare state which is popularly termed "Bread and Circuses," because that's apparently all that the people needed to be happy.
Further, the rich-get-richer scheme of latifundia, or the rich buying farmland from the poor to create mega-farms, led to a shift in popular support from the emperors to the generals in the Imperial Army.
This led directly to the Triumvarate of Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus taking power. As an eventual result, the Roman Empire was established from what was once the Roman Republic.¹

While it is the root of the English word "virtue," the meaning is not the same.
In ancient Rome, "virtus" meant manliness, or not being feminine, so this is literally the virtue of being a man.
In fact, the Latin word vir means "man," further emphasizing that the Romans deeply treasured the value of being manly.

This was the most important value for the ancient Romans.
The law (which is what lex means in Latin) is a set of principles that govern an effective society, something which the Romans greatly desired.
Because maintaining the law was so important for the Romans, they would ensure that everyone would follow it by enforcing the law with something called disciplina.
Literally, disciplina was miltaristic training that taught obedience and teamwork. In doing so, it prepared the good Roman citizen to follow the law and thus live in an ordered society.

In contrast with Greek pietas, the Roman version was more of a giving of dues owed to one that has proper authority over you. It is not so much obedience (especially towards the state) as it is remembering your debtors, so to speak.
The Romans found pietas to be one of the most important virtues that could be lived in the state, especially because it was militaristic in nature: since the Roman government was effectively a large military organization, respecting one's leaders was absolutely essential to the wellbeing of the state.

Rome has many foundation stories, but it is almost certain that none of them are true (they were, instead, invented by the Greeks and their historians). Rather, the most likely foundation story of the city is that it is simply the result of a lot of growth².
According to the most popular myth, however, the city was founded in 753 BC, and from there, a Republic emerged in 509 BC.
The Ancient Romans were much more content with conquering far-off lands, while Romans after the turn of the millenium seemed content with policing the lands that they already owned.
Rome had at least 70 emperors from its foundation as an empire in the 1st century BC and its downfall in the 5th century AD³. Before that, it had 7 legendary kings, followed by an unknown number of rulers up until Augustus Caesar took power.