Rome was founded on 21st of April, in 753 b.C. at the slops of Palatino hill. According to a legend, Troyans, flown from their own destroyed town, lead by Enea, settled in the region of Lazio. Enea’s son, Ascanio, founded Albalonga town, but his last successor, Amulio, usurped the throne to his older brother, Numitore and he obliged Numitore's daughter, Rea Silvia, to become a vestal. Rea Silvia was secretly loved by Mars, the god of war. She gave birth to a couple of twins, Romolo and Remo. They were thrown into the Tiber but they miraculously survived and were breast-fed by a she-wolf. The she-wolf became the symbol of the town. The two brothers fought as to whom had to found the town: Romolo killed Remo and became the first king to rule the town. Other kings were: Numa Pompilio, Tullio Ostilio, Anco Marzio, Tarquinio Prisco, Servio Tullio and Tarquinio il Superbo. These last three kings were Etrurian. The last king was turned out by citizens and monarchy was replaced by an oligarchic republican government (two consuls were elected every year by citizens) in 509 b.C.. It lasted until 27 b.C. The Republic was a very important phase in Roman history: it was the age of the great conquests; Rome extended its territory through several wars, Sannitic and Punic wars, for example. After the Punic wars, Rome mastered Mediterranean Sea and unified East and West. During this period there was also the creation of Roman law. So, this period was a period of great changes for a town that started has a small village and became the capital of a huge and important territory. During Republican age, there were strong contrasts between nobles and plebeians. Plebeians had to leave the town and took refuge on the hills. They didn’t want to cooperate with the nobles. In 494 b.C. for the first time they could elect two representatives, to whom they gave the title of tribunes. Brothers Gracchi were famous protagonists of this period: they made a law to redistribute lands among the poorest and to foreigners.
Rome became a princedom after the murder of Caesar (44 b.C.) and the fights between Marco Antonio, allied to Cleopatra, and Ottaviano, Caesar’s nephew.  During these years the Roman Empire developed reaching its greatest glory. Imperial age started with a long peaceful period. During the centuries there were many rulers, all coming from Giulio-Claudia family: Flavi, Antonini and Severi. In the III century a.C. Rome lost its central role in the empire that was becoming bigger and bigger. So Diocleziano decided to divide the reign in two parts, thus restructuring the economy, the finances, the politics and the bureaucracy. These changes gave to Rome a new century of prosperity and Christianity, officially authorized by Costantino in 313 a.C. with the Edict of Milan, contributed to strengthen the reign. The capital of the empire was moved to Constantinople and this provoked a division between the Eastern and the Western empire. After the Barbaric invasions with Barbarians that sacked many towns, including Rome, Roman Empire fell in 476 a.C. After that the life of Rome was closely linked to the Pope. During Napoleonic period, Rome lost part of its fortunes: ecclesiastical estates were confiscated and given to French and Italian nobles. The powers were divided between Italian and French officers, too. Until the fall of Napoleon III, during XIX century, Rome was ruled by French (apart from a short republican period in 1849, with the triumvirate by Mazzini, Armellini and Saffi). On 20th September 1870 Italian "bersaglieri" defeated the pontifical troops and entered the town through the famous "Breach of Porta Pia" and Rome became the capital of Italy.
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Testi: Stefania Maffeo |
