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There’s an old saying that ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day,’ and indeed the Roman Empire was established over many centuries. Experts say that it took around one thousand years for Rome to become the most powerful empire in the world. However, in 476 AD the Roman Empire in the west collapsed when the Germanic King Odoacer ousted Romulus Augustulus, the last Roman Empire. In the east, the Empire continued under the appellation of the Byzantine Empire until 1453, when Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks and the Emperor Constantine XI died.
Since the declaration of Augustus Caesar as Emperor in AD 31, the Roman Empire had grown to such a size that it was no longer possible to run everything from Rome, and so the Empire was divided into Western and Eastern sections. At its height, it was the most influential body in the western world in social, legal and political terms, and today there are still many cultural remnants of ancient Rome. In fact, it’s difficult to find any area of modern life that isn’t at least partially influenced by Roman customs and habits.
Many of the world’s legal and political systems had their origin in the Roman Empire – the concept of innocence until guilt is proven is a classic example of Roman influence.
The Romans were nothing if not pragmatic, and as they conquered the western world, they were happy to use ideas from other cultures to consolidate their influence. They were also innovators, and many of the practices we take for granted today had their origins in ancient Rome, which was effectively a blueprint for modern city life. This book will examine the wide reaching and enduring impact of the Roman Empire on various areas of European and world culture.
