rome
The name of the town is generally considered to refer to Romulus, one of the two
twin brothers (the other one named Remus) that are believed to have
founded
Rome in 753 BC. However, recent studies seem to prefer a
provenance from an Indo-European root meaning ‘river’ -
Rome would
then mean ’the town on the river’.
Etruscans are said to have been the first tribe that ruled the
Apennine Peninsula until 509 BC, when it became the seat of the
Roman Kingdom inhabited by people of Ital origins, later turned
into the Roman Republic. It gradually extended its territory and
influence, and officially became an Empire during the rule of
Julius Caesar's nephew Octavian, who renamed himself Augustus
in 31 BC. The country’s dominium included not only the majority
of Europe, but also North Africa, Asia Minor and Near East.
The expansion was spreading out rapidly and throughout the next
centuries the Roman Empire reached its greatest success both at
home and abroad, and this glory prompted an obsession of building
in Rome, with each successive emperors leaving his mark on the
city. Nero built the Domus Aurea, Vespasian the Colosseum, Trajan
the famous column, and Hadrian's bullish mausoleum (which later
became the St. Angel Castle).
When the Christian emperor Constantine transferred most of his
court to Byzantium early in the 4th century AD, Rome's status
started to decline. The country struggled with bigger and bigger
invasions of barbarians. Despite heroic battles and great resistance
of Romans, the Great Empire officially broke up in 476 AD being
conquered by the Germanic emperor Odoacer. The last blow dealt
to the Western Roman Empire was the attack of Lombards in 568
AD who flooded the whole Apennine Peninsula and destroyed most
of the towns.
In the mediaeval times the city revived in fits and became the
capital of the Papal State – the only centre of Christianity and
the seat of the popes who, by the mid-15th century, tended at
making a good impression on others surrounding themselves with
outstanding Italian artists including Raphael, Bernini, Borromini
and many others. Their work added splendour to the Roman architecture.
However, the rise of the Protestant church, the Counter-Reformation,
the French Revolution and Napoleonic invasion greatly reduced
significance of Rome.
During the mid-19th century Rome was held at various times by
the French until it finally became the capital of a unified Italy
in 1870 and has this status till present day.
Today, Rome remains an administrative and tourist centre with
the Vatican City as an independent enclave within the city zone.
The Roman greatness and magnificence irreversibly collapsed but
its civilisation developed the Latin language that has survived
the ages and nowadays it is one of the fundamental elements in
contemporary linguistics, and the source of the Romance languages.
It is to this day the official language of the Catholic Church
and the Vatican
