Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SIGHTS
Etruscan ruins dot the country, with their
largest concentration in Volterra, in Tuscany, and the
necropolis southeast of Tarquina. Many Roman walls,
wells, and roads across north-central Italy are based on
Etruscan foundations. Etruscan tomb relics and tablets can
be seen in many museums across Italy, including the Museo
Nazionale di Villa Giulia in Rome.
ROMAN EMPIRE
The Roman Republic began in 510
B
.
C
. when Latin tribes
evicted the Etruscans from Rome. Through a combination
of alliances, colonization, and efficient infrastructure-
building, Roman armies expanded throughout Italy--
building roads, aqueducts, and walled cities as they went.
With Rome's triumph in the Punic Wars, and with the
destruction of Carthage in the 3rd century
B
.
C
., Rome
became the greatest power in the Mediterranean region.
The generals and armies of Rome expanded across
Mediterranean Europe through the 1st century
B
.
C
. Julius
Caesar conquered most of what is now France to the Rhine
River, and invaded Britain. Pompey led armies to the east,
conquering what is now Syria and Asia Minor. In 60
B
.
C
.,
Caesar, Pompey, and Marcus Crassus (a leader in Rome)
allied to create the First Triumvirate to rule the empire.
Following Crassius's death in battle, a civil war broke out
between Caesar and Pompey. Caesar defeated Pompey's
armies in 45
B
.
C
. and returned to Rome a hero. He seized
power to effectively become dictator of the Roman
empire, which now stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to
the Black Sea.
Julius Caesar ruled for 1 short year. In 44
B
.
C
., he was
assassinated by senators eager to re-establish the Republic.
Mark Antony (Caesar's top general) briefly shared power
with Caesar's adopted son Octavian and Marcus Lepidus in
the Second Triumvirate from 43 to 32
B
.
C
. Naturally, they
couldn't get along either, and another civil war broke out.
Antony fled to Egypt, hiding out with his mistress,
Cleopatra, until they both committed suicide as Octavian's
armies and navies swept through the region.
The Golden Age
The rule of Octavian (now known as Augustus Caesar) from
27
B
.
C
. to
A
.
D
. 14 launched the “Golden Age of Rome” and
the 200 years of the Pax Romana--during which the
Roman armies kept Europe and the Middle East free from
any major wars. Art, architecture, and commerce flourished
during the time, with the major structures being built,
27
B
.
C
.
Augustus
Caesar becomes
Emperor, marking the
beginning of Pax
Romana and the Golden
Age of Rome.
A
.
D
.40
Emperor
Caligula declares him-
self a god and names
his horse to the senate.
300s
Rome's decline is
scored with corrupt
emperors, collapsing
regimes, and armies
losing control.
Early 400s
Rome is
sacked by barbarian
hordes.
800
Charlemagne is
declared Holy Roman
Emperor, and his armies
control most of Italy.
1200
Rise of power of
Italian city-states like
Florence, Genoa, and
Venice.
1348
The Black
Death/Bubonic Plague
sweeps through Italy,
killing from a third to
half of all inhabitants.
1401
Giotto com-
pletes Florence's
Baptistery doors, mak-
ing a convenient mark
for the start of the
Renaissance.
1498
Leonardo da
Vinci paints
The Last
Supper.
1508-12
Michelangelo paints the
Sistine Chapel.
1527
Charles V of
France conquers Rome
and becomes Holy
Roman Emperor.
