Summary of Simon Baker's Ancient Rome

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

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#1 The Romans developed a story about how their city was first founded, which traced its origins back to a remote past beyond even the age of Romulus and Remus. The Romans wanted to connect with the more ancient civilization of the Greeks, and so they adopted a Trojan Aeneas as their founder.

#2 The Roman Empire was founded on the rural virtues of the Roman peasant, which clashed with the reality of the city. The Romans were not individuals, but a highly organized community striving together.

#3 The Romans expanded into Italy in 753 BC, and by 510 BC, Rome was ruled by kings, the last three of whom were Etruscan. The first, according to legend, was Romulus, and his story is in keeping with the rootless, belligerent theme of his ancient ancestor Aeneas.

#4 The Roman Republic was founded in 509 BC, after the Etruscan kings were overthrown. The Romans called the kings’ executive authority imperium, which was their right to give orders to ordinary people and expect those orders to be obeyed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Apr 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669379393

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Insights on Simon Baker's Ancient Rome

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The Romans developed a story about how their city was first founded, which traced its origins back to a remote past beyond even the age of Romulus and Remus. The Romans wanted to connect with the more ancient civilization of the Greeks, and so they adopted a Trojan Aeneas as their founder.

#2

The Roman Empire was founded on the rural virtues of the Roman peasant, which clashed with the reality of the city. The Romans were not individuals, but a highly organized community striving together.

#3

The Romans expanded into Italy in 753 BC, and by 510 BC, Rome was ruled by kings, the last three of whom were Etruscan. The first, according to legend, was Romulus, and his story is in keeping with the rootless, belligerent theme of his ancient ancestor Aeneas.

#4

The Roman Republic was founded in 509 BC, after the Etruscan kings were overthrown. The Romans called the kings’ executive authority imperium, which was their right to give orders to ordinary people and expect those orders to be obeyed.

#5

The Roman Republic was a system of government that was formed after the expulsion of the last Etruscan king. It was a system of two annually elected office holders called consuls who held power for a year.

#6

The Roman Republic was a government of two consuls and a Senate. The Senate was a debating chamber and the collective voice of the political elite, but it was not made up of representatives of Roman citizens.

#7

The Roman Republic was formed when the three elements of the Roman system worked together: the aristocratic Senate, the popular assemblies, and the consuls. However, who was eligible for these offices and how they were voted on was a source of great controversy.

#8

The Roman Republic was ruled by a aristocracy of the old Roman clans, who claimed that they were the best suited to decide political office because of their unique knowledge of the gods. The plebeians, who were the non-aristocrats from the rest of the Roman people, vehemently disagreed.

#9

The plebs’ secession from the Roman Republic in 494 BC led to the formation of a state within a state, the tribunes of the people. The new office would become crucial to the history of the republic, as it would radically change the balance of power between the political élite of the Senate and the people.

#10

The Roman Republic was a democracy in which the people had power, but the Senate, led by the aristocratic and moneyed political élite, had control. The Roman people and the Senate were partners in a system that allowed Rome to expand its territory.

#11

Between 500 and 275 BC, the Roman republic brought first Latium and then the rest of the Italian peninsula under its control. The Romans would look for instances to justify taking action in self-defense, and their religious ceremonies legitimized their aggression.

#12

The Roman Empire was built on the back of the war machine that was the Roman peasant-soldier. The Romans were able to conquer their enemies because they were loyal to Rome, and they were able to provide endless amounts of soldiers because of it.

#13

The Romans were able to defeat Pyrrhus, the ambitious Greek king, at Beneventum near Naples in 275 BC. The Romans then expelled Pyrrhus’s invading army and were able to consolidate