Why Was Rome The Greatest Empire?

Although the Ancient Roman civilization wasn't an empire until it's last few centuries of rule, it is still regarded as one of the greatest Empires. I am a student in gr.11 and need to write an essay as to why Rome is the greatest empire. Your help would greatly be appreciated.

3 reasons why greatest empire:

1) Technology - aqeducts, sewage system, architecture.

2) Governement - roman law (twelve tablets), senators

3) Conquering - ruled vast amounts of land

It wasn't IMHO the "greatest". That accolade should go to the British Empire.

But I don't see why I should write your essay for you. Give us your thoughts to critique, then we know you are not just preying on our work.

Phil

I am not asking anyone to write my essay for me. I am asking for help and opinions of other people. I too believe the British Empire was one of the greatest, but the topic is why ancient rome is a great empire than ancient greece. Although ancient greece contributed philosophy, great art, democracy to the world, ancient rome, i believe, had a more significant effect on the world, just because it was so vast and dominated Europe for such a long time.

I made my points as to how i want to outline my essay:

1) Technology: adecquets, sewage system, architecture

2) Government: senators, laws, law of 12 tablets

3) Conquering: wars they have won and the vast amount of land the Romans conquered

Clearly I am educated on this topic and the last thing i expect is someone to write my essay for me. All i am looking for is opinion and a different point of view as to why this empire was so great from another person's perspective.

Well the Greeks can't really be regarded as an empire. Possibly the short lived empire of Alexander of Macedon might be an exception, but the Greeks had no unity in political terms. They were a collection of warring city states and petty kingdoms, later forming small leagues or empires, later still becoming a ruling caste in an assortment of kingdoms carve dout of Alexander's fleeting empire.

Though the Romans suffered civil wars, they had a central government ythat Greece lacked.

Comparing Greek civilisation to Roman would be a different matter.

The Greeks were never an empire, perhaps you are confusing the idea with the Athenian Empire following the transition from the Deilian League. The Greeks were dozens of city-states all concerned about themselves, there are constant referecnes of cities who are at war with one another suddenly turning on thier ally city because they became to strong. Spartan Allies did this to Sparta following thier victory over Athens, then Thebes became the powerhouse, and suddenly when Thebes became to strong, her allies left her and supported Athens and Sparta again... it's the idea of Particularism vs PanHellenism.

*Edit: LoL, you beat me to it Furius...

Roman Roads

In addition to allowing rapid movement of the Legions, roads allowed the spread of language, religion, culture, trade and the contributions of every society that Rome borrowed from to be expanded upon and spread throughout Europe, Africa and the Near East.

That is very interesting points, because, as i mentioned before i am only 17 and just started studying the empires. everywhere in our textbooks it regards Greece as a unified Empire. It mentions the rifts between Sparta and Athens, and how great and central Athens was, but not once does it say anything about the 'Athenian Empire'.

Thank you

That is very interesting points, because, as i mentioned before i am only 17 and just started studying the empires. everywhere in our textbooks it regards Greece as a unified Empire. It mentions the rifts between Sparta and Athens, and how great and central Athens was, but not once does it say anything about the 'Athenian Empire'.

 

Thank you

Sorry to say, but textbooks are very lacking and like to condense hundreds of years of history into a paragraph. For at least a basic introduction I would suggest wikipedia, and to search for the "The Delian League" (aka) "Athenian Empire", "The Peloponnesian League" and for info on the Hegemony of Thebes, look up the generals, "Epaminondas" and "Pelopidas" since they were the force behind the Thebian Era of control, which began after Sparta's defeat at the Battle of Leuctra, and it only lasted until thier deaths.

Hope this all helps...

Rome was great for many reasons. They took ideas from many people and developed them. In engineering it is abundantly obvious. Many of their engoneering feats are still used today, such as an aquaduct in Portugal. An arena in southern France. The arch; the dome. And their roads, which were not surpassed until the 19th century. (See Primus Pilus comment.) And are still in service today.

They developed a system of governing that held up even under 'bad' emperors. Laws were promulgated and made current as time passed (Justinian). The legal system is still in use today (amended, of course).

The people lived in peace and safety.

They had a successful professional army that was feared by their enemies. It numbered about 125,000 men in Augustus' time. A small number for so great an expanse.

They built great cities where they conquered.

Men felt an obligation to the nation and built many edifices from their own resources.

It wasn't IMHO the "greatest". That accolade should go to the British Empir

 

Phil

Some would successfully argue that point.

The Romans managed to spread "roman" identity and culture across their Empire, even though it was to varying degrees. The peculiar mix of stamping their Roman identity on provinces (identikit towns etc) and curiously open minded when absorbing other cultures when it came to religion etc made them a proto type to the jeans and coke globilisation today ie there was such an identity as being Roman even though you might not have come from Rome or indeed seen it. Therefore they were extremely succesful at spreading their culture (although it was a patchwork quilt of other cultures as well) Compare to the Athenian Empire 5BCE and they were very insular and even free folk living in Athens were not all citizens, they split the free into citizens and metics (and the Spartans were even worse) Rome, on the other hand had an increasingly open route to citizenship as the Empire went on. Obviously there are some sweeping statement in the above but brevity does not lend itself well to academic chit chat.lol Best of luck with your work.

It wasn't IMHO the "greatest". That accolade should go to the British Empire.

I have to disagree with that. For it's time 2000 years ago, the Roman Empire was way more advanced and militarily more powerful than any other civilization. Not to mention the Roman empire lasted longer than the British empire.

It wasn't IMHO the "greatest". That accolade should go to the British Empire.

 

I have to disagree with that. For it's time 2000 years ago, the Roman Empire was way more advanced and militarily more powerful than any other civilization. Not to mention the Roman empire lasted longer than the British empire.

Around 1815, the British Controlled at least 1/3rd of Africa, parts of South and Central America, all of Canada, India and the land just adajcent to it, parts of China, parts of Malasyia and all of Austrialia and New Zealand... far larger than anything Rome had, and when considering no power rivaled Rome in technology, the fact the British did this while having to contend with powerful European neighbors with the same technology is a quite a feat.

"Rule Britannia, Britannia Rule the Waves..."

Around 1815, the British Controlled at least 1/3rd of Africa, parts of South and Central America, all of Canada, India and the land just adajcent to it, parts of China, parts of Malasyia and all of Austrialia and New Zealand... far larger than anything Rome had, and when considering no power rivaled Rome in technology, the fact the British did this while having to contend with powerful European neighbors with the same technology is a quite a feat.

 

"Rule Britannia, Britannia Rule the Waves..."

1815 is almost 2000 years after, do you realize how much the whole world had advanced by that time? In terms of military, science, transportation etc. For it's time the Roman empire accomplished the unthinkable, and I think you are well aware what they accomplished 2000 years ago. And Rome being far ahead in technology, shows that the Roman empire for it's time was more superior. Did Rome even know Australia, malasyia, New Zealand exist? I think not. China was way too far for them to even have solid communication with them. Did Rome even have the benefit of advanced navigation or gunpowder? Ofcourse not.

Once again, the information is proving to be very useful. Keywords are important that some of you gave me that have no mention to what i have learned "in class" and this website is probably contributing as to why now i can find a wealth on information not just on this site but on many other internet sources.

Thank You

Don't make me split this off into a Roman Empire vs British Empire thread where it will then be subject to Patrician absurdities.