Golden Age of Rome

323 Words2 Pages
The golden age of the Roman Empire spanned from 96-180 C.E. and encompassed the rule of the “five good rulers” (McKay, pg 117, 2008). The five rulers we are speaking of are Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius. This was the time of great prosperity for the empire. Most wars ended with a victory and stayed in the frontiers. The Roman army went from being a mobile attack force to a defensive minded unit. They defended their territories with a system of forts. The forts were surrounded by roads which were improved upon so that supplying and reinforcing said forts would be easier in times of peril. Rome was a large city with stately palaces, noble buildings, and picturesque residential areas however, the majority of its large population, 500,000 to 750,000, lived in flimsy, cheaply constructed houses. The issues that primarily concerned Rome were crime, fire, and poor sanitary conditions. During the rule of the five good emperors, they brought about urban planning and construction ideas that helped to improve the overall situation in Rome. The population of Rome grew so much that it became difficult to feed all the inhabitants, so the emperors decided to give out free bread, oil, and wine. To continue to keep the spirits up and win the hearts of citizens, the emperors kept the citizens entertained with the battles of the gladiators as well as chariot races. The expansion in the continental Europe was mainly due to the army. Just like today many of the individuals who served in the army would end up settling where it was they served. Doing so brought the skills they were taught in the army to the locals who ended up being trained by the soldiers in said skills. McKay, J. P., Hill, B. D., & Buckler, J. (1988). The World of Rome. A history of world societies (2nd ed., p. 117). Boston: Houghton
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