Gregory Aldrete

So this is the earliest phase of Roman history. It's when Rome is mostly just a fairly undistinguished little collection of mud huts, honestly, just like dozens of other cities of little mud huts in Italy. So that early phase, about 750 to around 500 BC, is the monarchy there ruled by kings. Then there's this revolution. They kick out the kings. They become a republic.

So this is the earliest phase of Roman history. It's when Rome is mostly just a fairly undistinguished little collection of mud huts, honestly, just like dozens of other cities of little mud huts in Italy. So that early phase, about 750 to around 500 BC, is the monarchy there ruled by kings. Then there's this revolution. They kick out the kings. They become a republic.

So this is the earliest phase of Roman history. It's when Rome is mostly just a fairly undistinguished little collection of mud huts, honestly, just like dozens of other cities of little mud huts in Italy. So that early phase, about 750 to around 500 BC, is the monarchy there ruled by kings. Then there's this revolution. They kick out the kings. They become a republic.

That lasts from 500 BC roughly to about either 31 or 27 BC, depending what date you pick is most important, but about 500 years. The republic is when they have a republican form of government. Some people idealize this as Rome's

That lasts from 500 BC roughly to about either 31 or 27 BC, depending what date you pick is most important, but about 500 years. The republic is when they have a republican form of government. Some people idealize this as Rome's

That lasts from 500 BC roughly to about either 31 or 27 BC, depending what date you pick is most important, but about 500 years. The republic is when they have a republican form of government. Some people idealize this as Rome's

greatest period and the big thing in that period is Rome first expands to conquer all of Italy in the first 250 years of that 500 year stretch and then the second 250 years they conquer all the Mediterranean basin roughly so this is this time of enormous successful Roman conquest and expansion and And then you have another switch up and they become ruled by emperors.

greatest period and the big thing in that period is Rome first expands to conquer all of Italy in the first 250 years of that 500 year stretch and then the second 250 years they conquer all the Mediterranean basin roughly so this is this time of enormous successful Roman conquest and expansion and And then you have another switch up and they become ruled by emperors.

greatest period and the big thing in that period is Rome first expands to conquer all of Italy in the first 250 years of that 500 year stretch and then the second 250 years they conquer all the Mediterranean basin roughly so this is this time of enormous successful Roman conquest and expansion and And then you have another switch up and they become ruled by emperors.

So back to the idea of one guy in charge, though the Romans try to pretend it's not like a king, it's something else. Anyway, we can get into that. But they're very touchy about kings. So they have emperors. Roman Empire, the first emperor is Augustus. Starts off as Octavian, switches his name to Augustus when he becomes emperor. He kind of sets the model for what happens.

So back to the idea of one guy in charge, though the Romans try to pretend it's not like a king, it's something else. Anyway, we can get into that. But they're very touchy about kings. So they have emperors. Roman Empire, the first emperor is Augustus. Starts off as Octavian, switches his name to Augustus when he becomes emperor. He kind of sets the model for what happens.

So back to the idea of one guy in charge, though the Romans try to pretend it's not like a king, it's something else. Anyway, we can get into that. But they're very touchy about kings. So they have emperors. Roman Empire, the first emperor is Augustus. Starts off as Octavian, switches his name to Augustus when he becomes emperor. He kind of sets the model for what happens.

And then how long does the Roman Empire last? That's one of those great questions. The conventional answer is usually sometime in the 5th century, so the 400s AD. So about another 500 years, let's say. It's a nice kind of even division. 500 years of republic, 500 years of empire. But you can make very good cases for lots of other dates for the end of the Roman Empire.

And then how long does the Roman Empire last? That's one of those great questions. The conventional answer is usually sometime in the 5th century, so the 400s AD. So about another 500 years, let's say. It's a nice kind of even division. 500 years of republic, 500 years of empire. But you can make very good cases for lots of other dates for the end of the Roman Empire.

And then how long does the Roman Empire last? That's one of those great questions. The conventional answer is usually sometime in the 5th century, so the 400s AD. So about another 500 years, let's say. It's a nice kind of even division. 500 years of republic, 500 years of empire. But you can make very good cases for lots of other dates for the end of the Roman Empire.

I actually think it goes all the way through the end of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, so another 1,500 years. But that's a whole other discussion. So that's your three phases of Roman history.

I actually think it goes all the way through the end of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, so another 1,500 years. But that's a whole other discussion. So that's your three phases of Roman history.

I actually think it goes all the way through the end of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, so another 1,500 years. But that's a whole other discussion. So that's your three phases of Roman history.

Well, I mean, ancient Greece comes... The classical era of Greek civilization is around the 500s BC. That's when you have the great achievements of Athens. It becomes the first sort of true democracy. They defeat the Persian invasions. A lot of the famous stuff happens around in the 400s, let's say. So that is contemporaneous with Rome, but the Greek civilization, in a sense, is peaking earlier.

Well, I mean, ancient Greece comes... The classical era of Greek civilization is around the 500s BC. That's when you have the great achievements of Athens. It becomes the first sort of true democracy. They defeat the Persian invasions. A lot of the famous stuff happens around in the 400s, let's say. So that is contemporaneous with Rome, but the Greek civilization, in a sense, is peaking earlier.