ROME, the most powerful state of an tiquity; founded about 753 B. c. by a settlement from Alba Longa led by ROMULUS (q. v.). At first the new city was ruled by kings, but in 509 B. C. the people established a republic which last ed for 500 years. Its most important feature was the struggle between the ple beians and the patricians, settled finally in 286 B. C., by admission of the plebeians to a share in the government. Mean while Rome had been gradually spreading out, and by 275 B. C. was mistress of all Italy.
The next 30 years were crucial in the history of Rome. Her aggressive policy in the Mediterranean brought her face to face with CARTHAGE (q. v.), and un der their military genius HANNIBAL, (q. v.) the Carthaginians threatened the very existence of Rome itself (see PU NIC WARS). Carthage was finally burned to the ground in 146 B. C. By 133 B. C. Rome had conquered Macedonia and Asia Minor.
At this point begins the decline of Rome as a republic. A series of bitter civil wars centralized the governing pow er in the hands of a few leaders (see SULLA : MARIUS: POMPEY: CIESAR : TRI UMVIRATE) ; and in 48 B. C. Julius Cae
sar was created Imperator. With Caisar the republic and Rome's greatest period came to an end. Under the republic the power of Rome had been extended from Arabia to Great Britain, and from Spain to Armenia. See MITHRIDATES.
In 27 B. c. Octavian became first em peror of Rome under the title of Au GUSTUS (q. v.). His immediate succes sors added slightly to Roman territory, but under MARCUS AURELIUS (q. v.) the decline began. From A. D. 180 to 284 (see TRAJAN) Rome grew gradually weaker. In 284 DIOCLETIAN (q. v.) re organized the empire, and for nearly 200 years these reforms delayed the in evitable disruption; but in 395 the em pire separated into two divisions; the Eastern, or BYZANTINE (q. v.) and the Western; and in 476 the Western, or Roman empire was finally overthrown, and Odoacer, a German, became King of Italy. See ITALY: ROMANCE LANGUAGES.