"The Roman Republic is one of the most breathtaking civilizations in world history. Between roughly 500 B.C.E. to the turn of the millennium, a modest city-state developed an innovative system of government and expanded into far-flung territories. This powerful civilization inspired America's founding fathers, gifted us a blueprint for amazing engineering innovations, left a vital trove of myths, and has inspired the human imagination for 2,000 years. How did Rome become so powerful? This mystery has vexed historians for centuries. Today, removed as we are from the Roman Republic, historians also wonder what it was like to be a Roman citizen in that amazing era. Beyond the familiar names of Romulus, Caesar, Octavian, Brutus, and Mark Antony, what was life like for the ordinary people? The Rise of Rome explores what made this state so powerful-and offers insight into why the republic cast such a long shadow over Western civilization. Taught by Professor Gregory S. Aldrete of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, these 24 engaging lectures tell the story of Rome's astonishing rise, from its modest beginnings, to the pinnacle of its stunning triumph over the Mediterranean, and finally to the moment the republic dramatically collapsed under the strain of its own accomplishments. Tapping into our latest historical understanding and leveraging new technology, this course takes you inside the story of the Roman Republic."
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