Rise

According to Roman legend, the story of Rome began with two twin brothers named Romulus and Remus. When they were babies, an evil king ordered them to be thrown into the River Tiber. But instead of drowning, they were rescued and cared for by a mother wolf! Later, when the twins grew up, they decided to build a city of their own. During an argument about where the city should be built, Romulus fought his brother and won, naming the city Rome after himself. That’s why the wolf became one of Rome’s most famous symbols.

As centuries passed, Rome grew from a small village beside the Tiber River into a powerful city. The Romans decided they didn’t want kings anymore — they created a republic, which means citizens voted for their leaders. These leaders were called senators, and they were supposed to serve the people and protect Rome’s freedom. This idea of a republic would later inspire many countries, including modern democracies today.

Rome slowly conquered its neighbors across Italy, building roads, strong armies, and alliances. But its biggest challenge came from across the sea — the mighty city of Carthage, in North Africa. Rome and Carthage fought three great wars, known as the Punic Wars.

During the First Punic War, Rome had little experience at sea, but when a Carthaginian warship washed ashore, the Romans copied its design and built hundreds of their own ships. They added a clever invention — a boarding bridge called a corvus, which could drop down onto enemy ships so Roman soldiers could march across the sea and fight like they did on land! This brilliant idea helped Rome win battles it once thought impossible.

The most famous of these was the Second Punic War, when Carthage’s brilliant general Hannibal led an army of soldiers and war elephants across the freezing Alps Mountains to surprise the Romans. The elephants terrified everyone — they were huge, loud, and unstoppable! But Rome didn’t give up. After years of battle, the Romans attacked Carthage itself and finally defeated Hannibal’s army.

By 146 BCE, Rome had completely destroyed Carthage and taken control of its lands. From then on, Rome ruled the Mediterranean Sea — they even called it Mare Nostrum, meaning “Our Sea.” With powerful armies, clever leaders, and great engineering, Rome became one of the strongest empires the world had ever known.