From humble beginnings, Rome became the centre of the most powerful empire in the world

Rome began as a small group of farming villages between seven hills by the river Tiber. About 800 BC these villages became united under a king. According to Roman legend, the first king was Romulus. He and his twin brother, Remus, founded the city in 753 BC on the spot where their lives had been saved. As babies, the boys had been left in the open to die, but were found and cared for by a she-wolf.

The city grew under successive kings until, in 510 BC, Tarquinus Superbus - the seventh king - proved to be such a bad ruler that the people rose against him. Instead of putting their trust in another king, the Romans decided to govern themselves, with two consuls in charge who would have to be elected each year. This form of government - a republic - remained until the time of Julius Caesar.

During the early days of the Republic, the citizens of Rome were divided into two classes. These were Patricians - noblemen who held the top appointments and the only ones who could become members of the Senate, the body which ruled Rome; and Plebeians - ordinary people such as farmers, tradesmen and artisans.

In the early days of the Republic the Plebeians were excluded from all power. They were so fed up with this that they threatened to set up a separate city. To prevent this they were given their own special officials called Tribunes. These officials had extensive powers: they had the power to veto over the Senate and other Patrician officials and were guaranteed immunity from harm.

With warms and conquests the Republic prospered and grew and at the same time its social and political structures evolved. After the wars with Hannibal in 219-202 BC many of the Plebeians lost their farms and went to Rome, swelling the city's population dramatically. To survive, many of these became 'clients' or hangers-on of the Patricians.
This meant that each Patrician could use his Plebeian clients to vote on his behalf in the elections. Effectively, this meant that Rome's government was controlled by a few very rich people.

On the whole, life in Rome was civilised. Most people lived in blocks of flats, often seven or more storeys high. The streets in between were often narrow - barely wide enough for a cart to pass through - but many streets had fountains of fresh drinking water. Although streets were often littered with mud and horsedroppings, well-placed stepping stones allowed people to cross in safety.

Romans bought their food and other goods from the numerous shops and markets in the city. Home-cooking was rare and most people ate in cafes or bought food from vendors in the street. The poor existed on a diet of bread, porridge and scraps of meat. Only rich business men and Patricians indulged in huge feasts prepared in their kitchens by slaves. At banquets. dishes such as roast ostrich, oysters, dormice, baked hams and stuffed dates were served in huge quantities.

Roman traders had their workshops near to their homes and employed a few dozen people. They produced large quantities of goods such as pottery, leatherwork, iron pots, military equipment and furniture. Unlike today, there were no large factories and everything was made by hand.

When they were not working, most Roman men enjoyed visiting the baths. These were large, luxurious buildings where men not only washed themselves but also exercised, met with friends and arranged business deals.
Women did not visit these establishments - they had their own private baths - but they did accompany the men to the theatre and the races. Chariot racing was extremely popular, and large amounts of money were bet on the outcome of each race.

On special holidays, more exciting spectacles were organised. The most dramatic of these were the Games. They took place in large arenas where thousands of people could watch. Gladiator fights were the most popular event, where men - usually criminals, slaves or captives - were forced to fight each other to the death.

If a gladiator had fought particularly well he could appeal to the crowd for mercy. If they waved their handkerchiefs, the man would be spared, If they pointed their thumbs down, the man was killed. Sometimes, for greater excitement, gladiators would be blindfolded or pitched against wild animals. Although the odds were against them, some gladiators did survive and even earned their freedom by fighting well.

In later years, the games became increasingly spectacular. Sometimes an arena was flooded and the gladiators fought from ships. But the Games were perhaps the most repulsive aspect of Roman culture.