ROMAN EMPIRE
Roman empire has been selected by Roberto Amati in relation to the real history of european integration, then enlisted in the IMPERIUM category, accompanied by own fact SHEET useful to the comprehension, completed of historical MAPS AND IMAGES or with a direct linking to the related Blog contents dedicated to the entire history of european integration and the future of Europe.
The Roman Empire is the most ancient supranational political entity of the history of European integration, founded according to tradition by Augustus on January 27 BC under protection of the Olimpia's Gods. At that time the Princeps Res Publica Romana imposed to the Roman Senate a reform that concentrated most of public powers in his hands, included the Pontifex Maximus and the Imperator roles to make him the summae potestas of politic, militar and religious institutions of Rome.
From that moment it started the Romans conquest process of Europe, in particular the central and western area up to the natural borders of the rivers Rhine and Danube, called Limes: it remained for centuries a virtual line dividing Europe during its evolutions all along the whole history of European integration! One after another, all the European peoples were included into the Imperium, the overall area put under the militar protection of the Roman legions commanded by the generals obedient to the Imperator.
Augustus provided to give a jurisdictional and political organization to the Roman Empire fractioning it in Provinces and Regios, administrated by Roman magisters nominated by the Imperator or by the Senatus (watch the map above) and defended by the legions. To guarantee strongness and cohesion to the Imperium, Romans built a wade network of routes connecting the most important and strategic Cities they founded or empowered as militar fortress (called castra) or colonies.
Since the Augustus age, forerunner of the Julia-Claudia dinasty, the political power of Roman Empire has been maintained by the ancient Roman families (Gens) until the III century AD, when many elements provoked a deep crisis ended with the reform of Diocletian in 284 AD (called Tetrarchia). The new emperor established the Roman Dioceses, a new admnistrative division that could control many provinces and cities of the Empire (part of the ancient Aeternitas still today fundamental for the history of european integration), became religious entities governed by Bishops subjected to the Imperator and defended by the legions commanded by the Duces: it was the passing point to the Christian Empire, towards the future of Europe.
What's the inheritance of the Roman Empire on nowadays Europe? Romans spoke the Latin language, that has been basic for all European language, colonized many European cities and provinces often by joining the local tribes, built there innumerable theatres palaces and aqueducts still existing today all around Europe. But mainly, they gave the political and juridic foundations for the institutions of whole history of European integration that could be usefull for the future of Europe: the Roman Empire gave to European peoples, for the first time, the sense of United Europe...
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