What do you believe was the most important factor that resulted in Rome dominating the "Known World" of its time?
by 
Anonymous
ANSWERS: 10
-
Rome's modern organized discipled legions, and the fact that Roman citizenship was easy to obtain. The location of Rome geologically favors them in military matters as well- they were placed in the center of the Mediteranean, with only one great superpower to contend with, Carthage. Which could not contend with Romes military structure, since Carthage relied on unrealiable barbarian recruits, whereas the Romans fought for their land and for citizenship. :)
-
The legions.
-
their willingness to learn and to share. they learned from the cultures they came in contact with. they developed those areas under their control and granted their subjects adequate rights and priveleges. ( the Empire didn't last because it wasn't a nation state, but even as subject peoples attained independance they were deeply influenced by Roman culture. )
-
Their well disciplined and trained army and great generals and then the intelligence to absorb former enemies into their empire as citizens and soldiers.
-
One @#$% of an army! ;-)
-
Rome just had the best army of it's time. Roman infantry could defeat just about any foe they went up against. Also, the Romans were very good at absorbing conquered lands into their culture, and they considered doing so a priority.
-
The ability to TAX trade across the road network. The road was so much more efficient for travel, it was worth it for merchants to pay the taxes in order to use them. Of course, the military was essential for enforcement and collection, but the taxes paid the bill.
-
A refusal to be humiliated and an outright insistance on being honored/respected ... much like Mafia dons. (Indeed, the Senate really was a council of Dons.) This sense of and absolute commitment to national honor was central to the being of all Romans, from the highest to the lowest. Consequently, no power could ever break Rome's will to fight, and so - no matter how many battles an enemy might win against them - the Romans wouldn't stop fighting (though they might take a breather) and would never EVER forget or forgive an insult or humiliation, and so would ultimately break the will to fight of every enemy. The Romans themselves attributed it to this - their own vainglory - that and their "piety": they always insisted on giving every god his due, and so the gods had rewarded them with empire. Also, the empire began to die when they lost this essential Roman quality, and started relying on mercenary barbarians almost exclusively to do their fighting for them.
-
Democracy and Indoor plumbing, on the positve side.
-
I think the answers so far have not given sufficient emphasis to the technological superiority of the Romans. It wasn't just roads, but all sorts of building techniques, the arch, the dome, concrete. This spread to their military engineering as well, with siege engines and catapults, not just good catapults, but the best catapults that could be built using the resources available at the time. The Roman interest in technology is a contrast to the Greek interest in speculation but contempt for applied science, and is a major contribution to their material dominance over other societies.
Bull wears a COAT of many colours RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC