9781422283417

CHAPTER 1

THE PEOPLE WHO BUILT AN EMPIRE W hat words best describe the Romans? Conquerors? Yes. Artists? Yes. Statesmen? Absolutely. Just like people today, they were a mixture of nice and nasty, good and bad. They were brave, tough, hardworking, and devoted to duty. But they could also be cruel, bloodthirsty, greedy, and rude.

The Romans lived in Italy from about 753 bc to ad 476. They started with just one city, Rome. Over time, they took over surrounding lands. Between around 100 bc and ad 200, they built one of the greatest empires the world has seen. Everyone living in Roman lands had to pay Roman taxes and obey Roman laws. But they were not all equal.

Learn about the rise of the Roman Empire in this video from the National Geographic .

Chapter 1: THE PEOPLE WHO BUILT AN EMPIRE 7