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Introduction to Ancient Rome

Part of HistoryRoman EmpireYear 3Year 4

Who were the Romans?

Roman mother and child visiting a British hill fort.
  • The Roman Empire lasted from 700BC to AD476.
  • The empire was huge and stretched across Europe, North Africa and Asia.
  • Rome grew from a town into an enormous capital.
  • There were enslaved people and citizens in the Roman Empire.
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Watch: Who were the Roman Emperors?

The emperor ruled over the Roman Empire, a bit like a king.
Find out below about some of the emperors who influenced Britain.

Find out about the Roman Emperors.

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Who ruled Rome?

Two Roman senators in discussion.
The two most powerful people in the senate were the consuls. Every year, the citizens of the Roman Republic voted for who they wanted to be consul.

  • In the early days, Rome was ruled by kings. Romulus was supposedly the first king.

  • Rome later became a republic. The republic didn’t allow one person to have complete control of the city.

  • A group of men called senators shared power. The two most powerful people in the senate were the consuls.

  • Every year, the citizens of the Roman Republic voted for who they wanted to be consul.

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How did Rome begin?

A bronze sculpture of the wolf that rescued Romulus and Remus.
This bronze sculpture of the wolf that rescued Romulus and Remus was made in about 500BC. The babies were added in the AD1400s.

The Romans had a story about how their city began.

According to legend, Rome was founded by twin brothers, Romulus and Remus.

  • As babies, the boys were left to drown in the River Tiber, but they were rescued by a wolf.

  • When the boys were older, they decided to start a new city.

  • One day, the twins got in a fight. Remus was killed and Romulus named the new city 'Roma after himself!

A bronze sculpture of the wolf that rescued Romulus and Remus.
This bronze sculpture of the wolf that rescued Romulus and Remus was made in about 500BC. The babies were added in the AD1400s.
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Roman gods and goddesses

The Romans had lots of different gods and goddesses. There were gods for almost everything, like thunder, love, war, wisdom and even the sewer in Rome.

The Romans were always trying to keep on the good side of their gods. They made offerings at temples and shrines to make them happy.

Minerva statue.
A statue of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom.
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Activities

Activity 1: What did Romans do with their spare time?

Click on the Romans below to find out what activities they did.

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Activity 2: Quiz – Introduction to Ancient Rome

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Play Horrible Histories: Raid and Trade KS2 History

Horrible Histories: Raid and Trade
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More on Roman Empire

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