The rise of major urban centers in Rome led to a society where people often bounced around from patron to patron to make a living.

Rome's success can be attributed to its ability to integrate conquered peoples and ideas, often granting them a degree of Roman citizenship.

Rome frequently experienced devastating fires due to its wooden structures and lack of fire codes, leading to significant portions of the city burning periodically.

Constantine founded a new capital at Byzantium, which he named Constantinople, making it the dominant city of the Roman Empire.

The Roman military was a massive force of half a million people, integrating foreigners and turning them into Romans over time.

The Vandals' conquest of Spain and North Africa significantly impacted Rome's food supply, contributing to the city's population decline and loss of importance as a capital.

The Romans were exceptional engineers, known for their monumental buildings and road construction, which they took great pride in maintaining.

The first king of Rome, Romulus, was a warrior, reflecting the martial nature of Roman society, which was very masculine and patriarchal.

Augustus, as the first emperor of Rome, established a political system that would influence countless later empires and shape global history. He oversees the transition from the Roman Republic to the Empire, setting a template that future emperors follow for the next 500 to 1500 years, as they all aspire to be like him, adopting his titles such as 'Caesar Augustus' and 'Imperator'.