Grade 6 · Social Studies · Lesson 7

The Roman Republic and Empire

No ancient civilization left a deeper mark on the western world than Rome. Beginning as a small Italian city around 753 BCE, Rome grew over a thousand years into a vast empire that ruled the entire Mediterranean. The Romans gave us a long list of lasting gifts: republican government, written law, engineered roads and aqueducts, concrete, the Latin language (the parent of French, Spanish, Italian, and Romanian), and the layout of cities still used today.

What this lesson teaches

1Trace the rise of Rome from a small city to the dominant Mediterranean power
2Distinguish between the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire
3Identify the main innovations of Roman engineering and law
4Place key events of Roman history in correct chronological order

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