How Rome Conquered People and Maintained Control
In How Rome Conquered People and Maintained Control, archaeologist and historian Richard Miles explains how Rome managed to rule such a large amount of territory without an equally large bureaucracy. Romans used local elites to convince plebeians to buy into the Roman Empire’s way of life. By offering infrastructure and the reward of citizenship, Rome integrated conquered people and maintained control over millions of subjects. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Ancient Worlds, an epic series with archaeologist and historian Richard Miles as he explores the roots of civilization from Mesopotamia to the fall of the Roman Empire.
Lesson Express
Q: What was Rome’s attitude toward local government?
A: Rome relied heavily on local elites to govern their territories, encouraging self-rule and minimizing direct administration.
Q: What did Rome offer new Roman subjects that other ancient empires did not?
A: Rome offered the opportunity for conquered peoples to become Roman citizens, a rare and generous policy in the ancient world.
Q: How did the Romans use citizenship?
A: They offered people who lived in their empire citizenship to integrate them into the empire, which helped them be successful with the people they had conquered. Roman citizenship was a reward and something that people aspired to.
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