From 753 to 476 BC, a large and prosperous empire sat on the Italian peninsula, nestled in the Mediterranean Sea. The name of this wonderful empire was Rome. Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus, twin sons of the god Mars and a Latin princess. Eventually, Rome would come to conquer lands in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Rome is remembered for its innovations, language, architecture, government, lifestyle, religion and warfare. Rome encountered numerous conflicts as it rose to power and eventually reached the pinnacle of success during the Pax Romana. The Pax Romana Rome was a time of peace and prosperity. This wealth lasted from 27 BC until 180 AD, during the reign of Emperor Augustus. Despite periods of extreme defeat and growing glory, Rome was able to create a lasting legacy. Rome had numerous advantages and achievements that allowed it to become prolific. One strength that aided Rome's rise to power was a centralized political authority. The Romans were one of the first peoples to use a republican system of government. They began using it in 509 BC, when the Romans expelled the Estruchi from Rome. It took the best characteristics of monarchies, aristocracies and democracies. This new type of government prevented people from gaining too much power. It was run by elected officials and had both a senate and two consuls. Consuls were similar to kings. The Senate was extraordinarily important. It was composed of three hundred patrician members. The duties of the Senate were to appoint consuls and command armies. Furthermore, Rome established that in case of total emergency you could have a dictator for hasty decisions. This type of authority was very elitist for the time and helped them immensely to organize paper inflation and dry up all their financial assets. At the end of Rome's rule they had left an unforgettable legend behind. They had achieved many notable achievements, which later influenced other civilizations. Their codified laws, such as the Twelve Tables, became a prototype of European laws. Other cities have begun to recognize the idea that all citizens should be protected except the law, and that laws should be publicly displayed. The Latin language has also left its mark on current literature and has helped unify many other languages. Another thing that influenced later people was their architecture. For example, the arches are still used today, and many of their sturdy buildings and works (aqueducts, streets, temples) still remain. Various other things they did included: preserving Christianity and Hellenistic customs. All of these things affected the way other lands were