By Ella Cooper and Lauren Keogh

Nearly 3000 years ago people began farming around the place we call Rome, In Italy. Over time, their farms became villages and their villages became towns. Eventually, Rome was a big, bustling city that controlled a mighty empire.

Rome`s 300,000 strong army was split into legions of 5,000 soldiers. These were posted all over the empire to capture new lands, guard them,and to control local rebels. The men travelled huge distances usually on foot. Legionaries had long, curved wooden shields. The shields had metal edges and a metal stud in the centre. Sometimes the Legionaries placed their shields in a special shape called a ‘tortoise`.

Wealthy Romans lived in spacious one-storey homes. But the ordinary people lived in shacks or flats. A Roman family meant everyone lived in the same household. As well as a husband, his wife and their children, it included any slaves that they owned. The mother gave orders to slaves and organised the day- to-day running of the house.

Romans started the day with breakfast of fruit, bread and olives. For lunch, there was more bread, served with vegetables and meat, fish or cheese. The main meal began around 4 o clock. Average Romans had soup or stew but rich Romans had roasted meats or seafood.

The Romans favourite entertainment was a trip to watch the gladiators. These were prisoners or slaves who had been trained to fight. In Rome the best fights took place in a 50,000-seat amphitheatre called the Colosseum.

The Romans were brilliant builders and engineers. They learnt how to make clay bricks last longer by firing them in hot ovens, and they invented measuring instruments that we still use today. Romans invented central heating. Romans invented the first cement. Romans built bridges to carry drinking water to their cities.

The Romans prayed to hundreds of different gods. Even the emperor made sacrifices to the gods to keep them happy. Each god looked after one aspect of peoples lives.

Rome had a birthday. On the 21 st of April 753bc they said it was found by Romulus and Remus. The Rome had the best army in the world. Wounded soldiers wore spider webs. The sticky silk helped knit the skin together.

By Ella & Lauren