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Once a city-state, Rome grew to become the political and cultural center of the Mediterranean. The empire stretched as far as Britain to the West and Mesopotamia to the East. Romans considered themselves to be the direct descendants of the mythical people of Troy, believing they had inherited the favor of the gods. Through its many glorious military conquests and achievements, the Roman world has left a rich legacy for modern scholars. What has been learned has given us a glimpse into a time in which man reached a height of civilization that had never been seen before. During the early years of Roman history, 750-510 B.C., Rome was ruled by successive kings. Rome evolved quickly, and by the end of the fifth century B.C., the last king was expelled and a republican government was established. During this era, Rome succeeded in conquering all of Italy and by the first century B.C., was the lasting power in the Mediterranean. At this time, rival military forces began to compete for power. Two men, Pompey and Julius Caesar, emerged as bitter rivals with opposing armies. In 49 B.C., civil war broke out, with Julius Caesar eventually defeating Pompey. Voted dictator for life by the senate, Caesar met with an untimely death on the 15th of March in 44 B.C. The date will forever be known as "The Ides of March." 羅馬原本只是一個城邦，後來逐漸發展成地中海政治和文化的中心。羅馬帝國西達大不列顛，東至美索不達米亞平原。羅馬人認為他們是傳說中特洛伊人的嫡系子孫，他們相信自己繼承了諸神的恩寵。羅馬多次輝煌的軍事勝利和其非凡的成就留給現代學者豐富的遺產。我們對於羅馬的認識使我們能一窺這個創下文明顛峰的時代。 在羅馬的早期歷史中（西元前七五○～五一○年），羅馬由繼任的國王來統治。羅馬發展得很快，到了西元前五世紀，最後一任國王遭驅逐，並建立起共和政府。在共和政府時代，羅馬成功地征服了整個義大利，並自西元前一世紀就長期稱霸地中海地區。 此時各派軍事勢力開始奪權。龐培和凱撒這兩個人崛起，各擁大軍，互為勁敵。西元前四九年，內戰爆發，凱撒最後打敗龐培。然而正當元老院選任凱撒為永久的統治者時，他卻於西元前四四年三月的第十五日猝逝。三月十五日這天也就永遠刻劃在世人心中。 |
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1. descendant n. 子孫, 後裔 |
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1. as far as... 達……之遠, 遠至…… |
from 常春藤解析英語雜誌
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