A History of Rome to 565 A. D‪.‬

The history of Rome spans 2,766 years of the existence of a city that grew from a small Latin village in the 8th century BC into the centre of a vast civilization that dominated theMediterranean region for centuries. The population of the city fell in the Late Empire after Rome ceased to be the capital of the Empire, and remained far lower than its ancient peak until Rome became the capital of a reunited Italy in the late 19th century. This assured the survival of very significant ancient Roman material remains in the centre of the city, some abandoned and others continuing in use. For most of the centuries in between, the Papacy was the ruler of the city and Rome became the capital of the Papal States, which grew to include large parts of central Italy. Although economically weak, Rome remained a centre of pilgrimage and also tourism.