福利

羅馬共和國與羅馬帝國(Roman republic and empire)

曾統治西方世界的古國。西元前509年以羅馬城為中心建立共和國，西元前27年建立羅馬帝國，直至西元5世紀西羅馬帝國最後瓦解。共和國政府由兩名執政官、元老院、地方長官（最初全是貴族），以及兩個一般的平民議會（軍事百人團大會和平民部族大會）組成。西元前451年頒佈的成文法典十二銅表法，成為了羅馬私法的基礎。到西元前3世紀末，整個義大利都屬於羅馬版圖。到西元前3世紀末，羅馬領土包括了整個義大利；至共和國後期，其版圖包括西歐大部分、北非以及近東地區，並將這些領土劃分為行省。凱撒是在經過一段時期的內戰後，以獨裁者身分掌管國家大權。他遭暗殺（西元前44年）後，安東尼、雷比達和屋大維之間發生衝突，最終屋大維獲勝（西元前31年），即位為皇帝，稱奧古斯都（西元前27～西元14年在位）。帝國政府（元首統治）結合了共和政體和君主政體。395年帝國分裂為東西兩部分，西羅馬帝國受到來自野蠻民族的嚴重侵略，羅馬於476年遭日耳曼人入侵；東羅馬帝國則繼續存在，稱為拜占庭帝國，一直存續到整個中世紀時期。

English version：

Roman republic and empire

Ancient state that once ruled the Western world. It centered on the city of Rome from the founding of the republic (509 BC) through the establishment of the empire (27 BC) to the final eclipse of the empire of the West (5th century AD). The republic's government consisted of two consuls,the Senate,and magistrates,originally all patricians,and two popular plebeian assemblies: the military centuriate assembly and the civilian tribal assembly. A written code,the Law of the Twelve Tables (451 BC),became the basis of Roman private law. By the end of the 3rd century BC,Roman territory included all of Italy; by the late republican period it encompassed most of western Europe,northern Africa,and the Near East,organized into provinces. After a period of civil war,Julius Caesar took power as dictator. Following his assassination (44 BC),conflict among Mark Antony,Lepidus,and Octavian resulted in Octavian's victory (31) and his accession as emperor Augustus (r.27 BC-AD 14). The imperial government,a principate,combined aspects of the republic and a monarchy. In AD 395 the empire split into eastern and western halves,with the west under severe pressure from barbarians. Rome fell to German invaders in 476; the east continued as the Byzantine empire through the Middle Ages.