This is the story offered to us by the victorious ill-wishers of the emperor.
Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, 3768, Roman emperor, the last of the Julian-Claudian dynasty, persecutor of Christians, nicknamed «Antichrist».
The tax-cutting policy brings the monarch nationwide popularity. But, after the death of Agrippina, the emperor loses his former administrative acumen. The rebuilding of Rome after a fire, the construction of the Golden Palace with an area of one and a half kilometers, gladiatorial fights comparable in scope to full-size battles, digging a canal across the Isthmus of Corinth and constant large-scale orgies drain the treasury. Legions rise in depleted and impatient provinces. One not at all fine morning, Nero does not find any of his guards in his palace. The emperor flees to a country house. Realizing that the sweet life is over, he takes it into account.
After the son of Agrippina, the brutal but sane emperors Titus and his son Vespasian rule. They are inherited by Vespasians younger brother, Domitian, (killed by his own servant for the execution of Neros assistant in suicide).
After the average Emperor Galba comes the golden autumn of the Empire. Five worthy rulers come to power in a row Trajan, Adrian, Antoninus Pius, Lucius Verus and Marcus Aurelius. At the end of the time of this galaxy, the era of soldier emperors elected by the Praetorian Guard begins.
Emperor Marcus Aurelius (121180). Since the departure of the last emperor of the era of the «Golden Autumn of the Empire», Marcus Aurelius, the era of legendary Antiquity ends. Rome is waiting for the extinction of the previous institutions of power, a series of defeats, the loss of the meaning of the existence of a superpower and a change of religion.
The coming to power in 323 of Constantine the Great marks the transition of the state to Christianity. Forty years later, Emperor Julian (the Apostate) is trying to revive paganism. He encourages the priests of Jupiter to be as godly as Christians. These efforts are in vain. Nobody seriously believes in Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mithra, Hera and some guides to the afterlife, nums. The last emperor, the young Romulus Augustulus, was sent into exile by the rebellious barbarian commander Odoacer. Little is known about the further fate of Romulus, except that perhaps this boy became a Christian monk. Although Odoacer ruled over the remnants of Western Rome by formal permission from the monarch of the Eastern Empire, AD 476 historians are officially considered the last milestone of Antiquity.
In the youth of Rome, (5th-2nd century BC), slaves are quite rare. As a rule, they have the status of family members. The second-first centuries BC and the beginning of the new era are marked by a significant increase in the number of prisoners of war. Over time, the ratio of the number of free people to slaves in Italy reaches 2.5: 1, in the provinces 10: 1. The situation of the slaves deteriorates sharply. Nevertheless, they cherish not an illusory hope of raising their status, free literacy, the generic name of the master in addition, and unlimited promotion up the social ladder. At least two emperors of Rome were originally slaves.
The price of a slave in the first century BC is 4400 denarii, depending on the degree of success of the last war. The daily salary of a legionnaire is 1 denarius, (4 sestertius or 16 aces), including bonuses. For this amount, you can buy 20 loaves of bread of your choice, 4 liters of regular or a liter of fine Falernian wine. If we count in terms of gold, the price of which remains unchanged as an opportunity to acquire basic material goods, a soldier earns 40 thousand rubles a month.
Gladiator games last until the reign of the last ruler of the Empire Flavius Theodosius (370395). The institution of slavery comes to naught with a general softening of morals, as well as at the behest of lawyers, who usually take the side of the oppressed. Serfdom is taking over the baton of this phenomenon. Emperor Diocletian (284305) issues a law attaching peasants both tenants and owners of land, as well as artisans to their place of residence, or to a profession inherited by inheritance.
Roman legion in battle formation
The Roman legion (legionis military collection) consists of 57 thousand, later 4.5 thousand infantry and auxiliary units. Heavy cavalry (equits) 300 people. Archers 200 people. The latter act from the flanks, firing arrows along the line of raised shields. Velites «Swift» irregular infantry, recruited from local allied tribes or young legionnaires. Armament a round shield with a diameter of 90 cm, a helmet, several darts «gasta velitaris», 120 cm long and a short, 50 cm. Roman sword «gladius». In a free formation, dodging projectiles by jumping, the velites throw spears at the enemy and retreat behind the ranks of the heavily armed infantry.
The first line of the legion lined up for battle is the ghastats (spearmen), warriors 2025 years old, who really need combat experience. Armament chain mail, or, in the era of the Empire plate armor, rectangular shield scutum, gladius and two one and a half meter darts pilum.
The second line is the principles («First»). These are warriors in their prime, 2535 years old. They give the young men experience, let the hastats pass between the maniples and continue the fight.
On the third line are the triarii («Third») warriors 4045 years old, veterans, the reserve of the legion. Among other things, they are armed with long shock spears.
The army is ruled by six tribunes (peoples representatives) and a representative of the clan aristocracy a legate.
In the era of the Republic, the legion consists of 30 maniples («handful» or «hand»), two centuria («hundred») in each. The centuria has 60 to 120 fighters. The manipulators are united in ten cohorts («enclosure») of 360 legionnaires. One of the cohorts (First) is considered elite and has a doubled membership.
Roman legionaries. Historical reconstruction
In the days of the Empire, the maniple disappears as a tactical unit. There remains a cohort consisting of 6 centuries.
The legion deployed from the marching column follows to the place of battle with maniples or centuria, located in a checkerboard pattern. This makes it easier to move around rough terrain. Then the squares made up of fighters are rearranged into three solid lines. «Brothers» hurl pilums, sometimes putting the enemy to flight with this one volley, close shields and draw swords.
Ancient Latin America
Inca city, Machu Picchu, territory of modern Peru. Height 2.5 km. Architects fit stones of various shapes to each other, like puzzles. The Incas also erected pyramids, but these temples never reached the splendor of Mayan structures.
The Incas. State of Tahuantisuyu. The western coast of South America, starting from the northern territories of modern Chile and Colombia. Another smear in memory one thousand two hundred years BC. the first ruler of Manco Capaca. The last, who led the revolt against the Spaniards, the Great Indian Tupac Omaru (15701572).