A few days ago, I took the train to Rome, the Eternal City—capital of emperors, philosophers, poets, and saints. Though I have been here before, arriving in Rome always feels like stepping into a vast timeline where history still lives and breathes.
Rome’s beginnings are wrapped in legend. Founded, tradition says, by Romulus in 753 BC, the early city grew out of humble settlements along the Tiber. From these origins emerged the Roman Republic, a political system that produced enduring ideas about citizenship and governance. Figures such as Julius Caesar, Cicero, and Cato shaped Rome’s identity, each leaving a lasting imprint.
The Republic eventually gave way to empire, and under Augustus—the first emperor—Rome entered its Golden Age. Peace and prosperity spread across its territories during the Pax Romana. Roads, aqueducts, and monumental buildings rose across the empire, testifying to Roman engineering genius. Writers like Virgil and Horace flourished, while philosophers such as Seneca reflected on virtue, power, and the challenges of public life.
But the empire also witnessed turbulent times. After Augustus came rulers of varying temperaments—Tiberius, Claudius, and Vespasian provided stability, while others like Caligula and Nero became infamous for extravagance and cruelty. Their reigns, often marked by excess, are reminders that even great civilizations are vulnerable to the flaws of their leaders.
Yet amid these contradictions, Rome produced voices of profound wisdom. Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-emperor, wrote his Meditations while leading campaigns on the empire’s frontiers. His reflections on discipline, humility, and the fleeting nature of life continue to resonate across centuries.
By the fourth century, Rome experienced a transformation that altered its destiny. With Emperor Constantine’s conversion to Christianity, the city became the spiritual heart of a new religious world. Pagan temples were gradually replaced by churches, and pilgrims journeyed from distant lands seeking faith and renewal.
Centuries later, another cultural wave swept through Rome—the Renaissance, which had begun in Florence. Rome soon attracted some of the greatest artistic minds of all time. Michelangelo arrived to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and sculpt works of powerful emotional depth. Raphael brought elegance and harmony to the Vatican with his frescoes, while Leonardo da Vinci, though in the city briefly, carried with him the Florentine spirit of inquiry and innovation.
Their legacy opened the way for the dramatic Baroque era. Bernini reshaped Rome with sculptures and fountains that seem almost alive, while Caravaggio transformed painting with his bold use of light and shadow. Although not Renaissance artists themselves, they were its direct inheritors, expanding its artistic language into new realms of emotion and movement.
Through these layers—Republican, Imperial, Christian, Renaissance, and Baroque—Rome evolved without losing its essential character. The city stands today as a testament to endurance and reinvention, a place where ancient columns share space with Renaissance domes, and where centuries coexist in a single, unforgettable panorama.
Every city has a past—but Rome carries the memory of an entire civilization.
(The writer is Professor Emeritus, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles)