A brief sketch of Roman history from the Etruscans to Mussolini. Rome, the "eternal city," was founded over 2,700 years ago along the Tiber River in the center of the Italian peninsula. In the millennia that have elapsed since its founding, this city experienced times of internal power and prosperity, as well as periods of destruction. The city has been thoroughly transformed, at times taking its place as a significant urban center, and at other times forming only a small scattered settlement. Rome has also become a very important place for both Western civilization and for the Catholic...