Top 4 Most Important Roman Cities
The cities that made Rome
Rome was unique for its time, as its Empire was built on urban centres. Compared to the other great Empires of the age such as Persia and to an extent even China, the major cities of Rome were large and served important functions other than merely provincial capitals. From Alexandria in Egypt to Londinium in Britannia, the cities of Rome served as the backbone of the Empire.
Alexandria: Second Capital of Rome
Peak Population: 300,000–500,000
Perhaps the most important city of Ancient Rome, Alexandria was the city that financed the Empire’s success; serving as the grain capital of the Roman World. Founded by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C, the city was unique as it was a Hellenistic settlement that served as the capital of Egypt for centuries.
Furthermore, its monuments and splendour were one of the few which rivalled that of Rome itself, as it held structures such as the Library of Alexandria, which was the largest library of Antiquity. So important was Alexandria, that Augustus placed the city and subsequently the entire Egyptian province under his direct control.
