[[File:Vita Romae.webm|thumb|left|Kehidupan di Roma; animasi dalam bahasa Latin dengan takarir Inggris]]
Menjelang berakhirnya zaman Republik Romawi, kota Roma sudah mencapai kemegahan yang layak dimiliki ibu kota sebuah kemaharajaan yang menguasai seluruh [[Laut Tengah]]. Ketika itu Roma adalah kota terbesar di dunia.<!--EstimatesPuncak ofkepadatan itspopulasinya peakdiperkirakan populationberkisar rangepada fromangka 450,.000 tosampai overlebih dari 3.,5 millionjuta peoplejiwa, withsementara estimatesangka ofperkiraan yang paling populer di kalangan sejarawan adalah 1 tosampai 2 million being most popular withjuta historiansjiwa.<ref>{{cite book |last= Aldrete |first= Gregory S. |author-link= Gregory S. Aldrete |title= Daily life in the Roman city: Rome, Pompeii and Ostia |publisher= Greenwood Press |year= 2004 |location= Westport, CT |page= [https://archive.org/details/dailylifeinroman00aldr/page/22 22] |url=https://archive.org/details/dailylifeinroman00aldr |url-access= registration |quote= rome first city with one million inhabitants -.com .edu. |isbn= 0-313-33174-X |access-date= 8 JulyJuli 2011}}</ref> ThisKemegahan grandeurRoma increasedmeningkat underpada masa pemerintahan [[Augustus|Kaisar Agustus]], whoyang completedmenuntaskan Caesar'sproyek-proyek projectspembangunan andYulius addedKaisar manydan ofmenambahkan hisproyek-proyek own,yang suchtercetus asdari thegagasannya sendiri, misalnya [[Forum of AugustusAgustus]] and thedan [[Ara Pacis]]. HeKonon isKaisar saidAgustus topernah havemengatakan remarkedbahwa thatRoma heyang foundia Romedatangi aadalah citysebuah ofkota brickbatu-bata anddan leftRoma ityang aia citytinggalkan adalah sebuah ofkota marblepualam (''Urbem latericium invenit, marmoream reliquit''). Augustus'sPara successorspengganti soughtKaisar toAgustus emulateberusaha hismengulang successkeberhasilannya indengan partcara bymenambahkan addingkontribusi theirmereka ownsendiri contributionskepada tokota the cityitu. InPada ADtahun 64 M, duringmasa the reignpemerintahan ofKaisar [[Nero]], theterjadi [[GreatKebakaran FireBesar ofRoma|musibah Romekebakaran besar]] leftyang muchmenghanguskan ofsebagian thebesar citykota destroyedRoma, buttetapi inmusibah manytersebut waysjustru itdimanfaatkan wassebagai usedalasan asbagi anusaha-usaha excusepengembangan foryang new developmentbaru.<ref name="Tacitus, Annals XV.40">Tacitus, ''Annals''XV.40</ref><ref name="Fordham">{{cite web |url=http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/diocassius-nero1.html |title=Ancient History Sourcebook: Dio Cassius: Nero and the Great Fire 64 AD |last=Fordham.edu|work=fordham.edu |year=2009}}</ref><!--
Rome was a subsidised city at the time, with roughly 15 to 25 percent of its grain supply being paid by the central government. Commerce and industry played a smaller role compared to that of other cities like [[Alexandria]]. This meant that Rome had to depend upon goods and production from other parts of the Empire to sustain such a large population. This was mostly paid by taxes that were levied by the Roman government. If it had not been subsidised, Rome would have been significantly smaller.<ref>Oates, W. J. (09, 30 June). Population of Rome. Retrieved 11, 16 March, from http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Journals/CP/29/2/Population_of_Rome*.html</ref>
