The 3 Reasons Why Italy Is Not Called Rome

Further Reading

The 10 Major Events That Led To The Fall Of The Roman Republic and 3 Ways The Roman Social War Changed Italian Society Forever

The modern nation of Italy was once the home to the world’s greatest ancient superpower. This was the Republic and Empire of Rome which dominated the Mediterranean Sea for nearly 700 years. There are 3 reasons why Italy is not named after Rome.

Today there are 3 reasons Italy is not named after the Roman Empire. First, Rome was just a city whose inhabitants called themselves Roman. Second, Italy as a nation represents the whole of Italy and not just Rome. Third, Rome at its peak included several other nations besides Italy.

This article goes into depth as to why the nation of Italy is named Italy and not Rome. Here at The History Ace I strive to publish the best history articles on the internet. If at the end you enjoyed this article then consider subscribing to the free newsletter and sharing around the web.

Without further ado, here are the 3 reasons why Italy is not called Rome.

Rome Is Just A City, Even At Its Peak It Did Not Consider Itself Italian

One of the main reasons why Italy is not named after Rome was because the city of Rome did not consider itself Italian.

Even during the peak of the Roman Empire the city of Rome considered itself different from its Italian neighbors. Evidence of this can be found across the Republic and Empire. One of the best forms of evidence for this can be seen in the numerous Latin authors that existed throughout the Empire.

The Latin author Virgil is a prime example. In Virgil’s national novel The Aeneid he discusses how the Romans were not Italian or Latin but rather they were Trojan.

The Romans believed that after Troy was defeated during the Trojan war refugees fled the ancient city to found the city of Troy. Rome used this story to justify their military successes to found their city during the early Republic.

Even after the Romans subjugated the whole of Italy they refused to give their Italian allies representation within their government. Because of this the Roman Social War was fought during the late Republic. Eventually the Italians defeated the Romans and were given citizenship within the Roman Republic.

Even then, the Senators and later Emperors considered themselves Roman first and Italians second.

Simply put, Rome was just a city that did not consider itself Italian. To name the whole nation of Italy after Rome would be akin to calling the whole of the United States Washington DC.

As such this remains one of the main reasons why Italy is not called Rome.

Italy As A Nation Represents The Whole of Italy And Not Just Rome

One of the main reasons why Italy is not called Rome is because Italy represents all Italians and not just Rome.

The culture of Italy is so diverse. Northern Italy is known for its gothic architecture and renaissance artwork. Rome is known for its ancient buildings and religion. Southern Italy is known for its beaches and beauty.

Even the Island of Sicily is completely different then the rest of Italy. The ancient Romans didn’t even consider Sicily as part of Italy until the 3rd century AD.

If you were to name the whole of Italy after Rome it would be a disservice to the people of Italy. Each section of Italy progressed completely differently from the rest.

In fact the concept of a unified Italy is a modern concept. It was not until the invasion of Napoleon Bonaparte in the 19th century that Italy even began to consider itself unified.

18th century Italy had over 8 kingdoms that made up modern Italy. Each one of these kingdoms was a nation in of itself.

Simply put, each part of Italy is so diverse and different from the rest. As such this remains one of the main reasons why Italy is not called Rome.

Rome At Its Peak Included Several Other Nations Besides Italy

One of the main reasons that the modern nation of Italy is not called Rome is because of the massive size of the Roman Empire at its peak.

During the peak of the Roman Empire Rome held land from modern Egypt to Scotland. Nearly all of the western world was held under Roman authority. Roman culture extends far past the confines of the city of Rome and Italy.

As such if we were to name the whole of Italy Rome it would imply that Italy was not Italian but rather Roman which constitutes ancient Roman controlled land. This would take away from the people of Italy who in the 19th century chose to name their nation Italy.

For example, if Italy was named Rome then it would imply that Italy previously lost land in the modern nations of Germany, Spain, France, Britain, Poland, Austria, Greece, and Egypt.

This would not only set the wrong tone but also it would water down the Italian nation’s culture.

This massive Roman territory remains one of the main reasons why Italy is not called Rome.

Conclusion

Today Italian history is fascinating. There are several turning points where Italian history began to morph and influence the rest of the western world. One of the prime examples of this would be the publication of Dante’s Inferno in a native Italian language instead of Roman Latin. Prospective graduate students will find a wealth of material on Italian history by looking at how Italians identified themselves throughout history.

Here at The History Ace I strive to publish the best history articles on the internet. If you enjoyed this article then consider subscribing to the free newsletter and sharing around the internet.

Further, you can check out some of the other articles below.

Sincerley,

Nick