Roman civilization

Compose your answer to the question(s) below in a well-written response of approximately 500 words or more, conforming to standard practices and rules of the English language as well as one of the commonly accepted styles of academic writing (MLA, APA, etc); Times New Roman, 12 point font, double spaced.
You should have a developed introduction, a clear thesis, a thorough analysis, and a strong conclusion.
EACH body paragraph should contain:
a clear topic sentence
numerous examples of specific evidence, drawn from the text, cited appropriately (parentheticals if using MLA)
a thorough analysis of the evidence and how it proves/relates to your topic sentence
For this essay you must provide use your own sources, 3-5 total. You may use previously assigned readings, or other acceptable scholarly sources. Websites, with the exception of translations of primary sources are generally not scholarly sources and should be avoided. Email me with questions about sources.
Review the rubric below.
Please keep in mind that unit tests replace term papers, these are your formal writing assignments for the course. Feel free to email me any questions.

The Prompt:

Sections of this course will write one of their out-of-class formal essays on a topic addressing the reasons for Rome’s growth to a position of great political and cultural power.

Note:

This essay is a little different than your previous essays as it comes directly from the University. There are numerous ways to address and answer this question. You are responsible for providing your own scholarly sources. As always, please feel free to reach out with questions.

Course Objectives:

European/American history foundations:Students will study how Mediterranean civilization controlled from Rome as power center (for significant parts of the period 750 BCE – 400 CE), including its political, intellectual, economic, and social culture, forms a major foundation of European and American history and contributes to the debate about suitable government today.
Critically using sources of information:Students will learn how historians evaluate and attempt to use different types of ancient evidence, including ancient writers, ancient administrative and legal documents, archaeological evidence, and insights from other humanities and social sciences disciplines to gain as full an understanding of the Roman world as possible.
Understanding change over time: Students will study how Roman society, material culture, political power, and self-definition changed over time during the rise from a small community to a multi-ethnic “world” empire, while preserving significant continuities
Looking for historical forces and causes: Students will consider the concept of causation in Roman history and will weigh the possible factors for change, including geography and environment together with human agency.
Appreciating historical interpretation:Students will understand how our knowledge of Roman history rests on the understanding and interpretation of facts both by ancient historical witnesses, in whom ethical and artistic motives as well as personal bias often dominate, and by scholars today.
Grasping the importance of material culture: Students will understand how the material culture of the Roman world both helped to determine the trajectory of how the civilization developed and expressed many of its major characteristics.