Why Did Rome Become An Empire?

Rome is one of the oldest empires in the world, dating from 753 BCE to 338 BCE. Rome is one of the first major cities in Italy, along with Florence. Rome was founded by the twins, Romulus and Remus. A legend has been passed that at a young age the boys were put in baskets and were sent along the Tiber River. They were found by a mother wolf. She cared for them, but soon after a shepherd found them and took care of them until they grew up. At one point they decided to seek their fortune. They went to the place where the mother wolf had raised them and decided to build a small city. The brothers fought over where they should have the city located, and Romulus killed Remus. Thereafter, Romulus named the city Rome. They never forgot their mother wolf, and to this day you can find a statue of the boys and the wolf in Rome.
There were many reasons of why the small city became an empire, such as dominance, stability, protection, commerce, food, and more. The Romans had strict social structures and social classes as well. Rome was male dominated, and women were defined by the social status of their father or husband. Women usually had few or no rights, and no independence. With social classes, clothes made a difference. Only emperors wore purple robes, symbolizing power. Senators wore a white toga or an Equestrian toga, and the plebeians (lower classes - slaves and merchants) often wore tunic which were made out of linen or white wool. The social classes did still interact. The slaves usually worked for the higher classes, which include nobles. The soldiers were often mixed with the officers as