"It is evident that in the period designated as that of the kings, when Rome commenced her career of conquest, she was, for that time and country, a great and wealthy city"

Goldwin Smith observes the early phase of Roman history, specifically the era of the kings preceding the Republic, drawing attention to Rome’s emergence as a city of considerable power and affluence. The phrase “period designated as that of the kings” refers to the traditional legendary accounts of Rome’s monarchs, a time shrouded in the semi-historical narratives that precede the definitive rise of the Republic. By highlighting the city’s beginnings in conquest, Smith situates Rome’s identity from its earliest phase as one intrinsically linked to military expansion and strategic dominance.

The description of Rome as “a great and wealthy city” during this dawn sets it apart from other settlements in Latium and the broader Italian peninsula. Smith implies that, while the standards of greatness or wealth may evolve over centuries, Rome possessed, by the metrics of her contemporaries, a degree of socioeconomic organization and resourcefulness that catalyzed her growth and influence. The city’s wealth in this context likely encompasses not just material riches or accumulated spoils, but also a richness in civic structure, religious tradition, and military prowess.

Smith’s remark frames Rome’s success as far from accidental. The city’s ascendancy is “evident”, an undeniable fact to those who study the era. The underlying message is that Rome’s subsequent imperial dominance was rooted in an already established foundation, created in the crucible of monarchical rule. Even before the sweeping reforms and larger-than-life figures of the Republic and Empire, Rome’s ambition, organizational capabilities, and acquisitive spirit had secured her a status above neighboring cities.

Thus, the nascent periods of Roman history are not simply a prelude; they are the bedrock upon which future achievements would be built. The process of conquest, coupled with the resultant enrichment and increased prestige, marked Rome as a unique force in her part of the ancient world, a force destined, as Smith intimates, for greatness on a far greater stage.