How were people connected to the city of rome?

Answer 1

Peoples within and outside of the Roman Empire were connected to Rome in a number of ways.

Commercial traders were connected to Rome via the sea and via the Roman road system. Trade between areas near present day India and Rome were facilitated by both of the above mentioned avenues.

Conquered nations that became Roman provinces were connected to Rome in ways not often to their benefit, or the reverse. A Roman conquest of an independent nation, brought with it a connection to Rome because often times the vanquished became slaves and ended up in Rome. The new province was also connected to Rome by the taxes and other payments forced upon them by the Romans. And the other connection would also mean that a garrison of Roman soldiers, whether small or legion sized, would be present to insure the new province stayed under Roman control.

Romans themselves stayed connected to their home city of Rome by sea and roads.

Some of Rome's conquered nations, in the long term, benefited from their connections to Rome. Becoming a Roman province many times brought stabilization to an area that was unstable due to attacks from neighboring countries. A Roman presence insured a degree of protection. If a previously independent nation had a population that was oppressed by its former rulers, the Roman connection was sometimes a relief to that oppression.