the capital of Italy; it was also the capital of the ancient Romanrepublic and of the Roman Empire. A secret of Rome's early success was the generous treatment given to areas that it conquered, allowing many areas to remain self-governing. However, the Romans felt that the early Christians were not respectful toward Roman ancestral pagan customs and their preaching sometimes sounded like it was advocating revolution. Professing to be a Christian came to be defined as a capital crime in Rome. See also Roman Empire in this glossary.—State of ManCongress Approved Gls (14.5.92)