# Roman Empire



## vi205

Hi Guys

This is my first post, and I want to thank you for helping me.

I am searching for a book on the Roman Empire in Hebrew.

I speak Hebrew fluently, but I am not able to read nor write fluently in Hebrew.
In my opinion the Roman Empire should be called 

אימפריה הרומית 

But googling it, does not yield very much. Is there anyone who could tell me what the Roman Empire actually is called in hebrew?

It would be even better if anyone could recomend a book on basically anything connected with the Roman Empire.

Thanks in advance


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## scriptum

Welcome,

try 
ממלכת רומי
הממלכה הרומית
and
המלוכה הרומית

(and see for bibliography http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/ממלכת_רומי)


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## amikama

I think that what vi205 looks for is not הממלכה הרומית (Roman Kingdom) but *האימפריה הרומית* or *הקיסרות הרומית*.


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## scriptum

Is there a difference?


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## amikama

scriptum said:


> Is there a difference?


According to Wikipedia, yes:


> The *Roman Kingdom* (Latin: _Regnum Romanum_) was the monarchical government of the city of Rome and its territories.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Kingdom


 


> The *Roman Empire* was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire


 
Anyway, I always knew Roman Empire as האימפריה הרומית in Hebrew (never המלוכה/הממלכה הרומית).


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## scriptum

Point taken. Thank you.


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## dinji

scriptum said:


> Point taken. Thank you.


 
I just try to remember my Hebrew Asterix: Couldn't it be _roma'it _(with alef) as well, or even _romanit_? 
_Romit_ sounds odd to my ear for this adjective.


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## scriptum

dinji said:


> Couldn't it be ... _romanit_?


Absolutely. "Romanian Empire" would sound great.

The word _roma'i_ exists, but, to the best of my knowledge, it is a substantive meaning "Roman citizen". Unless Amikama (who seems to be an expert on this subject) thinks otherwise.


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## dinji

scriptum said:


> Absolutely. "Romanian Empire" would sound great.
> 
> The word _roma'i_ exists, but, to the best of my knowledge, it is a substantive meaning "Roman citizen". Unless Amikama (who seems to be an expert on this subject) thinks otherwise.


This would explain everything. In Asterix there would have been plenty of references to "the romans", which would have been _haroma'im_ but fewer to the adjective "roman", so my memory would have tuned in on the first one.


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## amikama

scriptum said:


> The word _roma'i_ exists, but, to the best of my knowledge, it is a substantive meaning "Roman citizen". Unless Amikama (who seems to be an expert on this subject) thinks otherwise.


Hehehe, no, I'm not an expert at all, in _any_ subject! So please take everything I say with a grain of salt 

But it seems that you're right about רומאי referring to a citizen of Roma (it can also be used as an adjective, e.g. אישה רומאית). However, רומני refers to Romania (the modern state whose capital is Bucharest), so האימפריה הרומנית as a translation of Roman Empire is wrong.


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## tFighterPilot

Roma'*i* and Roma'*it* can be used as either nouns or adjectives referring to Roman people, while *Ro*mi and *Ro*mit are adjectives referring to everything else that is Roman (Empire, city, fortress, vase etc...)

*Ro*mi is also a Hebrew name for the Roman empire, while the word *Ro*ma can refer to either the Empire or the city.


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