Ch 5 An Age of Empires Rome Han

Ch. 5 An Age of Empires: Rome & Han China 753 B. C. E. -600 C. E.

Italy

Environment • Italy-crossroads of Mediterranean • Rome-crossroads of Italy

Rome’s in 753 B. C. E.

Origins • The legend: Romulus & Remus-grown by a she-wolf, founded the city • Rome –founded in 753 B. C. on 7 hills

Social structure • Basis of society: family, multiple generations + slaves • Paterfamilias: absolute power • Patricians-rich • Plebeians-poor • Fights among them: “Conflict of the Order”

On what depended social status, political privileges, fundamental values?

Economy • • Agricultural society Basis of wealth: land Trade Territory rich in metals (iron): N-W Etruria

Political organization • 1) Monarchy 753 -507 B. C. E. ( Romulus. Tarquinius Superbus) • 2) Roman Republic 507 -31 B. C. E. • Rulers: Senate, Council of Elders, several assemblies • All male citizens able to attend

Was the Roman Republic a democracy? Who had the real power?

Answers • Votes of wealthy counted more than the ones of the poor • Senate

Political org. • 450 B. C. E. Conflict of the Order: plebeians refused to work • The laws: on 12 stone tablets • New officials: tribunes ( lower classes)

What was the purpose of the 12 stone tablets? Was the new structure efficient?

Political org. • Tribunes- power to block any action of the Assembly that was against the interests of the lower classes • Patricians: brought the tribunes into their class. • Patron-client relationship: • Patron-wealthy, offered protection • Clients: poor, political, military support, agric. work

Religion Polytheistic Small sacrifices: cakes, wine Jupiter-Zeus, Mars-Ares, Venus-Aphrodita Numina Pax Deorum( Peace of the gods)-covenant between the gods & the Roman state • People: sacrifices, gods: protection, success • • •

Women • • • No property Under male authority the whole life Less constrained than Greek women In time they got more rights influence

Expansion • a) in Italy • b) in the Mediterranean

Why did the Romans expand so much?

1) aggressiveness 2) insecurity-buffer states-further expansion Well organized army; set up camps A) expanded in Italy: conflicts among pastoral tribes & agric. population • B) 264 -202 -conquered Phoenicians • expanded in Mediterranean: Sicily, Sardinia, Spain • •

• 200 -146 wars against Hellenistic kingdoms • 59 -51 Caesar conquered Gaul (S France) • New provinces: local administration & tax collection • A senator sent to administer it • Romans accorded citizenship to conquered people

Why did the Romans accord citizenship to conquered peoples?

The failure of the Republic • Political causes • 1) civil wars( 88 -31 B. C. E. ) • 2)armies were more loyal to their leader than to the state

The failure of the Republic • Economical causes • 1) the appearance of the latifundia (herds , wine instead of grains) • 2) Roman cities became dependent of imported grains • 3)peasants-difficulty in finding a job because of the slaves • 4) poverty • 5) lower no. of eligible soldiers

Octavianus Princeps Augustus

The Roman Principate (31 B. C. E. -330 C. E. ) Octavian (31 B. C. -14 C. E. ) Maintained the forms of the Republic Founded the Principate Military dictator Expanded the empire: Egypt, parts of Middle East, Central Europe • After him, the empire was ruled by emperors from different families • • •

The greatest expansion of the Roman Empire

Questions • 1 )Why did he never call himself emperor? • 2) How was the throne transmitted into the Roman Empire?

Caesar’s death

• 3) Why wasn’t the throne transmitted hereditary? • 4) How was the emperor chosen? • 5) Why did a cult of worship of the living emperor develop? • 6) What was the source of law in the Roman Empire?

Way of life • • 80 % of population lived in villages 20 % in cities; Rome, Alexandria, Carthage Rome Forum, government buildings Temples, gardens Public baths, theaters Rich: town-houses Poor: slums

Roman Forum

Way of life • Cities organized based on Rome’s model • led by a town council +2 elected officials • Pax Romana –period of peace, stability & prosperity during the first 2 centuries C. E. guaranteed by the Roman power

The Colosseum

What was the most enduring consequence of the Roman Empire?

Romanization • spread of Latin language and Roman way of life into the conquered territories • Factors of Romanization?

Factors of Romanization • • • Language Administration Cities-built on Rome’s model Veterans School Christianity

Third-Century Crisis (235 -284) • Political causes: • 1) frequent changes of emperors-civil warsinstability • 2)attacks from Germanic tribes

• • • Economical causes: Inflation Declined of trade Drained treasury Demand of higher taxes-barter economy

• Social causes • Population moved from cities to villages • People find protection in local landowners

How was the crisis solved?

Diocletian( 284 -305) • • Reforms 1) controlled market prices 2) frozed professional mobility Stopped only temporary the collapse of the Roman Empire

Constantine( 306 -337) • 312, battle of Milvian Bridge , victory( cross) • 313, Edict of Milan (freedom of worship to Christians) • Unified the empire under a single religion • Moved the capital from Rome to Constantinople

Why did Constantine stop the Christians ’persecution?

The decline of the Roman Empire • 392, emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official & unique religion of the Roman Empire • 395 the Roman Empire was divided in 2: • Western part-decline • Eastern part-flourished, the Byzantine Empire • The Western part-attacked by migrating peoples: Germanic tribes( Visigoths, Ostrogoths)

The end of the Roman Empire • 476, the Western part collapsed • W-divided into many Germanic kingdoms • The Eastern part will survive for 1, 000 more years under the name the Byzantine Empire

Technology • • • Roads Arches Concrete Ballistic weapons Aqueducts System of writing: alphabet

Roman road (Appian Way)

Roman Aqueduct