Rome 509 BCE476 CE Geography Located in Italy

Rome (509 BCE-476 CE)

Geography Located in Italy ◦ Peninsula Fertile plains, mild climate for growing food Low mountains are easy to pass over Alps to the north provide protection

Founding of Rome- Legend According to legend there were twin brothers, Remus and Romulus. They were abandoned at birth and raised by a wolf. When the twins grew older a kind farmer took them in. Over time the boys founded a city on the banks of the Tiber River and its seven hills The boys designed the city but fought over the name. They fought, and Remus was killed. As such, Romulus named the city Rome and became a just and fair lord.

Founding of Rome- History In 509 BCE, the Romans overthrew the Etruscan king for domination of the peninsula and vowed never to be ruled by a monarch again, establishing a new form of government… Republic

Roman Republic = res publica = “public matter” ◦ A republic is essentially an “indirect democracy”, where the people participate in government by choosing representatives to run the government for them Two classes of people in Roman society ◦ Patricians- aristocratic families/upper class ◦ Controlled basically everything- politics, religion, economy, military ◦ Plebeians- common people: artisans, merchants, farmers ◦ Had little power, but were most of the population

Republican Government Senate- 300 member representative body for patricians, made foreign and domestic policy Senate was led by 2 Consuls who each serve a 1 -year term ◦ one leads army and one directs government In times of war/crisis, the senate would choose a dictator (for 6 months at a time) to act as a leader with complete power to get things done quickly

Republican Government Plebeians had little say in government Plebs argued they could not follow laws if they didn’t know what the laws were ◦ Twelve Tables: written law code posted in the center of Rome (the Forum), provided political and social rights for the Plebeians **Law is one of the most significant Roman contributions** Plebeians were eventually granted right to elect tribunes to the representative body to protect their interests ◦ Tribunes had the right to veto laws that would be harmful to the plebs

Expansion Under the Republic, Rome became a military power Rome quickly expanded, and by 270 BCE they controlled all of Italy Much like the Persians and Alex the Great, Rome treated conquered lands with justice: had to submit to Roman leadership, pay taxes, and supply men for the army, but could keep own customs and local government and some could become Roman citizens Soldiers were posted across Italy, and roads were built to connect far-away places

Roman Military Roman soldiers were “citizensoldiers”- fought without pay, supplied their own weapons They were loyal and well-trained The Romans army had many legions (groups of 5, 000) which were broken down into centuries (groups of 80) Soldiers were rewarded for good service. However, if the troops lost a battle, then one in every ten would be killed.

Carthage was a major trading city in North Africa. It linked the Saharan trade routes with the Mediterranean sea. Over time, the Carthaginians and Romans began to clash over trading rights. These conflicts led to a series of 3 wars known as the Punic Wars (264 -146 BCE) 1 st Punic War- Rome wins, gains Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia

Hannibal During the first Punic War, Hannibal’s father was a general. When Carthage lost, he swore revenge on Rome, and Hannibal followed through with this promise after his father’s death. Hannibal decided to attack Rome in 218 BCE, and would launch an attack from the North. What is in the northern part of Italy?

Elephants? ! Hannibal planned to use elephants to cross the Alps. In just 15 days he crossed the Alps, but lost half his military and most of the elephants. However, his daring attack surprised the Romans who were expecting an attack from the South.

Punic War #2 Hannibal remained in Italy for 15 years, winning battle after battle, but failing to take Rome. Eventually, the Romans attacked the city of Carthage, forcing him to leave to defend his home. At Carthage, Hannibal will lose. Carthage loses all its land outside of Africa and has to pay a huge tribute (tax) to Rome becomes the dominant power in the Mediterranean

Punic War #3 Rome, still fearful of their rival, completely destroys Carthage. Any survivors are killed or sold into slavery. Carthage becomes a province of Rome. While fighting the Punic Wars, Rome was also expanding into the eastern Mediterranean, and soon conquered Macedonia, Greece, and parts of Asia Minor. By 133 BCE, Rome’s power spanned from Spain to Egypt.

Effects of Roman Expansion caused a strain on the government and led to corruption Problems between social classes: ◦ New class of super-rich emerged (generals, official, traders who gained wealth from trade/looting) ◦ Created huge farming estates called latifundia that were worked by slaves, and were able to produce large quantities of food cheaply, putting farmers into debt and forcing them to sell their lands

Effects of Roman Expansion Gap between the rich and the poor widened, leading to violence and riots Civil War erupts in Rome over who should hold power: the Senate or new political leaders that had emerged

Julius Caesar Rome was involved in a civil war for nearly 100 years During the civil war several leaders attempted to gain control and restore order, but it wasn’t until Julius Caesar that order was restored. Caesar was one of the Generals who had led Rome’s expansion, and he and another general, Pompey, dominated Roman politics for a time.

Julius Caesar A brilliant military strategist, Caesar was able to take over the area of Gaul (France) Pompey convinced the Senate to order Caesar to return to Rome and disband his army, as he feared Caesar’s popularity Caesar did return to Rome, but did so with his army, crushing Pompey and his supporters and seizing control of Rome Veni, Vidi, Vici I came, I saw, I conquered

Julius Caesar Although he kept the senate in name, he filled it with his supporters, and they named him “dictator for life” ◦ He would have total power, but was not considered a king Caesar made many reforms to Roman government/society ◦ Public works program to hire the unemployed ◦ Gave public land to the poor ◦ Roman/Julian Calendar based on the Egyptian Calendar ◦ This is the calendar we use today (with some slight changes)

Caesar’s Death Senators began to worry that Caesar would make himself king, and plotted against him According to legend, Caesar was warned by an oracle to “beware the Ides of March” The Ides of March (March 15 th) was his death day in 44 BCE. He was stabbed 23 times.

Revenge Three of Caesar's closest friends vowed revenge, and tracked down his murderers: Marc Antony, Octavian and Lepidus (soon killed). They were known as the Triumvirate. Marc Antony and Octavian soon killed all the betrayers, then fought to determine who would lead Rome.

Cleopatra According to Roman historian Plutarch: Cleopatra and her brother, Ptolemy, were fighting each other for the Egyptian throne. Cleopatra asked Julius Caesar for help, which he gave to restore her to power. Shortly after Cleopatra and Caesar became lovers, and she bore him a son. The son was three years old when Caesar was killed by the Senate. Cleopatra then gave aid to the Triumvirate who was trying to get revenge for Caesar.

Cleopatra As the legend continues, Marc Antony meets with Cleopatra to thank her for her support. He quickly fell for her and they had twins together. Several years later Marc Antony returned to Egypt to be with Cleopatra, betraying his wife Octavia. Disgraced, Octavia turned to her brother Octavian (Augustus) who tracked down Marc Antony and Cleopatra. During the battle, Marc Antony was told Cleopatra had perished, and instead of continuing to fight, he killed himself upon his sword. However, she was still alive, and when she learned of Antony’s death, she also committed suicide.

From Republic to Empire STAR WARS • Galactic Republic Galactic Empire ROME • Roman Republic Roman Empire • Confident that republic would last forever • Desire for expansion leads to a series of wars (Sith/Clone Wars) • Desire for expansion leads to series of war (Punic Wars) • Greedy politicians use their power • Greedy senators/politicians use for personal gain instead of for their power for personal gain good of the people instead of for the good of the people

Emperor Augustus (31 BCE-14 CE) Having defeated Marc Antony, Octavian returned to Rome in 31 BCE and was named Augustus (the exalted one). He ruled as princeps- the first citizen ◦ He had absolute power (king without the title) Augustus became Rome’s first emperor ◦ Senate still met, but the emperor had real power

Augustus’s Reforms August reformed the government, opening it to men of talent, not just money civil service Created a census so there would be records of who should be taxed, postal service and new coins to make trade easier Augustus also created more roads and hired unemployed masses to complete public works.

Pax Romana Augustus is the first of many emperors during the Pax Romana= Roman Peace 200 year period of peace, wealth, and expansion throughout the Mediterranean Roman Emperors during Pax Romana Caligula- probably insane, appointed his favorite horse as Consul Nero- viciously persecuted Christians, possibly set Rome on fire Hadrian- made Roman law the same for all provinces Marcus Aurelius- came close to Plato’s ideal “philosopher king”

Roman Society Males were the head of the house with absolute power Women were to be loyal, obedient, and dutiful. ◦ Later gained more rights/freedoms, could own property and even businesses ◦ Some women even were able to influence politics, but most worked at home. Roman society was highly educated-both girls and boys from the upper and lower classes were taught to read and write

Roman Religion The Romans borrowed heavily from Greek society, especially in arts and religion. The Greeks and Romans had many of the same gods, just with different names: Greece Rome Role Zeus Jupiter Main god Hera Juno Marriage Poseidon Neptune Sea Ares Mars War Athena Minerva Wisdom

Bread and Circuses Romans loved their entertainment To keep the people loyal, emperors would give food to the poor and put on entertaining shows **This entertainment was meant to appease restless mobs and prevent violence in the city**

Circus Maximus Rome’s largest race track for chariot races. It had tight turns making it dangerous

The Coliseum Shows included trained slaves called Gladiators. They would fight each other or wild animals to the death. Skilled gladiators could win their freedom if they impressed the crowds, but poor gladiators could be killed if the crowd turned their thumbs down.

Greco-Roman Achievements Rome borrowed heavily from Greek culture after it conquered Greece In most Romans’ eyes, the Greeks represented the height of cultural achievement

Art Absorbed the Greek style of lifelike busts and statues, but added a person’s flaws (warts, missing teeth, scars, etc. ) ◦ Realism-vs-Idealism Frescoes and Mosaics

Architecture Used Greek columns but made them larger and more grand. Added designs to the column and the top The domes originating in Greece were improved by the Romans to be larger and more decorative

The Pantheon

Roman Achievements Literature ◦ Virgil- epic poem Aeneid to link Roman heroes to Greece Science ◦ Ptolemy- Earth is the center of the universe

Engineering & Infrastructure Roads- The Romans had a well maintained road system that allowed the army to quickly move, but also trade to occur. “All Roads lead to Rome”

Engineering & Infrastructure Aqueducts- The Romans built large bridge like structures to carry water to the cities. They have been copied around the world, including an original in Spain

Engineering & Infrastructure Baths- The Romans also used their water system to create large public baths. These bath houses were both a place to get clean, but also to learn the news of the day and meet people

Roman Law Rome had two systems of law (until the time of Hadrian) ◦ Civil law covered all citizens of Rome ◦ Law of nations covered all non-citizens Under Hadrian these systems merged, creating one law code ◦ common laws created unity and stability This is the basis for the principles of US law: • People of the same status are equal • Innocent until proven guilty • Allowed to face accuser and defend oneself • Guilt must be clear

Judaism The Romans were mostly tolerant of other religions practiced in newly conquered lands. However, most were required to worship Roman gods along with their own, except the Jews. The Jews were conquered in 63 BC and kept the freedom to worship only their one god. But in 66 AD the Romans turned against the Jews and forced them to leave Jerusalem. This event is called the diaspora.

Christianity began during the Pax Romana, and was founded by Jesus of Nazareth ◦ It started as a small sect within Judaism. Jesus was born a Jew in the city of Bethlehem around 4 BCE ◦ Most of what we know about him comes from the first 4 books of the New Testament May have worked as a carpenter, began preaching around age 30 ◦ Used parables (short stories with simple moral lessons) to share his ideas

Teachings of Christianity Jesus was a practicing Jew in his early life, and his teachings are rooted in Jewish traditions ◦ Monotheism ◦ 10 Commandments ◦ Teachings of Jewish prophets-mercy and sympathy for the poor and hopeless (Matthew 5: 5 -9) But he also spread new ideas ◦ Called himself the Son of God ◦ Emphasized God’s love for everyone regardless of social status

Jesus’s Death Roman authorities viewed Jesus as trouble ◦ They believed his speeches could instigate those who wanted to end Roman rule Jesus died before Christianity really grew. During his life time he had several very loyal followers who continued his teachings after his death.

The Spread of Christianity Paul, one of Jesus’ most loyal followers spread his message, and built Churches from Mesopotamia to Rome. Early churches were not organized, but had believers who would spread the message of Jesus Christ.

Persecution After Jesus’ death, Christianity spread even faster. This prompted the Romans to outlaw, or ban, Christianity. The Romans killed many Christians, who refused to give up their new religion. These people are called Martyrs. The message of love, the promise of eternal life in heaven and seeing the martyrs die for the cause made many other people convert to Christianity.

Survival Despite being banned by the Romans and thousands of executions the Christian religion continued to spread: ◦ ◦ All-encompassing message of love Better afterlife Welcomed people of all walks of life People were impressed by the martyrs’ dedication In 313 CE the emperor Constantine passed the Edict of Milan. This order allowed for total religious freedom. By 400 CE Christianity was the official religion of Rome

The Empire Declines Rome faced threats from both in and out of the empire Political Economic/Social After the Pax Romana there was nothing but political turmoil. Heavy taxes to support bureaucracy and military Government became more Farmers could no longer pay their oppressive and authoritarian, lost taxes so they started to work the respect of the people. land owned by the wealthy, paying rent in crops. Frequent civil wars over succession- in a 50 year period, Upper class devoted itself to there were 26 emperors. luxury and prestige, no longer on Roman values that founded the Republic

Division In 284 CE, the emperor Diocletian attempted to reform Rome to save the empire. To make ruling easier, he divided the empire into two. Diocletian ruled the wealthier eastern part of the empire, and gave control of the weaker western half to a co-emperor, Maximian Attempted economic reforms ◦ Fixed prices for goods and services to slow inflation ◦ Forced farmers to remain on their land ◦ Mandated that sons must follow in their fathers’ professions

Constantine Formerly a talented general who gained the throne in 312 CE, Constantine continued Diocletian’s reforms Two acts that shaped the world as we know it 1. Edict of Milan- granted tolerations to Christians 2. Moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople

Invasion Rome had many conflicts with the Germanic people living along its borders, but when the empire was strong, legions were able to keep them away. However, as the empire declined, Rome could not hold back the invaders- they were forced to give up Britain, France, and Spain By 378 the Romans mounted a counter attack into the German lands, but lost terribly.

The Huns One of the invading groups was the Huns, a nomadic group from central Asia, led by Attila The Huns were skilled fighters, and could attack and conquer well defended cities. They would then demand tribute and taxes from the conquered peoples. Attila was the leader of the Huns and led several attacks into the Roman Empire. They were able to completely wipe out the city of Aquileia (rebuilt as Venice)

Why and How did Rome “Fall”? There are 5 main reasons that the great Roman empire crumbled: Basically, the society of Rome changed as Roman Emperors were more concerned with power than maintaining the empire 1) Germanic invasions defeated underprepared Romans 2) Oppressive emperors lost the support the people 3) Splitting the empire into East and West weakened it 4) Farmers left their land the middle class fell into poverty 5) Social values of honor, patriotism and devotion faded to self indulgence