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The Beginnings of Rome
■ According to legend, Rome was founded in 753 B.C. by Romulus and Remus, twin sons of the god Mars and a Latin princess.– Rome was built on seven rolling hills near the
Tiber River.
Inhabitants of Rome
■ Three groups that lived in the region and fought for control were the Latins, the Greeks, and the Etruscans.
■ Latins:▪ Were farmers and shepherds who wandered into Italy across the Alps in 1000 B.C.
▪ They settled into a region on the Tiber River known as Latium.
▪ They were the 1st Romans
Inhabitants of Rome
■ Greeks:▪ Between 750-600 B.C., Greek settlers established about 50 colonies on the coasts of Italy and Sicily.
▪ Their cities thrived and it brought Romans into closer contact with Greek civilization.
Inhabitants of Rome
■ Etruscans:▪ The Etruscans were native to northern Italy. ▪ They were skilled metalworkers and engineers. ▪ Also had a system of writing and the Romans adopted the Etruscan alphabet.
▪ They influenced Roman architecture by using the arch.
Roman Religion
■ Borrowed religion from the Greeks
■ Roman gods also took on the personality traits as the Greek gods except with different names.
▪ Example: Zeus was the king of the Greek gods, while Jupiter was king of the Roman gods
The Roman Republic
■ Last king of Rome was Tarquin the Proud. – Tarquin was overthrown in 509 B.C. for a new
type of government.▪ They called it a republic which is a form of government in which power rests with citizens who have the right to vote to select their leaders.
Patricians vs. Plebeians
■ Two groups battled for power early in the Roman republic.– Patricians: They were the aristocratic landowners who held
most of the power. – Inherited their power and social status.– Claimed their ancestry gave them power to make the laws for Rome
and the people.
– Plebeians: They were the common farmers, artisans, and merchants who made up the majority of the population.
– Citizens of Rome who had the right to vote– Were barred from holding the most important government positions. – In time, the Senate allowed them to form their own assembly and elect
representatives called tribunes. Tribunes protected the rights of the plebeians from unfair acts of patrician officials.
Roman Government
■ In the place of a king, Rome had two officials called consuls.
▪ Like kings, they commanded the army and directed the government.
▪ A consul’s term lasted only one year and could not be re-elected for 10 years.
▪ One consul could always override, or veto, the other’s decisions.
Roman Government
■ The Senate was the aristocratic (patrician) branch of Rome’s government.
▪ It had both legislative and administrative functions in the republic.▪ Powers also included influence on foreign and domestic policy.
■ The Assemblies were the more democratic (plebeian) side of the government.
▪ All citizen-soldiers were members of the Centuriate Assembly.▪ An assembly, called the Tribal Assembly, elected the tribunes and
made laws for the common people. – In times of crisis, the republic could appoint a dictator – a
leader who had absolute power to make laws and command the army.
Roman Army
■ All citizens who owned land were required to serve in the army.
▪ To secure certain public offices, 10 years of service were required.
▪ Roman soldiers were organized into large military units called legions. The Roman legion was made up of some 5,000 heavily armed foot soldiers which was known as an infantry.
▪ Legions were divided into smaller groups of about 100 men, each of which was called a century.
■ This military organization and fighting skill of the Roman army were key factors in Rome’s rise to greatness.
The Punic Wars
■ In 264 B.C., Rome and Carthage went to war. This was the beginning of the long struggle known as the Punic Wars.
▪ Between 264-146 B.C., Rome and Carthage fought three wars.
– The 1st Punic War, for the control of Sicily and the western Mediterranean, lasted 23 years (264-241 B.C.). ▪ It ended in the defeat of Carthage and Rome took the rich,
grain-growing island of Sicily as the chief prize.
The Punic Wars
■ The 2nd Punic War began in 218 B.C..
■ The mastermind behind the war was a 29-year-old Carthaginian general named Hannibal.
■ Hannibal was a brilliant military strategist who wanted revenge on Rome.
The 2nd Punic War■ Hannibal assembled an army of 50,000
infantry, 9,000 cavalry, and 60 elephants with the intent of capturing Rome.
■ To surprise the Romans, he led his army on a long trek from Spain across France and through the Alps.
■ Although he lost half of his men, Hannibal’s greatest victory came at Cannae in 216 B.C.
■ Hannibal inflicted enormous losses on the Roman army, but they regrouped led by Scipio.
■ In 202 B.C., Scipio invaded Carthage and forced Hannibal back to defend his country.
■ Finally, at Zama near Carthage, the Romans defeated Hannibal.
The 3rd Punic War
■ By the time of the 3rd Punic War (149-146 B.C.), Carthage was no longer a threat to Rome.
▪ The Romans did not forget the destruction Hannibal left at Rome.
▪ So in 149 B.C., the Romans invaded Carthage and by 146 B.C. the city was set afire and 50,000 inhabitants were sold into slavery.
■ By 70 B.C., Rome was now in control of the ancient world.
Julius Caesar
■ In 60 B.C., Caesar joined forces with Crassus, a wealthy Roman, and Pompey, a popular general.
▪ With their help, Caesar was elected consul in 59 B.C.
– For the next 10 years, these 3 men would dominate Rome as a triumvirate, a group of three rulers.
Caesar
■ Caesar was a strong leader and military genius.
▪ After serving his year of consul, he named himself governor of Gaul.
▪ During 58-50 B.C., Caesar led his legions in a successful campaign to conquer all of Gaul.
▪ This would make Caesar very popular in Rome.
Caesar vs. Pompey
■ Pompey became weary of Caesar and his success.
▪ In 50 B.C., the Senate ordered Caesar to disband his legions and return home……. Caesar refused.
– The Result?
– On the night of January 10, 49B.C., Caesar and his army marched into Rome and Pompey fled.
– Caesar’s troops would defeat Pompey’s armies in Greece, Asia, Spain, and Egypt.
– Finally in 46 B.C., Caesar returned to Rome, where he had the support of the army and the common people.
■ In 46 B.C., Caesar was named dictator for life.
The Assassination of Caesar
■ Many nobles became weary of Caesar’s popularity. – A number of important senators, led by
Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassius, plotted his assassination. ▪ On March 15, 44 B.C., they stabbed him to death in the senate chamber.
The 2nd Triumvirate
■ After Caesar’s death, civil war broke out and destroyed the Roman Republic.– Three of Caesar’s supporters banded together
to crush the assassins.
– Octavian, Mark Antony, and Lepidus formed the 2nd Triumvirate in 43 B.C.▪ They ruled for 10 years until jealousy and violence led to its resolve.
The 2nd Triumvirate
■ 1st: Octavian forced Lepidus to retire■ 2nd: Octavian and Mark Antony became rivals.
– Mark Antony fell in love with Queen Cleopatra while in Egypt and Octavian accused Antony of plotting to rule Rome from Egypt.
■ At the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C., Octavian defeated the combined forces of Antony and Cleopatra. Later, Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide.
Octavian Becomes Augustus
■ After the war, Octavian returned to Rome where he would become the unchallenged ruler.
■ Eventually, he accepted the title of Augustus, or exalted one.
The Pax Romana■ Rome was at its peak under Augustus from 27 B.C. until 180 A.D.
– This period of peace and prosperity is known as the Pax Romana or Roman peace.
■ Augustus was Rome’s ablest emperor. – After he died in 14 A.D., Tiberius, his son, became emperor.
■ After Tiberius’s death, Rome’s peace and prosperity depended on the transfer of power between emperors.
■ The problem was solved with the invention of the Five Good Emperors. – Beginning with Nerva in 96 A.D., and ending with the reign of Marcus Aurelius in
180 A.D., these 5 emperors adopted a respected leader to succeed them.– With Aurelius’s death in 180, this marked the beginning of the empire’s decline
and the end of the Pax Romana.
Jesus
■ Jesus was born sometime between 6-4 B.C.– He taught many
fundamental Jewish beliefs that were contained in the Old Testament.
– The New Testament contains information about his life and his teachings. ▪ Followers of Jesus were
known as apostles.
Early Years of Christianity
■ Jews tried to rebel against the Roman government. – In 70 A.D., Romans stormed Jerusalem and
destroyed the temple complex. ▪ 500,000 Jews were killed
– Then in 132, another half-million Jews died in three years of fighting.
– Most Jews were driven from their homeland into exile after this.▪ This dispersal of the Jews is called the Diaspora.
Spread of Christianity
■ The widespread of Christianity was the result of a variety of reasons.
▪ 1. It embraced all people- men, women, slaves, poor, and nobles.
▪ 2. It gave hope to the powerless▪ 3. It appealed to those who were repelled by imperial Rome.
▪ 4. It offered a personal relationship with a loving God.
▪ 5. It promised eternal life after death.
Constantine and Christianity
■ A critical moment in Christianity occurred in 312 when the Roman emperor Constantine was fighting 3 rivals for his life.– On the day before the battle at Milvian Bridge,
Constantine prayed for divine help▪ He then saw a cross of light in the heavens bearing the description, “In this sign, conquer.”
– Constantine won the battle and gave credit for his success to the Christian God.
The Official Religion
■ In 313, Constantine ordered an end to all persecution of the Christians.
■ In the Edict of Milan, he declared Christianity to be one of the religions approved by the emperor.
■ Finally in 380, the emperor Theodosius made it empire’s official religion.
Decline of the Roman Empire
■ The Roman Empire began its decline in 180 A.D.– 1st problem was the economy.
– Sources of income began to disappear– Pirates disrupted trade on the Mediterranean– Wars were costly
– 2nd problem was agriculture– Overworked soil produced no crops– Farmland was destroyed by warfare– Food shortages resulted from these reasons
– 3rd problem was the Roman Army– Army began to lose wars– Discipline and loyalty collapsed
Diocletian■ In 284 A.D., Diocletian, a strong-
willed army leader, became the new emperor.
■ Diocletian accomplished many reforms:– 1. Doubled the size of the Roman
armies– 2. He divided the empire into
Greek-speaking East, and Latin-speaking West
– 3. Diocletian took the Eastern Empire and appointed General Maximian ruler of the Western Empire
– 4. Each emperor had an assistant, who was to become their successor.
Diocletian
■ Diocletian retired in 305 A.D. and plans for his succession failed after his death in 311.
■ The results:– 312: Constantine gains control of the Western Empire– 324: Constantine gains control of the Eastern Empire– 330: Constantine moves the capital from Rome to the
Greek city of Byzantium, a grave consequence for the Roman Empire. He renamed the city Constantinople.
Decline of the Roman Empire
■ After Constantine’s death, the empire would once again be divided; the East would survive, the West would fall.
– 408: The Visigoths, led by Alaric, and destroyed Rome in three days.
– 444: The Huns, led by Attila, attacked both sides of the empire.
– 455: The Vandals invaded Rome, thus ending the Roman Empire forever.
Greco-Roman Culture
■ A new culture emerged after the Roman Empire. The Greco-Roman culture mixed elements of Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman culture.
■ This is often called the classic civilization.
Greco-Roman Culture
■ During the Greco-Roman culture, the Romans developed a type of sculpture called bas-relief. In bas-relief, images project from a flat background.
■ Romans also created mosaics. Mosaics were pictures or designs made by putting small pieces of stone, glass, or tile onto a surface.
Roman Literature
■ Virgil:– Spent 10 years writing the
most famous work of Latin literature, The Aeneid, the epic of the legendary Aeneas.
■ Tactius:– Wrote The Annals and
Histories of Rome. In this book, he wrote about the good and the bad of imperial Rome.