Post on 18-Dec-2015
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I. Geography
1. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION• Italy at crossroads of Med. Sea• Rome at crossroads of Italian peninsula
2. Mild climate and arable land for surplus farming
II. Roman Republic 509-44 BCE1. Ruled by kings from 753-509 BCE
2. Senate• Made up of wealthiest, most influential Romans
3. 2 Consuls• Led gov’t, served 1 yr, chosen by Senate
4. Conflict: Patricians and Plebians• Lower classes had few rights, always fighting
for more• Tribune- chosen by lower class, had great
power
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III. Society1. Paterfamilias
• Oldest male in family ALWAYS in charge
2. Women treated like children• No voting or property rights
3. Hierarchical society
4. Patron/Client• Patron (senator) provided benefits for clients
• Legal advice, food, protection, loans
• Clients voted for patron and fought for him in battle
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IV. Roman Expansion1. By 290 BCE took over all of Italy
• Won support by offering Roman citizenship
2. Punic Wars 264-146 BCE• Fought Carthage- gained Sicily, Spain,
Carthage
3. Gaius Julius Caesar 51 BCE• Conquered Celts of Gaul (in France)
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V. Failure of Republic1. Agriculture began to fail
• The rich bought out land and created Latifundia-large estate did not produce necessary grain
2. High unemployment- poverty and riots
3. Influential generals• Promised benefits to soldiers• Army more loyal to generals than to Rome
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VI. Roman Principate 31 BCE-330 CE
1. Octavian (Augustus Caesar)- military dictator
• Emperor (Caesar) affirmed by Senate• Emperor began to create laws, not Senate• Emperor was deified after death
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VII. Urban Empire1. Rome administered through and for a
network of cities and towns:• Major cities Alexandria, Antioch, Carthage
2. Makeup of towns/cities:• Temples, gardens, baths, theaters,
amphitheaters, and games• Rich lived in fine townhomes• Poor lived in dark, smelly, wooden
tenements susceptible to fire
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VII. Continued…3. Commerce greatly increased during Pax
Romana (Roman Peace)
4. Rome depended heavily on grain imports from Egypt
5. Romanization- spread of Latin language and Roman way of life
• Mainly in western provinces, east was still Hellenisitic
• Towns sprang up and locals were granted citizens’ rights
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VIII. Rise of Christianity1. In Judaea (Israel), Jews waited for promised
“Messiah”.
2. Jesus preached a personal faith in God; he was son of God.
3. Jesus accused of blasphemy by Jews. Turned over to Romans and crucified.
4. Followers spread religion throughout empire.• Apostle Paul spread Christianity to most Greek
communities and Rome• At first, it mainly appealed to women, slaves, poor.
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IX. Technology & Transformation1. Aqueducts- carried water from source to
urban center
2. Arches and domes- extensively used in Roman construction. Allowed distribution of great weight
3. Concrete invented and cranes used extensively
• Amphitheaters, brides, roads, baths, sewers
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IX. Continued…1. “Third-century crisis”
• Symptom: frequent change of rulers• Germanic tribes raid• Costs of defense raised taxes, coins devalued• Population shifted into countryside
2. Diocletian (284 CE)- ruled more than 20 yrs and reformed economy to save the Empire
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