The World of the RomansThe World of the Romans

Chapter 6

Early History

Early community built on plain of Latium (Latins)

753 BC - Rome founded along Tiber River Legend of Romulus and Remus – twins

raised by a wolf Romulus slays Remus and builds Rome on

7 hills

Geography

Peninsula – juts into Mediterranean Apennine Mountains Fertile Plains (Po Valley) Tyrrhenian Sea (W), Adriatic Sea (E) Geography did NOT divide

– More farmland; food– 18 miles from sea (far enough from raiders)– Juts into Mediterranean – trade– Built on hills – easy to defend

Greek & Etruscan Influence

Latins – earliest Romans Greeks – olives, vineyards, alphabet,

architecture, culture, literature Etruscans – toga, organization of army,

building projects, arch

Roman Republic 509 BC – Republic established (last Etruscan

king thrown out) Roman Confederation – people could run affairs;

hoped to be citizens; provided soldiers Successes

– Good diplomats– Firm, cruel when necessary; crushed rebellions– Extended citizenship; allowed to rule own

affairs– Practical; built colonies, roads, harbors;

efficient

Republic cont.

2 Consuls elected for 1 year – led armies Senate – 300 – could make laws Patricians – ruling class, great landowners, could

be consuls Plebeians – Craftsmen, merchants, small farmers;

little power Struggles between the two resulted in more power

– Council of the plebs; tribunes Twelve Tables – 451 BC - Laws written for

plebeians

Punic Wars

Carthage – founded 800 BC by the Phoenicians

Coast of Africa; spread to Sicily, Spain, Corsica, Sardinia

Made Romans nervous Led to a series of wars called the Punic

Wars

Punic Wars cont.

1st (264 BC) Rome built its navy and defeated Carthage in Sicily; made it Rome’s first province

2nd (218 BC) Hannibal crossed into Spain with horses, elephants; crossed the Alps (most animals died)

Huge toll on Roman Army; Rome invades Carthage – Carthage loses Spain; becomes another Roman province

Hannibal’s army crossing the Alps

Punic Wars cont.

3rd – 50 years later Rome totally destroys Carthage; 50,000 sold into slavery; became the province of Africa;

Later Macedonia, Greece and Asia Minor made provinces

Rome is master of the Mediterranean Sea

Section 2 – Fall of the Republic

Growing inequality and unrest– Senate controlled by small, wealthy few– Small farms forced out by large ones; landless

poor, drifting, slave labor Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus wanted land to give

to poor; both Senators killed; more instability and violence

Army – power shifts to local generals; loyalty to general not to the state

Competition for Power

Crassus – richest man in Rome Pompey – military hero in Spain Julius Caesar – military hero in Spain also Formed First Triumvirate – government by

3 people– Pompey – Spain– Crassus – Syria (killed in Syria)– Caesar – Gaul (France)

1st Triumvirate

Senators feared Caesar the most; refused to relinquish his power

Crossed the Rubicon into Rome, defeated Pompey

44 BC made dictator for life Reforms

– Land to poor, increased Senate to 900 (weakens Senate)

– Citizenship to provinces, introduced Egyptian calendar (365 days); building projects

Caesar cont.

44 BC – Senate kills Julius Caesar Power struggle – Octavian (grandnephew)

and Mark Antony Antony allies w/Cleopatra of Egypt Battle of Actium – Octavian crushes army

of Cleopatra & Antony (both commit suicide)

End of the Roman Republic (27BC)

Roman Empire

Octavian given title of Augustus by Senate First Roman Emperor (imperator) Roman legion (military) very powerful Civil service, expanded frontier, public

buildings; strong gov’t. that lasted centuries Extends power of Rome into Balkans Pushed to Danube; stopped by *Germanic

tribes

Early Empire (27BC - 180AD)

Pax Romana – 200 years of peace Power of emperor grew but:

– Peace, building projects, public works– Aqueducts, bridges, roads, harbors– Hadrian’s wall in Britain

The Roman Empire

Tomb of Augustus

The Pantheon

Ceiling of Pantheon

Trajan’s Marketplace

The Appian Way

Hadrian’s Wall

Colosseum Floor

Roman Forum

Segovia Aqueduct

Via de Mecurio

Early Empire cont.

Difficult to maintain empire 3.5 million square miles 50 million people Latin and Greek (west and east) mix and

become Greco-Roman culture Trade routes all the way to China! Farming chief occupation; great gap

between rich and poor

Culture & Society

Took writings & art of Greece Educated Greek slaves were tutors Poet – Virgil Livy – history of Rome – celebrated

Rome’s greatness; Horace - satire *Law – Law of nations; natural law based

on reason; standards of justice for all (innocent until proven guilty; can defend oneself, etc.)

Family

Paterfamilias – male was absolute authority

Divorce common Some tutors for girls but pushed to marry Changed over time – husband became less

powerful Women were respected companions

Slavery

Common practice – most from Italy and were part of the family

After conquest of Mediterranean, more slaves Greeks in demand as tutors, doctors, musicians,

artists Horrible conditions for many; revolts, especially

in Sicily 73 BC Spartacus (gladiator) leads 70,000; killed

and 6,000 followers executed

Daily Life

Rome crowded and dangerous at night Gap between rich and poor Fires a constant threat No plumbing, heat Magnificent public buildings – temples,

baths, markets, theatres, arches, amphitheaters

Poor relied on gov’t. grain; malnutrition

Daily Life cont.

Public shows were huge spectacles Circus Maximus – chariot races Theatrical performances Gladiators – most popular shows; fought at

the Colosseum Gruesome fights; thousands of animals

slaughtered

Coliseum Tunnels

http://www.history.com/videos/rome-engineering-an-empire---coliseum-tunnels

Coliseum Video

http://www.history.com/videos/rome-engineering-an-empire---coliseum

Christianity

Romans were polytheistic (Jupiter, Juno, Minerva, Mars, etc.); modeled Greeks

Tolerant of other religions Judea (Jewish kingdom) had been made a

Roman province; led by Procurator, a Roman official

Conflicts among Jews about cooperation with Rome

Christianity

Jesus of Nazareth began preaching Importance of not adhering to the letter of the

law but transforming the inner self; love God and one another; humility, charity, love

Basis for western civilization (Judeo-Christian)

Some welcomed him as the messiah; upset others

Christianity cont.

To Romans, seen as a revolutionary who could cause an uprising

Denounced on all sides, turned over to Romans

Pontius Pilate had him crucified (common method then)

Followers said he came back as a savior – Christos (the anointed one - messiah)

Christianity cont.

Paul preached that Jesus came for our sins, therefore, by accepting Jesus, could achieve salvation

Passed on in writings – New Testament Christianity grew through the empire

(structure of Rome actually helped – roads) Rome grew nervous, Christians refused to

worship state gods and emperors

Christianity cont.

Seen as treason; persecuted intermittently throughout history

Nero began this Strengthened in 2nd and 3rd centuries Offered much:

– Salvation– Gave life meaning beyond daily world– Jesus as human was easy to relate to

Christianity cont.

– Initiation was easy - baptism– Fulfilled human need to belong– Attractive to all classes, especially poor

and powerless– Spiritual equality

Christianity cont.

4th Century – Constantine became the first Christian emperor

313 – Edict of Milan gave tolerance of Christianity

Theodosius the Great (378-395) – Christianity becomes official religion of the Roman empire

http://www.history.com/videos/the-rise-of-christianity-in-the-roman-empire

Decline of Rome

Invasions & attacks by pirates at sea, civil wars, gap between rich & poor

Trade declines, farms production declines, plague Agriculture suffered due to constant war, drought, etc. Decline of traditional values/morals; decadence

– Gladiator fights/death every day Financial strain – had to pay armies more, high taxes,

inflation Mercenaries (paid soldiers) hired, less loyalty to Rome Government handouts of food – welfare state?

Decline cont.

Failed to advance technologically due to use of slaves Christian emphasis on spirituality weakened military

virtues? Lead poisoning? (plumber comes from Latin word

plumbum, which means lead) Unable to put together a workable political system Problems with succession – effective way to go from one

leader to the next

Attempts at Reform

Diocletian and Constantine tried to make reforms

Empire divided; built Constantinople (Byzantium) new capital (prosperous, stable)

But shifts power away from the west (Rome) to the east (Constantinople)

Lives on successfully another 1,000 years!

Decline cont.

After Constantine, west under increasing pressure from invaders

Huns from Asia moved into Europe, put pressure on German Visigoths; moved into Rome as allies, soon revolted

410 AD – Vandals sacked Rome (Rome sacked several times)

476 AD – Romulus Augustulus last emperor – considered end of Rome

East remained free from invasion for 1,000 years (Byzantine Empire)

Legacy of Rome

Architecture/Engineering – roads, bridges, aqueducts, majestic marble buildings, arch, dome, column; Colosseum

Language – Latin is root of romance languages (French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese)

Preserved intellectual heritage of the Greeks (known as Greco-Roman)

Law

Law – codified laws, impartial and humane All are equal before the law, guaranteed

legal protection Burden of proof on accuser; juries Unreasonable or unfair laws can be set

aside (Judicial Review) Judeo-Christian values

Fall of Rome

http://www.history.com/videos/the-fall-of-rome

Greco Roman Legacy

Greece

Philosophy – think, reason, logic, question, examine

Arts – theatre, satire, literature, pottery

Architecture – columns, temples (Parthenon)

Science, math, astronomy, medicine

DEMOCRACY

Rome

Engineering, practicality, roads, buildings, aqueducts

Military – Roman legion Practicality Christianity Republic (representation)

to Empire Latin LAW