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