Ancient Rome600 B.C. – 500 A.D.

ROME 600 B.C-A.D.500753 B.C. built b/c of strategic location (hilltop) and fertile soil near Tiber River (legend – Romulus and Remus founded-twin sons of Mars and Latin Princess were the mythological founders)

Greeks and Etruscans (N. Italy) were early influence to Romans - Used Greek gods with different names

After a series of Etruscan tyrants, Roman aristocrats formed a Republic (elected representatives)

Why was early Rome so successful?

Romans were good diplomats. They extended citizenship to people they conquered and they allowed states to run their own internal affairs.

They excelled in military matters. Soldiers were well trained and they had enough men and equipment to defeat any army.

Romans were good strategists. They built fortified towns throughout Italy and connected them by roads. This allowed troops and supplies to move more efficiently.

Government of Roman RepublicEXECUTIVE: Consuls – two officials chosen by Assembly; 1 yr. Term; (chief of government and commanders of army)LEGISLATIVE: all positions for life

Senate 300 members - Patricians: aristocratic landowners (most power); controls foreign policy, finances, advises consulCenturiate Assembly: citizen soldiers; selects consul, passed lawsTribal Assembly: Plebeians: farmers and merchants (majority of pop.); Tribunes: local assemblies controlled by plebeians (protected rights)

JUDICIAL: Praetors – 8 judges; 1 yr term; 2 judges oversee criminal and civil courts

6 judges oversee provinces

451 BC Plebeians forced patricians to write law – Twelve Tables: 1st Roman written law

ROMAN ARMY: all male citizens who owned land were required to serve

Legion – 5-6,000 infantry; cavalry in support;

Century: 80 men within legion; self-sufficient; each soldier had armor, shield, helmet, sword, dagger and entrenching tools

Roman LawThe Twelve Tables eventually developed into a more sophisticated system of civil law (only applied to Roman citizens).

Law of Nations established standards of justice that applied to all people.

Principles still around today- Innocent until proven guilty, accused were allowed to defend themselves before a judge, judge had to weigh evidence before arriving at a decision.

Spread of the Empire Carthage formed by the Phoenicians around 800 B.C. They became a trading empire and rival to Rome.

Punic Wars (3 wars between Carthage and Rome)

1st – 23 yrs;Fought over control of Sicily. Hamilcar Barca attacked Rome, Rome won Sicily after peace treaty

2nd – 10 yrs.; Hannibal used 50,000 infantry, 9,000 cavalry, 60 elephants, attempts to capture Rome;

tried to come through Alps with his men and elephants; inflicted damage on N. Italy, but never successfully attacked Rome; Scipio planned an attack on Carthage to force Hannibal back; Hannibal defeated at Zama

3rd – 2 yrs.; Romans attacked Carthage, set it afire in 146 B.C. and sold thousands into slavery- Hannibal commits suicide.

Post-Punic Wars -Rome conquered the rest of the Mediterranean (from Spain to Anatolia Region)

Roman CultureLatin was spoken in the western parts of Rome, but Greek was still used in the eastern parts. Why is this?

Most Roman cities were planned in the same way. They had temples, markets, courts, and baths.

At its height, Rome had a population of more than 50 million people. Over 1 million in the city of Rome.

Roman CultureRome imported silk goods from China

Grain imported from Egypt to feed people.

Luxury items were brought in for the wealthy of Rome.

Farming was chief occupation of most Romans.

Latifundia (large landed estates), dominated farming in southern and central Italy.

Slaves helped to raise sheep and cattle on these farms.

Art and ArchitectureRoman sculptors produced realistic works.

Portraits and landscapes painted on the walls of villas.

Adopted Greek styles in architecture, but also used the arch and the dome.

They were the first people to use concrete on a massive scale.

Constructed 50,000 miles of roads.(Appian Way)

LiteratureVirgil was a poet who wrote the Aeneid.

Aeneas fulfills his purpose by establishing the Romans in Italy and starting Rome on its mission to rule the world. Poem expresses that Rome’s gift was the art of ruling others.

Horace, a friend of Virgil’s, wrote Satires, which pokes fun at the Romans of his day.

Livy was Roman historian who wrote The Early History of Rome. Included moral lessons in his stories, not always concerned about facts.

Family LifePaterfamilias, the dominant male, was central to Roman society. A man could sell his children into slavery or have them put to death, although this practice would change around 100 A.D.

Romans raised children at home. All upper class boys and girls were expected to learn to read. Teachers were often Greek slaves.

At age 16, boys traded in their purple-edged toga for a plain white toga. This marked their entry into adulthood. Girls would usually be married around this time.

Marriages meant to be for life, but divorce was introduced in the third century B.C. Males or females could ask for a divorce.

Women in RomeWomen could own, inherit, and sell property.

Unlike Greek wives, women were not segregated from their husbands at home.

They could attend the theater and races, but they had to sit in separate female section

Could not go out by themselves, they had to be accompanied by maids or friends.

Women could not participate in politics, but they influenced their husbands.

Slaves in RomeSlaves were in high demand in Rome. Some estimates are 1/3 of total population were slaves.

They were laborers, teachers, cooks, gardeners, shop assistants, cleaners, waiters, etc.

One Roman writer wrote that it was cheaper to work them to death and replace them than to treat them well.

Some slaves revolted against their owners. This could lead to all the slaves in the house being executed.

Spartacus led most famous slave revolt in 73 B.C. Defeated several Roman armies before being killed in 71 B.C. 6,000 of his followers were crucified along the Appian Way.

Growing Unrest in the RepublicMany political offices were being controlled by wealthy families. The senate, in particular, was in control of most financial affairs in the Republic.

These wealthy aristocrats had large amounts of land that thrived on slave labor.

Many small farmers were unable to compete with the large, wealthy landowners and were bought out.

These Romans became landless poor.

Some aristocrats sought to help these landless poor by urging the government to pass land-reform bills that would take land from large landowners and give it back to landless Romans.

Collapse of the Republic Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus tried to help landless poor; many senators feared them and had them killed; civil war broke out.

Military leaders become politically powerful by recruiting poor landless peasants and promised them land, gaining their loyalty. This is how generals like Julius Caesar became so powerful.

59 BC – Peace is achieved when Julius Caesar, Crassus, Pompey ruled Rome as a Triumvirate for 10 years.

Caesar led successful campaigns in Gaul; made Pompey scared of his success.

49 BC – Caesar took troops to Rome, Pompey fled and was defeated around Mediterranean.

44 BC – Caesar named dictator for life; made many changes and took total control; helped poor and named friends to Senate.

March 15, 44 BC (Ides of March) – Marcus Brutus, Gaius Cassius plotted assassination; Caesar stabbed to death in Senate (led to a Civil War).

43 BC – Octavian, Marc Antony, Lepidus ruled for 10 years as 2nd Triumvirate.

Octavian forced Lepidus to retire from government; Marc Antony fell in love with Egyptian Queen Cleopatra.

Another civil war erupts; Octavian defeated Antony and Cleopatra (both committed suicide).

The Roman Empire 27 BC – AD 14 Octavian named Augustus (exalted one); Rome becomes Empire ruled by one man

27 BC – AD 180 Pax Romana: Roman Peace; height of Roman Empire -Bad and Good Emperors mixed

Boys: given citizenship and voting rights; Girls: sometimes not even given names, married at 12-15

Slaves: 1/3 of population; worked in cities and on farms; strong were made into Gladiators

Christianity

63 BC Roman Empire spread to Judea; Jewish kingdoms remained independent; kings acted as representatives of Rome

Herod and other kings allied with Rome; Jews were angry at this and rebelled after his death; to restore order Rome gave religious power to Jewish court to Sanhedrin

Jews divided

Zealots – wanted Romans out of their land

The other group believed that God would send a Messiah to restore the Jewish kingdom

Christians persecuted in Roman Empire

Jesus – Emphasized monotheism; ideas of the 10 commandments; love for God, neighbors, enemies and themselves; and God will save those who repent of sins in an eternal kingdom (heaven)

Jesus’ popularity scared Jewish leaders (thought teachings were blasphemy) and Romans (challenge to Roman authority)

Pontius Pilate arrested Jesus and had him beaten and crucified; his body was put in a tomb where he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven

Decline of Empire Wars became costly; pirates and warring tribes on borders disrupted trade and caused wars

All invaders or non-Romans called Barbarians; Germanic Tribes defeated in North and Persia in the South

Reform – Diocletian ruled with absolute power and restored order in the empire; divided the empire into East and West and appointed a co-emperor (Gen. Maximian); he retired and civil war breaks out

AD 312 Constantine takes over moves capital to Byzantium (Constantinople); Christianity becomes accepted religion; splits back into east and west; west (Rome) falls to Germanic tribes and Huns (led by Attila); east survives as Byzantine Empire for over 1,000 years; fell to Ottoman TurksAD 380 Theodosius: makes Christianity official Roman religionLast Roman emperor – Romulus Augustulus (exiled by German generals)Theories for the Decline and Fall of Rome:

1. Christianity weakened Military2. Slavery and Non-Roman invaders decline technology and values3. Lead-poisoning from pipes and cups4. Plague5. Failed Political System

Legacy of Greco-Roman Civilization Pompeii-buried in ash from Mt. Vesuvius, preserved works of artLatin was the language of learning and of Roman Catholic ChurchColosseum– great works of engineering Aqueducts – allowed water to go to the citySystem of Law – equal treatment under the law, innocent until proven guilty, banish unreasonable laws – System of Government – 3 branches/levels, courts, republicJustinian Law: uniform code of Roman laws for the Byzantine Empire-both Civil and Criminal (900 yrs)