The Romans
“All roads lead to Rome.” “Rome was not built in a day.”
“When in Rome . . .”
The Roman Empire
Roman Geography
• Located 18 miles from the sea, Rome was far enough from the Mediterranean to be protected from naval powers.
• Located upon seven hills, was able to be defended against land forces fairly well.
• Located along the Tiber River, was near a fresh water source which also had access to the open waters of the Mediterranean. Furthermore, the Tiber River could be easily forded so it became a crossing point for North and South travelers along the Italian peninsula.
Traditions about the Founding of Rome
• Various founders suggested including Odysseus.
• Romulus and Remus preferred.
• Legend recorded by Livy (59 BCE – 17 CE)
• Virgil (70 BCE – 19 CE)
The Formation of the Roman Republic(The Legend)
• Romulus and Remus, the sons of the God Mars, were abandoned at extremely young age on the banks of the Tiber River.
• Cared for by a wolf and eventually found by a shepherd, Romulus and Remus grew to be strong young men and clever to boot.
• As a pair, Romulus and Remus decided to build a city upon the spot their father had found them, the future spot of Rome.
• After the city was built, Romulus and Remus fought over who should rule. Romulus overpowered, eventually killing, Remus in the fight and named the new city Rome.
The Formation of the Roman Republic(The Better Guess…)
The formation of the Roman Republic is a story of expansion.
1. First, the expansion of Latin speaking Indo-Europeans onto the plains of Latium2. Second, the expansion of Romans, whether by force or trade, across the entire
Italian peninsula3. Third, the expansion of the Roman world into the entire Mediterranean sphere
While Indo-Europeans were settling in Latium, the Greeks were arriving in southern Italy and Sicily. The influence of Greek culture ranged from which crops would be grown in the region to artistic and architectural persuasions to political ideologies.
Although Greek culture was very influential, the Etruscans moved from northern Italy into the village of Rome by 650 BCE, eventually transforming and leaving a new city and synthesized culture behind. The Etruscans influenced everything from the way Romans would dress to the organization of the Roman army.
The Etruscans
• Rome first ruled by Latin Kings
• Came under Etruscan rule, 600 BC
• Etruscans came from northern Italy
• Evidence found at cemeteries indicates Etruscans great metalworkers, jewelers
• Etruscan culture heavily influenced by Greeks
• Etruscans had great influence on Roman society
• http://www.ancientscripts.com/etruscan.html
Formation of the Republic
• Etruscan Rule Ends
• Etruscans ruled Rome until about 509 BC
• Romans revolted, threw out last of kings, setup new type of government
• Republic—elected officials governed state
“Struggle of the ORDERS”
• Patricians
• In early days, heads of a few aristocratic families, patricians, elected officials
• Patrician families controlled all society—politics, religion, economics, military
• Maintained power through patronage system
• Plebeians
• From beginning, common people, plebeians, challenged patricians for power
• Invaders threatened 494 BC; plebeians refused to fight until changes made
• Patricians knew they would have no army, expanded plebeian rights
The 12 Tables
•Plebeian Council• After receiving new rights,
plebeians formed own assembly, Plebeian Council, to oversee affairs and protect interests
• Gained right to elect officials known as tribunes
• Tribunes’ job—protect against unjust treatment by patrician officials
• Gained right to veto—ban laws that seemed harmful, unjust
•Laws • 450 BC, plebeians forced
patricians to have all laws written down
• Laws displayed in Roman Forum, central square, on 12 large bronze tablets
• Because laws were posted, patrician judges could not make decisions based on own opinions or secret laws
• One new law banned marriage between patricians and plebeians
Republican Government
• New Offices and Institutions
• Patricians, plebeians worked out practical constitution
• Created new offices of government
• Consisted of three parts: Senate, popular assemblies, magistrates
• Initially dominated by patricians; all state offices later open to both patricians, plebeians
• Elements of Government
• Senate: 300 members, advised elected officials, controlled public finances, handled all foreign relations
• Popular assemblies: in these all citizens voted on laws, elected officials
• Magistrates: governed in name of Senate and people, put laws into practice, acted as priests
Governing Details
Consuls• When last king thrown out, his
place taken by two magistrates called consuls
• Elected for one year; chief executives, army commanders
Censors• Next most important after
consuls• Recorded wealth, residence of
population• Filled vacancies in Senate
Praetors• Primarily judges, could act for
consuls if consuls away at war• After terms ended, given
military commands, appointed provisional governors
Constraints• Government worked well
because of system of checks, balances
• Each part could impose certain constraints on others
The Republic Expands
Growth• As Rome’s government changed, the Roman population continued to
grow• Rome needed more land for expanding population• Began to settle surplus population on land acquired by conquering
neighborsMilitary Might• Successful expansion not possible without powerful army• All Roman men between ages 17 and 46 with minimum amount of
property required to serve in army during times of war
Roman Army• Organized into units called legions, backbone of which were
centurions• Centurions: noncommissioned officers who each commanded 100
men• Army highly disciplined, well-trained force, could fight in all types of
terrain
Roman Expansion (in Italy)
• Conquest of Italy• Took 200 years• Granted full or partial citizenship
• Tax and legal benefits• Developed loyalty in conquered Italian areas
• Roman colonies• Established in strategic locations• Established by treaty• Troops sent when needed• Customs of the area left intact• Colonies were mostly for trade,• with some military purposes
The Conquest of Italy• 265 BC, Romans had defeated Etruscans and Greek cities in
Southern Italy• Romans imposed two strict conditions on subject people—subjects
had to provide troops for Roman army, abandon any dealings with foreign nations
• Other than those conditions, Rome rarely interfered with domestic affairs of people it conquered
Sicily• Once in control of Italy, Rome turned attention to Sicily, large island
to south of Italian Peninsula• In Sicily, Rome came into conflict with Carthage, powerful North
African trading city• Conflict grew into series of three wars• Punic Wars raged for nearly 80 years
The Punic Wars
• Violence between Rome and Carthage broke out in 264 BC. Because the First Punic War was fought mostly at sea, Carthage’s powerful navy dominated the early fighting. Soon, however, the Romans built a navy of their own and were able to defeat Carthage.
Hannibal
• Violence soon broke out again
• 218 BC, Carthaginian general Hannibal led army across Pyrenees, Alps to invade Italy
• Hannibal ravaged Italy, defeated every army he faced
• Romans needed new strategy
Scipio
• Romans decided to take war to Africa
• General Publius Cornelius Scipio sailed to Africa, besieged Carthage
• Forced Hannibal to sail home
• Scipio defeated Hannibal, took Carthage, won Second Punic War
• The Romans had defeated Carthage, but it did not destroy the city as many citizens had wanted.
The third Punic War
• broke out when the revived Carthaginians retaliated against Rome, by attacking their neighbor and Roman ally, Numidian King Masinissa
• After wining the war, Rome –Razed the city of Carthage to the ground –Salted the ground so nothing could grow there –Converted its territory into a Roman province
• Under the Roman Empire, this part of N. Africa became distinguished for its economic and intellectual vitality
As a result of the Punic Wars, Rome extended its territories to Spain
and North Africa, Macedonia, Greece, and
part of Asia Minor
In 146 B.C.E., the Roman Senate ordered
the destruction of Corinth for asserting its
independence and converted Macedonia
and Greece into a province
Building an Empire• Structure of the "empire"
• Still a republican form of government• Checks and balances• Two parties emerged
• Optimares (conservatives, Cato and Cicero)• Populares (power to people)
• Family
• Values (according to the Romans)• Piety• Bravery • Discipline• Frugality• Not greedy• Righteous wars• Never quit
Building an Empire
• Status of Women• Absence of men at war• Women gained economic power• Ability to divorce and retain property• Morals eventually eroded, in part because
home-life eroded?
Building an Empire• Slavery
• Conquests increased the number of slaves
• Constituted 40% of the population
• Conditions were poor• Romans feared slave uprising• Slaves took jobs from the plebs so plebs were given
food and other benefits
DECLINE OF THE REPUBLIC
• Corrupt army generals and patricians amass wealth from conquered lands
• Patrician land owners use captured slaves on their plantations
• Large land owners become so prosperous that small farmers cannot keep up and must sale their land
• Plebeians’ loss of land leads to migrations to the big cities
• Cities become crowded with unemployed people
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus
• In the late Republic, instead of warring with others
• the Republic went to war with itself
• When Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus (“The Gracchi”)
• sought to use their powers as tribunes to agitate for
• reforms to help small farmers – the backbone of their army – their opponents in the Senate resorted to murder
The Gracchi
– When Gaius Marius opened military service to thepoor to boost his personal status, his creation of “clientarmies” undermined the faithfulness to the general goodof the community
---As a result of the upheavals surrounding the Gracchi, members of the elite positionedthemselves either– as supporters of the people, referred to aspopulares,– or “of the best,” referred to as optimates
Republic to Empire
-Civil wars break out to decide who should hold power. The senate wanted to keep the status quo; political leaders wanted to weaken the senate and enact reforms
-Slave uprisings throughout the republic
-Armies became loyal to their commanders because they gave them benefits such as captured land
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Social and Civil Wars
• Rome’s Italian allies had been trying to obtain Roman citizenship
• Senate wanted to maintain monopoly on power, refused
• 90-88 BC, Social War broke out between Marius (head of consul) and General Lucius Cornelius Sulla
• Marius bribed armies with money; no longer loyal to the Senate.
• Italian rebels were defeated, but Senate agreed to give them citizenship
• Sulla became consul, 88 BC; after consulship ended, Marius tried to prevent Sulla from taking military command
• Sulla marched on Rome, won civil war, became dictator.
• Carried out program of reforms to protect power of Senate. Increased membership to 600. Retires.
EmpireThe First
Triumvirate
• Julius Caesar, Gnaeus Pompey, Licinius Crassus helped bring end to Republic
• Caesar, Pompey successful military commanders
• Crassus one of wealthiest bankers in Rome
• 60 BC, the three took over Roman state, ruled as First Triumvirate
EmpireEnd of
Triumvirate• Crassus died; Pompey, Caesar fought civil war
• Caesar defeated Pompey, took full control of Rome, became dictator for life, 44 BC
• Caesar brought many changes to Rome, popular reforms
• Senate feared he would destroy Roman Republic, murdered by Brutus, Ides of March (15th)
The Second Triumvirate
• Caesar’s murder did not save the Republic
• 43 BC, Second Triumvirate took power—Caesar’s adopted son, Octavian; loyal officer Marc Antony; high priest Lepidus
• Lepidus pushed aside; Antony, Octavian agreed to govern half the empire each, Octavian in west, Antony in East
Civil War
• Civil war between Octavian, Antony broke out
• Octavian defeated Antony and his ally, Egypt’s Queen Cleopatra
• Cleopatra, Antony committed suicide; Octavian alone controlled Rome, names himself “Augustus”
• Republic effectively dead; new period in Roman history begins- the age of Emperors