the romans

The Romans

Founding of Rome

• 753 BC Traditional date of Rome’s founding in Latium

• Romulus and Remus• Rape of the Sabine

Women• Aeneas

Etruscans

• Greeks established themselves in Italy in the 7th Century BC

• Tarquinius Priscinus became first king of Rome in 7th Century BC

• Etruscans contributed many of the amenities that Romans enjoyed

• 510 BC Last of the Etruscan kings defeated after Junius Brutus avenged the rape of Lucretia

Political Structure

• Senate• Consuls• Praetor• Centuriate Assembly• Council of the Plebs

(471 BC)

Struggle of the Orders

• Patricians and Plebeians • 494 BC First secession of

the plebeians; creation of the office of tribune of the plebs

• 471 BC Creation of the Council of the Plebs

• 450 Publication of the Twelve Tables

• 445 Canuleian law: right of plebeians to marry patricians

• 367 Licinian-Sextus laws: one consul may be a plebeian

• 342 One consul may be a plebeian, but one must be

• 287 Hortensian law: laws passed by Council of the Plebs are binding to both classes

Conquest of Italy

• 493 Latin alliance• 396 Fall Veii• 390 Rome sacked by

Gauls• 343-290 Samnite Wars• 340-338 Revolt of Latin

allies• 338 Creation of the

Roman confederation• 281-267 Pyrrhic War

The Early Republican Army

• Roman legions• Citizen soldiers• Quincunx• Velites• Hastati• Principes• Triarii• Centurion• Cavalry

First Punic War 264-241

• Began as a result of Rome sending an army to support the city of Messina in Sicily

• 262 Battle of Agrigentum• Siege and naval warfare• 260 Battle of Mylae• 255 & 253 Fleets lost to

storms• 241 Battle of Aegates

Islands• Results

Second Punic War 218-201BC

• 238 Sardinia and Corsica seized

• Hamilcar Barca began conquest of Spain

• Hannibal Barca• 218 Siege of

Saguntum• War declared

War

• Hannibal crossed the Alps

• Nov 218 Battle of Ticinus River

• Dec. 218 Battle of the Trebia River

• June 24, 217 Battle of Trasimene

• Dictatorship of Fabius

Crucial Events

• Gaius Varro• Lucius Paullus• Aug. 2, 216 Battle of

Cannae• Macedonia joins

Hannibal as do numerous Gallic and Italian cities

• Change in strategy

Turning Points

• Scipio invaded Spain• Hannibal recalled to

Africa• Oct. 19?, 202 Battle

of Zama• Carthage besieged• Surrender• Aftermath

Third Punic War 149-146

• “Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam”

• False provocation• Siege of Carthage• End of Carthaginian

independence

Rome vs. Macedonia

• First Macedonian War 215-205 Inconclusive

• Second Macedonian War 200-196

• 197 Battle of Cynoscephalae• Greece came under Roman

control• Third Macedonian War 172-

167• Macedonia divided into 4

republics• Fourth Macedonian War 151-

146• Macedonia annexed to Rome

Rome in Transition

• Pergamum annexed in 133

• Latifundia• Reforms of Tiberius

Gracchus 163-133• Reforms of Gaius

Gracchus 153-121

Gaius Marius 157-86

• Jugurthine War 112-105

• Novus homo• First consulship 107• Held six more in his

lifetime

Marian Reforms of the Roman Army

• Legionary eagles• Removed property

requirements• Professional army• Foreign auxiliary• Allegiance given to

commanding general

Marius vs. Sulla

• Lucius Sulla 138-78• Social War 91-88• War with Mithridates

VI of Pontus• Marius allied himself

with a tribune and had Sulla replaced in 88

• Sulla marched on Rome; Marius fled to Africa

Roman Civil War 84-82

• 84 Marius returned to Rome; died 2 weeks later

• Proscription lists• 83 Sulla and Pompey

the Great• Nov 82 Battle of the

Colline Gate• 83-80 Sulla as

dictator

Pompey and Crassus

• Pompey 106-48 sent to Spain

• Marcus Crassus 115-53

• 73-71 Spartacus Revolt

• 70 Pompey and Crassus as consul

• 63 Pompey took Jerusalem

Julius Caesar

• Born July 100• Early life• Political career• 62 First Triumvirate;

Pompey, Crassus, Caesar

• Caesar in Gaul 58-51

Caesar and Pompey

• 53 Crassus killed at Carrhae

• 52 Pompey ruled as sole consul due to social unrest

• 50 Caesar requests second consulship in absentia

• 49 Pompey declared for the Senate and Caesar recalled to stand trial

Great Civil War 49-44

• Jan. 11, 49 Rubicon• Pompey to Greece;

Caesar to Spain• Jan. 4, 48 Caesar in

Greece• Aug. 9, 48 Battle of

Pharsalus• Pompey to Egypt

Great Civil War

• Oct. 2, 48 Caesar in Egypt

• Cleopatra• Aug. 2, 47 Battle of

Zela• April 46 Battle of

Thapsus• 45 Battle of Munda

Caesar in Power

• Dictator for life• Twice offered

kingship• Reforms• Ides of March 44 BC• Assassination

Marc Antony and Octavian

• Funeral of Caesar• Octavian named

Caesar’s heir• Second Triumvirate• Oct. 3 & 23, 42 Battle

of Philippi• Antony to the east;

Octavian Rome

Civil War

• 31 War between Octavian and Antony

• Sept. 2, 31 Battle of Actium

• Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide

• Octavian sole ruler of Rome