Ancient Rome and the Rise of Christianity

(509 B.C.–A.D.476)

CHAPTER 6

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*Two geographic factors played a major role in the growth of Rome

Central location Lack of geographic barrier

Etruscans

In 509 B.C. the Romans drove out their Etruscan king

• *Set up a republic (thing of the people)

• 300 member Patrician Senate

• Senate elected two Consuls as the executive branch

• In event of war a dictator was elected and granted power for six months

In 450B.C. Plebeians demanded more power

• *Laws of the Twelve Tables– The earliest code of

Roman law

• Could elect their own officials called Tribunes. – plebeian tribunate – *Had the power of veto

(Lat. "I forbid") over elections, laws, decrees of the senate

• A dreadfully deformed child shall be quickly killed.

• females should remain in guardianship even when they have attained their majority.

• A man might gather up fruit that was falling down onto another man's farm.

• If one is slain while committing theft by night, he is rightly slain.

• Marriages should not take place between plebeians and patricians

War and rivalry with Carthage 264 B.C. to 146 B.C.

Punic Wars• *General Hannibal

– Led Carthaginian army over the Alps

– Fought Rome for 15 years before being called back to Carthage

– Took poison– Carthage destroyed and

survivors sold in slavery

By 133 B.C. Roman territory extended from Spain to Egypt

*Called the Mediterranean Mare Nostrum meaning

(“Our Sea”)

From Republic to Empire

*Social Effects of Expansion• New class of wealthy

Romans– Bought huge estates and

used slaves to work them

• Forcing small farmers bankrupt– Angry mobs rioted

A Roman could tell how important or wealthy a person was from their toga

Julius Caesar100 - 44 B.C.

Forced the Senate to make him dictator

• * Reforms Rome

• Public works

• Gave land to the poor

• Gave Roman citizenship more people

• Introduced the Julian calendar

Ides of March 15th 44B.C.

Caesar stabbed to death of the steps of the Senate

Rome again in civil war

The end of the Republic

MARCUS ANTONIUS 83-31 BC

Gaius Octavius

63 B.C. - 14 C.E.

CleopatraB.C. 69-30

Caesar’s chief general

Caesar’s grandnephew

The Last Pharaoh

Augustus Caesar “Exalted one”

*Pax Romana or Roman Peace

* Augustus Contributions

•Created a stable gov’t.

• Well trained civil service.

• Gov’t jobs went to those with talent .

• Allowed cities and provinces a large measure of self-government

Pax Romana opened up trade

*Extending Roman influence and culture

along the growing silk road trade network

*CIRCUS MAXIMUS

Racing Chariot

Military Chariot

Third of a mile long and 150 yards wide, the Circus Maximus allegedly held 250,000 people."

*The Coliseum

Over 160 ft high with eighty entrances, the Coliseum could hold upwards of 50,000 spectators. Public events such as gladiator fights, mock naval battles and wild animal hunts were held at the Coliseum. During the staged fights as many as 10,000 people were killed. Fighters were slaves, prisoners or volunteers. Spectators saw persecuted Christians killed by lions. After 404 AD gladiatorial battles were no longer held, but animals such as lions, elephants, snakes and panthers continued to be massacred in the

name of sport until the 6th century.

Tour

*Greco-Roman civilizationA blend Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman achievements

Aqueducts and Roads

Many used after Rome fell and some even today

Science

*Ptolemy proposed the earth centered universe which lasted for 1400 years

*It was Galen who first introduced the notion of experimentation to medicine.

On the Natural Faculties remained the authority on medicine until the sixteenth century

Rome’s greatest legacy“The rule of law”

A principle that continues to shape western civilization today

*Common principles

• Equal before the law

• Presumed innocent

• Face accuser and defend

• Guilt through evidence

• Fair decisions

The Rise of Christianity

Romans conquered Palestine in 63 BC

*Jews were tolerated and excused from worshiping roman gods

Jews absorbed Greek influence creating rifts in the religion

Jesus, the founder of Christianity

Called himself the Son of God

Said his mission was to bring spiritual salvation and eternal life to anyone who would believe in him.

Our history comes from the Gospels.

• Written by four of his followers

Was Jesus Dangerous?

*Jewish priests considered Jesus dangerous to their leadership

*Romans considered Jesus a revolutionary

He was tried and crucified

They became jealous of the great crowds that followed Him and believed in Him, and finally decided to get rid of Him by having Him killed.

Spread of Christianity

Jesus talked to his disciples telling them to spread his word

Those who spread his message are know as Apostles

Paul from Asia Minor

*Christians were persecuted and became Martyrs

Greek ideas from Plato and the Stoics moderated the Christian church which many Romans liked

Christianity the official of the Roman Empire

Theodosius the Great

346-395

*After the empire fell, The Church preserved,

adapted and spread Greco-Roman

civilization

Reforming emperors tried to reverse the decline

*Diocletian in 284• Divided the empire

into two parts• Fixed prices

*Constantine in 312• Granted toleration to

Christians• Built a new capital in

Constantinople

Foreign Invasions

*Christian Romans saw the Huns as the very Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Pushed the Germans (Visigoth) into Roman territory

In 410 the Visigoth general Alaric plundered Rome

*Internal problems combine with foreign invasion to bring

about the “fall” of Rome

*Causes for Rome’s downfall• Military causes

– German invasions– Lack of discipline among

the empire’s soldiers

• Political causes– Authoritarian and corrupt

government – Division of the empire

• Economic causes– Heavy taxation– Diminishing wealth– Reliance on slave labor– Population decline

• Social causes– A decline in moral values– A devotion to luxury and

self-interest among the upper classes

– A loss of self-reliance among the masses

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