Rome

Founding 1500BC-Latins crossed Alps

Founded Rome on 7 hills by Tiber River

Agricultural 750BC-Conquered by Etruscans Latins (Romans) learned to:

Build roads, walls, & buildings Make metal weapons

Republic

5th-3rd centuries BC Social aristocracy

Patricians Consuls Senate

Plebeians largely excluded from government

Plebeians eventually gained right to vote and hold office

Fasces

Chicago City Hall

Pittsburg Federal Bldg.

Spain

Birmingham, AL

Nebraska Supreme Court, Lincoln

Buffalo, NY, City Council Chamber

Fasces

Fasces

Conquered Mediterranean World

Italian Peninsula 340-270 BC Well-trained citizen-soldiers Wise treatment of conquered peoples

Carthage—264-146 BC—Punic Wars Rome destroyed and took Carthage

Eastern Mediterranean by 1st century BC

Effect of Conquests

Spread Greek culture Officials/Nobles gained large fortunes Roman virtues disappeared Ruined small farmers & workers

Farmers migrated to cities Politicians offered free programs

Citizen-soldiers replaced by professional soldiers

Republic to Dictatorship By 2nd century BC, Roman generals

battled for control Civil War: Caesar vs. Pompey 60 BC--First Triumvirate

Julius Caesar, Pompey, Crassus Caesar had his army’s loyalty

Senate told him to disband army He invaded Rome

Became dictator Assassinated in 44 BC

Caesar’s Roman

Republic

Republic to Dictatorship

Civil War: Octavian vs. Antony Mark Antony and Octavian

defeated Brutus and Cassius, the chief conspirators in Julius Caesar’s death

Octavian defeated Antony Became absolute ruler of Rome

Roman Empire 27 BC--476 AD Octavian

Senate gave him the title of Augustus Began Pax Romana Developed trade/industry/science/arts

Trajan Empire at its greatest

Hadrian Built defensive walls in Britain

Roman Empire Marcus Aurelius

Philosopher/ruler/soldier His death ended Pax Romana

Diocletian Divided Empire

Constantine Reunited empire Moved capital to Byzantium Converted to Christianity

Germanic Invasion Germans allowed to settle Huns pushed more Germans in

Visigoths in Spain Ostrogoths in Italy Vandals in North Africa Franks in Gaul Angles & Saxons in Britain

476AD-last Roman emperor

Why West Fell-Political Corrupt dictatorial government Did not have people’s loyalty Empire could not be governed

efficiently from one central city Primitive transportation Poor communication

Rivalry over succession led to civil wars

Why West Fell-Economic Small farmers abandoned land

Became workers on large estates Lost desire to increase production

Heavy, unjust taxation Burdened people Destroyed ambition to work and

progress Widespread use of slaves

Why West Fell-Social

People only interested in luxury & survival

Ideals had almost vanished Sharp class distinctions Cities declined

Previous centers of culture and industry

People fled to rural regions

Why West Fell-Military

Roman armies included German mercenaries

Armies considered themselves masters of the state, not its servants

Roman Contributions Pax Romana—27 BC-180 AD

Greco-Roman (classical) civilization spread throughout Empire

Roman Law Influenced legal systems in Byzantine

Empire, Western Europe and US

Architecture Effectively used concrete, arch

and dome

Pantheon

Roman Contributions Language

Romance languages Literature

Cicero—Father of Latin prose Vergil—Wrote the Aeneid

Historical Writing Livy—Wrote history of Rome Plutarch—Wrote Parallel Lives

Roman Contributions Science

Practical scientists in: Sanitation Public health

Research scientists generally non-Roman Ptolemy (Greek)

Sun revolves around earth