The Empire of Rome Chapter 7

The Geography of Rome • Roman Empire began on Apennine Peninsula

– Shaped like a high-heeled boot

– Begins in the Alps to the north

• Blocks off Italy from rest of Europe

• Several mountain passes left Italy vulnerable to attack

– Stretches into the Mediterranean Sea

• Economy often based on sea trade

• Often let Italian Sea ports open to invasion

• Apennine Mountains run down the center from

top to bottom

How does the geography

affect the cultural

development?

The Origins of Rome • As early as 2000 BC invaders from Caucus Mts. move into

Apennine Peninsula

• 700 BC-Latins create settlements on banks of Tiber River – Built on 7 hills, 15 miles inland from coast

– Had access to sea via the river

– Region known as Latium

– Settlements unite to form Rome

• 600 BC - Etruscans from North take over Latium – Had written language

– Skilled artisans

– Created paved roads, sewer systems, & expanded farmland by draining marshes

– Population increased rapidly

• Greeks settle in Southern Italy & Sicily – City-states extremely disorganized

– Absorbed into Latin/Etruscan populations

– Latin/Etruscans adopted elements of Greek Culture

What role did

geography play in where

they chose to settle?

Wh

at

are

so

me

sim

ila

riti

es b

etw

een

Gre

ek &

Rom

an

cu

ltu

re?

The Early Roman Republic • 509 BC – Etruscans overthrown by Roman landowners

• Establish a republican form of government – A form a government where voters elect government officials

– Only adult male citizens could vote

• Three governing groups: – The Senate:

• Most influential level of gov

• Controlled money & foreign policy

• During war times, name a dictator to rule for 6 month terms

– The Magistrates • Consisted of three parts

– Consuls: 2 elected officials who ran the day to day operations of the government under the direction of the Senate

– Praetors: oversaw the armies during war times & the courts during peace

– Censors: oversaw the moral conduct of the Roman people & registered citizens according to class

– Popular Assemblies • Voted on laws written by the Senate

• Elected officials to public office

• Tribunes: 10 people elected by the Assemblies who watched the actions of the Senate

What are some similarities between

the governments of Greece, Rome,

& the USA?

Of the magistrates, who had the

most impact on daily life ? How?

Government of the

Roman Republic

Either the US

Government or

Athenian Government

Comparison Activity A

The Conflict of the Orders • Two main social classes develop during Roman Republic:

– Patricians: • Powerful landowners

• Controlled the government

• Served in public office

• Power was inherited (passed down from father to son)

– Plebeians: • Majority of the population

• Mainly farmers & workers

• Could not hold public office

• Could vote but had few other rights

• Shift in Power: – Plebeians gain more power through strikes

• Able to join military

• Able to serve public office

• Created own assembles & gained positions as tribunes

– Plebeians forced judges to write down codes of law • Known as the Twelve Tables

• Open for public viewing in the Forum (public square)

Why would the

plebeians want the

laws written down;

why did the

patricians oppose

this?

Dictator or Censor

Consul

Praetor

Aedile

Quaestor

Dictator or Censor

Consul

Praetor

Aedile

Tribune

The leadership ladder for the

Patricians. Also, Patricians

could serve in the Senate.

Quaestor

The leadership ladder for the

Plebeians after the Conflict of

the Orders. Also, all citizens

served in the Assembly.

Few Plebeians made

it beyond the position

of Aedile.

The Republic Grows

• Republic grows through wars

• The Role of the Army

– Every adult landowning male (citizen) to serve

in military

– Extremely strict military discipline

– Main military unit was the legion:

• Consisted of 4,500-6,000 legionnaires

• The Auxilia was made of non-citizens

• Adapted strategy & techniques of the

people they conquered

In some countries, if you do

not go to college, you must

serve the state for 2 years?

What do you think of this?

The Role of Public Policy • Wanted newly acquired people to be loyal to Rome

– Believed in giving citizenship to conquered peoples near Rome

– Gave partial citizenship to conquered peoples distant from

Rome

– Allowed conquered areas some level of self-

government

• Appointed a governor to oversee a conquered territory

• Allowed for the creation of local assemblies

– served as advisors to governor

– Operated the courts and oversaw day-to-day operations

• Allowed for the spread of Latin language & culture

throughout Europe & the Mediterranean area

Exp

ansio

n o

f th

e R

om

an

Rep

ub

lic

500

BC

E –

218

BC

E

Rome Fights Carthage • Carthage:

– Phoenician colony on the coast of North Africa

– Great commercial power, controlled western Mediterranean

– Had colonies on Sicily, island South of Italy

• Reasons for the Punic Wars – Carthage fears Rome will take Sicily

– Rome fears Carthaginian navy will prevent Roman trade in the Mediterranean

• First Punic War: – Rome captured a Carthaginian ship & studied its weaknesses

– Roman navy would ram into Carthaginian ships & board them with armed soldiers

– War lasted 23 years, Carthage asks for peace

Rome Fights Carthage II • Second Punic War:

– Hannibal, a general, leads huge army over the Alps from Spain into Italy

• Included foot soldiers, mounted cavalry, & elephants

• Heavy casualties during crossing due to mountain climate & terrain

– Northern Roman outposts fall to Carthage

– Rome sends troops into North Africa under command of Scipio

• Hannibal called back to Carthage to defend city

• Hannibal defeated at the Battle of Zama

• Third Punic War: – Romans decide to crush Carthage so that it could never again

threaten Rome

– Rome declares war w/ Carthage & Macedonia, a Carthaginian ally

– Rome wins, taking Greece, gaining territory in North Africa & eastern Mediterranean

Does he think

I’m a mountain

goat?

The End of the Republic • Expansion & warfare lead to unrest in Roman Republic

– Senate gained power at the expense of the citizens

– Patricians dominate all political life

– Farmer-soldiers bankrupt, lose farms & livelihood

• Tiberius & Gaius Gracchus see need to reform Rome

– Tiberius becomes Tribune,

• supports reforms that angered the Patricians

• Tiberius & several hundred followers clubbed to death by the Senate & their followers

– Gaius elected Tribune

• Uses public funds to buy grain to sell to poor at low cost

• Senate outraged, orders his death

• Gaius & supporters killed by riot started by the Senate

• Allies of Rome rebel due to poor treatment

– Wars break out throughout republic

• Allied militaries trained by Roman, evenly matched on battlefield

• Rome eventually wins, but at great cost to empire

– Civil war & unrest dominates Roman politics

What role did the

Senate play in

bringing about an

end to the

Republic?

The First Triumvirate • Julius gains military power

– Caesar joins with two other generals to form a political alliance known as the First Triumvirate

• General Gnaeus Pompey

• General Licinius Crassus

– Caesar becomes consul in 59BC • Asks for military command in Gaul (modern France)

• Within 10 years, all of Gaul under Caesar’s control

• Triumvirate falters – Crassus dies while Caesar in Gaul

– Pompey fears Caesar’s power, orders him back to Rome w/o army

• Caesar refuses, marches army to Rome crossing the Rubicon River

• Pompey flees to Greece, where he is defeated

• Caesar marches on to Egypt, places Cleopatra on the throne under command of Rome

– Senate declares Julius Caesar dictator for life

How does Julius Caesar

rise to power; why did he

join with Pompey &

Crassus

What is the

importance of

Caesar's crossing

the Rubicon?

The Reign of Julius Caesar • Caesar & The Senate

– increased the size of the Senate to 900

– reduced the Senate’s power

– Showed mercy to the Senators who had supported Pompey

• Senate’s Response to Caesar

– Feared Caesar’s popularity with the people

– Feared Caesar would take total control of Rome

– Group of Senators planned Caesar’s death

• Ware the Ides of March:

– March 15, 44BC, Caesar takes his place in the Senate

– Caesar surrounded & stabbed repeatedly

– Among the conspirators were two of his friends Gaius Cassius

& Marcus Brutus

Caesar has been hailed

as both a hero and a

villain; which do you

think and why?

What does Caesar’s

murder tell you about

Roman politics?

The Second Triumvirate • Julius Caesar had named Octavian as his heir

• power struggle breaks out – Octavian only 19, needs help to hold onto power

– Brutus & Cassius take armies east and steal Asia Minor from Rome

• Marc Antony, Octavian, & Lepidus form a new triumvirate – Antony takes military east to re-conquer lost territories

• Destroys armies of Brutus & Cassius

• Reclaims Syria & Asia Minor

• Settles in Egypt to rule Eastern Empire under direction of Octavian

– Octavian Grows in Power • Encourages Lepidus to retire

• Takes control of Western Rome

• Declares war on Marc Antony & Cleopatra

• Antony & Cleopatra commit suicide following fall of Alexandria to Rome

• East & West Roman Empire reunited

What are some

similarities between

Octavian & Julius

Caesar?

Octavian: Caesar Augustus • Senate appoints Octavian as Augustus, first

citizen

– Did not want to make Julius Caesar's mistakes

– Becomes known as the 1st Roman Emperor, but never

called that during his life

• Unified Roman Republic becomes the Roman

Empire

– Series of military conquests expand Rome’s territory

• Expanded north into Germany to the Rhine River

• Expanded to control Spain

• Time period becomes known as the Pax Romana,

“Roman Peace”

What should Octavian

do differently?

What constitutes an

empire?

The Pax Romana

• The Julio-Claudian Emperors ruled for 54 years – Were descendants of Julius

Caesar

– Emperors of Note: • Caligula:

– known for his brutality & insanity

– Murdered after four years in power

• Claudius – Known for his intelligence

– Ordered the invasion of Great Britain

– Murdered by his wife, Agrippina

• Nero – Blamed for a fire that

devastated Rome

– Committed suicide

• The Five Good Emperors – Combined reigned for nearly

100 years

– Emperors of Note: • Hadrian

– Born in Spain

– Believed in Romanizing the provinces

– Built a series of fortifications, including Hadrian’s Wall

• Marcus Aurelius – Last of the Five Good

Emperors

– Known as a scholar & philosopher

– Preferred peace to war, but saw to the defense of the Empire

– Believed to be murdered by his heir

Notice

any

trends?

Farthest

boundary of

the Empire!

Building A Strong Empire

• Government & Law – Served as a strong unifying

force

– Kept order & enforced laws

– Emperor held most power • Appointed officials to govern

provinces

• Made all policy decisions

– Provincial governors ruled over outlying areas

• Reported to Rome

– Written law adapted to meet new needs

• Twelve Tables expanded

• Judges given power to interpret law

• Believed that laws & legal principles applied to all

• Trade & Transportation – Agriculture main economic

activity

– Built infrastructure to support trade

• Roman Army built roads & bridges

• Roads designed to move people & military rapidly

• Over 60,000 miles constructed

• Roman Army: – Soldiers to serve 16-20 years

• Stationed at outposts along frontier

• Non-citizen recruits were given citizenship at end of term

– Goal was peace-keeping

What are

some

similariti

es between

Rome’s

gov. &

ours?

Life in The Empire

• Daily Life – Life for the Wealthy

• Usually had a city home & country home

• Much time for recreation

• Known for lavish banquets

– Life for the Average Person • Usually lived in multi-storied

apartment houses

• Food was scarce, meal usually just bread, cheese, & fruit

– Life for the Slaves • Largest element of the population

• No laws to prevent abuse of slaves

• Able to buy freedom, but few could afford it

• Slave ownership was a status symbol

• Roles of Men, Women & Children – Father held most power

– Wife/mother managed the household

– Women could own property

– Education in Rome • Children educated in the home

during early years

• Elementary schools throughout empire to teach reading, writing, math, & music

• Older boys sent to secondary schools to learn Greek, literature, rhetoric

Why was this a vulnerable social

structure? How will this contribute

to the fall of Rome?

Religion & Recreation

• Roman Religion – Early Romans believed in

ancestral spirits, • these spirits were called lares

• Focused on Vesta, the spirit who guided home & hearth

– After conquering Greece, Romans adapted Greek beliefs to meet own needs

– State religion developed during reign of Caesar Augustus

• Promoted patriotism

• Built temples

• Emperor was chief priest

• Rituals part of daily life to reaffirm harmony with Gods & State

• Recreation – Patrons of Theatre

• Roman plays heavily influence by Greek tradition

• Preferred comedies and satires over tragedies

• Also enjoyed music, acrobats, dances, & mimes

– Patrons of Sport • Large chariot races in the

Circus Maximus in Rome

• Enjoyed seeing people pitted against animals

• Enjoyed watching trained fighters battle (Gladiators)

• Enjoyed watching mock battles

• Almost all sports ended in the deaths of the loser

– Enjoyed public executions

Factors that Contributed to the Fall of Rome

• Economic Factors