the politically correct way to address a century has been changed bc = bce (before common era)
DESCRIPTION
The politically correct way to address a century has been changed BC = BCE (Before Common Era) AD = CE (Common Era) We’ll use BOTH in this course so you get used to the changes . REVIEW: Roman Empire. The Roman Empire lasted over 1000 years ! (from 625 BCE to 476 CE= 1101 years ! - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
• The politically correct way to address a century has been changed
• BC = BCE (Before Common Era)• AD = CE (Common Era)
• We’ll use BOTH in this course so you get used to the changes
REVIEW: Roman Empire
• The Roman Empire lasted over 1000 years! (from 625 BCE to 476 CE= 1101 years!
• And if one includes the eastern Roman empire which lasted until AD 1453 it would even be 2078 years !
• In comparison Canada has only existed since 1867 – just under 150 years.)
REVIEW: Roman Empire
• The Roman Empire covered huge areas of conquered land. These were called provinces and they paid taxes to Rome
• When it was strong, the Senate and the Emperor ran the Empire
• The most peaceful years of the Empire were called just that, the PAX ROMANA.
• They lasted 200 years between 14 BC to 180 AD
REVIEW: Roman Empire
ROMAN ACHIEVEMENTS
The Empire• Naturally the most
obvious achievement of the Romans was their vast empire, which spread over three continents.
REVIEW: Roman Empire
The Roman Army• The Roman Legion was
perhaps the most powerful army ever.
• Sure, they didn't have airplanes, tanks and battleships like today.
• But they were capable of defeating armies far larger than themselves, despite being equipped with the same basic weapons: shields, spears and swords.
REVIEW: Roman Empire
Founding Fathers of many Cities• All over the continent they
founded cities which still stand today.
• London for example, was founded by the Romans under the name Londinium. The great German city of Cologne is Roman (Colonia Agrippina).
The great Builders of Old• Aqueducts, roads, baths, walls,
theatres, temples, arches, cities, palaces...
• They built a world from which later peoples still benefited for a long time to come.
• Some of their old roads & great amphitheatres are even still in use today.
REVIEW: Roman Empire
Latin, the eternal Language
• Latin was the language of the army, governors and office workers in the provinces.
• Many languages developed from it like French, Italian, Portuguese, Rhaeto-Romantsch (spoken in the Canton Grison in Switzerland), Rumanian, Spanish.
REVIEW: Roman Empire
Alphabet• The Roman alphabet is
what most of us still use today in the western world.
• We have added a few letters to it, like W, but it is much still the same alphabet used by the Romans.
• Their numerals are not any longer in every day use. It is Arabic numbers we use today. But for inscriptions on public buildings and some other things Roman numerals are still sometimes used.
REVIEW: Roman Empire
The Twelve Tables and the Justinian Code
• Roman law developed many of the ideas of justice which we today take for granted.
• They wrote them down their laws on twelve plates made of bronze, which became known as the Twelve Tables.
• Later Emperor Justinian refined many of the laws of the day and collected them all into one work.
• This is known as the Justinian Code and it was completed in 529 CE.
• These laws form the basis of all today's justice systems in the western world.
The FALL of the ROMAN EMPIRE
• Then, between 180 AD and 284 AD (100 years) the rulers of Rome were no good.
• The citizens revolted against its rulers. There were many wars and revolts.
The FALL of the ROMAN EMPIRE
• In 284 AD Diocletian became emperor.
• He took away all of the power from the senators and made himself the head honcho.
The FALL of the ROMAN EMPIRE
• He also cut the empire in half.
• While this saved the Roman Empire from immediate destruction, many of its citizens lost a lot of their rights and freedoms.
The FALL of the ROMAN EMPIRE
• He made himself the ruler of the eastern half
• He called it CONSTANTINOPLE
• It stayed together until 1453 (1000 years longer than the west!)
The FALL of the ROMAN EMPIRE
HOWEVER• He put another ruler in
the western half
• It was still called the Roman Empire and its capital was Rome
• It was destroyed in 476 CE
WHY Rome Fell
• CONTAGIOUS DISEASES killed thousands
WHY Rome Fell
• Emperors took away individual FREEDOMS from citizens
WHY Rome Fell
• TOO LARGE to defend
WHY Rome Fell
• Use of SLAVES made Romans LAZY
• SLAVES took away JOBS
WHY Rome Fell
• Too much $$ spent on entertainment/ LUXURIES
WHY Rome Fell
• GERMANic Attacks
WHY Rome Fell
• New RELIGIONS Citizens put religion before Empires
WHY Rome Fell
• TAXES turned Romans against Empire
HOW the Empire Fell
• Since the Pax Romana, GERMAN tribes had been a problem for the Roman Empire.
• The German tribes wanted the wealth, land, and warmer climate of the Roman Empire.
HOW the Empire Fell• However, when the
Roman Empire was strong, they kept the Germans out
• But when they were weak, the German Tribes entered and settled in the borders of the Roman Empire
HOW the Empire FellA few dates:• In 378 AD the Romans
fought against the Visigoth tribe and lost
• In 410 AD the Visigoths captured Rome
• In 455 AD another German tribe, the Vandals, captured Rome and nearly destroyed it (thus vandalism)
HOW the Empire Fell
• Then, in 476 AD another German captured Rome, and the Roman Empire ceased to exist.
• German Tribes were called BARBARIANS. While this first meant “people who speak an unfamiliar language”, it would eventually come to mean an uncultured person (an insult)
AFTER the FALL
• The civilizations of Rome and Greece were to be lost for centuries after the German tribes took over.
• Roads fell into serious disrepair
• Cities decayed and were deserted
• Few people could read or write (usually only monks)
• Gang warfare was common
