world history ch. 6 section 1 notes

Rome and Early Christianity Section 1


Preview

• Starting Points Map: Italy and the Mediterranean

• Main Idea / Reading Focus

• Roman Civilization Develops

• Quick Facts: Etruscan Influences

• Rome Becomes a Republic

• Quick Facts: Checks and Balances in the Roman Government

• The Republic Expands

• Faces of History: Two Commanders of the Punic Wars

The Foundations of Rome


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Reading Focus

• Where and how did Roman civilization develop?

• What led to Rome’s becoming a republic?

• What were the major events in Rome’s expansion?

Main Idea

1. From a small town on the banks of an Italian river, Rome grew to control the entire Mediterranean region.

The Foundations of Rome


“All roads lead to Rome.” “Rome was not built in a day.” “When in Rome . . .” How did Rome win such a place in modern popular culture?

• Peninsula logical place for emergence of mighty empire

– Juts south from Europe far into Mediterranean Sea

– Lies almost halfway between eastern, western boundaries of the sea

– Protected by mountains, sea

– Rich soil, mild climate

Italy’s Geography

• Legend: Romulus and Remus, twin brothers raised by she-wolf; founded city 753 BC

• Members of Indo-European tribe, Latins, reached Italy 1000s BC; built Rome

• City prospered partly from location on Tiber River

• Valuable trade routes, easy access to sea

The Founding of Rome

Roman Civilization Develops


The Etruscans

• Rome first ruled by Latin Kings

• Came under Etruscan rule, 600 BC

• Etruscans came from northern Italy

– Evidence found at cemeteries indicates Etruscans great metalworkers, jewelers

– Etruscan culture heavily influenced by Greeks

• Etruscans had great influence on Roman society


Summarize

What advantages did Rome’s location give the city?

Answer(s): protected by mountains; sea provided protection and transportation; had rich soil, pleasant climate; located on major trade routes; Tiber River provided easy access to the sea


Etruscan Rule Ends

• Etruscans ruled Rome until about 509 BC

• Romans revolted, threw out last of kings, setup new type of government

• Republic—elected officials governed state

Plebeians

• From beginning, common people, plebeians, challenged patricians for power

• Invaders threatened 494 BC; plebeians refused to fight until changes made

• Patricians knew they would have no army, expanded plebeian rights

Patricians

• In early days, heads of a few aristocratic families, patricians, elected officials

• Patrician families controlled all society—politics, religion, economics, military

• Maintained power through patronage system

Rome Becomes a Republic


Laws

• 450 BC, plebeians forced patricians to have all laws written down

• Laws displayed in Roman Forum, central square, on 12 large bronze tablets

• Because laws were posted, patrician judges could not make decisions based on own opinions or secret laws

• One new law banned marriage between patricians and plebeians

Plebeian Council

• After receiving new rights, plebeians formed own assembly, Plebeian Council, to oversee affairs and protect interests

• Gained right to elect officials known as tribunes

• Tribunes’ job—protect against unjust treatment by patrician officials

• Gained right to veto—ban laws that seemed harmful, unjust


• Senate: 300 members, advised elected officials, controlled public finances, handled all foreign relations

• Popular assemblies: in these all citizens voted on laws, elected officials

• Magistrates: governed in name of Senate and people, put laws into practice, acted as priests

Elements of Government

• Patricians, plebeians worked out practical constitution

• Created new offices of government

• Consisted of three parts: Senate, popular assemblies, magistrates

• Initially dominated by patricians; all state offices later open to both patricians, plebeians

New Offices and Institutions

Republican Government


Consuls• When last king thrown out, his

place taken by two magistrates called consuls

• Elected for one year; chief executives, army commanders

Praetors• Primarily judges, could act for

consuls if consuls away at war

• After terms ended, given military commands, appointed provisional governors

Censors• Next most important after

consuls

• Recorded wealth, residence of population

• Filled vacancies in Senate

Constraints• Government worked well

because of system of checks, balances

• Each part could impose certain constraints on others

Governing Details


2. During the days of the Roman Republic, Rome was a thriving and vibrant city. At its heart was the Forum, the public square and site of the most important government buildings and temples.

• Nestled between two hills: Palatine, Capitoline

• Palatine, where wealthy lived

• Capitoline, where grandest temples were

Location

• City leaders often found in Forum mingling with common people

• Senate met in Forum

• Key public addresses made there

Political Center

• Forum more than just political center

• Popular place for shopping, gossip

• Busy shops lined either side of Forum

• Public celebrations usually held there

Busy Place

Life in the Republic


• Despite bustling nature of city, Romans prided themselves on connection with soil

• Farming, landownership the noblest ways to make money

• Senators forbidden to participate in any career that did not involve land, could not engage in commerce

• Roman tie to land illustrated in legend of early Republic

• Romans turned to greatest general, Cincinnatus, to save them from invasion

• Cincinnatus plowing fields at the time

Legend of Early Republic• People made Cincinnatus dictator

• Office of dictator had nearly unlimited power but could be held for only six months

• Cincinnatus defeated enemies and returned to farm

• Had no interest in retaining power

Return to Farm

Agrarian Roots


Draw Conclusions

Why do you think the Romans established a republic?

Answer(s): possible answer—They wanted a system of laws to keep peace within their expanding empire.


Growth

• As Rome’s government changed, the Roman population continued to grow

• Rome needed more land for expanding population

• Began to settle surplus population on land acquired by conquering neighbors

Roman Army

• Organized into units called legions, backbone of which were centurions

• Centurions: noncommissioned officers who each commanded 100 men

• Army highly disciplined, well-trained force, could fight in all types of terrain

Military Might

• Successful expansion not possible without powerful army

• All Roman men between ages 17 and 46 with minimum amount of property required to serve in army during times of war

The Republic Expands


Sicily

• Once in control of Italy, Rome turned attention to Sicily, large island to south of Italian Peninsula

• In Sicily, Rome came into conflict with Carthage, powerful North African trading city

• Conflict grew into series of three wars

• Punic Wars raged for nearly 80 years

The Conquest of Italy

• 265 BC, Romans had defeated Etruscans and Greek cities in Southern Italy

• Romans imposed two strict conditions on subject people—subjects had to provide troops for Roman army, abandon any dealings with foreign nations

• Other than those conditions, Rome rarely interfered with domestic affairs of people it conquered


The Romans had defeated Carthage, but it did not destroy the city as many citizens had wanted.

3. Violence between Rome and Carthage broke out in 264 BC. Because the First Punic War was fought mostly at sea, Carthage’s powerful navy dominated the early fighting. Soon, however, the Romans built a navy of their own and were able to defeat Carthage.

• Violence soon broke out again

• 218 BC, Carthaginian general Hannibal led army across Pyrenees, Alps to invade Italy

• Hannibal ravaged Italy, defeated every army he faced

• Romans needed new strategy

Hannibal

The Punic Wars

• Romans decided to take war to Africa

• General Publius Cornelius Scipio sailed to Africa, besieged Carthage

• Forced Hannibal to sail home

• Scipio defeated Hannibal, took Carthage, won Second Punic War

Scipio


Carthage Falls

Huge losses of Second Punic War remained in memories of many Romans

• 149 BC Rome decided to destroy old enemy once and for all

– Declared war on Carthage for third time

– After siege of three years, Carthage fell

– Romans enslaved entire population, completely destroyed city

– They banned any people from living there


• Punic Wars raged in western republic; Rome involved in politics of eastern Mediterranean

• Hellenistic kingdoms of Macedonia, Persia, and Egypt fought constantly; Greek city-states feared being conquered

• City-states sought alliance with Rome

• Romans, Greek allies fought, and defeated Macedonia, Persia

• Both became Roman provinces

• Eventually Romans annexed Greece as province as well

• Romans adopted many elements of Greek culture, particularly art

Macedonia, Persia• Romans also borrowed ideas of

religion from Greeks, adopted their gods but changed the names

• Not all Romans happy with growing Greek influence, thought Rome should remain purely Roman

• Influence continued for many years

Greek Culture

The Conquest of Greece


Sequence

How did Rome come to dominate the Mediterranean world?

Answer(s): by conquering its Mediterranean neighbors, including Carthage and Greece

world history ch. 6 section 1 notes

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