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Rome
(509 BCE-476 CE)
Geography
Located in Italy
◦ Peninsula
Fertile plains, mild climate for
growing food
Low mountains are easy to pass
over
Alps to the north provide protection
Founding of Rome- Legend
According to legend there were twin
brothers, Remus and Romulus. They
were abandoned at birth and raised
by a wolf.
When the twins grew older a kind
farmer took them in. Over time the
boys founded a city on the banks of
the Tiber River and its seven hills
The boys designed the city but
fought over the name. They fought,
and Remus was killed. As such,
Romulus named the city Rome and
became a just and fair lord.
Founding of Rome- History
In 509 BCE, the Romans
overthrew the Etruscan king for
domination of the peninsula and
vowed never to be ruled by a
monarch again, establishing a new
form of government…
Roman Republic
Republic = res publica = “public matter”
◦ A republic is essentially an “indirect democracy”, where the
people participate in government by choosing
representatives to run the government for them
Two classes of people in Roman society
◦ Patricians- aristocratic families/upper
class
◦ Controlled basically everything- politics,
religion, economy, military
◦ Plebeians- common people: artisans,
merchants, farmers
◦ Had little power, but were most of the
population
Republican Government
Senate- 300 member representative body for patricians, made foreign
and domestic policy
Senate was led by 2 Consuls who each serve a 1-year term
◦ one leads army and one directs government
In times of war/crisis, the senate would choose a dictator (for 6
months at a time) to act as a leader with complete power to get things
done quickly
Republican Government
Plebeians had little say in government
Plebs argued they could not follow laws if they didn’t
know what the laws were
◦ Twelve Tables: written law code posted in the center of
Rome (the Forum), provided political and social rights for
the Plebeians
**Law is one of the most significant
Roman contributions**
Plebeians were eventually granted right to elect
tribunes to the representative body to protect their
interests
◦ Tribunes had the right to veto laws that would be harmful
to the plebs
Expansion
Under the Republic, Rome became a military power
Rome quickly expanded, and by 270 BCE they controlled all of Italy
Much like the Persians and Alex the Great,
Rome treated conquered lands with justice:
had to submit to Roman leadership,
pay taxes, and supply men for the army,
but could keep own customs and local
government and some could become
Roman citizens
Soldiers were posted across Italy, and roads were built to connect far-away
places
Roman Military
Roman soldiers were “citizensoldiers”- fought without pay,
supplied their own weapons
They were loyal and well-trained
The Romans army had many
legions (groups of 5,000) which
were broken down into centuries
(groups of 80)
Soldiers were rewarded for good
service. However, if the troops lost
a battle, then one in every ten
would be killed.
Carthage
Carthage was a major
trading city in North Africa.
It linked the Saharan trade
routes with the
Mediterranean sea.
Over time, the
Carthaginians and Romans
began to clash over trading
rights.
These conflicts led to a
series of 3 wars known as
the Punic Wars (264-146
BCE)
1st Punic War- Rome wins, gains Sicily,
Corsica, and Sardinia
Hannibal
During the first Punic War, Hannibal’s father
was a general. When Carthage lost, he swore
revenge on Rome, and Hannibal followed
through with this promise after his father’s
death.
Hannibal decided to attack Rome in 218 BCE,
and would launch an attack from the North.
What is in the northern part of Italy?
Elephants?!
Hannibal planned to use elephants to cross the Alps.
In just 15 days he crossed the Alps, but lost half his military and
most of the elephants.
However, his daring attack surprised the Romans who were
expecting an attack from the South.
Punic War #2
Hannibal remained in Italy for 15
years, winning battle after battle, but
failing to take Rome.
Eventually, the Romans attacked the
city of Carthage, forcing him to leave
to defend his home. At Carthage,
Hannibal will lose.
Carthage loses all its land outside of
Africa and has to pay a huge tribute
(tax) to Rome
Rome becomes the dominant power in the Mediterranean
Punic War #3
Rome, still fearful of their rival, completely destroys
Carthage. Any survivors are killed or sold into slavery.
Carthage becomes a province of Rome.
While fighting the Punic Wars,
Rome was also expanding into
the eastern Mediterranean, and
soon conquered Macedonia,
Greece, and parts of Asia Minor.
By 133 BCE, Rome’s power
spanned from Spain to Egypt.
Effects of Roman Expansion
Expansion caused a strain on the
government and led to corruption
Problems between social classes:
◦ New class of super-rich emerged (generals,
official, traders who gained wealth from
trade/looting)
◦ Created huge farming estates called
latifundia that were worked by slaves, and
were able to produce large quantities of
food cheaply, putting farmers into debt
and forcing them to sell their lands
Effects of Roman Expansion
Gap between the rich and the poor widened, leading to
violence and riots
Civil War erupts in Rome over who should hold power: the
Senate or new political leaders that had emerged
Julius Caesar
Rome was involved in a civil war for nearly 100 years
During the civil war several leaders attempted to gain control and
restore order, but it wasn’t until Julius Caesar that order was restored.
Caesar was one of the Generals who had led Rome’s expansion, and he
and another general, Pompey, dominated Roman politics for a time.
Julius Caesar
A brilliant military strategist, Caesar
was able to take over the area of Gaul
(France)
Pompey convinced the Senate to order
Caesar to return to Rome and disband
his army, as he feared Caesar’s
popularity
Caesar did return to Rome, but did so
with his army, crushing Pompey and his
supporters and seizing control of Rome
Veni, Vidi, Vici 
I came, I saw, I conquered
Julius Caesar
Although he kept the senate in name, he
filled it with his supporters, and they
named him “dictator for life”
◦ He would have total power, but was not
considered a king
Caesar made many reforms to Roman
government/society
◦ Public works program to hire the
unemployed
◦ Gave public land to the poor
◦ Roman/Julian Calendar based on the
Egyptian Calendar
◦ This is the calendar we use today (with some
slight changes)
Caesar’s Death
Senators began to worry that Caesar would make himself king, and
plotted against him
According to legend, Caesar was warned by an oracle to “beware the
Ides of March”
The Ides of March (March 15th) was his death day in 44 BCE. He was
stabbed 23 times.
Revenge
Three of Caesar's closest friends
vowed revenge, and tracked down
his murderers: Marc Antony,
Octavian and Lepidus (soon killed).
They were known as the
Triumvirate.
Marc Antony and Octavian soon
killed all the betrayers, then fought
to determine who would lead
Rome.
Cleopatra
According to Roman historian Plutarch:
Cleopatra and her brother, Ptolemy, were
fighting each other for the Egyptian throne.
Cleopatra asked Julius Caesar for help, which he
gave to restore her to power.
Shortly after Cleopatra and Caesar became
lovers, and she bore him a son. The son was
three years old when Caesar was killed by
the Senate.
Cleopatra then gave aid to the Triumvirate
who was trying to get revenge for Caesar.
Cleopatra
As the legend continues, Marc Antony meets with Cleopatra to thank
her for her support. He quickly fell for her and they had twins together.
Several years later Marc Antony returned to Egypt to be with Cleopatra,
betraying his wife Octavia.
Disgraced, Octavia turned to her brother Octavian
(Augustus) who tracked down Marc Antony and
Cleopatra.
During the battle, Marc Antony was told Cleopatra had perished, and
instead of continuing to fight, he killed himself upon his sword. However,
she was still alive, and when she learned of Antony’s death, she also
committed suicide.
From Republic to Empire
STAR WARS
•Galactic Republic 
Galactic Empire
ROME
•Roman Republic 
Roman Empire
•Confident that republic would last •Confident that republic would last
forever
forever
•Desire for expansion leads to a
series of wars (Sith/Clone Wars)
•Desire for expansion leads to
series of war (Punic Wars)
•Greedy politicians use their power •Greedy senators/politicians use
for personal gain instead of for the their power for personal gain
good of the people
instead of for the good of the
people
Emperor Augustus (31 BCE-14 CE)
Having defeated Marc Antony,
Octavian returned to Rome in 31
BCE and was named Augustus
(the exalted one).
He ruled as princeps- the first
citizen
◦ He had absolute power (king
without the title)
Augustus became Rome’s first
emperor
◦ Senate still met, but the emperor
had real power
Augustus’s Reforms
August reformed the government,
opening it to men of talent, not just
money  civil service
Created a census so there would be
records of who should be taxed,
postal service and new coins to
make trade easier
Augustus also created more roads
and hired unemployed masses to
complete public works.
Pax Romana
Augustus is the first of many emperors during the Pax Romana
Pax Romana= Roman Peace
200 year period of peace, wealth, and expansion throughout the
Mediterranean
Roman Emperors during Pax Romana
Caligula- probably insane, appointed his favorite horse as Consul
Nero- viciously persecuted Christians, possibly set Rome on fire
Hadrian- made Roman law the same for all provinces
Marcus Aurelius- came close to Plato’s ideal “philosopher king”
Roman Society
Males were the head of the house with
absolute power
Women were to be loyal, obedient, and
dutiful.
◦ Later gained more rights/freedoms, could own
property and even businesses
◦ Some women even were able to influence
politics, but most worked at home.
Roman society was highly educated-both
girls and boys from the upper and lower
classes were taught to read and write
Roman Religion
The Romans borrowed heavily from Greek society, especially in arts and
religion.
The Greeks and Romans had many of the same gods, just with
different names:
Greece
Rome
Role
Zeus
Jupiter
Main god
Hera
Juno
Marriage
Poseidon
Neptune
Sea
Ares
Mars
War
Athena
Minerva
Wisdom
Bread and Circuses
Romans loved their entertainment
To keep the people loyal, emperors would give food to the poor
and put on entertaining shows
**This entertainment was meant to appease restless mobs and
prevent violence in the city**
Circus Maximus
Rome’s largest race track for chariot races. It had tight turns
making it dangerous
The Coliseum
Shows included trained slaves called Gladiators. They would fight
each other or wild animals to the death. Skilled gladiators could
win their freedom if they impressed the crowds, but poor
gladiators could be killed if the crowd turned their thumbs down.
Greco-Roman Achievements
Rome borrowed heavily from Greek culture after it
conquered Greece
In most Romans’ eyes, the Greeks represented the height
of cultural achievement
Art
Absorbed the Greek style of lifelike busts and statues, but
added a person’s flaws (warts, missing teeth, scars, etc.)
◦ Realism-vs-Idealism
Frescoes and Mosaics
Architecture
Used Greek columns but made them larger and more grand. Added
designs to the column and the top
The domes originating in Greece were improved by the Romans to be
larger and more decorative
The Pantheon
Roman Achievements
Literature
◦ Virgil- epic poem Aeneid to link Roman heroes to Greece
Science
◦ Ptolemy- Earth is the center of the universe
Engineering & Infrastructure
Roads- The Romans had a well maintained road system that
allowed the army to quickly move, but also trade to occur.
“All Roads lead to Rome”
Engineering & Infrastructure
Aqueducts- The Romans built large bridge like structures to
carry water to the cities. They have been copied around the
world, including an original in Spain
Engineering & Infrastructure
Baths- The Romans also used their water system to create
large public baths. These bath houses were both a place to
get clean, but also to learn the news of the day and meet
people
Roman Law
Rome had two systems of law (until the time of Hadrian)
◦ Civil law covered all citizens of Rome
◦ Law of nations covered all non-citizens
Under Hadrian these systems merged, creating one law code
◦ common laws created unity and stability
This is the basis for the principles of US law:
• People of the same status are equal
• Innocent until proven guilty
• Allowed to face accuser and defend
oneself
• Guilt must be clear
Judaism
The Romans were mostly tolerant of other religions practiced in newly
conquered lands.
However, most were required to worship Roman gods along with their
own, except the Jews.
The Jews were conquered in 63 BC and kept the freedom to worship
only their one god.
But in 66 AD the Romans turned against the Jews and forced them to
leave Jerusalem. This event is called the diaspora.
Christianity
Christianity began during the Pax Romana,
and was founded by Jesus of Nazareth
◦ It started as a small sect within Judaism.
Jesus was born a Jew in the city of Bethlehem
around 4 BCE
◦ Most of what we know about him comes from
the first 4 books of the New Testament
May have worked as a carpenter, began
preaching around age 30
◦ Used parables (short stories with simple moral
lessons) to share his ideas
Teachings of Christianity
Jesus was a practicing Jew in his early life, and his
teachings are rooted in Jewish traditions
◦ Monotheism
◦ 10 Commandments
◦ Teachings of Jewish prophets-mercy and sympathy for the poor and
hopeless
(Matthew 5:5-9)
But he also spread new ideas
◦ Called himself the Son of God
◦ Emphasized God’s love for everyone regardless of social status
Jesus’s Death
Roman authorities viewed
Jesus as trouble
◦ They believed his speeches
could instigate those who
wanted to end Roman rule
Jesus died before Christianity
really grew. During his life
time he had several very loyal
followers who continued his
teachings after his death.
The Spread of Christianity
Paul, one of Jesus’ most loyal followers spread his message,
and built Churches from Mesopotamia to Rome.
Early churches were not organized,
but had believers who
would spread the message
of Jesus Christ.
Persecution
After Jesus’ death, Christianity
spread even faster. This prompted
the Romans to outlaw, or ban,
Christianity.
The Romans killed many Christians,
who refused to give up their new
religion. These people are called
Martyrs.
The message of love, the promise of
eternal life in heaven and seeing the
martyrs die for the cause made many
other people convert to Christianity.
Survival
Despite being banned by the Romans and
thousands of executions the Christian religion
continued to spread:
◦
◦
◦
◦
All-encompassing message of love
Better afterlife
Welcomed people of all walks of life
People were impressed by the martyrs’
dedication
In 313 CE the emperor Constantine passed the
Edict of Milan. This order allowed for total
religious freedom.
By 400 CE Christianity was the official religion
of Rome
The Empire Declines
Rome faced threats from both in and out of the empire
Political
Economic/Social
After the Pax Romana there was
nothing but political turmoil.
Heavy taxes to support
bureaucracy and military
Government became more
Farmers could no longer pay their
oppressive and authoritarian, lost taxes so they started to work the
the respect of the people.
land owned by the wealthy, paying
rent in crops.
Frequent civil wars over
succession- in a 50 year period,
Upper class devoted itself to
there were 26 emperors.
luxury and prestige, no longer on
Roman values that founded the
Republic
Division
In 284 CE, the emperor Diocletian attempted to reform
Rome to save the empire. To make ruling easier, he
divided the empire into two.
Diocletian ruled the wealthier
eastern part of the empire, and
gave control of the weaker
western half to a co-emperor,
Maximian
Attempted economic reforms
◦ Fixed prices for goods and
services to slow inflation
◦ Forced farmers to remain on
their land
◦ Mandated that sons must follow in their fathers’ professions
Constantine
Formerly a talented general who
gained the throne in 312 CE,
Constantine continued Diocletian’s
reforms
Two acts that shaped the world as we
know it
1. Edict of Milan- granted
tolerations to Christians
2. Moved the capital of the
Roman Empire to
Constantinople
Invasion
Rome had many conflicts with
the Germanic people living along
its borders, but when the empire
was strong, legions were able to
keep them away.
However, as the empire
declined, Rome could not hold
back the invaders- they were
forced to give up Britain, France,
and Spain
By 378 the Romans mounted a
counter attack into the German
lands, but lost terribly.
The Huns
One of the invading groups was
the Huns, a nomadic group from
central Asia, led by Attila
The Huns were skilled fighters,
and could attack and conquer well
defended cities. They would then
demand tribute and taxes from
the conquered peoples.
Attila was the leader of the Huns
and led several attacks into the
Roman Empire. They were able to
completely wipe out the city of
Aquileia (rebuilt as Venice)
Why and How did Rome “Fall”?
There are 5 main reasons that the great Roman empire crumbled:
1) Germanic invasions defeated underprepared Romans
2) Oppressive emperors lost the support the people
3) Splitting the empire into East and West weakened it
4) Farmers left their land and the middle class fell into poverty
5) Social values of honor, patriotism and devotion faded to self
indulgence