Download Chapter 6 Section 2 Notes

Chapter 6 Section 2
Notes
CHAPTER
6
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Ancient Rome and Early
Christianity, 500 B.C. – A.D. 500
Time Line
509 B.C. Rome becomes a
republic.
218 B.C. In the Second
Punic War,
Hannibal invades
Italy.
A.D.
284 Diocletian, who will
divide the Roman
Empire, becomes
emperor.
500 B.C.
A.D.
264 B.C. The First Punic
War with
Carthage begins.
44 B.C. Conspirators
kill Julius
Caesar.
A.D.
500
476 Western Roman
Empire falls with
the ouster of the last
emperor, Romulus
Augustulus.
I. Expansion Creates
Problems in the
Republic
A. The gap between
rich and poor increased
class tensions
developed
B. Rich land owners
lived on huge estates
called latifundia
C. Many of these lands
belonged to farmers
and soldiers that were
forced
to sale their lands
D. Grain prices were
down
E. Slaves were all over
Rome
F. No Jobs
II. The Republic
Collapses
A. Two plebeian
brothers try to reason
with the Rich
1. Tiberius and Gaius
Gracchus
2. As Tribunes they try
to make reforms
3. Tiberius is
assassinated in 133
B.C. and Gaius in 121
B.C.
4. Civil War erupts
5. Power struggles
within the army try to
put down the rebellions
B. Julius Caesar takes
control
1. The First Triumvirate
A. 60 B.C. Julius
Caesar, Crassus, and
Pompey
1. Caesar was away
fighting wars in Gaul
(France)
2. Caesar soon gained
support of the entire
army
B. In 49 B.C. Crassus
and Pompey order him
back to Rome
without his armies,
He refuses
C. In 46 B.C. he
becomes dictator and
soon afterwards
dictator for life
2. Caesar has moderate
reforms
a. Gave land to poor in
Gaul
b. Created jobs with
government projects
1. Aqueducts
2. Roads
Colosseum
3. Buildings
Roman Theatre
Pantheon
3. Assassinated on
March 15, 44 B.C. by
his longtime friend
Marcus Brutus in the
senate chamber
C. Beginnings of the
Empire
1. Second Triumvirate
Caesar’s grandnephew
Octavian and his friend
Mark Antony take
control of Rome along
with Lepidus
Augustus
Mark Antony
2. Eventually Lepidus
is removed and
Octavian and Mark
Antony go to war.
3. Cleopatra from
Egypt convinces
Antony to attack
Octavian at the Battle
of Actium in 31 B.C.
a. Octavian wins
4. Octavian crowns
himself Augustus and
keep the title imperator
(supreme military
commander) where the
word emperor comes
from
III. A Vast Powerful
Empire
A. Years starting with
Augustus rule from 27
B.C. to 180 A.D.
become known as the
Pax Romana (Roman
Peace)
B. Agriculture was the
most important
industry of the empire
C. Trade flourished
D. Silver coins called a
demarius was the coin
of the empire
E. Roads interlinked
the empire and
connected to the Silk
Road
F. Many men from
foreign lands entered
the army
G. Augustus was
Rome’s best ruler
1. Set up civil service
or government jobs
2. He dies in 14 A.D.
H. Governmental Flaw
1. No legal succession
to the throne
I. Bad Rulers
1. Caligula
2. Nero
J. Good Rulers
1. Five good Rulers
a. Nerva in 96
b. Trajan
c. Hadrian
The Pantheon (118-128
1. Wall in England
d. Antonius Pius
138-161
161-180
e. Marcus Aurelius
1. 161 – 180 A.D.
2. Empire at height
IV. Life in Imperial
Rome
A. Early values
(Gravitas)
1. Discipline
2. Strength
3. Loyalty
B. Paterfamilias was
the oldest male in
family
C. Women almost had
the same rights as men,
except they could not
vote
D. Boy children were
more important
because they could vote
E. Children became
adults at 16
F. Girls were married
between 12 and 15 to
much older husbands
G. Slavery
1. Widespread and
important to the
economy
2. Conquered peoples
became slaves
3. Considered property
4. Some became
gladiators
H. Early gods and
goddesses
1. Numia were divine
spirits
2. Lares were guardian
spirits of each family
3. When they met the
Greeks they adopted
the gods with different
names
I. Entertainment
1. Government
provided free game,
races, and gladiator
events for the
masses
2. Coliseum held
50,000
3. Circus Maximus
held 300,000