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Ancient World
History
Chapter 6
Ancient Rome and the Rise of
Christianity
Section 1

The Roman World Takes Shape
Geography and Peoples of Italy
Rome Began as a city-state, eventually
spreading into an Empire
Geography
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Rome is located right in the center of the Italian
peninsula
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Mediterranean Sea was the center of the Ancient World
Unlike Greece, the Italian peninsula is better built to
support a larger population
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Less Rugged Mountains to the North
Broad fertile plains
1
Geography and Rome
Rome is located in the center of
the Italian peninsula. This
location helped the Romans
expand in Italy and beyond.
The Apennine Mountains run
down the center of Italy but are
not too rugged.
Fertile plains supported a
growing population.
Ancestors of the Romans
settled along the Tiber River.
These villages eventually grew
into Rome.
Geography and Peoples of Italy
(Con’t)
Peoples
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The Latins settled along the Tiber River about
800 B.C.
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Greek Colonist as well
Etruscans ruled much of the Italian peninsula
for some time

Romans learned the alphabet, arches in
building, engineering techniques, and gods from
the Etruscans
The Roman Republic
Romans drove out their Etruscan ruler in
509 B.C.
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Romans setup a government in which officials
were chosen by the people
Republic
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“Thing of the people”
Keep any individual from gaining to much
power
The Roman Republic (Con’t)
The Government takes shape

The most powerful governing body was the Senate
All the members of the Senate were patricians
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members of the landholding upper class
served for life
Every year senators elected two consuls
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People who supervised the business of government and
command the armies

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Serve only one term
A system of checks and balance
In event of war, senate sometimes chose a dictator
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ruler who has complete control over a government
Given power to rule for 6 months
The Roman Republic (Con’t)
Plebeians Demand Equality

Initially the government was completely run by patricians
Plebeians fought for the right to be apart of the
government

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average citizens
in 450 B.C. plebeians had the laws written down on tablets
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
called “The Laws of the Twelve Tables”
Citizens could appeal judgments by the government
Eventually Plebeians could elect tribunes to veto laws that
were harmful to plebeians
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Individual elected to protect the rights of Plebeians
The Roman Republic (Con’t)
Lasting Legacy
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Romans gained political power without
resorting to war or revolution
Roman Society
It was a patriarchal society
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Male dominated
Changing Role of Women

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Had a greater role than the Greek women
All classes of women ran a variety of
businesses

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most worked at home though
Patrician women went out and enjoyed
entertainment with their husbands
Roman Society (Con’t)
Education

Boys and Girls both learned to read and write
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Including the poor classes
Many wealthy Romans hired private tutors from Greece
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rhetoric an important subject for future politicians
Religion
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Polytheistic
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Roman’s supreme God was Jupiter
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Roman God of Sea was Neptune
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Similar to Greek Zeus
Greek was Poseidon
Roman God of War was Mars
Roman calendar was full of celebrations
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Had temples throughout cities to celebrate and worship their
gods
Expansion of Italy
Citizen-Soldier
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By 270 B.C., Rome controlled most of the
Italian peninsula
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Army broken up into Legions
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Success was due to skillful diplomacy and to its
loyal, well-trained army
army unit of about 5,000 soldiers
Fought without pay and with their own weapons
Valued loyalty, courage and respect for authority
Commanders mixed rewards with harsh
punishments
Expansion of Italy (Con’t)
Conquered Lands
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Conquered peoples had to acknowledge Roman
leadership, pay taxes, and supply soldiers for the
Roman army
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Some conquered people were given citizenship in the
Roman society
Protection and Unification
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Posted soldiers and built roads to easily connect distant
territories in the Empire
As trade and travel increased, locals incorporated
Roman beliefs and language into their own customs
Section 2

From Republic to Empire
2
The Roman Empire at Its Height
By 133 B.C., Roman power extended from Spain to Egypt.
Winning an Empire
Territorial Expansion moved Rome from a
Republic to an Empire
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As Rome expanded, they became more in conflict with
the city-state of Carthage
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Wars with Carthage
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Rome fought three wars against Carthage between 264
B.C. -146 B.C.
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Carthage was an empire that stretched over northern
Africa and western Europe
These wars are called the Punic Wars
First Punic War
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Rome won and captured Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia
Winning
an
Empire
(Con’t)
Wars with Carthage
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Second Punic War
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Hannibal surprised Rome by marching through
France to Italy
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Hannibal lost half his army by the time he reached Italy
Fought for 15 years, engulfing much of Italy, except
Rome
Eventually Rome won and took down Hannibal
Third Punic Wars
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Rome demolished the Carthage lands
Rome became the master of the western
Mediterranean
Winning an Empire (Con’t)
Other Conquests
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Rome was committed to imperialism
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establishing control over foreign lands and
peoples
While still fighting the Punic Wars, Rome began
expanding towards the east
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Began conquering the Hellenistic rulers near the
eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea
Those areas became provinces
Lands under Roman rule
Eventually Rome controlled all the lands
surrounding the Mediterranean Sea
Winning an Empire (Con’t)
Social and Economic Effects

Conquest and control of the trade center of the ancient
world, brought Rome exponential wealth
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New classes of wealth emerged and bought Latifundia
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Huge estates similar to plantations
Farmers unable to compete with Latifundias were forced to
sell their land move to Rome for jobs
A continued gap between rich and poor led to angry
mobs
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New wealth increased corruption, greed, and self-interest
Winning an Empire (Con’t)
Attempts at Reform
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Sought to help struggling farmers, however, the
reformers were murdered
Decline of the Republic
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Civil wars began in Rome over who
should control the political power
Led to armies militias controlled by their
favorite commanders, who fought
between each other
Decline of the Republic (Con’t)
Julius Caesar’s Rise to Power

In 59 B.C., Caesar completed the conquest of Gaul
(France)
The Senate, fearful of Caesar’s power, demanded he
disband his army
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Julius refused and crossed the Rubicon River in northern
Italy
He killed his rivals, took control of the senate and
became a dictator
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Then crushed any remaining rebellions throughout the
Roman empire
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“Veni, Vidi, Vici” – “I came, I saw, I conquered”
Decline of the Republic (Con’t)
Caesar’s Reforms
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He created public works programs to employ
the jobless and gave public land to the poor
Expanded Roman citizenship
Created the Julian calendar, based on the
Egyptian knowledge, mostly what we use today
Decline of the Republic (Con’t)
Assassination and Civil Wars
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Fear of his ambitions, led to his assassination
in the senate in 44 B.C.
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Beware the Ides of March, March 15
Led to new round of civil wars
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Main struggle between Octavian and Mark
Antony (who had allied with Cleopatra of Egypt)
Octavian eventually won and gained controlled
of the new Roman Empire
Roman Empire and Roman Peace
Octavian was called “Augustus” by the
senate
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Exalted One
He ruled from 31 B.C. to 14 A.D.
Roman Empire and Roman Peace
(Con’t)
A Stable Government
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He left the Senate be, but created a civil
service to enforce the laws
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allowed a great deal of autonomy
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To fix the tax system, he enacted a census
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Self-Governing power
population count
Set up a postal system, and created new coins
to make trade easier
Roman Empire and Roman Peace
(Con’t)
Bad Emperors and Good Emperors
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Not all successors were successful or great
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Caligula and Nero were possibly evil and insane
Good emperors from 96 A.D.-180 A.D.
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Hadrian codified Roman law for all provinces
Marcus Aurelius probably the most famous
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Greatly influenced by Greek Stoic Philosophy
“Hour by hour resolve firmly… to do what comes
to hand with correct and natural dignity” Aurelius
Roman Empire and Roman Peace
(Con’t)
The Pax Romana

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200 year span that began with Augustus and
ended with Marcus Aurelius is known as
“Roman Peace”
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Empire stretched from the Euphrates River to
present-day Britain
Trade greatly flowed during this period, greatly
increasing the spread of ideas, especially from
the Hellenistic east
Roman Empire and Roman Peace
(Con’t)
Bread and Circuses
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Romans were known for their love of
spectacular entertainments
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Circus Maximus – Rome’s largest racecourse
Gladiators were greatly popular
Roman leaders used entertainments to
appease and keep quiet the city’s restless
mobs
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Pax Romana led to ignorance of the underlying
social and economic problems
Section 3

Roman Achievement
Greco-Roman Civilization
Rome absorbed ideas from the Greek
culture
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Leading to the development of the GrecoRoman Civilization
Trade and Travel during the Pax Romana
helped spread this vital new civilization
Literature, Philosophy, and History
Poetry
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Aeneid, Virgil tried to show that Rome’s past was as
heroic as that of Greece
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Used as propaganda to arouse patriotism and help unite
Rome after years of civil wars
Others used poems to satirize Roman society
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Make fun of
Generally make fun of human folly
History
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Roman Historians sought the theme of the rise and fall
of the Roman Power
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Tacitus, wrote negatively about Rome
Literature, Philosophy, and History
(Con’t)
Philosophy
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Hellenistic and Stoic philosophy greatly
influenced Rome and it’s leaders (Marcus
Aurelius)
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importance of duty and acceptance of one’s fate
concern for the well-being of all people
Art
and
Architecture
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Art
Stressed realism, like Greeks, however added emotions
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Very much idealistic as well
Romans made their homes into works of art
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Used mosaics
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Picture made from chips of colored stone or glass
Architecture
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Romans emphasized grandeur and their buildings stood
as might monuments to Roman power and dignity
Used concrete, rounded domes to roof large spaces
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Example: Pantheon
Technology and Science
Romans excelled in engineering
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Application of science and mathematics to
develop useful structures and machines
They built roads, bridges, harbors and
aqueducts
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Bridgelike stone structures that brought water
from the hills into Roman cities
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Used to give the wealthy water in the cities
Many of these different structures were still
used long after the fall of the Roman Empire
Technology and Science (Con’t)
Greeks were the major research scientist
of the time period
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Ptolemy proposed geocentric theory
Galen codified a medical encyclopedia
Pliny the Elder, compiled volumes on assorted
subjects
Roman Law
Possibly greatest achievement was the rule of
law, which fostered unity and stability
Two Systems
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Under the Republic they had codified civil law
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laws that applied to its citizens
Then they developed the law of nations
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dealing with those under Roman influence, who were not
citizens
Common Principles
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Accused person was presumed innocent until proven
guilty
Accused allowed to face accuser
Judges were allowed to interpret the laws and were
expected to make fair decisions
Section 4

The Rise of Christianity
Religious Diversity in the Early
Empire
Within the culturally diverse Roman
empire, a variety of religious beliefs and
practices existed
Mystery Religions
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Emphasized secret rituals and promised special
rewards
Religious Toleration
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Rome was tolerant as long as citizens
recognized Roman Gods and Caesar’s divine
spirit
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Most people were polytheistic
Religious Diversity in the Early
Empire (Con’t)
Divisions in Judea
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By 63 B.C., Judea was under Roman control
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Jews excused from worshipping Roman Gods
Due to Cultural Diffusion, many Jewish
conservatives called for strict adherence to
Jewish laws and traditions
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Zealots called for Jews to revolt against Rome
believed that a messiah would soon appear to
lead the people as a King

anointed king sent by God
Religious Diversity in the Early
Empire (Con’t)
Jewish Revolt
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A.D. 66 Jews rebelled and Romans destroyed
the Jewish Temple
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Forced many Jews to leave Judea
Jesus and His Message
Most of what we know about Jesus comes from
the New Testaments first four books, known as
The Gospels, or “Good News”
Life of Jesus
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Born in Bethlehem about 4 B.C.
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At the age of 30, he began preaching and chose 12
apostles
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Grew up in Nazareth, and likely was a carpenter
from Greek word meaning “a person sent forth”
Grew greatly in popularity due to word of miracles and
parables
Jesus and His Message (Con’t)
The Message
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Defended Jewish law, however He preached
new ideas as well
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He claimed to be bringing spiritual salvation and
eternal life to all who believed
Emphasized God’s love and taught the need for
justice, morality, and service to others
Jesus and His Message (Con’t)
Death on the Cross
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Jesus was considered by some Roman and
Jewish leaders as a dangerous troublemaker
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Tried and condemned to be crucified
Disciples were initially confused, however The
Gospels proclaimed that Jesus rose again,
embolden the disciples
Spread of Christianity
After Jesus’ death, Disciples spread Jesus’
message and helped establish Christian
communities
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Peter and Paul most influential Jews who helped spread
Christianity

Work of Paul

Never actually saw Jesus and actually initially
persecuted Christians
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A constant traveler who setup churches all over the Roman
Empire
He wrote letters to churches explaining important Christian
ideals
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Now a part of the New Testament
Major idea was that Jesus had sacrificed his life out of love
for humankind
Spread of Christianity (Con’t)
Persecution

Since Christians were unwilling to bow to Roman Gods,
they were constantly persecuted and many became
martyrs
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people who suffer or die for their beliefs
Nero most famous Caesar who persecuted Christians
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Peter and Paul killed under Nero
Reasons for Christianity’s Appeal
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People found comfort in the message of Jesus
The roads and sea protection allowed Christians to travel
throughout the Mediterranean, spreading the Gospel
Triumph
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Emperor Constantine ended the persecution of Christians
in A.D. 313 with the Edict of Milan
The Early Christian Church
Patterns of Life and Worship
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Believers joined Christianity by going through
the baptizing of their sins, receiving
forgiveness by the grace of God
Believers participated in the Eucharist, or
Communion
Role of Women
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Often led the way to Christianity
The Early Christian Church (Con’t)
Structure of the Church

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Each community had a priest

who was under the authority of a bishop

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a church official who was responsible for all Christians
in an area called a diocese
Eventually bishops gained more power, and
became a patriarch

Exercised authority over the other bishops in the area
The Early Christian Church (Con’t)
Divisions in the Church

Major divisive force was rivalry among patriarchs
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Differences over what was heresies

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Latin speaking bishops called popes and singular power
Greek speaking bishops called patriarchs and shared
power
Beliefs said to be contrary to official Church teachings
To deal with disagreements, the church set up councils
of Church leaders to decide official Christian teachings
The Early Christian Church (Con’t)
Theology and Scholarship


Theology borrowed from Greeks meaning “Talk
or discourse about God”

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Origen and Clement greatly influenced
Christianity
Most influential scholar was Augustine, Bishop
of Hippo in North Africa
Looking Ahead

Christianity was growing, while Rome
began falling
Section 5

The Long Decline
Crisis and Reforms
The decline of the Romans was a process that
took decades

Death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 A.D., ended Pax
Romana

Struggles for Power

Continually emperors were overthrown by political
intriguers and generals

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Created instability and violence
Economic and Social Problems


High taxes for army and government became to big of a
burden for businesses and farmers
Crisis and Reforms (Con’t)
Emperor Diocletian

Diocletian split Rome into two parts
Fixed prices of good and services to contain inflation

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the rapid rise of prices
Emperor Constantine

312 A.D. Constantine continued many of Diocletian’s
reforms

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Granted toleration for Christians
built a new capital, Constantinople
However, unable to ultimately keep Rome from declining
Foreign Invasions
Impact of the Huns

Wars in East Asia sent a nomadic people from Central
Asia, the Huns

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
Forced Germanic peoples to flee towards Rome
Unable to support the legions, the Germanic tribes
ultimately began defeating and taking over the Roman
Empire
Rome Defeated

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In 387 A.D. Roman army suffered a stunning defeat at
Adrianople
In 476, Germanic leader Odoacer ousted the emperor of
Rome
Causes
of
the
Fall
of
Rome
 Military Causes

Roman legions of the late empire lacked the
discipline and training of past Roman armies

Rome had hired mercenaries


Foreign soldiers serving for pay, to defend its borders
However, Germanic invasions were powerful
Political Causes


Government became more oppressive and
authoritarian

corruption and civil wars
Causes of the Fall of Rome (Con’t)
Economic Causes

Heavier and heavier taxes were required to support the
vast government


farm production was lowered
Social Causes

Lake of patriotism, discipline and devotion to duty


luxury and self-interest was rampant
Did Rome Fall?



Eastern Rome was ruled by a leader who became known
as the Byzantine empire
Though Roman civilization dwindled, the Christian
Church continued to grow and influence Europe