Download Chapter 7: THE ROMAN WORLD

UNIT 2: THE GROWTH OF CIVILIZATION
CHAPTER 7: THE ROMAN WORLD
Section 1: Founding the Roman Republic
I. The Land: Its Geography & Importance
A. Advantages
1. Natural Defenses

the Alps to the north protected Italy

the Mediterranean Sea to the south & the Adriatic Sea to the east made Italy an excellent
base from which to control both the eastern & the western halves of the region
2. Easy Trade & Travel

the Apennine Mountains, which run the full length of the boot, are not very rugged; this
made early trade & travel relatively easy
B. Disadvantages
1. The Alps

the Alps separated Italy from the rest of Europe

over the centuries, enemies streamed into Italy through passages that cut through the Alps
2. Long Coastline

Italy’s long coastline made it open to attack from the sea
II. Rome & the Beginning of an Empire
A. The Founding of Rome

some of the Latin settlers who moved into west-central Italy sometime before the mid-700s
B.C. built villages along the Tiber River which, in time, united & would later form Rome

the Etruscans who ruled Rome beginning in the 600s B.C. influenced Roman culture & helped
Rome grow into a large & prosperous city

Greek culture, such as the belief in gods, was mirrored in Roman culture
B. A Strategic Location

Rome was built on 7 hills along the Tiber River, about 15 miles inland from the coast

Rome was protected from sea invasion & was at the center of trade routes that spread out
across the land in all directions
III. The Early Roman Republic

Republic - form of government in which voters elect officials to run the state

in the Roman Republic, only adult male citizens were entitled to vote & to take part in
government
A. Senate

the Senate was the most influential & powerful of the 3 governing bodies because it
controlled public funds, decided foreign policy, acted as a court, & in times of emergency,
could propose a dictator

dictator - absolute ruler
B. Magistrates

the magistrates were elected officials that included consuls, praetors, & censors

the consuls ran the government, commanded the army, & could appoint dictators;

praetors oversaw the Roman legal system or commanded armies in times of war

censors registered citizens according to their wealth, appointed Senate candidates, &
oversaw the moral conduct of all citizens

veto - refuse to approve, as in a bill or law

checks & balances - system of government that prevents any one part of the government
from becoming too powerful
C. Assemblies

in the several assemblies that existed in the Roman Republic, citizens voted on laws &
elected officials

tribunes – if they believed actions were not in the public interest, they could refuse to
approve them
IV. The Conflict of the Orders

the struggles of the common people to win more rights became known as the Conflict of Orders

patricians - powerful landowners who controlled Roman government & society; nobles who
inherited their power

plebeians - farmers & workers who made up most of the Roman population; did not know laws;
could vote but were barred from holding office

in about 450 B.C. the Romans engraved their laws on tablets called the Twelve Tables & placed
them in the Forum
V. The Republic Grows
A. The Role of the Roman Army

every adult male citizen who owned land was required by law to serve in the Roman army

the major unit of the army was the legion, consisting of from 4,500 to 6,000 citizens
B. The Role of Wise Policies

the Romans granted full citizenship to the people of nearby Italian cities & partial citizenship to
people in more distant cities

Romans expected conquered peoples to provide land for Roman farmers, thus helping the
Romans to maintain control & leading to the spread of Latin language, Roman law, & other
aspects of Roman culture throughout Italy
Section 2: Rome Expands Its Borders
I. Rome Fights Carthage

by the middle 200s B.C., the Roman Republic controlled all of the Italian Peninsula south of the
Rubicon

Carthage, a powerful city on the coast of North Africa, was now a great commercial power whose
empire spanned the western Mediterranean

Punic Wars - the title of 3 costly wars between Rome & Carthage
A. The First Punic War (264 B.C.—241 B.C.)
Causes
Results
Carthage was afraid Rome would take
Sicily.
Carthage asked for peace.
Rome was afraid Carthage would close the
Adriatic Sea & the Strait of Messina.
Carthage had to pay indemnity & give up
control of Sicily.
B. The Second Punic War (218 B.C.—202 B.C.)
Causes
Results
Hannibal invaded Italy.
Carthage asked for peace.
Carthage had to pay indemnity & lost the
Spanish colonies.
Rome was now the most powerful force in the
western Mediterranean.
C. The Third Punic War (149 B.C.—146 B.C.)
Causes
Results
Some Romans passionately hated
Carthage.
Carthage was destroyed.
Rome declared war.
Macedonia was also defeated
(197 B.C.).
By 133 B.C. Rome was the supreme power in
the Mediterranean.
II. The Problem of Expansion

Rome remained a republic, but the Senate gained almost complete control over the army &
foreign policy, & the nobles gained even more power

Rome’s new territories (provinces) were simply made subjects of Rome

the Punic Wars had ravaged the land of the Roman farmer-soldier; in time, Rome became
dependant on the provinces for grain, its chief food

within the republic, the gap between rich & poor, powerful & powerless continued to grow

Spartacus - led the most brutal Roman slave revolt with some 70,000 slaves taking part in
73 B.C.
Section 3: The Birth of the Roman Empire
I. A Weakening Republic
A. The Social War
Gracchus brothers
introduced
reforms
Sulla
establishes
dictatorship
Angry
senators kill
the Gracchi
Violence becomes
the primary tool
of Roman politics
Lucius Cornelius
Sulla marches on
Rome, an action
that led to civil
war
Leaders recruit
personal armies
II. Caesar in Power

Julius Caesar - nephew of Gaius Marius who built a huge following among Rome’s poor; member
of the First Triumvirate who was murdered in a conspiracy on the Ides of March (March 15, 44
B.C.).
A. The First Triumvirate

in 60 B.C. Julius Caesar, Gnaeus Pompey, & Licinius Crassus formed the First Triumvirate.

Triumvirate - political alliance of 3 rulers, “rule of three”

the Senate declared Caesar dictator for life in 44 B.C.
B. The Rule of Caesar

Caesar increased the Senate to 900 members but reduced its power

Gaius Cassius and Marcus rutus worked with conspirators to kill Caesar
III. The Roman Empire

a power struggle erupted after Caesar’s death
A. The Second Triumvirate

Marc Antony - general & ally of Caesar’s who drove out the conspirators & took control of
Rome

the Second Triumvirate was formed by Marc Antony, Octavian (or Augustus Caesar, Julius
Caesar’s grandnephew), & Lepidus (Caesar’s second-in-command)
B. Octavian: The First Augustus

in 27 B.C. the Senate gave Octavian the title Augustus, or “the revered one”

Augustus (Octavian) Caesar - grandnephew of Julius Caesar; member of the Second
Triumvirate; generally referred to as the first Roman emperor

beginning with Augustus’ reign, the Roman Republic became the Roman Empire

under the rule of Augustus, the Roman Empire stretched from Spain in the west to Syria in
the east, & from Egypt & the Sahara in the south to the Rhine & Danube Rivers in the north

Augustus’ reign began a period known as the Pax Romana, or “Roman Peace,” that would last
for more than 200 years

Pax Romana - period of Roman peace from the beginning of Augustus’ reign until the death of
Marcus Aurelius
C. The Pax Romana Emperors

relatives of Julius Caesar ruled the 54 years following Augustus’ death

Vespasian was the first of the Flavian emperors who ruled until A.D. 96

the Five Good Emperors would rule Rome for almost 100 years
27 B.C.—A.D. 14 Augustus
A.D. 14-68 Julio-Claudian Emperors
Claudius (A.D. 41-54)
Nero (A.D. 54-68)
Tiberius (A.D. 14-37)
Caligula (A.D. 37-41)
A.D. 68-69 Army Emperors
(Chosen by various legions during a succession crisis)
Otho
Vitellius
Galba
A.D. 69—A.D. 96 Flavian Emperors
Domitian (A.D. 81-96)
Vespasian (A.D. 69-79)
Titus (A.D. 79-81)
Nerva (A.D. 96-98)
Trajan (A.D. 98-117)
Hadrian (A.D. 117-138)
A.D. 96-180 The Five Good Emperors
Antoninus Pius (A.D. 138-161)
Marcus Aurelius (A.D. 161-180)
Section 4: Roman Society & Culture
I. Building a Strong Empire
Soldiers made
citizens
Kept
order
Stationed
along
frontiers
Strong
emperor
ROMAN
ARMY
STRONG EMPIRE
GOVERNMENT &
LAW
Enforced
law
TRADE &
TRANSPORTATION
Provincial
official
Revised 12
Tables
Kept
peace
Farm goods &
luxury goods
A. Government & Law

the Roman government was the strongest unifying force in the empire

the Romans changed the code of the Twelve Tables in 2 important ways:
o
the government passed new laws as needed
o
judges interpreted the old laws to fit new circumstances
Roads &
bridges
Encouraged
widespread
trade
B. Trade & Transportation

most trade within the empire centered around grain, wine, oil, other food items, & everyday
items such as cloth, pottery, & glassware

foreign trade often included luxury goods such as African ivory, Chinese silk, & Indian pepper
C. The Roman Army
II. Life in the Empire

while the rich enjoyed great luxuries, the majority of Romans were poor
A. Daily Life

homes varied for rich & poor

rich citizens usually had both a city home & a country home (with running water and bath)

many of Rome’s residents lived in crowded multistory apartment houses
B. Slaves & Slavery

slavery was widespread

slaves were among the least fortunate of the empire’s population

Roman slaves could buy freedom or be freed by an order from their masters
C. The Roles of Men, Women, & Children

the family was at the heart of Roman society

men made important decisions & controlled property

women managed households
D. Religion

the Romans had numerous gods & goddesses

over time, Greek thought increasingly influenced Roman religious beliefs

by the time of the empire, a state religion had evolved to promote patriotism & loyalty to
the state

religious ritual was a part of daily and state life
E. Fun & Games

entertainment included theater, chariot racing, gladiatorial contests, & athletic events

gladiators - trained fighters, usually slaves, who fought in arenas as entertainment
III. Science & the Arts
A. Science, Engineering, & Architecture

Galen summarized all the medical knowledge of his day

Ptolemy developed a system of astronomy & geography based on the belief that the sun, the
planets, & the stars revolved around the earth

the Romans used scientific knowledge from the Greeks to plan cities, build water & sewage
systems, & improve farming & livestock breeding

aqueducts - bridge-like structures that carry water

the Romans knew how to build the arch & the vaulted dome

the most important contribution of Roman architects was the use of concrete
B. Literature

Virgil - greatest of the Roman poets; his epic poem, the Aeneid, tells the story of Aeneas, a
prince of Troy

Horace – wrote odes, satires, and epistles

Ovid – wrote love lyrics

Tacitus – wrote the Annals, a history of Rome under the Julio-Claudian emperors

Plutarch – a Greek who wrote Parallel Lives, a collection of Greek & Roman biographies
C. Language

today we use the Roman, or Latin, alphabet of 23 letters, plus J, Y, & W, which the English
added after Roman times

Latin is the parent of the modern Romance languages:
o
Italian
o
French
o
Spanish
o
Portuguese
o
Romanian
Section 5: The Rise of Christianity
I. The Beginning of Christianity

to keep peace, the Romans allowed people in the provinces to practice their different religions, as
long as the people honored the gods of Rome & the “divine spirit” of the emperor
A. Jews & the Roman Empire

in Roman times most Jews lived in Judea, which became a Roman province in A.D. 6

Zealots – feared their religion would be weakened by outside influences and supported a
rebellion against Rome

in A.D. 66 to A.D. 70 the Jews revolted against the Romans, resulting in the sacking of Jerusalem
& all but the western wall of the Second Temple being destroyed

the Wailing Wall (the western wall of the Second Temple) is considered a sacred site of the
Jewish faith

the destruction of the Second Temple marked a major turning point in Jewish history

rabbis - religious scholars of Judaism

in A.D. 135 the last Jewish revolt was brutally put down & all Jews were banned from the holy
city of Jerusalem

Jesus - Jewish teacher whose followers founded Christianity
B. The Teachings of Jesus

Jesus began teaching around A.D. 27 with his disciples (or followers) in the countryside

Jesus’ teachings have become one of the greatest influences on the Western world

Jesus’ teachings were grounded in Jewish traditions, but also taught that God cares more for
people than he does for laws & rituals
C. The Death of Jesus

the Romans, fearing that Jesus would lead an uprising, had him arrested, tried, & crucified

the Gospels’ account of Jesus’ resurrection became the central event of a new religion—
Christianity—that believed all people could be redeemed from God’s final judgment through
Jesus’ death
II. The Spread of Christianity

the Romans soon outlawed Christianity, viewing it as an attack on Roman religion & law

martyrs - persons put to death for their beliefs

in the A.D. 200s, after the era of the Five Good Emperors, violence & unrest again shook the
Roman Empire & many turned to Christianity for hope

by the A.D. 300s the Christian church had become so large that the government could not punish
all its members; in response, Roman law accepted Christianity as a religion
III. The Romans Adopt Christianity

in A.D. 312 Constantine declared his support for Christianity, thus improving the situation greatly

in A.D. 391 Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire

during the later years of the empire, the Christian church became well organized
Pope
Patriarchs
Bishops
Priest

bishops - heads of the Catholic Church in major cities

patriarchs - bishops of the administrative centers for the church in the last years of the Roman
Empire

pope - title assumed by the patriarch of Rome & head of the Catholic Church

in A.D. 325 the council at Nicaea wrote down the main beliefs of the church & claimed the
existence of the Trinity, a central belief of Christians
Jesus
Personally taught
in Judea
Spread of
Christianity
Acceptance &
Organization
Disciples deliver
message
Accepted by Romans
(Constantine)
Spreads slowly
through empire
Made official
religion
Outlawed by the
Romans
Organization of
church
Christians were
persecuted
Council of Nicaea
set down beliefs
Gained followers
Crucified
Believed to be
risen from the
dead
Section 6: The Fall of the Western Empire
I. Troubled Times Arise

between A.D. 235 & A.D. 284, many competed for the title of emperor, & invaders threatened the
borders & civil war tore at the empire
A. Rising Inflation

inflation - rise in prices caused by a decrease in the value of the medium of exchange (silver)
B. Increasing Insecurity

as the economic crisis deepened & attacks on the borders continued, daily life became harder
for many people
II. Two Able Emperors Attempt Reform
A. Diocletian

a general in the Roman army, Diocletian was made emperor in A.D. 284 & realized he needed
a co-emperor to help manage the large empire

under Diocletian’s rule, defense & security came first, individual freedom second
B. Constantine

Constantine - became sole emperor in A.D. 324; best remembered for supporting Christianity
throughout the Roman Empire & for creating a new capital in the East—Constantinople

as the western empire grew weaker & weaker, the eastern empire became the center of
power & wealth

two empires now existed, one in the East and one in the West
III. The Final Invasions

the most troublesome of the invaders were the Germans
A. The Goths & the Vandals
B. The Huns
C. Results of the Invasions

different tribal kingdoms were set up, making it impossible to rule a united empire

over time, learning declined & knowledge of the world & the past declined
IV. Causes of the Decline

no such thing as a single fall occurred; instead, the western empire gradually declined & the
eastern empire remained until A.D. 1453
A. Political & Military Weaknesses

inadequate government for the size of the empire

competition for power

army interference made the government unstable

dependence on German troops
B. Economic Decline

expense of defending & maintaining the empire

heavy taxes

loss of income

decline of manufacturing & agriculture
C. Social Change

too many poor

loss of patriotism, interest in government, & political honesty