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World History
Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire
Rome went from being a small town in Italy to being the center of a vast empire. This took hundreds of years
and many wars. Rome was a lot like the present day United States - their government (for a while) but, most
importantly, our attitude. The Romans were just like us in that they wanted it ALL. Our language, English, (and
Spanish and French) comes from their language.
Rome: The Beginning
Romulus and Remus
In 800 BC a Latin Princess had twins, fathered by the god Mars. Since the princess was never supposed to have
children, she was punished by having her sons taken from her. They were left on the banks of the Tiber River to
die. A she-wolf found the boys and raised them, until she was killed by a shepherd. Then the shepherd took the
boys home and raised them. They built a city, then Romulus killed Remus and named it Rome.
Romulus and Remus with the She-Wolf
Etruscans
The Etruscans lived north of Rome in Etruria. No one knows where they came from. The Etruscans spoke a
different language than anyone else in the ancient world. They were Italy's first highly civilized people.
Etruscan people were farmers, miners, merchants, and metal workers who enjoyed music and dancing. Women
had rights; they could own property and go out in public. The Etruscans had a mighty army.
Religion of the Etruscans
Polytheistic.
Their view of the universe prompted them to build cities to face East and Left. The west (right) represented
"gods of death" and was considered unlucky. The center (faced south) represented "humans," and the east (left)
was the "gods of the heavens," considered lucky.
They had to find out what the gods wanted.
Soothsayers read the omens from sacrificed animal livers, directions and sounds of thunder, flight of birds.
Etruscans had catacombs, underground tombs of the dead, that were decorated.
They had a necropolis - cemetery, city of the dead.
Necropolis at Porta Nocera in Pompeii
Contributions to Roman Civilization
1. Arch (for building bridges)
2. Sewer system
3. Gladiator games: armed men, men vs. animals, women vs. dwarfs, and animals
The Arch Was Used for Building Bridges
The Roman Republic
In 509 BC Romans overthrew the Etruscan king, Tarquin. The Roman Republic had no king. They elected two
consuls who were only allowed in office for one year. In times of crisis, a dictator would serve for one year,
then they would go back to the republic. Patricians, wealthy landowners, had the say in government - about
10% of the population. Plebians, or common people, had few rights at first. Eventually they threatened to not
serve in the military if they did not get some rights, so they were given an assembly to vote on Plebian matters.
Punic Wars
(Three Wars Fought with Carthage)
The first took place in 264 BC. Rome thought Carthage was a threat. Rome won in 241 BC. This was Rome's
first military conquest.
In 218 BC during the second of the Punic Wars, Hannibal, a Carthaginian general invaded from the north with
his army and war elephants. They went by way of Spain, gaining allies along the way. In 216 BC Hannibal
tricked the Romans. He pretended to retreat, then surrounded and smashed them, and got to the gates of Rome.
Hannibal couldn't win because he didn't have enough supplies or men. Rome won in 202 BC.
Rome won and destroyed Carthage in the third Punic War in 146 BC. By 196 BC Rome had beaten Macedonia,
and by 133 BC Rome had the entire Greek world.
(In 214 BC the Roman navy was coming to conquer the Greek town of Syracuse. Archimedes, who had
developed a catapult that could throw rocks 600 feet, arranged mirrors to direct the suns concentrated rays at the
Roman fleet - the entire fleet was burned.)
Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar took over after much unrest due to problems from wars, slave revolts and other problems in 60
BC. The Punic wars had cost a lot in men, money, and had caused destruction. The first Triumvirate was
instituted as three generals, Caesar, Pompeii, and Krassus, banded together. All had three had armies.
Pompeii
Elected Consul in 70 BC, Pompeii helped end the slave revolt and destroyed Mediterranean pirates. The Senate
opposed him so he banded with the other two. Pompeii's wife was Caesar's daughter. After she died, he became
Caesar's jealous enemy. Pompei was defeated at Pharsala, and fled to Egypt where he was killed. Once, when
invading Spain, his armies came across great tubs of honey, ate lots, and became deathly ill because of the toxic
impurities in the honey. The Spanish had been waiting in the hills, swooped down, and crushed the Romans.
Ruins at the Ancient City of Pompeii
Crassus
Crassus made most of his money organizing private fire brigades, burning houses, buying them cheaply, and
then putting out the fires. He gained great prestige by beating Spartacus. The First Triumvirate didn't get along
with Pompeii. Trying for military glory, Crassus was beaten by the Parathions and brutally killed. In 69 BC
Caesar returned to Rome after Sulla's death (78 BC) and helped Pompeii get control of the army.
Gallic Wars
The Gallic Wars brought Gaul (France) under Roman control. Legions became loyal to Caesar. In 50 BC the
Senate ordered Caesar to disband his army. On January 19, 49 BC Caesar crossed the Rubicon and the civil war
started. He was ordered to not enter the gates of Rome with his army, but he did, anyway. His army had 50,000.
Caesar beat Pompei and chased him to Egypt, where Caesar met Cleopatra. When Caesar returned, he helped
the poor and they loved him.
Caesar beat the other two by 46 BC and made himself dictator. He instituted many reforms, lowered taxes,
made governors responsible to him, and gave over 100,000 veterans land. In 44 BC Caesar was named dictator
for life. He was killed by Brutus and Cassius, senators who feared his power.
End of the Republic
The Second Triumvirate was formed. (Marc Antony, Lepidus, and Octavian - Caesar's adopted son) Octavian,
Augustus Caesar, took over after beating Antony and Cleopatra in a naval battle at Actium. Augustus became a
dictator. This was the end of the Republic.
Writings From the Time of Augustus Caesar
Augustus Caesar
Decree Issued by Emperor Augustus, 4 BC
The Emperor Caesar Augustus declares:
"A decree of the senate was passed ... and I was present at the writing. Since it affects the welfare of the allies of
the Roman people, I have decided to send it into the provinces ... so that it may be known to all who are under
our care. From this it will be evident to all the inhabitants of the provinces how much both I and the senate are
concerned that none of our subjects should suffer any improper treatment or any extortion."
Decree of the Senate
Concerning matters affecting the security of the allies of the Roman people which the Emperor Caesar Augustus
... desired to be brought before the senate, the senate passed the following decree:
Our ancestors established a legal process for victims of extortion so that the allies might more easily be able to
take action for any wrongs done them and recover monies forcibly taken from them. This type of process has
sometimes been very expensive and troublesome for those who have been victimized. For example, poor people
or persons weak with illness or age are dragged from far-distant provinces as witnesses. Therefore, in light of
the above, the Senate decrees the following:
"If any of our allies desire to recover monies extorted from them, either public or private, they shall appear
before one of the magistrates. The magistrate shall bring them in before the senate as soon as possible and shall
assign them a lawyer to speak on their behalf. The judges shall hear and inquire into only those cases in which a
man is accused of having extorted money from a community or from private individuals; they shall order those
found guilty of extortion to restore whatever sum of money their accusers prove was taken from them."
Writings From the Time of Augustus Caesar
Augustus Caesar
Decree Issued by Emperor Augustus, 4 BC
The Emperor Caesar Augustus declares:
"A decree of the senate was passed ... and I was present at the writing. Since it affects the welfare of the allies of
the Roman people, I have decided to send it into the provinces ... so that it may be known to all who are under
our care. From this it will be evident to all the inhabitants of the provinces how much both I and the senate are
concerned that none of our subjects should suffer any improper treatment or any extortion."
Decree of the Senate
Concerning matters affecting the security of the allies of the Roman people which the Emperor Caesar Augustus
... desired to be brought before the senate, the senate passed the following decree:
Our ancestors established a legal process for victims of extortion so that the allies might more easily be able to
take action for any wrongs done them and recover monies forcibly taken from them. This type of process has
sometimes been very expensive and troublesome for those who have been victimized. For example, poor people
or persons weak with illness or age are dragged from far-distant provinces as witnesses. Therefore, in light of
the above, the Senate decrees the following:
"If any of our allies desire to recover monies extorted from them, either public or private, they shall appear
before one of the magistrates. The magistrate shall bring them in before the senate as soon as possible and shall
assign them a lawyer to speak on their behalf. The judges shall hear and inquire into only those cases in which a
man is accused of having extorted money from a community or from private individuals; they shall order those
found guilty of extortion to restore whatever sum of money their accusers prove was taken from them."
Roman Life
Cities
Cities were the centers of the culture.
Class System
The upper class consisted of wealthy landowners, merchants, doctors, and lawyers. Some scholars, writers,
artists, and senatorial families lived a pretty nice life. The poor didn't share in politics or culture. There was
widespread unemployment because the slaves did the all of the work. The poor got free food from the
government.
Slaves
Eventually their slaves were not treated so badly.
Families
Family discipline became less harsh. The Romans started spoiling their children. Women got more freedom and
girls could attend school / classes.
Schools
There were schools for boys, but girls were taught at home. A "litterator" was a reading and writing teacher, and
a "calculator" was a math teacher. Greek slaves introduced them to Greek art, literature, science, philosophy,
etc.
Left: Colosseum, Exterior View
Roman Colosseum, Interior. Click Interior for an enlargement.
Entertainment
The Romans enjoyed violent sports, games such as chariot races, and betting.
Christianity
The life history of Jesus was not written down at the time, but eventually his life was recorded by Mathew,
Mark, Luke, and John. Jesus was born a Jew and was raised in Bethlehem.
Believed God created all human beings equally.
Thought people should love God and one another.
His popularity was a threat to Jewish leaders and to Roman authorities. He was convicted of treason because the
emperor was to be treated as a god. Pontius Pilate, a Roman governor and judge, had him crucified. Reportedly
Jesus rose after three days, after reportedly going to hell and sending Adam and Eve to paradise. Thus, Jesus
supposedly died for the original sin, and thus, the sins of mankind.
Jesus became known as "Christ" from the Greek word "Christians" meaning Messiah. The Greek symbol for
"Christians" is an "X," therefore, calling Christmas "X-Mass" is not non-religious.
Christianity's Effect on Rome
Romans made Christianity illegal at first because the Christians didn't worship the emperor. The Christians
refused military service and did not take part in the politics or law of the Romans because these things included
pagan traditions and beliefs. Obviously, the Romans questioned the Christians loyalty to Rome. But,
persecutions were sporadic, usually didn't last long, and were not uniformly carried out throughout the empire.
The Spread of Christianity
Word spread through disciples such as Paul. Paul set up the doctrines that are the basis for Christianity:
All humans are sinful because of Adam and Eve.
Jesus was sent by God to redeem humanity from sins.
By dying on the cross, Jesus made it possible for humans to be saved.
Anyone could be saved through faith in God.
Christianity spread because of its appeal to those who led hard lives. Christianity gave a sense of community
and fellowship to the people. The people saw others who were willing to die for a religion.
Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantius
Constantine
Constantine became the first Christian emperor in 312 after seeing a vision of a cross with the words, "Follow
me," during a big battle. Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 312 making Christianity legal.
Theodisius the Great
Theodosius
In 380 AD Theodosius the Great made all other religions illegal.
The Pax Romana
(27 BC - 180 AD)
During the Pax Romana period there were 200 years of peace within Rome. Results of the Pax Romana:
Extended borders to Asia Minor and secured frontiers.
Order and good government.
Prosperity. They Improved harbors, cleared forests, drained swamps, and turned unused land into farms.
Roads were built.
Products from all over the empire flowed into Rome.
They built cities and expanded old ones.
View of the Ancient City of Pompeii
Greek Culture Brought from Rome
Greeks came after the conquests. They were brought as slaves to live with the Romans and teach them laws and
legal traditions of Greece. Romans added organization, engineering, and a talent for government and law.
Poets
Virgil wrote Roman propaganda; Aenid. Horace criticized lives of wealthy Romans. Ovid spoke for the wealthy
people. Juvenal criticized cities.
Realism
They now made realistic sculptures.
Statue of Apollo and Arch of Nero, Both in Pompeii
Architecture
Romans used the arch, saved on building costs, used concrete, and built structure to last. Some things built by
the Roman Empire are still in use today.
Science
The Romans used science for practical things.
Ptolemy: mathematics, geography, and astronomy. They understood that there was a system of planets. In their
system, the earth was at the center. This theory was believed until the 16th century.
Galen: medicine. Basis for Western medical knowledge until modern times.
Stoicism
Philosophy - Marcus Aurelius: People should live simple lives, control their emotions, and be self-sufficient.
Law
The Romans thought law should reflect principles of reason and justice, and should protect the citizen's person
and property. Their idea that law could be based on just and rational principles could apply to all people,
regardless of nationality was a major contribution.
Decline of the Roman Empire
After the Pax Romana, the Roman Empire started to decline. The reasons were political and economic, and they
had problems with foreigners. After the guard killed Commudus, they sold power to the highest bidder. This led
to chaos every time a leader died. All leaders became dictators, and almost all were killed by their guards. The
Roman Empire had 26 leaders in the next 50 years.
A leader had to pay his army well to keep them happy so that they would fend off invasions. This led to high
taxes and inflation. Borders were left open as Romans fought among themselves. Germanic tribes invaded,
Persians took Roman lands, and Gaul tried to become independent.
The Roman Colloseum
Reforms
Diocletian (elected by the army) and Constantine each set up strong one-man rule during their times as leader.
They initiated many reforms:
Farmers had to stay on their farms; ones who left were hunted down.
Town officials had to collect taxes, and pay the difference between what the state wanted and what they
collected.
Government workers had to keep their jobs for life, and their children had to do the same job.
The Roman Empire was split by Diocletian, into west and east.
The new capital was Constantinople because the east was richer than the west.
Diocletian
The Visogoths
Germanic barbarians, the Visogoths, moved in because they were threatened by the Huns, from Central Asia.
The Visogoths attacked Rome. When troops from all over the Empire came to fight them, the borders were left
unguarded, and more Germanic tribes came in.
The Huns
In 451 AD the Huns, under Attila, invaded but were beaten.
The End of the Western Roman Empire
Vandals, a really barbaric German tribe, took Rome (came from the south). The Romans had hired Germanic
soldiers to fight for Rome. These soldiers eventually overthrew the Western Roman leader Romulus
Augustulus, and made the German Odoacer ruler in 476 AD. This was the end of the Roman empire in the
West. The Eastern part of the empire would keep going for another 1000 years.