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Ancient Rome
Rome’s Geography
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Site of Rome chosen for its fertile soil and
strategic location. How?
– Location on Italian peninsula in center of
Mediterranean Sea
– Built on Seven hills on Tiber River
Map of Roman Empire
Origins of Rome
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According to Roman legend, Rome was
founded by Romulus (Rome named after)
and Remus
– Father was Mars, mother Latin princess
– Raised by a she-wolf
Latins settled around Rome 1000 to 500
B.C.E
 Greeks also established colonies in Italy
 Etruscans = N. Italy
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Romulus and Remus
Influence of Etruscans
Writing
 Religion
 The Arch
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Roman Republic
509 BCE - 27 BCE

Romans establish Republic in 509 B.C.E.
– Republic: government power rests in citizens

Fight between Patricians (wealthy landowners)
and Plebeians (merchants & farmers)
– Plebeians protected by tribunes (elected
representatives)
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12 Tables – laws to protect all citizens
– Basis for later Roman law
– Citizenship is limited to adult male landowners
– Hung in the Forum
12 Tables
Government of Rome
2 Consuls
– 2 rulers of Rome
– 1 to rule army, 1 to direct government
 Senate
– Representative body for patricians – upper
class
 Tribal Assembly
– Representative body for plebeians – lower
class, common people
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Dictators – appointed in times of crisis
Roman Army
All land owners had to
serve in the Army
 Organized into large
military units called
legions.

– 5,000 foot soldiers
– Cavalry (soldiers on
horses)
Divided into even smaller
groups called centuries –
80 men
 Key factor in greatness
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Roman Power Spreads

Rome conquers Italy, but access to
Mediterranean Sea blocked by Carthaginian
Empire. Treats people humanely.
Punic Wars (264-146 BC)
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Wars(3) between Rome and Carthage
– Carthage, powerful city state in North Africa, rivals
Rome

1st Punic War, Rome wins, takes Sicily in 23 year
old war
Punic Wars (264-146 BC)

2nd Punic War, Hannibal led the Carthaginians
against Rome.
– Tried to surprise Romans by sneak attack by going
through Spain and France crossing over the Alps into
Italy
 Included 37 elephants
– It worked. Terrorized Italy for a decade but didn’t
capture Rome. Cannae 45,000 Romans killed.
– Scipio (Skip-ee-oh) finally defeated Hannibal at Battle of
Zama in 202 BCE
Hannibal’s Route
Punic Wars (264-146 BC)

Third War – Rome finally takes over as supreme
power in W. Mediterranean
– Destroys Carthage
 Burns the city to the ground
– Enslaves people
 50,000 citizens
Roman Helmet during the Punic War
Hannibal Coin
Republic Collapses

Rome grew, gap between rich and poor grew
– Rich = large estates
– Poor = Slaves captured from wars worked their fields
(1/3 of population)

Brothers Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus tried to
reform, but were killed.
– Poor should be given grain and small plots of land
Civil war broke out after they were killed
 Military becomes less disciplined and disloyal
 Soldiers from poor families; show loyalty to their
generals

Julius Caesar

Military leader w/ Crassus and Pompey
took control of Rome.
– Triumvirate – group of 3 rulers

After 1 year of being Consul, he left to
become governor of Gaul.
– Conquered all of Gaul, became very popular

Pompey becomes jealous orders Caesar to
disband
– Caesar ignores him, chases him out of Rome
and becomes Dictator of Rome in 46 B.C.E.,
Dictator for life in 44 BCE
Civil War & Dictators
Julius Caesar
Pompey
Julius Caesar cont.

Absolute Ruler
– Disbanded Senate

Reforms
– Granted citizenship to people in provinces
– Created jobs for poor by construction of new
buildings
– Increased pay for soldiers

Death
– Killed by senators including “friends” Marcus Brutus
and Gaius Cassius in Senate Chamber
– March 15, 44 BC
Beware the Ides of March!
44 BCE
Another Civil War

43 BC Caesar’s supporters take control, become
Second Triumvirate
– Three kick out assassins
 Octavian (Caesar’s grandnephew and adopted son)
 Mark Antony
 Lepidus

Jealousy drove Antony and Octavian to become
rivals
– Octavian defeats Antony and Cleopatra at Actium

Octavian excepts title of Augustus (“exalted
one”) and imperator (“supreme military
commander) – rules Rome
Battle of Actium
Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Marc
Antony, and Octavian

Julius Caesar & Cleopatra – Had an affair and
most likely a kid (Caesarion)
– Lived in Rome till Caesar died
Julius Caesar & Marc Antony – Caesar was
Antony’s 2nd cousin, friend, supporter
 Julius Caesar & Octavian – Nephew of Caesar,
Octavian becomes adopted son. Heir to throne.
 Marc Antony & Cleopatra – Become lovers and
have 3 kids (twins and a son). Antony commits
suicide and dies in Cleopatra’s arms.
 Cleopatra & Octavian – Cleopatra commits suicide
after Antony’s death. Octavian kills Caesarion.

Cleopatra and Caesarion
Octavian Augustus:
Rome’s First Emperor
Pax Romana
Under Augustus, Rome moves from a republic to
an empire
 Power no longer resides with citizens, but a
single ruler
 Rome enjoys 200 years of peace and prosperity
known as Pax Romana
 Augustus creates system of government

– Glorifies Rome with public buildings
– Sets up a civil service to administer the empire
Roman Culture - Bathrooms
Roman Culture - Villas
House of Faun
Wall Mosiac
Hadrian Villa
Roman Culture - Buildings
Arch of Constantine
Arch of Septimius Severus
Roman Culture - Buildings
Arch of Titus
Ostia Theatre
Roman Culture - Buildings
Temple of Venus and Rome – Largest Temple in Rome
Pax Romana
27 B.C.E. – 180 C.E.
A Vast and Powerful Empire
Agriculture most important industry; 90%
of Romans farm
 Common coin, denarius, makes trade
within empire easier
 Rome has vast trading network, including
China and India. Roads link Persia and
Russia

The Roman World
Slavery is significant part of Roman life in both cities and
farms
 Some become gladiators; forced to fight to death
 Early Romans honor guardian spirits and gods Jupiter,
Juno, Minerva
 Worship of emperor becomes part of official religion of
Rome
 Rich live well; most people are poor, receive grain from
government
 150 holidays and Colosseum events created to control
the masses

Emperor Nero
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Mother, Agrippina, influenced
him greatly when he became
emperor at 16 in 54 AD
Killed step-brother, at age 14,
because he was true heir to
throne
Killed Mother in 59 AD
Executed a lot of his rivals
Executed Christians as
scapegoat for a fire in Rome
Killed first wife, married
mistress Poppaea
In 65 AD, kicked Poppaea to
death
Senate declared him enemy of
Rome, committed suicide in 69
AD
Emperor Caligula
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Son of popular general
Germanicus
Got sick and then went crazy,
killing tons of people – many
times for fun
Indulged in too much
spending and sex
– Slept with other men’s wives
and bragged about it
– Incest with his sisters

Epilepic, Hyperthyroidism,
and Meningitis could’ve been
the cause for his “insanity”