Download Rome Notes – Mr

Rome Notes – Mr. Cramer
Overview:
Rome spread from a small farming community found by two
brothers Romulus and Remus in today’s central Italy peninsula on
the Tiber River around the 8th century B.C. Over time Rome
absorbed the neighboring areas and defeated another powering
civilization named the Etruscans. Rome actually started as a
kingdom with a monarchy but Romans quickly realized they did not
wish to give their power to a single individual. After the Republic
was formed in 509 B.C. Rome flourished. Over a span of a few
centuries they had taken over the entire Mediterranean
coastline, much of present day Europe, and deep into Persia.
Using Hellenistic culture (Greek + Persian) as a basis and taking
technological advances from neighbors they were able to reach
new heights of a civilization that had never been seen. Soon
becoming too large to be controlled by the people the era of
Caesar’s (emperor’s) became common to make decisions for the
empire. Rome then split into Western and Eastern spheres. The
idea of Rome spread throughout the entire empire and its effect
was enormous for thousands of years to present day. Their
contributions to government, culture, military, architecture,
technology, city building, and law can be seen in almost every
facet our world today.
Roman Republic:
After its initial set up, the Republic was an in-direct form of
government where citizens elected an official (patricians) to
represent them in the Senate. Plebians could be part of
assemblies that voted on various subjects such as war and peace.
The less wealthy Plebian citizens of Rome gradually gained more
power throughout the course of the Republic. They established a
system of checks and balances to no side could become too
strong. We still use these concepts today in the United States.
Constant fighting and civil war caused much strife for the
Republic and soon Julius Caesar took over control of the
government and was declared dictator for life. After this point,
Rome became an empire dominated by single individuals.
Gaius Gracchus, tribune of the people, presiding over the Plebeian Council
Roman Empire:
The empire of Rome in the West lasted approximately 500 years
until its fall in 476 A.D. The Eastern Empire lasted as long as
1453 until the fall on Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire.
During this period single rulers worked alongside the Senate as
somewhat of a two-branch government (though emperors had a
majority of the power). Often times rulers could be considered
good, bad, tyrannical, insane, or any variance in between. During
the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. the empire reached a period of
sustained peace that was the height of Rome often called the
“Pax Romana”. Over time fighting within the leaders of Rome and
the military led to a dissolve in the loyalty, unity, and prosperity
of Rome. This led to an eventual downfall and opened the empire
to attacks from the “Barbaric” tribes of Visogoths, Huns, Goths,
and Vandals from the North. The city of Rome was sacked and
the empire shifted to the East and its capital city of
Constantinople.
12 Tables:
The 12 tables were the core of the Roman constitution and law
for the empire. The tables gave laws on issues of civil procedure,
family matters, inheritance, property, contractual obligations,
regulations, marriages, and crimes. Here is a overview of some of
the major laws from the tables:
1. If you are called to go to court, you must go. If you don’t
show up, you can be taken to court by force.
2. If you need a witness to testify and he will not show up, you
can go once every three days and shout in front of his
house.
3. Should a tree on a neighbor's farm be bend crooked by the
wind and lean over your farm, you may take legal action for
removal of that tree.
4. If it's your tree, it’s your fruit, even if it falls on another
man’s land.
5. A person who had been found guilty of giving false witness
shall be hurled down from the Tarpeian Rock.
6. No person shall hold meetings by night in the city.
7. A dead man shall not be buried or burned within the city.
8. Marriages should not take place between plebeians and
patricians. (As time went on, this law was changed. When
the tables were first written, this was the law.)
Fall of Rome:
There are many causes for the fall of Rome including:
1. Overtaxing of citizens
2. Diminishing of Roman population throughout empire
3. Constant attack from barbarian tribes
4. Economic costs of constant wars, inflation
5. Division of the empire (East and West)
6. Overexpansion (too big to manage)
7. Loss of Civic Responsibility to Rome
8. Allegiance to Christianity over idea of Rome
9. Civil Wars within the empire and its leader
10.
Lead poisoning??