Download The “Classical Era” in the West The Romans

The “Classical Era” in the West
The Romans
A Roman mosaic
A Roman representative
in the Republic
The Roman Coliseum
The aqueduct was an invention used to transport
water into Roman cities .
Vocabulary
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Patricians
Plebeians
Republic
Consuls
Tribunes
Rule of Law
12 Tables
Christianity
Emperor Constantine
Julius Caesar
Augustus Caesar
Huns/ Goths
Geography of Rome
Rome is one of the most influential
civilizations to emerge in ancient
times.
●
Rome was located on a fertile plain
which allowed farming
●
Rome was protected from most
invaders by water and mountains in the
north.
●
The seas to the west also provided a
route for trade and expansion
How did Rome’s geography contribute to a
strong empire?
Compare and contrast the Roman/ Greek
geography.
The Roman Republic (est. 509 B.C-27B.C)
In early times Rome was made up of
two main social classes.
1.
2.
Patricians- were wealthy
landowning families
Plebeians- were small farmers,
craftsmen, and merchants
They overthrow their king and
establish the worlds first Republic
A republic is a system of
government run by representatives
chosen or voted upon.
SPQR means ‘senatus populusque
Romanus’ or The Senate and People of
Rome
The Roman Republic
The republic established by the Romans consisted
three parts who all had some power in government
decisions:
Senate, Consuls, and Tribunes
●
●
●
Senate- this was the governing assembly
made up of wealthy patricians and eventually
plebeians
Consuls- 2 elected patricians who could veto
each other, or also the Senate.
Tribunes- were elected by the poorer
plebeians, and gave the lower class citizens a
voice in government; they could veto laws
passed by consuls
most power, introduced laws, could
become dictator for 6 months
Consuls
Consuls
Consuls
(judge)
(Public relations)
Consuls
(elected to
represent the
ordinary citizens;
power to veto
proposed laws)
(treasurer $$)
Consuls
Consuls
Consuls
*The structure of our government is based on
the Roman republic.
(wealthy noble families
*Ideas of separation of power, which were
important to the Romans, are still important
today
Roman citizens not considered nobl
Roman Law and Justice
One of the reasons Rome flourished was
because
they supported the idea of “Rule of Law”.
Rule of Law meant that all people, even
government
officials, weren’t above the law, nor could they
act outside the law.
●
Why is that important for a strong,
successful society?
The Republic made it a point to post the
laws of Rome where all could see them. The
Twelve Tables were laws made to protect the
plebeians. They were posted in public meeting
places so all were exposed to them.
●
How do the visible laws of society actually
give more rights to the citizens?
“ At his best, man is the
noblest of all animals.
Separated from law and
justice, he is the worst.”
Aristotle
It’s important to realize that the 12 Tables
were a result of a long social struggle
between the upper class (patricians) and the
lower class (plebeians)
The Twelve Tables of Roman Law
IV. 1 "A dreadfully deformed child shall be
killed."
V. 3. According as a person has made bequest
regarding his personal property or the
guardianship of his estate so shall be the law.
VIII. 21
"If a patron shall defraud his client,
he must be solemnly forfeited (`killed')."
VIII. 23
"Whoever is convicted of speaking.
false witness shall be flung from the Tarpeian
Rock."
X1.3 “A judge who has been convicted of
receiving money for declaring a decision shall
be punished capitally”
IX. 6 "Putting to death... of any man who has
not been convicted, whosoever he might be, is
forbidden."
What aspects of society do these
laws regulate?
The Twelve Tables of Law
posted in public areas of Roman
cities.
Tarpeian Rock present
day
Roman coins depicting
the death of Tarpeius
by the Sabines.
Roman Law and Justice
●
The concept of a contract was
established in Rome.
Judge Judy is an
example of
government
enforcement of
private contractual
agreements.
A contract is a private agreement that
can be enforced by the government
once people agree upon it.
The Romans...
●
●
●
●
●
The Romans established rules for
ownership of property
Romans establish important legal
processes to promote justice
Judges decided disputes based on
the 12 Tables; the judges decision
could be appealed
Accused people had a right to a
trial in court
The Zimmerman trial
Accused were innocent until
brought up many of
proven guilty
the issues the Romans
addressed
“A Few Good Men”
is a movie based
on the idea of
innocence until
proven guilty.
How did the Government work?
Rome Expands to an Empire
The Punic Wars = Rome battling Carthage for Mediterranean supremacy.
Looking at the map, what interest would Rome have in defeating the
Carthaginian Empire?
The Punic Wars
Rome’s main trading rival was
Carthage, which was located across
the Mediterranean in North Africa.
●
●
●
The first Punic War saw Rome
overcome great odds to defeat a
Carthaginian force that was well
prepared for Naval battles.
Hannibal was a great
Carthaginian leader who almost
defeats the Romans in the
second Punic War
Scipio was the Roman ruler who
defeats and wipes out the
Carthage
Video
Hannibal Barca
Scipio
Decline of the ‘Republic’ Timeline
➔
Julius Caesar rose to power
➔
Kept the senate and other
features of the republic but he
was absolute ruler
➔
Was assassinated to save the
republic
➔
➔
➔
Under Augustus (Octavian) the
republic ended
He began a period known as the
Pax Romana
Pax Romana ended with Marcus
Aurelius in 180 AD.
Roman Emperors 27 BC-476 AD
What does
this timeline reveal
to us about
politics in
Rome?
Pax Romana: The “Roman Peace”
❖
❖
27 B.C- 395 A.D
The rule of Augustus brought a
long period of peace to Europe
called the Pax Romana and to
the Mediterranean world
Reasons for Peace
●
●
●
●
centralized political authority
system of laws
promoted trade
offered citizenship throughout
the empire
“All roads lead to Rome”
●
●
the invention of concrete allowed
road and building construction
Rome becomes the center for
trade and communication for
all the Mediterranean
Caesar Augustus (Octavian)
Romes network of
roads stretched
over 50,000 miles
“When in Rome”
Great achievements of the Roman
Empire:
●
●
●
●
●
Their invention of concrete
enabled the building of great
buildings such as the
Colosseum
The Colosseum was an
immense stadium built of stone
and concrete.
It was the home of the
“Games”; bloodthirsty contests
between gladiators and animals
The “Games” were free of
charge to citizens so Roman
officials could maintain their
popularity with the people.
“Do as the Romans do”
Roman Colosseum
Deconstructing the Colosseum
Women in Rome
Rome had traditional gender roles:
●
●
●
●
●
●
The educated and welltraveled Vibia Sabina (ca. 136
AD) was a grand-niece of the
emperor Trajan and became
the wife of his successor
Hadrian; unlike some
empresses, she played little
role in court politics and
remained independent in
private life, having no children
and seeking emotional
gratification in love affairs
Women were responsible for household chores
while men represented the family in public life.
Men could ask for the woman’s advice in private however.
Rome placed a high value on marriage, home,and family.
Women had more freedoms in Roman society than they
did in Greek society
○ They could own property, make wills, and work outside the home
(in lower classes- usually manual labor)
Did you know?
Many young girls were sent to primary school. Women
who raised successful Roman citizens were valued, so
education of women was recognized. Women were
also impactful in politics although it was usually done
behind the scenes. Women were not allowed to vote
or actively participate in the political process
The Jewish Diaspora (Dispersion)
● Typically Romans were tolerant of other religions if
they worshipped the Emperor as divine.
● The Jews refused to do so and revolt against the
Romans twice (66 A.D and 135 A.D)
● The Romans crush the rebellion and destroy Jewish
temples, causing the Jews to flee for their lives.
● They disperse to North and Western Europe as well as
east into the Middle East
● Even though they were persecuted, they never
abandoned their religion.
Christianity begins
A new monotheistic religion began 2014 years ago with the birth of a man
named Jesus.
●
●
●
●
Jesus preached forgiveness, compassion and mercy for the poor and helpless
He claimed he was the Messiah, or Savior of mankind which costs him his life at the hands of
the Romans.
After Jesus death, a band of his followers, called Apostles, spread the word of Jesus and his
promise to save mankind.
The reward of a life after death for all those who became believers in Jesus caused the religion
to spread.
Major Beliefs of Christianity
Role of Jesus
Christian Conduct
Jesus was the son of God ,
sacrificing himself to save all
mankind from punishment for
their sins. Christians believe
Jesus was crucified on a Roman
cross, and after his death, he
rose to heaven
Christians believe that they
will be saved and will go to
Heaven after death if they
believe in Jesus. They are to
treat others with love and
respect and follow Golden
Rule - “ Do unto others as you
would have them do unto you”
The Christian Bible- The
sacred book of Christianity
consists of the Old
Testament (the Jewish
Bible) and the New
Testament which describes
the life of Jesus Christ and
the works of his apostles.
Christianity
Crash Course Christianity
Reasons Christianity Spreads
●
●
●
Christians wanted to spread their faith to all; Jewish people were not as
open with their religion.
It is a simple message of love, hope, and salvation
Christianity did not require its followers to follow strict dietary guidelines or
other religious laws.
In the 4th century, Emperor Constantine converts to
Christianity right before an important battle. Soon he proclaims
religious freedom to Christians in the Roman Empire. By the
end of the 4th century, Christianity was the official religion of
the empire.
Western and Eastern Rome
In 284 A.D, the Empire
was split into two halves
by Emperor Diocletian so
it could be governed more
effectively.
Emperor Constantine
moves the capital of the
empire to Constantinople
(which is located in
Turkey) in 330 AD.
Invasion of the Roman Empire
●
●
●
A nomadic barbarian tribe known as the Huns begins to move south.
The Huns were so fierce that they pushed other tribes such as the
Goths, Saxons, and Vandals deeper into the Roman Empire.
This constant pressure and threat of invasion is very stressful and costly
for the Romans.
Eventually the Roman forces aren’t able to protect their borders.
After the Empire’s Collapse..
After Rome’s collapse, chaos ensues
in Western Europe. Barbaric tribes
take control of most of the Western
European soil.
Eastern Europe is more stable and stands for more than a thousand years
to come as the Byzantine Empire.
Roman Achievements
Roman Innovations/ Achievements