Download Study Guide for Rome - Bardstown City Schools

Study Guide for Rome
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GOVERNMENT TARGETS
Government Type
TARGET: I can compare the source of power in this government to other governments.
1. Etruscan kings ruled: The Etruscans ruled Rome for more than 100 years. Under the Etruscans, Rome became wealthy and
powerful. However, the ruling family, called the Tarquins, grew more and more cruel. Finally, in 509 B.C., the Romans rebelled. They
overthrew the Tarquins and set up a republic.
2. Roman Republic: A republic is a form of government in which the leader is not a king or queen but someone put in office by
citizens with the right to vote. In a republic, the citizens have the power. Rome’s republic underwent many reforms, or changes that
try to bring about improvements over hundreds of years. [What follows here is a simplified summary of the source of power in the
Roman Republic.]
The Consuls - Top government officials: 2 consuls–both patricians–were chosen every year. Patricians were wealthy landowners
and members of the ruling class, Roman aristocrats. They headed the army and ran the government, overseeing the work of
other government officials. They chose the senators and, in an emergency, they could choose a dictator. In ancient Rome, a
dictator was a person who ruled with complete power temporarily during emergencies. Each consul could veto, or reject, the
other's decision. The word veto is Latin for "I forbid."
The Senate - Rome's most important legislative, or lawmaking, body was the Senate. This was a select group of 300 patrician
men who served for life. The Senate advised the consuls and the Assembly, directed spending, approved or disapproved laws
made by the Assembly, and made decisions on foreign policy.
The Assembly – This legislative body was controlled by the plebeians. Plebeians were the common people in ancient Rome.
They elected important officials such as the consuls and judges, passed laws, and declared war or peace.
The republic declined when wealthy patrician lawmakers began to make laws that benefited their interests over those of Rome. The
rich grew richer and the poor grew poorer, leading to unrest. The use of enslaved labor hurt farmers, increased poverty and
corruption, and brought the army into politics. Different Roman leaders with money enough to pay their own armies battled for
power in Rome. Julius Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey formed the First Triumvirate to rule Rome. A triumvirate is a political alliance of
three people. Caesar ended up in control and he was assassinated in 44 B.C. not long after having himself declared dictator of
Rome for life. Octavian was the grandnephew of Julius Caesar; he created the Second Triumvirate in 43 B.C. with two of Caesar's top
generals, Antony and Lepidus. Octavian ended up in control and took the title of Augustus (which means the revered or majestic
one) when he became the emperor of Rome.
3. The Roman Empire: Although he gave some power to the Senate, the Emperor was really in charge. Augustus expanded the
Roman empire, reorganized the military and government, and created a new era of prosperity. 200 years of peace began with
Augustus. It was called the Pax Romana, or "Roman Peace." The emperors who followed him were not all good rulers, but they
helped the Roman Empire reach its peak. For centuries, the Mediterranean region had been filled with conflict. Under Augustus and
his successors, the region was under the control of one empire. Poor leadership, a declining economy, and attacks by Germanic
tribes weakened the Roman Empire. Rome finally fell when invaders swept through the empire during the A.D. 400s.
Democratic Principals
Rights and Responsibilities
compared to US citizens
TARGET: I can describe how this government used democratic principles (justice, equality, responsibility, freedom).
Checks & balances-consuls could veto each other’s decisions.
12 tables-written laws for citizens- They had the laws carved on bronze tablets that were placed in the Forum (open space
in Rome that served as a marketplace and public square). The Twelve Tables became the basis for all future Roman laws. They
established the principle that all free citizens had the right to be treated equally by the legal system.
The Twelve Tables,
however, applied only to Roman citizens. The idea that the law should apply to everyone equally and that all people should be
treated the same way by the legal system is called the "rule of law." The rule of law is one of the key ideas that the Romans
gave to the world. It is still the basis of our legal system today.
Roman Confederation & Law of Nations - To rule conquered people, the Romans created the Roman Confederation. Under
this system, Romans gave full citizenship to some peoples, especially other Latins. They could vote and serve in the government,
and they were treated the same as other citizens under the law. The Romans granted other peoples the status of allies. Allies
were free to run their own local affairs, but they had to pay taxes to the republic and provide soldiers for the army. The Romans
made it clear that loyal allies could improve their position and even become Roman citizens. As the Romans took over more
lands, they realized that new rules were needed to solve legal disputes between citizens and noncitizens. They created a
collection of laws called the Law of Nations. It stated principles of justice that applied to all people everywhere. These
standards of justice included ideas that we still accept today. A person was seen as innocent until proven guilty. People
accused of crimes could defend themselves before a judge. A judge had to look at the evidence carefully before making a
decision.
Republic – people vote for government leaders
TARGET: I can compare the rights and responsibilities of individuals in this culture to the rights and responsibilities of US citizens today.
Rome – Government power & voting rights go to males; USA – males and females can have government power and voting rights
Rome – had Republic with elected leaders; USA – we are a Republic and elect our leaders
Rome – written laws in 12 Tables; USA – written laws in Constitution and additional law codes
Rome – “rule of law” = law should treat everyone equally; USA – “rule of law” is the basis of our legal system
Rome – Consuls had veto power to check & balance each other; USA- our 3 branches of government have checks and balances
over each other and the president can veto laws made by Congress
CULTURE TARGETS
Elements of Culture
TARGET: I can explain how cultural elements in this society helped define this group and give them unique perspectives.
Social Institutions influence on behavior
Impact of Cultural Differences
Beliefs – Most people thought of themselves as “Romans” and were loyal to the state because they had the same
laws and rulers.
Customs/traditions – Admired Greek culture and adopted many Greek ways, celebrated military victories with
parades called Triumphs.
Language – Latin, had alphabet adapted from earlier Etruscan and Greek alphabets.
Literature – Poets often based work on Greek writings. Horace wrote satires (work that pokes fun at human
weaknesses) and odes (poem that expresses strong emotions about life). Virgil was greatest Roman poet and
wrote Aeneid. Ovid wrote myths. Historians = Tacitus wrote a history of Rome and Plutarch wrote biographies of
Romans and Greeks. Drama = plays were often based on Greek tragedies and comedies.
Arts – copied Greek styles but were more realistic and showed people’s flaws. Beautiful mosaics (picture made
from many bits of colored glass, tile, or stone) still exist from Roman times.
Architecture – used concrete, arches, domes; Pantheon – temple with the largest domed roof of it’s time;
Colosseum – huge arena in Rome. Wealthy patricians lived in palaces and villas. Poor plebeians often lived in
multi-storied apartments built of wood that easily burned as fire was cooking/heating source.
Entertainment – theater, savage and brutal sports – chariot races at the Circus Maximus, gladiator (in ancient
Rome, person who fought animals and other people as public entertainment) combats, lavish spectacles at the
Colosseum, public baths were social gathering places.
Sciences – Ptolemy’s theory that Earth was center of universe was believed in Rome; Galen was a Roman doctor
who studied anatomy and wrote books that were used in medicine for centuries.
TARGET: I can investigate how social institutions in this society responded to human needs, structured society, and
influenced behavior.
Family – Romans lived in extended families headed by paterfamilias ("father of the family"; name for the father as
head of the household in ancient Rome); women had some rights but were not full citizens; women could work
outside the home and attend entertainments.
Religion – ancient Romans worshipped gods, goddesses, and nature spirits. Romans adopted Greek
gods/goddesses and gave them Roman names. Built temples, homes had altars for household gods. Emperors
were worshipped like gods. Conquered people could generally keep their religion; citizens were expected to
worship Roman gods & emperors.
Education – in homes fathers taught sons citizenship skills and mothers taught daughters household skills, many
children learned reading, writing, & math. More boys than girls were educated outside of the home. Some were
taught at home by educated Greek slaves. Rich were better educated than poor. Older rich boys often got
higher education and studied rhetoric (public speaking) to prepare them for public speaking.
Military – Roman legions (smaller unit of the Roman army made up of about 6,000 soldiers) were very organized,
well trained, and started as volunteers loyal to Rome. Later soldiers were paid professionals and became loyal to
the leader who paid them over the Roman government. Praetorian Guard protected the Emperor in Rome. The
empire’s frontiers were guarded by legions and other soldiers in camps fortified with ditches, fortresses and walls.
Hadrian’s Wall in Britain is an example of fortifications.
Economy – Slaves did much of the work. Well-educated Greek slaves were often teachers, doctors, and artisans.
Slave revolts (ex. Spartacus) occurred. Wealthy people had a lot of leisure time. Poor people had a hard time
competing and making a living. The government provided “bread and circuses” to distract the poor from their
miserable living conditions.
TARGET: I can explain how interactions between this society and others led to conflict, compromise, and cooperation.
Communication – most conquered areas did business in Latin or Greek.
Conflict – In the early days of the Roman Republic, both patrician and plebeian men were Roman citizens. They
had the right to vote and the responsibility to pay taxes and serve in the army. However, plebeians had less
social status. Marriage between members of the two classes was forbidden. Plebeians could not hold public
office. Only patricians could serve in the government. The patrician/plebian and wealthy/poor differences
caused many internal conflicts.
Compromise/cooperation – Some conquered groups could join the Roman Confederation and become actual
Roman citizens. Some became Allies and paid Rome with taxes and soldiers but kept their own government. A
famous alliance example is Mark Anthony’s alliance with Cleopatra in Egypt. In Rome, patricians did compromise
with plebeians and gave up some government power to them. Pax Romana was 200 years of peace.
ECONOMICS TARGETS
Scarcity: decisions about use of natural
resources, human resources, & capital goods
Supply & Demand
TARGET: I can explain how scarcity required this civilization to make decisions about how to use productive resources.
Agriculture was the most important part o the Roman Empire’s economy.
Distribution of Wealth: Rich patricians would buy land from struggling plebeian farmers and create latifundia (large farming
estates) worked by slaves. They could charge less for crops since they didn’t pay slaves wages and this ran more poor farmers
out of business. Rich people got richer and the poor got poorer. Most people in the cities and on small farms were poor and
there were many slaves. The majority of the wealth and resources ended up in the pockets of the rich.
New colonies were started to give landless farmers and soldiers land.
3 Punic Wars were fought between Rome and Carthage for control of Mediterranean trade. Rome won all 3. The first was over
Sicily, the second was over Spain and the Western Mediterranean with the famous general Hannibal fighting for Carthage, and
the third was to destroy the city of Carthage completely.
Near the end of Rome’s Empire, Germanic tribes began invading to get Roman land and resources and to avoid the attacking
Huns.
TARGET: I can explain how supply and demand functioned in this civilization.
Grapes and olives (wine and olive oil) came from farms in Italy, Gaul (France), and Spain. Grain came from Britain and Egypt.
Traders brought silk from China, spices from India, tin from Britain, lead from Spain, and iron from Gaul.
How are goods &
services exchanged
TARGET: I can describe how goods and services were exchanged by this civilization.
Rome built good roads to speed transportation between Rome and the rest of the empire, some of which still exist today.
They had a common currency and a system of weights and measures.
Near the end, a bad economy with recessions and high inflation (period of rapidly increasing prices) led leaders to reduce the
gold in coins, thus reducing their value. Many started to barter (to exchange goods without using money) for goods and
services rather than trust the value of the coins.
Productivity increases from new knowledge, tools, & specialization
TARGET: I can give examples of ways this civilization was
able to increase productivity through inventions and
innovations.
Roman engineers used arches and concrete to
support bridges, aqueducts, and buildings. It allowed
Romans to build bigger and taller structures, solid
roads, and good water/sewage systems.
Transporting water is a complex problem. Roman
engineers solved it by building aqueducts (humanmade channel built to carry water). Roman
aqueducts carried water across a valley or hillside
using gravity, aboveground stone arches, and
underground pipes made of stone or clay. 11
aqueducts were built to bring water to Rome from as
far away as 57 miles. Once the water made it to
Rome, it was held in collecting tanks. Most people
gathered water from these public tanks. Only the rich
and high-ranking officials had private water tanks in
their homes.
It is often said that "all roads lead to Rome," and in
fact, they once did. The road system of the Ancient
Romans was one of the greatest engineering
accomplishments of its time, with over 50,000 miles of
paved road radiating from the center of Rome. Although
the Roman road system was originally built to aid the
movement of troops throughout the empire, it was trade
and travel by civilians then and now.
GEOGRAPHY TARGETS
Relative Location
TARGET: I can recognize where on the Earth this civilization was located.
Rome is on the Italian peninsula in the center of the Mediterranean region. Italy is separated from Europe by the Alps in the north.
The Adriatic Sea is off the east coast, the Tyrrhenian Sea is on the west, and it is separated from Africa by the Mediterranean Sea in
the south. Italy includes two large islands: Sicily and Sardinia. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean, with active volcanoes
and earthquakes. It looks like a rock being kicked by the “boot” of Italy. Sardinia is basically mountains rising out of the ocean.
Physical Region Type
TARGET: I can describe characteristics of this region.
It has a mild climate and rich soil.
The landscape of Italy has some basic similarities to that of Greece, but the Apennines are not as rugged as Greece's mountains.
They can be crossed much more easily. As a result, the people who settled in Italy were not split up into small, isolated communities
as the Greeks were. In addition, Italy had better farmland than Greece. Its mountain slopes level off to large flat plains that are ideal
for growing crops. With more capacity to produce food, Italy could support more people than Greece could.
Human Environment Interactions
TARGET: I can describe how this society’s human/environment interactions impacted human activities and the environment.
Migration – Passes in the Alps allow migration from the north. Other peoples came by sea. The Greeks and Etruscans built
colonies there and spread Greek culture.
Settlement – Rome is built on 7 hills beside the Tiber River. The location gave access to fresh water and water transportation.
Being 15 miles upriver from the Mediterranean Sea protected Rome from large invasions by sea.
Trade – Rome was also located at a place where people could easily cross the Tiber River. As a result, Rome became a
stopping place for people traveling north and south in western Italy and for merchant ships sailing in the western Mediterranean.
Rome’s location was ideal for controlling both sides of the Mediterranean region’s trade.
Development – Unity was possible because the Apennines (mountains) running north/south didn’t hinder land travel and trade.
The physical makeup of the Italian peninsula has some key differences when compared to that of the Greek peninsula. Two
important geographical factors of the Italian peninsula stand out: Like the Greek peninsula the Italian peninsula has hills and
mountains running through it but these hills and mountains were not nearly as rugged and difficult to pass as those of Greece.
Secondly, the rivers that run through the Italian peninsula are relatively shallow and thus easy to cross. Due to these two factors
the early settlers of the Peninsula turned inward, over land, for trade instead of to the sea like the Greeks. As a result most of the
peoples of the Peninsula mixed together and there were no separate Italian city-states but a unified Roman Empire. Thus
eventually all the peoples shared a common culture and government.
Human modifications of environment – Aqueducts brought water into places from far away. Roads and bridges made
movement in the large empire easier.
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE TARGETS
Biggest Impacts on the future & today’s cultures
TARGET: I can analyze how this civilization influenced or had lasting impacts on modern societies.
Language – We use the Roman (or Latin) alphabet of 23 letters plus J, U, & W added by
the English. Roman numerals are still used for some things. About ½ of all English words
have Latin origins. Scientists, doctors, and lawyers still use Latin phrases. Plants and
animals are classified with Latin names. Planet and calendar names are Roman.
Government, Citizenship, & Law – Our ideas that all people are equal under the law, that
judges should be fair, and that people are innocent until proven guilty come from
Roman law and the 12 Tables. The USA is a Republic made up of equal citizens – a
Roman idea. Like Romans, we think that citizens should vote, do their duty, and try to
make society better.
Architecture – modern buildings use concrete, many buildings, especially churches and
government buildings, copied domes and arches from the Romans. Many Roman
aqueducts still stand and are used today. Engineers in ancient Persia, India, and Egypt
built similar water systems hundreds of years before the Romans. However, historians
agree that the Romans were the greatest aqueduct builders of the ancient world. Many
Roman roads still exist and are in use today.