Download The Roman Empire and Christianity Ch.6.1-5

The Roman Empire and Christianity
Geography
Rome
A.
Peninsula of Italy
1. Helped people unite the people
2. Fertile plains
C.
Protected from the north by the Alps
D.
Mediterranean Sea made it a good location for trade
Ch.6.1-5
The Roman Republic
1. Rome first ruled by kings
2. Romans revolted and became a republic, government of elected officials, in 509 BC
Patricians –aristocratic, wealthy families controlled gov‟t at first
Plebeians –common people will eventually challenge for power
3. Conflict
a. Patricians controlled most of society
b. Plebeians fought for a place in gov’t, power and written laws
Republican Government
A.
Senate
1.
from patrician class
2.
controlled finances and wrote laws
B.
Tribunes
1.
from plebeian assemblies
2.
could veto (ban a law)
3.
tried court cases
4.
elected magistrates
C.
Magistrates
1.
two consuls, elected for one year, who led military and chief executives
2.
in time of great need, one dictator would be elected with unlimited power
Roman Law
A.
Equality under the law
B.
Rights of the accused
1.
Innocent until proven guilty
2.
Mount a defense to charges
C.
Laws of the Twelve Tables
1.
450 BC
2.
First written Roman laws
3.
Put in the Forum –central square
Roman Expansion
A. Military Might
1. land-owning men were required to serve
2. legion- Roman military unit
3. disciplined, trained force took all of Italy
B. Punic Wars
1. Carthage vs. Rome
2. Carthaginian general Hannibal attacked Italy (even took elephants over the Alps)
3. Carthage was eventually destroyed
From Republic to Empire
A.
Winning new lands & increasing wealth from warfare brought problems:
1.
2.
3.
Wide gap b/w rich & poor
Slavery increased
Generals recruited poor men for the roman legion (army) with promises of
land –allegiance to commander not the republic
Civil war broke out leading to dictators
Julius Caesar emerges as leader
4.
5.
Julius Caesar
A.
With Crassus (patrician) & Pompey (general), he ruled as a triumvirate
1.
Conquered Gaul (France)
2.
Brought his large, loyal army back to Rome to take power
3.
Senate appointed him dictator for life
4.
Murdered within months by a group of senators
5.
Rome never returns to a republic
Octavian “Augustus” Caesar
A.
Julius Caesar‟s handpicked successor
1.
Formed a second triumvirate with Marc Antony (general) and Lepidus
(patrician)
2.
Octavian & Marc Antony will battle of control of the empire
a.
Octavian wins at The Battle of Actium
b.
Marc Antony & his lover Cleopatra to commit suicide
3.
Octavian becomes ruler & takes title “Augustus” (revered one)
Imperial Rome
A.
Began with the Octavian (Augustus Caesar) who was Rome‟s first emperor
1.
Senate made him princeps (first citizen)
2.
5 members of his family succeeded him
3.
Ushered in Pax Romana (200 years of Roman peace)
Roman Achievements
A.
Law
B.
Republican form of gov‟t
C.
Architecture
1.
Arch
2.
Aqueduct
3.
Roads from Britain to the Middle East
D.
Languages derived from Latin
1.Italian, French, Spanish (Romance Languages)
Culture of Imperial Rome
A.
Entertainment/Technology
1.
The Colosseum
a.
Ampitheater
b.
Gladiators fought men & animals
c.
Criminals eaten alive by animals
2.
Circus Maximus
a.
Chariot races
b.
held 250,000 people
3.
„I found Rome in bricks; I leave her clothed in marble‟ –Augustus Caesar
Religion of Imperial Rome
1. polytheistic –roman gods based on Greek
2. Emperor was God
Roman Family Life
A. Life for the wealthy
1. Paterfamilias, Male head of the family
2. country homes called villas
3. Public officials weren‟t paid, only the rich were in politics
4. Educated boys in Latin & Greek, taught mathematics & public speaking
B.
Life for the poor
1. Lived in crowded building in cities
2. 30% of people were slaves
3. Gov‟t gave free food & entertainment to prevent riots „bread & circuses
Roots of Christianity
1. Began in Palestine under Roman rule (1st Century AD)
2. Jesus of Nazareth was a Jewish teacher and prophet
3. After Jesus’ death, religion spread in Roman Empire
4. Text: Bible, Old (from Judaism) and New Testaments- Gospels (stories of Jesus)
and letters
Christian Beliefs
1. Jesus is the Messiah (prophesied spiritual leader) and the son of God
2. Jesus died and was resurrected, has the power to forgive sins
3. love God above all and love others as yourself
4. 3 major branches of Christianity: Catholic, Orthodox (split in the Great Schism),
and Protestant (split in the Reformation)
Spread of Christianity
1.
Teachings spread by Jesus‟ 12 disciples who become known as Apostles
2.
Preach salvation –everlasting life
3.
Paul of Tarsus spreads message through epistles to Christian communities in the
Roman Empire
4.
Removes Mosaic dietary restrictions to appeal to Gentiles (non-Jews)
5.
By 300 AD 10% of Roman Empire is Christian
6.
Edict of Milan 313AD Emperor Constantine says vision of Jesus helped him win a
battle; Christianity is legal to practice
Fall of Rome
A. Weak Emperors
1. Large, permanent armies protected the borders
2. Legions picked emperors
3. between 235 and 284 AD, 20 emperors (all but one died violently)
B. Economic problems
1. High taxes to pay for army
2. inflation- prices up, value of money down
Reformers
A. Diocletian
1. Split empire in two with two emperors
2. Controlled all of society
B. Constantine
1. took control of both halves, made Constantinople his capitol
2. supported Christianity by making it legal and unifying it
Fall of Rome
A. Economy- inflation, poor farming, unemployment
B. Public Health- diseases
C. Decline in morals- cities unsafe,general hedonism
D. Series of weak emperors
E. Barbarian Invasions
1. Germanic tribes and Huns invaded empire
2. New peoples settled and changed Europe