Download Rome`s Rise to Power - Oakton Community College

HIS 207:001
August 30, 2011
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Less widespread, less numerous than the
Etruscans
Romans were one group of Latins
◦ All linguistically and culturally similar
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1% of Italian peninsula
Located in Latium
◦ Western coast
◦ 900 sq. mi.
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900-700 B.C.E.
◦ Start of the iron age
◦ Iron was stronger and cheaper than bronze
 Make better weapons
 Weapons more accessible to the less affluent
◦ True cities emerge between 700 and 500 B.C.E. in Etruria
 Later in Latium
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Laid out in grid pattern
Public buildings
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Temples
Open meeting places
Fortifications
Rich tombs with impressive burial goods
“an energetic warlike society”
Etruria and Latium
◦ Natural resources – iron ore, limestone, timber
◦ Rich agricultural land
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Alphabet
◦ Ability to keep records and communicate
◦ Probably created for commerce
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Began in 3rd century B.C.E.
Early Roman history began 200-150 B.C.E.
◦ Earliest historians – annalists
◦ Yearly account – in Greek
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Rome’s foundations
◦ Descendants of Aeneas fleeing Troy c. 1150 B.C.E.
◦ Founded Alba Longa
◦ Romulus and Remus – 400 years later
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Romulus
Numa Pompilius
◦ Instituted cult of Fides, goddess of trust, good faith
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Tullus Hostilius
Ancus Marcius
Tarquinius Priscus
Servius Tullius
Tarquinius Superbus
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Some Sabine, some Latin, some Etruscan
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Kings confirmed in accordance with the lex
curiata
◦ Passed by Curiate Assembly, endorsed by Senate
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With Tarquinius Superbus (the Proud or the
Arrogant) decline begins
◦ Included Latium
◦ Enforced labor on building projects
 Temple of Jupiter, Cloaca Maxima (Great Drain)
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Legend of abuses
Expelled by Lucius Junius Brutus (the
Liberator)
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Murdered previous king
◦ Aided by sister-in-law
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Rape of Lucretia
◦ Roman matron
◦ Dishonored, suicide
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King phobia?
L. Junius Brutus
Two consuls replaced Tarquinius
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Celts
◦ 225 B.C.E. – within 50 miles of Rome
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Latins
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Postumius
Battle of Lake Regillus
Temple of Castor and Pollux
Cassian treaty in 496 B.C.E.
 Alliance for mutual defense and expansion
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Intermarriage
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Migration
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Citizenship
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Joint religious celebrations
◦ Diana on the Aventine (Rome)
◦ Venus at Lavinium
◦ Jupiter Latiaris – (Guardian of the Latins)
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After 500 BCE, Celts and Latins become
problems
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200 years to subdue them
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Romanization begins thereafter
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Lake Regillus
496 B.C.E.
Confirms Rome’s independence and republic
Victory temple
◦ Castor and Pollus
◦ Commander Postumius
◦ Rebuilt 117 B.C.E.
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Latin cities self-governing
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Via Salaria (the Salt Road)
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Around 400 B.C.E.
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Evocatio
◦ Ritual “calling out” of the gods of Veii
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Juno
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Expansion
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New borders
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Colonia
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Annexation
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Latin colony
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New fortresses
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Po River valley
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Day of the Allia
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July 18, 390 B.C.E.
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Response
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Defenses
Servian Walls
More colonies
Alliances
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340-338 B.C.E.
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Settlement of 338
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Land
Latin League
Citizenship?
No Serfs
No Tribute
Military service
What do we have?
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Roman military
◦ Phalanx – 4000
◦ 8 deep
◦ Increases to Veii
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Tarentum
◦ Thurii
◦ 280 BCE
◦ Ausculum in 279 BCE
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Another such victory and I’m finished
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Magistrates
◦ Two magistrates served as consuls. These replace
the king.
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Supreme civil and military authority
Held office for one year
Led armies, served as judges, had religious duties
Hold imperium as did the kings
Two magistrates means no one person holds power
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Legislative branch
Advisors to the consuls
300
◦ Ex-consuls and others
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All members of the army
Elected consuls
Wealthy vote first
Decided on laws and war
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Great families or clans (gens)
Alliances, marriages, divorces, adoptions, and
assassinations made or broke political
careers
By 100 B.C.E. it was almost impossible to be
consul as a “new man.”
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5th century crisis
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Losses of property and land
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Major losers – plebeians
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Plebeians – major component of the Roman
armies
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509 – 287 B.C.E.
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Patricians – 10% of population
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Plebeians – 90% of population
◦ Plebeian rights were limited
◦ Voted in Assembly but were often meaningless
◦ Aristocrats voted first
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494 B.C.E.
Plebeians threaten to set up own state
◦ Concilium plebis
Plebeians formed Sacred Band
◦ Oath
◦ Risked loss of position, family, property
◦ Goal was protection against arbitrary acts of the Senate
Succession
◦ 494 B.C.E.
◦ 450 B.C.E.
◦ 287 B.C.E.
Temple to Ceres (goddess of agriculture) on
the Aventine
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Two tribunes
◦ Absolute veto
◦ Sacrosanct
◦ Later there were ten
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450 B.C.E.
◦ Laws of the Twelve Tables
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445 B.C.E.
◦ Right to intermarry with patricians – lex canuleia
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406 B.C.E.
◦ Pay for army service to cover food and equipment
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367 B.C.E.
◦ Gaius Licinius and Lucius Sextus, tribunes
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One consul to be plebeian
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Praetor serves as assistant consul
◦ Elected military commander and civilian imperium
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Law restricting amount of land held
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287 B.C.E.
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Assembly of Tribes’ decisions are binding
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Wealthy plebeians into patrician class
Romans mixed their government, and made
compromises to insure the growth of the
Republic
By the 3rd Century B.C.E. there is a new, larger
class of patricians
◦ They will manage to transmit their positions to their
children and will control the state until, roughly, the
fall of G. Julius Caesar
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Livy: Rape of Lucretia
Ancient History Sourcebook
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/livy
-rape.asp
Identify the author, summarize the selection,
and answer the questions:
What virtues does this story put forth for
roman society through the example of
Lucretia?
Why would this story have mattered to
Romans?