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Chapter 5
Rome and the Rise of Christianity
The Land and Peoples of
Italy
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Italy is a thin peninsula- only 120 miles across
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Apennine mountain range form a ridge north to south- dividing west from
east
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Some large fertile plains ideal for farming
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Not as rugged as Greece so did not isolate communities
More farms supported a large population
Rome’s location on the Tiber River ideal- good central location to expand
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Gave route to the sea but far enough inland to be safe from pirates
Built on seven hills so easy to defend
The Land and Peoples of
Italy
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Peninsula juts into Mediterranean Sea- important crossroads between east
and west
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Indo-Europeans moved into Italy from about 1500 BC-1000 BC
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Little is know about them but the group called Latins lived in region of Latium &
spoke Greek
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Latins were headers and farmers who lived in settlements on the tops of
Rome’s hills
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After 800 BC other people also began settling in Italy- the Greeks and
Etruscans
The Land and Peoples of
Italy
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Greeks came to Italy in large numbers during age of Greek colonization
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Greeks had influence on the people of Rome
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Cultivated olives and grapes, passed on alphabet and gave the Romans artistic and
cultural models though their sculpture, architecture and literature
Etruscans most influenced the early development of Rome
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Started in south and migrated up the peninsula
Also occupied Sicily
Located in the north of Rome in Etruria
Came to control Rome and most of Latium after 650 BC
Etruscans found Rome a village and turned it into a city
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Romans adopted their dress- toga
First Punic War
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Phoenicians founded Carthage around 800 BC on coast of N. Africa
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By 3rd ce had enormous trading empire in Western Mediterranean- largest and
richest state in the area
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Rome’s first war with Carthage in 264 BC
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Presence of Carthaginians in Sicily made Romans fearful
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Romans and Carthaginians sent armies to Sicily- both determined to control
Sicily
Because Romans a land power realized could not win war without navy

Built a large fleet
First Punic War
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After long struggle Roman fleet defeat Carthaginian navy and war ended
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241 BC Carthage gave up all rights to Sicily & paid a fine to Romans
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Rome gained control over many sea trade routes
Sicily became first Roman province
Carthage vowed revenge and added new lands in Spain to make up for
loss of Sicily
Second Punic War
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Hannibal- greatest Carthaginian general
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Hannibal brought war to Rome
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Entered Spain and moved east across Alps
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46,000 men, horses and 37 battle elephants
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Alps took a toll on troops-many elephants did not survive
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216 BC Romans made mistake of meeting Hannibal head-on at Cannae
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Romans lost an army of almost 40,000 men but refused to surrender
Second Punic War
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Rome recovered but Hannibal roamed Italy BUT did not have men nor
equipment to attack the major cities
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Rome began to reconquer cities taken by Hannibal
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Sent troops to Spain and by 206 BC pushed Carthaginians out of Spain
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Rome invaded Carthage rather than fighting Hannibal in Italy
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Forced Hannibal to return
Battle of Zama (202 BC) Romans crushed Hannibal’s forces and war was
over
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Spain became Roman province
Third Punic War
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50 years later Romans fought 3rd and final battle with Carthage
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For years many important Romans called for the destruction of Carthage
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146 BC Carthage destroyed
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Roman soldiers burned and demolished city
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Inhabitants sold into slavery and became Roman province called Africa
During struggle with Carthage Rome also battled Hellenistic states
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By 129 BC Macedonia, Greece and Pergamum under Roman control
End of the Roman
Republic
Roman Senate and
Growing Unrest
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Senate had become the real governing body of the Roman state
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Members mostly from landed aristocracy
Remained senators for life and held chief offices
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Senate directed wars, took control of foreign and domestic policy and dealt
with financial affairs
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Controlled by small circle of wealthy and powerful families
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BUT backbone of state and army was always the farmers
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Over time many farmers unable to compete with large wealthy landowners and
lost their land
Roman Senate and
Growing Unrest
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By taking over state-owned land and buying out small peasant owners, landed
aristocracy developed large estates that used slave labor
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As a result- many small farmers drifted to cities to form large class of landless poor
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Aristocrats like Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus urged council of plebs to pass landreform bills that called for gov’t to take back public land held by large landowners
and give it to landless Romans
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Many senators furious and not willing to give up personal land
133 BC group on senators killed Tiberius and his brother Gaius
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Attempts by the brothers to bring reforms actually opened the door to more instability and
violence
New Role for the Army
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107 BC Marius became consul and began to recruit armies in a new way
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Recruited volunteers from urban and rural poor that owned no land
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Recruited by promising them land
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Volunteers swore oath to general NOT Roman state because Marius created
army not under gov’t control
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Generals forced into politics to get laws passed that would provide the land
needed for their veterans
New Role for the Army
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Marius left a powerful legacy: new system of military recruitment that
placed power in the hands of individual generals
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Lucius Cornelius Sulla was next general to take advantage of new
military system
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Council of plebs tried to give command back to Marius and civil war
broke out
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Senate gave him control of war in Asia Minor
Sulla won, seized Rome in 82 BC and began reign of terror to wipe out all
opposition
Restored power to hands of Senate and eliminated most of the powers of
popular assemblies
Sulla hoped to create a firm foundation to restore traditional Roman
republic governed by a powerful Senate
First Triumvirate
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For next 50 years Roman history was characterized by civil wars as people
competed for power.
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Triumvirate: government by three people with equal power
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60 BC 3 men joined together to form first triumvirate
3 men emerged as victors of the civil war & combined wealth and power
allowed them to dominate the political scene
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Crassus: known as richest man in Rome
Pompey: military hero when he returned from a successful command in Spain
Julius Caesar: also had military command in Spain
First Triumvirate
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Pompey commanded Spain, Crassus commanded Syria, Caesar
commanded Gaul (France)
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Crassus killed in battle in 53 BC- left only 2 men in power
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Fearing Caesar’s popularity Senators decided he should step down and let
Pompey rule
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Caesar refused to step down- chose to keep his army and enter Italy illegally
by crossing the Rubicon River
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Began to march to Rome- created civil war between Pompey and Caesar
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Caesar defeated Pompey and gained complete control
First Triumvirate
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45 BC- Caesar officially made a dictator (temporary position only used in
emergencies)
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Realized need for reform so began making changes
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Gave land to the poor
Made the Senate larger by filling with his supporters (but made weaker)
Granted citizenship to his supporters in the provinces
Introduced solar calendar
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Caesar also had plans for building projects and military campaigns
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Many Senators thought he had plans to continue as dictator so in 44 BC
they assassinated him
Second Triumvirate
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New power struggle followed Caesar’s death
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3 men joined forces to form Second Triumvirate
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Octavian: Caesar’s heir and grandnephew
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(Mark) Antony: Caesar’ ally and assistant
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Lepidus: commander of Caesar’s cavalry
Within a few years Roman empire divided in 2- thought they could
work together but eventually came into conflict
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Octavian took West & Antony took East
Second Triumvirate
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Antony allied himself with Egyptian queen Cleopatra IV
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At Battle of Actium in Greece (31 BC) Octavian’s forces destroyed
Antony and Cleopatra’s
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Both fled to Egypt where they committed suicide a year later
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Octavian, at age 32, stood supreme over the roman world.
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Period from 31 BC to 14 AD came to be know as ‘Age of Augustus’
Religion in the Roman
Empire
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Augustus brought back traditional festivals and ceremonies to revive the
Roman state religion
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Official state religion focused on worship of a variety of gods and
goddesses (Jupiter, Juno, Minerva, Mars)
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Beginning with Augustus emperors were made gods by the Roman
Senate
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Created support for the emperors
Roman Religion
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Romans believed that observing proper rituals by state priests brought
them into a good relationship with gods
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Guaranteed peace and prosperity
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Also believed that creating an empire meant that they earned the favor
of the gods
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Romans were tolerant of other religions
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Allowed the worship of native gods and goddesses throughout their
provinces
Judaism in the Empire
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6 A.D- Judea was made a Roman province placed under the direction of an
official called a procurator
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Unrest was widespread in Judea but Jews differed among themselves about
Roman rule
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Priest named Sadducees favored cooperating with Rome while the scholar
Pharisees believed that religious observation would protect them from Roman
influence
The Essenes waited for God to save Israel from oppression while the Zealots
called for a violent overthrow of Roman rule
Jewish revolt began in 66 AD but were crushed by the Romans 4 years later
& Jewish temple in Jerusalem was destroyed
Problems and Upheavals
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Marcus Aurelius, last of 5 good emperors, died in 180 AD and a period of
conflict, confusion and civil wars followed
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A military government under Severan rulers restored order
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For almost 50 years the throne was occupied by whoever had military
strength to seize it
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After the Severan rulers more disorder
During this period there were 22 emperors- most died violently
At same time empire was troubled by series of invasions
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Sassanid Persians in the east and Germanic tribe poured into Balkans, Gaul,
Spain
Problems and Upheavals
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Invasions, civil wars and plagues almost caused an economic collapse in the
3rd century
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Labor shortage caused by the plague affected both military recruiting and
the economy
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Decline in:
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Trade and small industry
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Farm crop ravaged by invaders
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Armies were needed more than ever but financial strains made it difficult to
enlist and pay more soldiers
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By mid 3rd ce state had to hire Germans to fight
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Did not understand Roman traditions and had little loyalty to empire or emperors
Reforms by Diocletian and
Constantine
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End of 3rd and beginning of 4th centuries Roman Empire gained a new
lease on life through Diocletian and Constantine
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New state formed: Late Roman Empire which had new gov’t structure,
rigid economic and social system and new religion of Christianity
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Diocletian believed the empire had grown too large for a single ruler so
he divided it into four units each with their own ruler
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His military power enabled him to hold ultimate authority
Reforms by Diocletian and
Constantine
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Constantine continued and expanded policies of Diocletian
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His biggest project was the construction of a new capital city in the east called
Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey)
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Constantinople developed for defensive reasons
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Its strategic location provided protection of the eastern frontier
Became center of Eastern Roman Empire
Both emperors reforms enlarged army and civil service- drained public funds
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Population not growing so tax could not pay for the bureaucracy and army
Roman money began to lose value
Reforms by Diocletian and
Constantine
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To fight inflation Diocletian issued a price edict in 301 that set wage and
price controls for the empire- it failed
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Emperors issued edicts forcing workers to remain in their vocation to
ensure the tax base and keep empire going despite the labor shortage
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Certain jobs became hereditary
Overall economic and social policies of Diocletian and Constantine
were based on control or coercion
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Temporarily successful but in long run they stifled the vitality need to revive
the poor economy
Germanic Tribes
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Constantinople remained capital of Eastern Roman Empire but
Western Roman Empire came under increasing pressure from
Germanic tribes
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Huns from Asia put pressure on Germanic Visgoths- Visgoths then
moved south and west crossing the Danube River into Roman territory
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Settled as Roman allies until they revolted at Adrianople in 378
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In 410 Visgoths sacked Rome
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Vandals poured into southern Spain and Africa- crossed into Italy from
Africa and sacked Rome in 455
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476 Western Roman Empire fell but Eastern Roman Empire continued
to thrive
Germanic Tribes
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Constantinople remained capital of Eastern Roman Empire but
Western Roman Empire came under increasing pressure from
Germanic tribes
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Huns from Asia put pressure on Germanic Visgoths- Visgoths then
moved south and west crossing the Danube River into Roman territory
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Settled as Roman allies until they revolted at Adrianople in 378
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In 410 Visgoths sacked Rome
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Vandals poured into southern Spain and Africa- crossed into Italy from
Africa and sacked Rome in 455
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476 Western Roman Empire fell but Eastern Roman Empire continued
to thrive
Theories
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Theories have been proposed to explain the decline and fall of the Roman
empire:
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Christianity’s emphasis on a spiritual kingdom weakened Roman military virtues
Traditional Roman values declined as non-Italians gained prominence in the
empire
Lead poisoning through leaden water pipes and cups caused a mental decline in
the population
Plague wiped out one-tenth of the population
Rome failed to advance technologically due to slavery
Rome could not create a workable political system
May be elements of truth in each theory but no single explanation can
explain the fall of a great empire
Facts about Gladiators
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Word gladiator originally meant ‘swordsman’ and comes from Latin word
for sword.
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First gladiators performed at funerals.
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Games were fought to the death because the belief was that the dead man
should have armed fighters accompany him into the afterlife
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Emperor Titus inaugurated the Coliseum in A.D. 800 with 100 days of
games.
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Fight between men but also between animals
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Criminals, including women, were sometimes sent into the arena to be
killed by wild animals
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Gladiatorial games and other forms of public entertainment fulfilled
political need by keeping minds of the idle masses off any political unrest