Download Origins of Rome Student Handout

Name: ___________________________________________________________________Period: __________ Date: __________
Origins of Rome
Standard: Examine the political, philosophical, and cultural interaction of Classical Mediterranean societies
from 700 BCE to 400 CE
Essential Question: How did Classical Mediterranean societies interact politically, philosophical, and
culturally from 700 BCE to 400 CE?
Compare the origins and structure of the Greek polis, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire.
Geography
Foundation Stories:
Romulus and Remus:
Emergence:
Virgil’s, The Aeneid:
How did Classical Mediterranean societies interact politically, philosophical, and culturally from 700 BCE to
400 CE?
The Republic
Describe:
The Threat:
Roman Confederation:
Impact:
Mediterranean Dominance
Carthage:
The Punic Wars:
Hannibal:
Name: ___________________________________________________________________Period: __________ Date: __________
Structure of Rome
Standard: Examine the political, philosophical, and cultural interaction of Classical Mediterranean societies
from 700 BCE to 400 CE
Essential Question: How did Classical Mediterranean societies interact politically, philosophical, and
culturally from 700 BCE to 400 CE?
Compare the origins and structure of the Greek polis, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire.
Roman Expansion
Structure
View of Kings:
Patricians:
Plebeians:
Social order:
Dictator:
Consul:
Centuriate Assembly:
Senate:
Council of the Plebs:
Impact:
Origins of Rome
Standard: Examine the political, philosophical, and cultural interaction of Classical Mediterranean societies
from 700 BCE to 400 CE
Essential Question: How did Classical Mediterranean societies interact politically, philosophical, and
culturally from 700 BCE to 400 CE?
Compare the origins and structure of the Greek polis, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire.
Geography
 located on the Italian Peninsula
 can sail all over the Mediterranean Sea
 fertile coastal plains
 Good land for farming
 able to trade by sea
Foundation Stories:
Romulus and Remus:
(they founded the city of Rome)
“In those days the countryside there was wild and
empty. The story goes that when the waters receded,
the basket in which the twins had been abandoned
was left on dry land. A she-wolf, on her way from the
hills round about to drink, came across the howling
infants. She gave them her teats to suck, and was so
gentle with them that the king’s shepherd found her
licking them with her tongue”
Virgil’s, The Aeneid:






sponsored by Augustus
Augustus liked to trace his ancestry back to Iulus,
son of Aeneas and supposed ancestor of the Iulii
- the Julian family
The legend of Aeneas
the refugee from Troy
established his family in Italy
who was the ancestor of the people who became
Romans
Emergence:
 Indo-European peoples
 moved into Italy
 about 1500 to 1000 B.C.
 spoke Latin
 lived as herders and farmers on Rome’s hills
 after 800 B.C., other people, including the Greeks and Etruscans, settled in Italy
 early Rome was ruled by kings, some of whom were Etruscan
How did Classical Mediterranean societies interact politically, philosophical, and culturally from 700 BCE to
400 CE?
The Republic
Describe:
 509 B.C. overthrew the last Etruscan king
 established a republic
o the leader is not a king
o certain citizens have the right to vote
The Threat:
 Enemies surrounded Rome
 long period of continuous warfare
Roman Confederation:
 some people had full Roman citizenship
 other groups were allies who controlled their


local affairs but gave soldiers to Rome
267 B.C. controlled almost all of Italy
 could become Roman citizens
defeated the Greeks and remaining Etruscan
states
Impact:
 many of the conquered peoples felt invested in Rome’s success
Mediterranean Dominance
Carthage:
 a strong power in the Mediterranean
 founded around 800 B.C.
 coast of North Africa
 large trading empire in the western
Mediterranean
Punic Wars:
Description:
 three wars fought between Rome and Carthage
 the victories of Hannibal during second punic
war almost destroyed Rome
 Rome created new armies and a navy
Hannibal:
 Carthage’s greatest general
 Almost destroyed Rome during the Second Punic
War
Result:
 Rome defeated Hannibal’s forces
 Spain became a Roman province
 Rome controlled the western Mediterranean
 completely destroyed Carthage in 146 B.C.
Roman Expansion
 second century B.C. conquered Macedonia and Greece
 133 B.C. Pergamum became Rome’s first province in Asia
 Rome gained and maintained control of the Mediterranean Sea
Structure
View of Kings:
 distrusted kingship because of their experience with Etruscan kings
 built a different form of government
 early Rome divided into two groups, the patricians and the plebeians
Patricians:
Plebeians:
 large landowners
 the less wealthy landholders, craftspeople,
merchants, and small farmers
 formed Rome’s ruling class
 citizens and could vote
 citizens and could vote
 could be elected to public office
Social order:
Dictator:
 could rule up to 6 months
 during emergencies
 i.e. war
1
2
300
Consul:
 chief executive officers
 preside over senate
 two consuls ran the government and led the army
into battle
Senate:
 three hundred patricians served for life
 had the force of law
Centuriate Assembly:
 most important people’s assembly
 elected the consuls
 passed laws
 organized by classes based on wealth
 wealthiest citizens were the majority
Council of the Plebs:
 created in 471 B.C.
 tribunes of the plebs were new officials
empowered to protect the plebeians
Impact:
 By 287 B.C., all male Roman citizens were supposedly equal under the law
 few wealthy patrician and plebeian families formed a new senatorial ruling class
 dominated political office
 development of the Twelve Tables