Download File - UAGC SOCIAL STUDIES

The Roman Republic and Empire
753 BC
“If I’d lived in Roman times, I’d have lived
in Rome. Today, America is the Roman
empire, and New York is Rome itself.
New York is the center of the earth.” John Lennon
Poccia’s Points to
Understanding Rome
 Location, Location, Location- Midpoint of Europe
and Mediterranean sea made location perfect for
empire building
 Roman Law-Twelve Tables established fair law
for governing empire
 Central Government- Central authority based
around city of Rome allowed for great expansion
 Engineering and Architecture- Best builders and
engineers of the time period
Architecture Roads
“ All ROADS
lead to
ROME!”
Aqueducts
So what is Rome known for?
–––-
Government/ law
Architecture
Christianity
 Midpoint
Geography
of
the
Mediterranean
Sea
 Located on
Italian
Peninsula
 Midway
between Alps
and tip of Italy
 City of Rome
built on 7
rolling hills
Government:

Rome was republic
– Power rests in citizens
– Democratic system of
government
 o Only males could vote
DENIED
What is the difference
between a republic and a
Direct Democracy?
A Republican Government In Rome
 A form of government in which power rests with
citizens who have the right to vote
 Different from Direct Democracy as people do
not directly vote on government decisions
 Vote for representatives to represent their voice
 Rome citizens with the right to vote were freeborn male citizens
Organization of Government:
THREE BRANCHES:

Consuls (2) – controlled army

Senate – created law and policies

Tribune Dictator-
only in case of emergency, one
ruler with absolute power
Social Classes:
1)Patricians
 a.Wealthy landowners
 b.
Most power
2)Plebeians
 a.Common farmer, artist, merchant
 b.Majority of population
 c.Could not hold high government offices
i.Created Tribunes or assembly to protect
rights
Law (12 Tables) Twelve
Tables
 System of Law, equality under law, rights
of the accused ( Codified Law)
 Principles all later codes of law would be
based on
Roman Law:
 Historians
consider Roman Law to be most
significant contribution to western world .
 Roman law was based on the concept of JUSTICE
and the RIGHTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL
 Beliefs:
People should not be accused anonymously
The law should be applied to everyone, rich and poor
alike
People should not be punished for what he thinks
People are considered innocent until proven guilty.
12 Tables
• The earliest record of
Roman law
• Prior to 12 tables, the
rich people (patricians)
had more rights than the
poor (plebeians).
• The plebeians rebelled
for their rights to the
point that laws that
applied equally to
everyone were carved in
stone.
Examples
If you are called to appear in court you have to go. If you don't you
can be arrested and forced to go.
 If you need a witness in court and they refuse to go you can stand in
front of their house and shout out how they are refusing to do their
duty as a citizen. You can do this once every three days.
 Should a tree on a neighbor's farm be bent by the wind and lean
over onto your farm, you can go to court and get the tree cut down. If
fruit falls from your trees it is yours no matter where it falls.
 If you lied in court you would be thrown off of the Tarpeian Rock.
 You could not hold a political or business meeting at night. Dinner
parties and religious festivals at night were ok.
 Everyone who died had to buried or burned outside the city. Rich
people could not marry poor people and vice versa (This law did get
changed later.)

Military:
 All
males that own land must
serve military
Spreading Rome:
– Eventually took over whole Italian peninsula
– Mediterranean Sea allowed for commercial
network to grow increase influence and
power create new enemies
– Carthage: African Empire
Punic Wars: 264 BC
– War started over Carthage attempting to control all
of Sicily
– Rome fights Empire of Carthage in North Africa
–Hannibal of Carthage
–Roman Triumph
 o Complete control of West Mediterranean

End of the Republic
Republic had spread all across
Mediterranean region
– Battle between rich and poor created
problems
– High taxes had lead to numerous rebellions
throughout the republic
– They had to be stopped or republic would
fall
Triumvirate - 3 major leaders of
Council will select a dictator
 Julius Caesar,
 Marcus Licinius Crassus,
 Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey)
Famous Leader

Julius Caesar- military
genius and future dictator of
Rome
– became a dictator with
ABSOLUTE POWER
Caesar’s
power
threatened
power of
Senate
had him
assassinate
d in 44 BC.
Civil
war
followed
Who will come out
on top?
nd
2 Triumvirate :
Octavian vs
Marc Anthony
vs
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus
Beginning of the Roman Empire
 Augustus
Caesar
(Octavian)- 1st emperor
– Pax Romana – “Roman Peace”
– 207 years of peace from 27
BC. To 180 ad
 o Why did this happen?
 Stable
government
Economy:
 Most

were tradesman or farmers
90% were farmers
Slavery:
 Remember


the movie Gladiator?
Most were conquered people
Made up one third of empire
Eventually Empire becomes too
big to manage
Emperor Diocletian splits empire in to 2
parts: East and West
The Growth of Christianity
Founder: Jesus of
Nazareth
 Sect of Judaism
 Preached salvation for all
(not just Hebrews)
 Holy Bible = (Torah (old
testament) + Teaching of
Jesus (new testament)
 Follow the 10
commandments

Religion:
Before Christianity hit Rome they
were polytheistic
Gods such as Jupiter, Lares
Christianity

For years Jew, Pagans, and
Christians fought over religion in Rome
–-
Edict of Milan – 313 ad
As Christianity grew, the traditional Pagan
Romans and Christians clashed
In order to save his empire, Constantine
proclaimed religious tolerance
–Emperor Constantine
declared it an
acceptable religion of
Roman Empire
o Would eventually
become official
religion of Rome
–-Constantine moves
capital to
Constantinople
(Modern day Turkey)
Arguments begin between east
and West
 At one time there was 3 popes!
Decline of the Empire
QuickTime™ and a
TIF F ( Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
– Over time, soldier became less loyal to Rome and more to commanders
 Empire was too big to control and monitor
– Government had become corrupt
- Food Shortages/ bad harvests
- Gap between rich and poor
– Western half of Empire falls to Germanic invasions in 476 AD
– Eastern half will eventually become Byzantine Empire
Legacy:
 Arts-
Realistic sculptures
Language – Latin
Architecture Roads
“ All ROADS
lead to
ROME!”
Aqueducts
Arch
The Coliseum
The Twelve Tables
 Innocent until
proven guilty.
The Forum
Cement
Domes
Law (12 Tables) system
of Law, equality under law, rights of
the accused ( Codified Laws)

(12 Tables)
Circus Maximus
Pantheon
So what happened to the Roman Empire?
Greece vs. Rome
Column
 Direct Democracy (Athens)
 Sculptures
 Alexander’s Empire
 Polytheistic
 Astronomy
 Pericles
 Hellenistic Culture
 Astronomy
 Math

Arch, Dome, Aqueducts
 Representative
Democracy (Republic)
 Roman Empire
 Anatomically correct
sculptures
 Christianity
 12 Tables
 Latin

In the end, the civilization of ancient Rome is known
for several things:
•the hugeness of the Empire;
• the success of the well-trained armies;
•the massive, impressive structures and
construction, such as roads, aqueducts, baths, the
Forum, and temples;
•the struggle with and then embracement of
Christianity;
•the spreading of Roman writing, laws, trade
practices and ideals and, especially, of Greek
ideals to the rest of the known world;
•the terrible tragedies of slavery and conquest on
which the civilization was ultimately based;
•the dramatic way in which the Empire collapsed,
serving as an example for generations afterward