Download The Roman Empire

Practice Questions
1. One characteristic that differentiated Classical
Civilizations from the Early Civilizations was
that
A.
B.
C.
D.
they were agricultural rather than nomadic
there was a higher rate of literacy
they were more durable
there was less warfare because of the introduction
of organized religions
E. they created larger political structures capable of
controlling more territory
• Which of the following
was primarily a
philosophical
movement, rather than
a religion focusing on
the supernatural?
• a. Judaism
• b. Zoroastrianism
• c. Confucianism
• d. Buddhism
• In which civilization was
their belief system most
interwoven with other
aspects of their cultural
system?
• a. Gupta/Maurya India.
• b. Han China.
• c. Classical Greece.
• d. Persia.
• Which of the following was NOT a
shared feature of the social
Greek politics was noted
organizations of India and China in
for its formation of
the classical era?
1. a feudal social order • a. In both, birth determined social
status for most people.
2. the monarchy
3. democratic city-states • b. In both, sharp distinctions and
great inequalities characterized the
4. the emperor system
social order.
• c. In both, there was little social
mobility for the vast majority of the
population.
• d. In both, priority was given to
religious status and ritual purity.
Classical Rome
“Not without reason did gods and men choose this
spot for the site of our city – the hills, the river to
bring us produce from the inland regions and seaborne commerce from abroad, the sea itself, near
enough for convenience yet not so near as to bring
danger from foreign fleets, our situation in the very
heart of Italy… - Livy, The Early History of Rome
I. The Republic
• 509 B.C.E. – Romans drive out last Etruscan king,
establish a republic
– Power rests with citizens who vote for their leaders
– Citizens = free-born males
• Senate
• 300 Members; run by patricians: or aristocrats/passed
position to their sons
• General Assembly
• Represented plebians (commoners)
• Had little power
• Consuls (2)
• Executive power; elected from Senate for 1-year term
• Veto power over the other; fiercely competitive
I. Continued…
• Dictator
– chosen in times of crisis, absolute power over laws
and army
• Romans believed they had the best of
monarchy, aristocracy, democracy
• Twelve Tables
– Written Roman law
– Prevented laws from being interpreted wrong or unfairly
II. Julius Caesar
• 59 B.C.E. – elected consul
– For 10 years Caesar and his allies dominate Roman
politics
• 58 – 50 B.C.E. – appoints himself governor of Gaul
(modern-day France)
– Becomes very popular due to his military exploits
– Many senators feared his popularity, ordered him to Rome
• Returned with his army; Drove out his enemies
– 46 B.C.E. – elected dictator
– 44 B.C.E. – appointed dictator for life
• Reforms
– Granted citizenship to many living in the provinces outside
the city of Rome
– Expanded the senate
– Constructed new public buildings
– Started new colonies (more resources, slaves)
II. Continued…
• Assassinated on March 15, 44 B.C.E.
– Many nobles and senators feared Caesar’s power
• After Caesar’s death, civil war breaks out
• Power is juggled between 3 men
– Octavian, Mark Antony, Lepidus
•
•
•
For a time, an alliance (Second Triumvirate)
Octavian becomes unchallenged ruler
– 31 B.C.E named Augustus Caesar – “exalted one”
– Reforms government, strengthens empire
27 B.C.E. -180 C.E. – peace within empire
–
–
Pax Romana – “Roman peace”
60-80 million people
III. The Empire
• Began conquering Mediterranean by 264 B.C.E.
• Conquered people closer
to Rome had all citizen’s
rights except for vote
– Further away, people
considered allies
• Paid taxes, supplied troops
• Competition for control
– Punic Wars (264-146 B.C.E.)
• War with Carthage, city in northern Africa
• Hannibal – brilliant Carthaginian general
– Inflicted enormous losses against Romans for more
than 10 years
– Never captured city of Rome
III. Continued…
– 146 B.C.E. – Rome captured Carthage
• Set it afire, 50,000 people sold into slavery
• Roman empire eventually stretches from Spain in west,
to Anatolia in east.
• Empire Political Structure
– Retained Senate, but virtually powerless
– Divided into provinces ruled by governors; retained local
customs/religions
– Law codes spread and regulated social life
– Government duties
• Built vast public work systems, maintained courts, built public baths
and stadiums to entertain the masses
• Sponsored religious ceremonies
IV. Economic and Social Characteristics
• Economy
• Agriculture based: barley, grapes, olives (poor soil)
• Gap between rich and poor grew
• Emphasis on trade; Merchants 2nd highest social class
behind patricians
• Slavery
– Justified even by philosophers
– Military expansion provided slaves
– Roman estates used slaves for agriculture; slower to develop
new technologies because depended on slave labor
– Most reliant on slaves than any other ancient society
IV. continued…
• Social groups
– Patricians – wealthy landowners, power holders
– Plebeians – farmers, artisans, merchants
• Could vote, but barred from holding important gov’t positions
• Tribunes – elected reps that protected rights of plebeians
• Slaves – typically captured during military campaigns
• Gender/Family
– Importance of tight family structure
– Oldest living male (paterfamilias) had control
– Upper class women fared better than in Greece; some had more
economic rights, and worked in family businesses
V. Religion and Culture
• Culture
– Borrowed heavily from Greek philosophy,
science, and arts
– Virgil: epic poet Aeneid
– Poetry and history spread Latin language
– Copied Greek sculpture
– Advances in architecture
• Complex roads for military movement and trade
• Aqueducts carried water to urban areas
• Perfected the arch
V. Religion
• No world-class religion like India/China
• Christianity would take root, but not developed from
Greek/Roman culture
• Greek/Roman religion an idea of spirits of nature
elevated to gods/goddesses
– Ceremonies help to worship gods and reinforce idea of
empire
– Very Secular or “of this world”; no goal of higher
spirituality
– Led to development of philosophy as important aspect of
belief system
VI. Spread of Christianity
• 63 B.C.E - Roman Empire reaches Judea, Jewish homeland
– Remained independent until 6 C.E.
– Believed they would be free again in future
– The Messiah would restore Kingdom of the Jews
• 6 to 4 B.C.E. - historians believe Jesus was born in
Bethlehem, Judea
– Eventually referred to as Jesus Christ
• Comes from christos, the Greek word meaning
“messiah” or “savior”
VI. Continued…
• Popularity of Jesus was a concern for both Roman & Jewish
leaders
– His popularity disrupted the local leadership
– Pontius Pilate had Jesus arrested for defying authority of
Rome
• Sentenced to be crucified (a common death sentence)
• Pax Romana made it easy and safe to spread the ideas of the
new religion
– Travel was relatively safe
– Common languages - Greek & Latin - made it easily
understood
– Embraced by all types of people, regardless of status or
wealth
VI. Continued…
• Christians viewed as opposition to Roman law because they
did not worship Roman gods
– Thousands were crucified, burned, or killed for
entertainment
VI. continued
•
•
•
312 C.E. - while battling his rivals, Emperor Constantine
has a vision of a cross
– His soldiers fight with the Christian symbol on their
shields and are victorious
313 C.E. - end of persecution of Christians
– Edict of Milan - Christianity becomes an approved
religion
380 C.E. - Emperor Theodosius makes Christianity the
official religion
VII. The Fall of Rome
• End of Pax Romana – 180 C.E.
• After Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperors
struggled to control such a great empire
• Economy weakens
– 3rd century – hostile tribes and pirates disrupt
trade
– Government raises taxes
– Inflation – prices of goods rise, value of money
drops
– Agriculture suffers from overused land, damage
from years of war
VII. Continued…
• Military problems
– Soldiers less disciplined and loyal
– Over-reliance on mercenaries
• Average citizens less loyal to empire
• Attempts at reform
– Diocletian rules strongly, limits freedom
•
•
•
•
Doubles size of army
Set fixed prices of goods to curb inflation
Claims to be descendant of Roman gods
Believes empire is too big to rule, divides in 2
– Greek-speaking East
– Latin-speaking West
VII. Continued…
• Constantine
– Gains power in 312 C.E., reunites empire in 324
C.E.
– Moves capital to Byzantium, Anatolia in 330 C.E.
• Power shifts from West to East
• Renamed city Constantinople
– After death, empire is divided again
• The West crumbles
– Attila the Hun
• Led 100,000 soldiers to terrorize both sides of Roman
Empire
• Disease and famine prevented Attila’s forces from
overtaking Rome
VII. Concluded.
– Germanic invasions
• Fleeing the Huns (Mongol invaders), Germanic people
push into Roman territory
• 410 C.E. – Germanic people plunder city of Rome for 3
days
– Last emperor
• 14-year old Romulus Augustulus was kicked out by
Germans in 476 C.E.
• No emperor tried to replace him
• East becomes known as Byzantium Empire,
lasts another 1000 years, West falls into “Dark
Ages”
CHALLENGE QUESTION
What connections can be made between
Classical Rome and today’s world? (Think
social, political, religious, technological, etc.)
- Complete sentences, 1 paragraph.
Key Vocabulary – Ch. 4 (Part II)
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Roman Republic
Punic Wars
Carthage
Hannibal
Julius Caesar
Augustus Caesar
Diocletian
Constantine
• Senate
• Consuls