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THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF ROME
From the Near East to the Classical West
THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF ROME
From the Near East to the Classical West
Num barbarorum Romulus rex fuit?
- Cicero
THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF ROME
From the Near East to the Classical West
Why study history at all?
Why study history at all?
There are two kinds of logical
reasoning: deductive and
inductive.
Why study history at all?
There are two kinds of logical
reasoning: deductive and
inductive.
Deductive – finds what
evidence necessarily implies
Inductive – makes a likely
guess based on evidence
Why study history at all?
There are two kinds of logical
reasoning: deductive and
inductive.
Deductive – finds what
evidence necessarily implies
All cats are mammals. This is a
cat, so it’s a mammal.
Inductive – makes a likely
guess based on evidence
Every cat I’ve observed has
loved tuna. All cats probably
love tuna.
Why study history at all?
It’s hard to deduce anything about
humans other than basic biology.
We’re very diverse in our cultures,
so universal statements are tricky.
But studying history allows us to
make better and better inductions
about how people generally act.
Why study history at all?
Who can make a better guess
about catitude, the person who has
observed one cat, or the person
who has observed one million cats?
History explores how people act by
exploring what they’ve done.
The most you know history, the
more you know humanity!
History, of course, is not always what we want it to be.
The heroic Spartans of “300” against the evil Persians? Not so much: the latter
guaranteed general rights and had women in positions of authority. The former
made it legal to murder slaves, forced all male citizens to live in barracks, and would
dress their brides up as boys on their wedding night. The Bible calls the Persian king
Cyrus a “messiah,” and generally speaking the Persians were kind rulers.
History, of course, is not always what we want it to be.
The Islamic Middle East is a brutal, uncivilized place? Not if it’s between 700 CE
and 1600 CE, when it was Islamic philosophers such as Avicenna and Averroes who
were developing logic and algebra. The Islamic world preserved the Classical Greek
writings which were all but lost in Christian Europe. Jewish populations received
generally better treatment in the Islamic medieval regions than in the Christian ones.
History, of course, is not always what we want it to be.
U.S. slavery ended with the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863? Tell that to the
slaves in the Union state of Maryland who were freed not by Lincoln and the Federal
Government, but by a new state constitution a year after the Southern slaves were
declared free. Several Union states, by the way, had been passing laws for decades to
keep freed blacks from coming to reside or continuing to reside in their states.
History, of course, is not always what we want it to be.
When we reduce historical
events to narratives that “feel”
right, we are not thinking
The historically,
Islamic Middle East is a brutal,
uncivilized
place? Not if it’s between 700 CE
or
scientifically,
and 1600 CE, when it was Islamic philosophers such as Avicenna and Averroes who
were developing logic and algebra. The Islamic world preserved the Classical Greek
we are thinking in legends.
writings which were all but lost in Christian Europe. Jewish populations received
The heroic Spartans of “300” against the evil Persians? Not so much: the latter
guaranteed general rights and had women in positions of authority. The former
made it legal to murder slaves, forced all male citizens to live in barracks, and would
dress their brides up as boys on their wedding night. The Bible calls the Persian king
Cyrus a “messiah,” and generally speaking the Persians were kind rulers.
generally better treatment in the Islamic medieval regions than in the Christian ones.
U.S. slavery ended with the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863? Tell that to the
slaves in the Union state of Maryland who were freed not by Lincoln and the Federal
Government, but by a new state constitution a year after the Southern slaves were
declared free. Several Union states, by the way, had been passing laws for decades to
keep freed blacks from coming to reside or continuing to reside in their states.
Why study Classical history?
Why study Classical history?
Simply put, few cultures are as
well-documented as those of the
Greeks and the Romans.
The influence of the Classical
world is everywhere in Western
society, and increasingly in our
global society as well.
Why study Classical history?
Greek and Latin were the
prime languages of Western
philosophy, mythology, law,
and early Christianity.
Greek and Roman ideas live on
in European languages, art,
religion, and government.
Medieval Jewish and Islamic
writers also relied upon Greek
and Roman documents!
Of course, the first lesson of
Classical history is that no
great civilization simply pops
out of nowhere.
The earliest civilizations
progressively rose from
hunter-gatherers to mud huts
to brick walls to sprawling
cities to massive empires.
Of course, the first lesson of
Classical history is that no
great civilization simply pops
out of nowhere.
The earliest civilizations
progressively rose from
hunter-gatherers to mud huts
to brick walls to sprawling
cities to massive empires.
Rome was no different.
To begin our story of Rome, we
must turn to 1300-1100 BCE,
when roaming bands of small
nations began to team up to
attack the large empires that
had dominated the Western
world for centuries.
The civilization of the Greeks,
young in those days, would
remember these Sea Peoples in
the legends of crusading raiders
of Homeric legend: Theseus,
Odysseus, Helen, Paris,
Achilles, Hector, and Aeneas.
To begin our story of Rome, we
must turn to 1300-1100 BCE,
when roaming bands of small
nations began to team up to
attack the large empires that
had dominated the Western
world for centuries.
The world was an old place
already, with international
trade and societies all over.
A snapshot of the Eastern hemisphere around 1300 BCE
THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF ROME
A snapshot of the Eastern hemisphere around 1300 BCE
The Indo-Europeans, ancestors of modern Europeans, Iranians, and
Indians (among others) have established themselves in the lands that
will remain their descendants’ homelands for centuries to come.
THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF ROME
Most of the people groups above are neolithic or nomadic.
This means basic tools, and a hunter-gatherer or agricultural lifestyle.
THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF ROME
Most of the people groups above are neolithic or nomadic.
This means basic tools, and a hunter-gatherer or agricultural lifestyle.
They all have religious beliefs.
THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF ROME
Most of the people groups above are neolithic or nomadic.
This means basic tools, and a hunter-gatherer or agricultural lifestyle.
Only a few are what we call “civilized.”
THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF ROME
“Civilized” does not mean superior.
“Civilized” does not mean superior.
“Primitive” does not mean more pure.
The Latin root of “civilization” is
“civis” – city.
The Latin root of “primitive” is
“primus” – first.
Civilizations have greater
philosophy and science, tend to
recognize the common humanity of
peoples far and wide, and have
complex religious beliefs that hold
the gods to be a moral authority.
They have strict class and gender
divisions, engage almost constantly
in massive destructive warfare,
cause a great deal of pollution, and
only recently did their lower income
citizens achieve general health
equal to that of “primitives.”
Contrary to popular belief,
uncivilized life is not “nasty,
brutish, and short.” With the
coming of civilization, we find
slavery in its many forms.
Primitive groups have a great deal
of intuitive knowledge but many
limiting superstitions, tend to view
outsiders as fundamentally
different, and hold that the gods
controlling our world are not just,
but simply mightier and separate.
They have much more equality and
share freely, rarely engage in longterm combat, generally leave only a
small impact on their environment,
and enjoy a mental and physical
health beyond that of most people in
ancient and medieval civilizations.
Contrary to popular belief,
primitives do not necessarily use
every part of everything from
nature, nor did war originate in
civilized groups – it’s far older.
A civilization is hard to define, but
generally has:
1) Cities with non-natural
protection (walls, atomic bombs)
2) Agriculture (food production) as
the core industry, with
specialized jobs beyond this
3) Class divisions – a ruling class,
an intellectual/religious class,
specialized classes, and farmers
(and often, below that, slaves)
A civilization is hard to define, but
generally has:
4) A written language or other
form of symbolic record-keeping
5) A reshaping of its immediate
environment (irrigation,
drainage, leveling of high places)
THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF ROME
At 1300 BCE, when the ancestors of the Romans had become firmly
established, certain areas had maintained civilization for nearly 2000 years.
THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF ROME
At 1300 BCE, when the ancestors of the Romans had become firmly
established, certain areas had maintained civilization for nearly 2000 years.
THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF ROME
At 1300 BCE, when the ancestors of the Romans had become firmly
established, certain areas had maintained civilization for nearly 2000 years.
THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF ROME
At 1300 BCE, when the ancestors of the Romans had become firmly
established, certain areas had maintained civilization for nearly 2000 years.
THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF ROME
At 1300 BCE, when the ancestors of the Romans had become firmly
established, certain areas had maintained civilization for nearly 2000 years.
Almost all ancient civilizations
went for freshwater source
locations.
Freshwater source locations:
- riversides
- springs connected to aquifers
- deltas (where rivers meet seas)
Almost all ancient civilizations
went for freshwater source
locations.
Freshwater source locations:
- riversides
- springs connected to aquifers
- deltas (where rivers meet seas)
Exceptions?
The Hittites built their capitol
Hattusha far away from water
sources (they had to pipe in water)
The exception “proves the rule:”
they seem to have done this to
make their capitol harder to reach
Almost all ancient civilizations
went for freshwater source
locations.
Freshwater source locations:
- riversides
- springs connected to aquifers
- deltas (where rivers meet seas)
Freshwater sources provide:
- irrigation sources
- water for cleaning things
- drinking water
- transportation
- natural barrier
THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF ROME
Around 1300 BCE, a number of people groups had created Western civilization.
Near Eastern influences (Egyptian and Mesopotamian math; Phoenician alphabet
and trade; Mesopotamian and Anatolia mythology) helped develop Greek culture,
which grew prominent after 900 BCE and progressed Western civilization further:
philosophy, mythology, theatrical and visual arts, new governmental systems
THE HISTORICAL ORIGINS OF ROME
The Roman myths have one foot in reality:
The Roman myths have one foot in reality:
A Trojan, Aeneas,
travels to Italy
from Anatolia (what
is now Turkey)
Two banished sons
start a new city
and invite people
from all over Italy
An evil king is
overthrown
and Rome starts
a new Republic
The Roman myths have one foot in reality:
DNA evidence shows
that Anatolians did
migrate to Italy
Rome was inhabited
by a mix of Italic
peoples by 800 BCE
The Etruscans had
placed client-kings
over early Rome
Who were influencing and
competing with early Rome?
Who were influencing and
competing with early Rome?
- The Phoenicians
- The Celts (Gauls)
- The Greeks (Hellenes: Athens, etc.)
- The other Latin and Italic tribes
- The Etruscans
The Phoenicians (Punici)
Origins:
Levant/Canaan
Major cities:
Carthage, Tyre, Byblos, Sidon.
Military style:
Generally preferred trade and
diplomacy; brilliant generals
leading mercenary armies
Achievements:
The alphabet, architecture
(temple of Solomon), ships,
circumnavigated Africa, sailed
to Britain, colonized from
Cyprus to Spain; ELEPHANTS
OVER THE STINKING ALPS
The Celts (Celti)
Origins:
North and Central Europe
Major cities:
More like towns until Roman
dominance, but they liked that
Military style:
Fierce warriors raiding
neighbors and demanding
tribute; served as mercenaries
for the Phoenicians and beyond
Achievements:
Metalworking, soap, female
military and political leaders,
SACKING ROME
The Greeks (Graeci)
Origins:
Anatolia and Greece
Major cities:
Athens, Sparta, Corinth, Thebes,
Argos, Miletus, and many colonies
Military style:
Conquest by citizen-armies under
royal or elected generals
Achievements:
Basically took all of Near Eastern
culture, remade it in an artistic and
philosophical culture that reshaped
world thinking, especially Rome’s,
once ruled most of the world,
ART, SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS
The other Latin and Italic tribes
Origins:
Central and Southern Italy
Military style:
Small territorial bands of citizenwarriors defending cities
Contributions:
Relatives of the Romans,
developed proto-Latin language,
many (such as Sabines) were
absorbed into the early Roman
Republic through defeat or
treaties, many Romans of later
centuries traced their families
back to these other Latins
The Etruscans (Etrusci)
Origins:
Northern Italy
Major cities:
Veii, Clusium, Caere, Arimnus,
Rome truthfully
Military style:
Conquest through dedicated
citizen-armies
Achievements:
Mediating culture that spread
Greek ideas to the Latins,
architecture (Roman bridges
and sewers), countless Roman
traditions, absorbed into Rome
Against such a backdrop, the rapid rise of an empire from a humble town
spread across seven swampy hills, settled by outcasts, is even more remarkable
Soon to come: the legendary and historical events of the early Roman monarchy