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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