Download Early Rome and the Roman Republic

EARLY ROME AND THE
ROMAN REPUBLIC
THE FIRST ITALIANS
• Villanovans (ca. 1000 BCE) = Iron Age Italians
• Ca. 800 BCE = Celtic clans and Phoenicians
• Development of Carthage
• Carthaginian Empire (6th century BCE)
• Greeks & Syracuse
THE FIRST ITALIANS
• Villanovans (ca. 1000 BCE) = Iron Age Italians
• Ca. 800 BCE = Celtic clans and Phoenicians
• Development of Carthage
• Carthaginian Empire (6th century BCE)
• Greeks & Syracuse
• 480 BCE = Carthaginians attack Syracuse, and lose
• 410 BCE = Carthaginians invade Sicily again
• 100 years of conflict
• Etruscans
• Confederation, not an Empire
THE FIRST ITALIANS
• Villanovans (ca. 1000 BCE) = Iron Age Italians
• Ca. 800 BCE = Celtic clans and Phoenicians
• Development of Carthage
• Carthaginian Empire (6th century BCE)
• Greeks & Syracuse
• 480 BCE = Carthaginians attack Syracuse, and lose
• 410 BCE = Carthaginians invade Sicily again
• 100 years of conflict
• Etruscans
• Confederation, not an Empire
• Naval power
• 474 BCE = attack Syracuse, and lose
EARLY ROME AND ROMANS
• First Romans, from Latium
EARLY ROME AND ROMANS
• First Romans, from Latium
• 8th century BCE = Alban League
• “paterfamilias” = head of Roman family
• Patricians vs. plebeians
• Ca. 650 BCE = Etruscans absorb Romans
• 509 BCE = Romans revolt against Etruscans
• Establish a Republic
THE EARLY REPUBLIC
• Oligarchy in Rome
• Patricians rule
• New Republic = shared governance,
elected leaders
• Two consuls hold the “imperium”
• Could appoint a “dictator”
• Senate = 300 magistrates
• Centuriate Assembly = free citizens
• Struggle of Orders = plebs are not happy
• Eventually given a Council of Plebs (“tribunes”)
• Splitting into two Republics?
• 450 BCE = Law of the Twelve Tables = political rights for all
THE EARLY REPUBLIC
• Roman Expansion
• Patricians and plebs shared fear of invasion
• 390 BCE = Gauls sack Rome
• BUT, also devastated the Etruscans
• 338 BCE = Romans conquer the Etruscans
• 265 BCE = Rome controls southern Italy’s Greek cities
• Overcomes “Pyrrhic victory”
• Romans treated conquered people well
• Opportunity for limited citizenship
• Took no tribute money
• 264 BCE = Rome controls all of Italy
PUNIC WARS
• Tension between Romans and Carthaginians erupts!
• 265 BCE = Italian mercenaries are attacked by Syracuse
• First Punic War (265-241 BCE)
• 263 BCE = Romans invade Syracuse
• New Roman navy
• 241 BCE = Carthage surrenders Sicily to Romans
• Second Punic War (218-202 BCE)
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Carthage’s expansion into Spain pisses off Romans
Hannibal marches across the alps into Italy (with elephants!)
217 BCE = Quintus Fabius Maximus named dictator of Rome
202 BCE = Battle of Zama
• Publius Cornelius Scipio (236-184 BCE) beats Carthage
PUNIC WARS
• Third Punic War (149-146 BCE)
• Lots of Roman hate toward Carthage
• Cato the Elder: “Carthage must be destroyed!”
• Trumped up charges against Carthage
to finish the job . . .
• Scipio Aemilanus (184-129 BCE)
• 146 BCE = invades Carthage, destroys
their civilization
• Rome now controls the whole
Mediterranean Sea
REPUBLICAN CIVILIZATION:
EVERYDAY LIVING
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Farmers & Soldiers
Shift from Greek phalanx to the Roman Legion
Phasing out farmer-soldiers . . .
Roman women: still seen as property
• BUT, several eventually became independent of men
• Children could be abandoned
• Adoption was a big deal – very political
• Slaves
REPUBLICAN CIVILIZATION:
RELIGION & LITERATURE
• Romans worshipped as many gods
as they could!
• “numina” = individual powers
• Religion was not personal, but public
• 186 BCE = cult of Bacchus banned
• Literature
• Adopted the Etruscan alphabet
• Greeks heavily influenced Roman Lit.
• Timaeus (ca. 356-260 BCE) = wrote first history of Rome
• Polybius (ca. 200-118 BCE) = wrote famous history of Rome
CRISIS OF ROMAN VIRTUE
• Expanding, expanding, expanding . . .
• Frustration with corrupt provincial commanders
• Loss of the “old world” – no more farmer-soldiers
• BUT, many of those complaining benefitted enormously . . .
• Lots of tension between Roman elite and everyone
else . . .