Download Rome and Early Christianity Section 1

Rome and Early Christianity
Section 1
“History is a race between education and
catastrophe.”
- H. G. Wells
If you sneeze too hard you can fracture a
rib. If you try to suppress a sneeze you
can rupture a blood vessel in your head or
neck and die. If you keep your eyes open
by force they can pop out.
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The Foundations of Rome
Main Idea
From a small town on the banks of an Italian
river, Rome grew to control the entire
Mediterranean region.
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Roman Civilization Develops
“All roads lead to Rome.” “Rome was not built in a day.” “When in Rome . . .”
How did Rome win such a place in modern popular culture?
The Founding of Rome
The Founding of Rome
• Peninsula logical place for emergence of
mighty empire
• Rome first ruled by Latin Kings
• Lies almost halfway between eastern,
western boundaries of the sea
• Came under Etruscan rule, 600 BC
• Protected by mountains, sea; rich soil, mild
climate
• Legend: Romulus and Remus; founded city
753 BC
• Indo-European tribe, Latins, reached Italy
1000s BC; built Rome
• City prospered partly from location on Tiber
River - valuable trade routes, easy access
to sea
• Etruscans came from northern Italy
• Evidence found at cemeteries
indicates Etruscans great
metalworkers, jewelers
• Etruscan culture heavily
influenced by Greeks
• Etruscans had great influence on
Roman society
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Question:
What advantages did Rome’s location give
the city?
Answer(s): protected by mountains; sea provided
protection and transportation; had rich soil,
pleasant climate; located on major trade routes;
Tiber River provided easy access to the sea
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Rome Becomes a Republic
Etruscan Rule Ends
• In 509 BC, the Romans revolted and threw out last of Etruscan kings,
setup new type of government – Republic —elected officials governed
state
Republican Government
• In early days, heads of a few aristocratic families, patricians, elected
officials
• Patrician families controlled all society —politics, religion, economics,
military - maintained power through patronage system
• From beginning, common people, plebeians, challenged patricians for
power
• Invaders threatened 494 BC; plebeians refused to fight until changes
made – plebeian rights expanded
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Plebeian Council
• After receiving new rights, plebeians formed own assembly, Plebeian
Council, to oversee affairs and protect interests
• Gained right to elect officials known as tribunes – protected against
unjust treatment by patrician officials
• Gained right to veto
Laws
• 450 BC, plebeians forced patricians to have all laws written down –
displayed in Roman Forum
• Because laws were posted, patrician judges could not make decisions
based on own opinions or secret laws
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Republican Government
New Offices and Institutions
• Patricians, plebeians worked out
practical constitution
• Government consisted of three
parts: Senate, popular
assemblies, magistrates
• Initially dominated by patricians;
all state offices later open to both
patricians, plebeians
Elements of Government
• Senate: 300 members, advised
elected officials, controlled public
finances, handled all foreign
relations
• Popular assemblies: in these all
citizens voted on laws, elected
officials
• Magistrates: governed in name of
Senate and people, put laws into
practice, acted as priests
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Governing Details
Consuls
• When last king thrown out, his
place taken by two magistrates
called consuls
• Elected for one year; chief
executives, army commanders
Praetors
• Primarily judges, could act for
consuls if consuls away at war
• After terms ended, given
military commands, appointed
provisional governors
Censors
• Next most important after
consuls
• Recorded wealth, residence of
population
• Filled vacancies in Senate
Constraints
• Government worked well
because of system of checks,
balances
• Each part could impose certain
constraints on others
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Life in the Republic
During the days of the Roman Republic, Rome was a thriving and vibrant
city. At its heart was the Forum, the public square and site of the most
important government buildings and temples.
Political Center
Agrarian Root
• City leaders often
found in Forum
mingling with
common people
• Despite bustling nature of city, Romans prided
themselves on connection with soil – Legend of
Cincinnatus
• Senate met in Forum
- key public
addresses made
there
• Farming, landownership the noblest ways to make
money
• Shopping and public
celebrations
• Senators forbidden to participate in any career that
did not involve land, could not engage in commerce
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Question:
Why do you think the Romans established a
republic?
Answer(s): possible answer—They wanted a
system of laws to keep peace within their
expanding empire.
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The Republic Expands
Growth
• As Rome’s government changed population grew
• Surplus population settled on land acquired by conquering neighbors
Military Might
• Successful expansion due to powerful army
• All Roman men between ages 17 and 46 with minimum amount of property required to
serve in army during times of war
• Army organized into legions – comprised of centurions - noncommissioned officers who
each commanded 100 men
• Army highly disciplined, well-trained, could fight in all types of terrain
• Rome in control of all of Italy by 265 BC
• Two strict conditions on subject people — provide troops for Roman army, abandon
relations with foreign nations
• Other than those conditions, Rome rarely interfered with domestic affairs of people it
conquered
• Now in control of Italy, turned to Sicily - Punic Wars raged for nearly 80 years (Carthage)
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Centurion
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Legionaries
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The Punic Wars
Violence between Rome and Carthage broke out in 264 BC. Because
the First Punic War was fought mostly at sea, Carthage’s powerful navy
dominated the early fighting. Soon, however, the Romans built a navy
of their own and were able to defeat Carthage.
Hannibal
Scipio
• Violence soon broke out again
• 218 BC, Carthaginian general
Hannibal led army across
Pyrenees, Alps to invade Italy
• Romans decided to take war to
Africa
• General Publius Cornelius Scipio
sailed to Africa, besieged Carthage
• Hannibal ravaged Italy, defeated
every army he faced
• Romans needed new strategy
• Forced Hannibal to sail home
• Scipio defeated Hannibal, took
Carthage, won Second Punic War
The Romans had defeated Carthage, but it did not destroy the city as
many citizens had wanted.
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Carthage Falls
Huge losses of Second Punic War remained in
memories of many Romans
• 149 BC Rome decided to destroy old enemy once and
for all
– Declared war on Carthage for 3rd time
– After siege of three years, Carthage fell
– Romans enslaved entire population, completely destroyed
city, and salted the earth
– They banned any people from living there
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The Conquest of Greece
• Punic Wars raged in western republic; Rome became involved in politics
of eastern Mediterranean
Macedonia, Persia
• Romans and Greek allies fought,
and defeated Macedonia, Persia
• Both became Roman provinces
• Eventually Romans annexed
Greece as province
• Romans adopted many elements
of Greek culture, particularly art
Greek Culture
• Romans also borrowed ideas of
religion from Greeks, adopted
their gods but changed the names
• Not all Romans happy with
growing Greek influence, thought
Rome should remain purely
Roman
• Influence continued for many
years
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“People always seem to know half of
history and get it confused with the
other half.”
- Jane Haddam
In a study of 200,000 ostriches over a
period of 80 years, no one reported a
single case where an ostrich buried its
head in the sand.
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From Republic to Empire
Main Idea
Governmental and social problems led to the
end of the Roman Republic and the creation of
a new form of government.
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Problems in the Late Republic
By the mid-100s BC, Rome had no rival anywhere in the Mediterranean world. However,
the responsibilities of running their vast holdings stretched the Roman political system to
its limits.
Social Unrest
The Military in Politics
• Revolution began in
political, social institutions • 107 BC, social unrest reached new level
• General Gaius Marius elected consul
• Tensions grew between
classes of Roman society
– issue of soldier-farmers
and land – Senate fear of
reduced power
• Eliminated property restrictions
• Accepted anyone who wanted to join army
• Armies, private forces devoted to general
• Poor hoped to share plunder at end of war
• Ruthless generals realized loyalty of troops
could be used as political tool
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General Gaius Marius
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Social and Civil Wars
The Social War
• Rome’s Italian allies had been
trying to obtain Roman
citizenship
• Senate wanted to maintain
monopoly on power, refused
• 90 BC, Social War broke outrebels were defeated, but
granted citizenship
Civil War
• Social War revealed talent of
General Lucius Cornelius Sulla
• Sulla became consul, 88 BC; after
consulship ended - he marched on
Rome, won civil war, became
dictator
• Carried out program of reforms to
protect power of Senate
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Question:
What challenges faced Rome in the late
Republic?
Answer(s): slave revolts, social unrest, the Social
War, and a civil war in which Sulla became
dictator
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Rome Becomes an Empire
Sulla paved the way for major changes in Rome’s government. The end of
the Republic resulted from the ambitions of a few individuals.
The First Triumvirate
• Julius Caesar, Gnaeus Pompey,
Licinius Crassus helped bring end to
Republic
• Caesar, Pompey successful military
commanders
End of Triumvirate
• Crassus died; Pompey, Caesar
fought civil war
• Caesar defeated Pompey, took full
control of Rome, became dictator for
life, 44 BC.
• Crassus one of wealthiest people in
Rome
• Caesar brought many changes to
Rome, popular reforms
• 60 BC, the three took over Roman
state, ruled as First Triumvirate
• Senate feared he would destroy
Roman Republic, murdered him, Ides
of March
• Caesar’s murder did not save the
Republic – Civil War
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Sulla
Caesar
Pompey
Crassus
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The Second Triumvirate
• Caesar’s murder did not save the Republic
• 43 BC, Second Triumvirate took power—Caesar’s adopted son,
Octavian; loyal officer Marc Antony; high priest Lepidus
• Lepidus pushed aside; Antony, Octavian agreed to govern half the
empire each, Octavian in west, Antony in East
Civil War
• Civil war between Octavian, Antony broke out
• Octavian defeated Antony and his ally, Egypt’s Queen Cleopatra at
the Battle of Actium in 31 BC
• Cleopatra, Antony committed suicide; Octavian alone controlled
Rome
• Republic effectively dead; new period in Roman history beginning
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Octavian; Marc Antony; Lepidus
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From Octavian to Augustus
Octavian Takes Power
• Octavian faced task of restoring
order in empire
• Had no intention of establishing
dictatorship when he took
power
Principate
• Octavian careful to avoid title of
king or emperor
• Called himself princeps, “first
citizen”
• Government called Principate
New Political Order
• Octavian decided it impossible
to return Rome to republican
form of government
• Created new political order,
known today as the empire
New Title
• 27 BC, Senate gave Octavian
title Augustus, “the revered
one”
• Title a religious honor - able to
wear laurel and oak leaf crown
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The Augustan Age
New Imperial Government
• Augustus head of state more than 40 years, made smooth transition to new
imperial government with power divided between him and Senate
• Most financial, administrative matters under Augustus’s control
Foreign Affairs
• Started program to bring peace to west, particularly to Gaul, Spain
• Began series of conquests that pushed border eastward to Danube River
• Also took special care of Rome itself
Legacy
• Created police force, fire brigades; stockpiled food, water
• Began building program; presided over moral, religious reforms
• Great period of cultural creativity; great writers like Horace, Ovid, Virgil
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Julio-Claudians and Flavians
•
•
•
•
Augustus died AD 14, empire ruled by Caesar’s relatives for 54 years
Julio-Claudian Emperors’ abilities varied widely
Tiberius a good soldier, competent administrator
Caligula, brutal, mentally unstable; appointed favorite horse as
consul
• AD 68, last of Julio-Claudians, Nero committed suicide
Flavians
• Following Nero’s death, civil wars
raged in Rome
• Four military leaders claimed
throne in turn
• Last, Vespasian reestablished
order, as did reigns of two sons
• Stability returned under Flavians
The Good Emperors
• AD 96, new line of emperors
established—Good Emperors
• Five rulers governed Rome for
almost a century
• From provinces different than
Rome, continued opening Roman
imperial society
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The Good Emperors
Empire grew tremendously under Good
Emperors
• Reached limits of expansion under Trajan
• Added what are now Romania, Armenia,
Mesopotamia, and the Sinai Peninsula
• Successor Hadrian thought empire too large
– Withdrew from almost all eastern additions
– Built defensive fortifications to guard against invasions
– Built wall 73 miles long in northern Britain
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The Pax Romana
The period from the beginning of August’s reign in 27 BC until the death of the
last of the Good Emperors in AD 180 is often called the Pax Romana—the
Roman Peace. This era was characterized by stable government, a strong legal
system, widespread trade, and peace.
Government
• Government strongest unifying force in
empire
• Maintained order, enforced laws,
defended frontiers
• Aristocracy participated, but emperors
made all important decisions
Provinces
• Empire divided into provinces ruled by
governors appointed from Rome
• Provincial government fair, efficient
• Government in Rome kept close check
on governors
• Any citizen could appeal unfair treatment
directly to emperor
Empire brought uniformity to the cities of the Mediterranean world, which were
governed in imitation of Rome.
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Legal System
Laws
• Roman law unified the empire
• Laws specified what could, could not be done; penalties for breaking law
• Same laws applied to everyone in empire, wherever they lived
Agriculture
• Agriculture remained primary occupation throughout Pax Romana
• Most farms, independent with little, no surplus to sell
• Tenant farmers began to replace slaves on large farms
Manufacturing
• Manufacturing increased throughout empire
• Italy, Gaul, Spain—artisans made cheap pottery, textiles
• Fine glassware made in eastern cities like Alexandria
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Opportunities for Trade
Trade
• Italy imported grain, meat, raw materials from provinces; silks, linens,
glassware, jewelry, furniture from Asia
• Rome, Alexandria became commercial centers
Transportation
• Commercial activity possible because of empire’s location around
Mediterranean and extensive road network
• Ultimately about 50,000 miles of roads bound empire together
Military and Merchant Routes
• Most roads built, maintained for military purposes
• Cheaper to transport grain by ship from one end of Mediterranean to other
than to send it overland; most goods went by sea
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(A). Native earth. (B). Statumen: stones of a size to fill the hand. (C). Audits:
rubble or concrete of broken stones and lime. (D). Nucleus : kernel or bedding
of fine cement made of pounded potshards and lime. (E). Dorsum or agger
viae : the elliptical surface or crown of the road (media stratae eminentia) made
of polygonal blocks of silex (basaltic lava) or rectangular blocks of saxum
qitadratum. (F). Crepido, margo or semita : raised footway, or sidewalk, on each
side of the via. (G). Umbones or edge-stones.
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Roman Society and Culture
Main Idea
The Romans developed a complex society and
pioneered cultural advances that, even today,
affect life all over the world.
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Life in Imperial Rome
Life for the Rich
Life for the Poor
• Pax Romana provided prosperity
for many
• Nearly 1 million Romans lived in
crowded three- or four-story
apartment buildings
• Rich citizens
– Had both city, country homes
– Homes had conveniences like
running water, baths
• Wealthy men spent much time in
politics
• Public officials not paid; only
wealthy could afford to hold
office; alliances
• To keep poor from rebelling:
• Free food, public
entertainment offered
• Two things interested
public—bread, circuses
(Circus Maximus, bloody
spectacles, and the
Colosseum)
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Family, Education, and Religion
Family
• Head of family - oldest living male
• Virtues of simplicity, religious devotion, obedience emphasized
• Adoption important in Roman society – pass on family name
• Women could do little without intervention of male guardian, more freedom in lower
classes
Education
• Upper class Romans placed great value on education
• Parents taught children at home; wealthy families hired tutors or sent sons to
exclusive schools to learn Latin, Greek, law, math, public speaking
Religion
•
•
•
•
•
Romans adopted much from Greek, Egyptian, and others mythology
Each family worshipped local household gods, penates
Many worshipped emperor
Romans believed gods sent signs, warnings - came in form of natural phenomena
Paid respect to augurs - priests who specialized in interpreting signs - nothing
important undertaken without first consulting augurs
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Question:
How was life different for rich and poor
citizens in Rome?
Answer(s): Rich—often had two homes and
spent time in politics, women's lives controlled by
guardians; Poor—lived in crowded conditions,
lower-class women had more freedom, often
worked outside the home
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Rome’s Cultural Legacy
Although the Western Roman Empire fell in 476, much of Roman culture
continued to influence life for centuries. In fact, we can still see many of the
legacies of the great empire today.
Science and Engineering
Galen
• Romans practical, tried to
apply knowledge gained
from science to planning
cities, building water,
sewage systems, improving
farming
• Physician, AD 100s
• Roman engineers
constructed roads, bridges,
amphitheaters, public
buildings, aqueducts to
bring water to cities
• Greatest authority in
medicine for
centuries
• Invented concrete
• Wrote volumes
summarizing all
medical knowledge
of his day
Other Thinkers
• Ptolemy stated
knowledge of others as
single theory in
astronomy
• Pliny the Elder wrote
about Mount Vesuvius
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Architecture and Language
Architecture
• Many examples still seen throughout southern Europe, northern Africa,
Southwest Asia
• Dominant advances—round arch and the vault: allowed Romans to construct
larger buildings than earlier societies
Beyond Latin
• Romance languages developed from Latin
• Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian
• English owes much vocabulary to Latin: et cetera, veto, curriculum
Legacies
• Literature: satire
• Law: civil law (based on written code)
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Question:
What are some areas in which Rome’s
influence is still seen?
Answer(s): science, engineering, architecture,
language, literature, and law
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“History is the only lab we have in which
to test the consequences of thought.”
- Etienne Gilson
It is physically impossible for pigs to look
up into the sky.
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The Fall of Rome
Main Idea
Events and conditions inside as well as outside
the Roman Empire weakened it and led to its
collapse in the west in the 400s.
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The Empire Weakens
The Roman army’s inability to stop the Huns was one symptom of the
weakness that befell the empire after the end of the Pax Romana.
Weak Leaders
• After 180, empire confronted by
challenges from outside, growing
problems within
• When last of Good Emperors died,
Rome had no strong leader - Civil
wars broke out
• Rome under increasing threat of
invasions on eastern, western
frontiers
Military Dictatorship
• Emperors increased size of Rome’s
army
• Demands on financial resources, military
caused economic crisis
• Empire: military dictatorship
• Legions deposed emperors, elevated
own leaders to throne
• 20 emperors in 49 years; all but one died
violently
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Economic Troubles
• Insecurity of civil wars, invasions affected Roman life
• Robbery, piracy increased; travel hazardous
• Merchants feared to ship goods
• Military needs required more revenue; emperors raised taxes
Inflation
• Value of money declined as taxes rose
• Emperors minted new coins with copper, lead, and silver
• People refused to accept currency at face value
• Result was dramatic rise in prices, or inflation
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Question?
What problems faced Rome in the late 200s?
Answer(s): The empire had weak leaders, civil
wars, threats of invasion, and inflation led to a
weak economy. Piracy and robbery made travel
hazardous.
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Attempts at Reform
The crises of the 200s shattered the Roman world. Drastic reforms had to be
made if the empire were to survive. Two capable emperors rose to power and
gave the empire another two centuries of life.
Diocletian
• Diocletian took power,
284 - changed empire
into absolute monarchy
• Placed self above
subjects, ruled with no
accountability to anyone
• Imperial economy came
under state direction geared toward needs of
imperial defense – saved
empire from immediate
economic collapse
Divided Empire
• Divided empire in two
to improve efficiency
• Ruled eastern half
himself, appointed coemperor to rule
western provinces
• Caesars helped run
empire
Rigid Order
• Forced society into rigid
order – harsh laws
(secret police)
• Sons to follow trades,
social positions of fathers
• Peasants tied to land
they farmed
• Increased army, full
attention to defense
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Constantine
Diocletian Retires
State Control
• Diocletian’s initiatives worked
well while he remained emperor
• Constantine continued state
control over society
• Diocletian, co-emperor retired,
305; two caesars rose to become
co-emperors
• New emperors quarreled; empire
plunged into civil war
• Made two profound decisions to
affect direction of future empire:
converted to Christianity; built
new capital—Constantinople,
“city of Constantine”—on site of
village of Byzantium
• 312, order restored when
Constantine declared emperor by
his troops; put end to fighting
• Eastern half of empire richer,
better defended; Constantine
wanted capital there
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Invasion and Fall
Unfortunately, the reforms of Diocletian and Constantine did not solve the
overwhelming problems of the empire. During the 300s and 400s, tribes from
the empire’s frontier began to invade.
The Invaders
Huns
• Late 300s, Huns stormed out of
east and sent Germanic tribes
fleeing
• Imperial defenses in east held, but
those in west overwhelmed
• Huns formed vast empire among
nomadic steppe peoples of Eurasia
• Germanic tribes lived along, raided Rome’s
frontiers for centuries
• New peoples moved west from Central Asia,
(Huns) pushed Germanic tribes into empire
• Goths: captured and sacked Rome in 410
• Vandals: attacked Rome in 450s
Attila
•Leader of Huns, led attack on Gaul
•Roman army allied with Visigoths, defeated Huns, 451
•Attila next turned on Rome; but Pope Leo I persuaded him to leave Italy
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Empire of the Huns
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Fall of the West
Western Empire
• Despite Huns’ withdrawal, Western Empire in shambles
• Germanic tribes ruled most of western provinces, including Italy
• Ostrogoths overthrew last emperor
• Many historians consider this the end of the Western Roman Empire
Eastern Empire
• Despite western collapse, Eastern Empire endured for several
centuries
• People of Eastern Empire always thought of selves as Romans
• Over time other influences, especially Greek, crept into culture
• As a result of these influences, historians refer to the later period of
the Eastern Empire by a new name, the Byzantine Empire.
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Question:
How did invaders contribute to Rome’s fall?
Answer(s): The invasion of tribes from Central
Asia caused Germanic tribes to flee into the
Empire, where resistance had been weakened.
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