Download Chapter 8, Section 1

Describe what elements
we see from ancient Greek
culture in the United
States today
Bell Ringer
The Rise of Ancient
Rome
The Roman Republic,
Chapter 8, Section 1
Romulus & Remus
Twin Brothers
Father – Mars, god of War
Jealous King feared them, ordered
them to be drowned
A wolf rescues them, raised by a
shepherd, and they kill the King.
Geographical Advantages
Seven Hills – Easy to Defend
Fertile Soil from the Tiber River
Center of the Italian peninsula, and
Mediterranean Sea.
The Etruscans
Around 600 B.C., they ruled as Kings of
Rome.
In 509 B.C., Romans revolted because
they did not like being ruled by an allpowerful King.
Not much is known about the Etruscans.
Romans form a Republic
In 264 B.C., Rome had gained control of
the entire Italian peninsula.
They formed a republic, allowing the
citizens the right to select their leaders by
voting. (Sound familiar?)
Leaders ruled in the name of the people.
The Senate
Most powerful part of the government.
Made up of 300 patricians (upper-class,
wealthy men)
In early Senate, the plebeians (ordinary
citizens) could not hold office.
Consuls
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Two chief officials called consuls led the
government.
Ruled for one year only.
Both had to agree before government
passed a new law.
If one consul said “Veto”, the planned
action was rejected.
Other Important Officials
If the consuls could not agree, Roman law
stated in case of an emergency, a dictator
could take full control for ONLY 6
months.
Praetors – At first were junior consuls,
but later become judges.
Patricians versus Plebeians
Plebeians didn’t trust the patrician
Senate.
Patricians grew rich through Rome’s
conquests by using slaves brought back to
do work. This led to many jobless
plebeians.
Plebeians refused to fight in army, so the
patricians gave in and passed the Laws of
the Twelve Tables.
Laws applied equally to everyone.
Masters of the
Mediterranean
Romans were conquering new territories
throughout the Mediterranean Sea.
They invaded Carthage, a powerful city
in North Africa.
After a long series of bloody wars, the
Romans completely destroyed the empire
of Carthage.
They then turned their attention to Gaul
(France)
The Decline of the
Republic
Turmoil between the patricians and
plebeians led to civil war.
Roman generals gathered their own
private armies and fought for power.
Julius Caesar
Led the army that conquered Gaul (France)
Well-respected by his troops, they would
follow him anywhere.
In 49 B.C., he returned to Italy to seize
power.
A war broke out between Caesar and the
Senate, and Caesar won.
He became dictator, but ruled for much
longer than 6 months.
The Death of a Dictator
In 44 B.C., he declared himself dictator
for life.
Senators felt they had a new King, and
hated it.
On March 15, 44 B.C., Caesar
attended a meeting with the Senate,
where the Senators attacked him with
knives and killed him.
From Republic to Empire
Civil War followed Caesar’s death
After 13 years, Caesar’s adopted
son, Octavian, took power.
He became the first Emperor of
Rome.
After 500 years as a Republic, the
next 500 years were ruled by an allpowerful Emperor.
The Rise of Ancient Rome
The Roman Empire,
Chapter 8, Section 2
Ruling an Empire
Augustus became Rome’s first Emperor
Rome referred to the Mediterranean
as “our sea”
Augustus was intelligent, showed
respect towards the Senate, and
avoiding acting like a King.
Claimed he wanted to restore the
Republic. However, Romans were so
grateful for peace, they gave him all the
power he wanted.
Governing Conquered
Peoples
Divided empire into provinces
Each province had a Roman governor
supported by an army.
Slaves were taken, but most people
remained free.
Daily life continued under the watchful
eye of the Romans, who maintained
peace and used resources.
Life after Augustus
Augustus’ death followed by cruel
emperors.
Emperor Caligula – Proclaimed
himself a god, was cruel and unfair to
his people.
Emperor Nero – Murdered his halfbrother, mother and wife.
Romans hated them so much, they
attempted to erase these rulers from
official records.
The Five “Good Emperors”
Hadrian is considered the greatest of the
5 Emperors.
Created laws protecting women,
children, and slaves.
Reorganized army so soldiers could
defend home provinces.
Commissioned many buildings and
structures, including a great wall. Parts
of this wall still stand today.
Empire in Decline
Marcus Aurelius was the last of the
“good emperors”.
His son, Commodus, ruled with great
brutality.
Bad government, economic problems,
and foreign invaders contributed to the
fall of the Roman Empire.
Greek influence on Rome
Romans visited Greece to study art,
architecture, and ideas about government.
Greek religion greatly influences Roman
religion.
Many Roman gods and goddesses had
Greek counterparts
Jupiter was similar to Zeus
Minerva was similar to Athena
Greek influence on Rome
Both Romans and Greeks valued
learning, but in different ways.
Greeks were interested in learning
ideas through mathematics, philosophy,
and astronomy.
Romans were more interested in
building and organizing through
architecture and engineering.
These skills helped them build their
great Empire.
Architecture and Technology
The Roman Style
Made advances in the use of the arch
(curved structure used as support over
an open space)
Developed concrete using a mix of
stone, sand, cement, and water.
Concrete helped construct buildings
taller than any previous structures.
The Pont du Gard
aqueduct
(See page 245)
The Colosseum
Architecture and Technology
The Colosseum
The site of contests and combats
between people and between people
and animals.
Held 50,000 spectators
Architecture and Technology
Roads
Engineers built roads from Rome to
every part of the Empire.
Allowed military to maintain firm
control over empire.
Aqueducts
Huge lines of arches carrying water
over long distances (from the
countryside, through the mountains,
and into the cities)
Roman
Law
Roman ideas of justice are
basic to our current system of
law
Persons accused of crimes
had the right to face their
accusers in the court of law.
If reasonable doubt existed,
the person would be
considered innocent.