Download Rise, Rule and collapse of Rome

*How was it possible that small group of villages in Latium could create the
Roman Empire?
•What was the content of the Roman civilization? The heritage of it for today?
Was there somekind of unity throughout the Roman Empire?
* Why did the Roman Empire collapse? Effects?
Rise of Rome
 Background
- The Etruscans were rulers of the city of Rome in
the 7th and 8th C. BC
* turned the villages into a town;
Forum Romanum was established
- influence on the Roman religion (signs,
offerings)
- The Latin alphabet; influence on European
writing
- art of temple building, semi-circular arch..
Establishment of the Roman
Republic ( 509-31 BC)
 The Etruscan kings were thrown off from the city of Rome
 Why Rome and the Romans?
- excellent position by the Tiber-river surrounded by
the hills, nearby the sea
- famous Roman roads; the Roman army; quality of
legions ( citizen´s army, Naval power)
- attaracted by violence?
- Divide and Rule- policy
- the first enlargement took place when the neighbor
countries were not ready to challenge…
Political System of Rome
 Senate- dominated by the aristocrats, the main political power:
foreign policy, law-making, taxes..
 People´s Assembly- dominated by the rich, elected the public
officials ( for 1 year only)and voted for laws
 Public officials –quaestors ( budget), aediles (municipal
administrators), praetors ( judges), consuls ( general policy,
military people)
 Tribunes of the Plebs , from 494 BC– had the right of veto on
decisions by the public officials
- The law of 12 Tables ( 5th C. BC): the first corpus of written law
in Europe→
http://www.historyguide.org/ancient/12tables.html
 Social Classes:
1) Patricians – the rich, aristocrats
2) Plebeians – servants, the poor, the ordinary people
•
Patron- Client- relationship
•
Women:Free-born women were citizens, but could not vote or
hold political office
- divorce was legal
- under the control of her father/ husband
-could own property
- the main duty as a mother and a wife
To what extent is it fair to say that the Rome was a democracy? P.66
The Roman constitution”
The Film: Rise, Rule, Collapse/
Rome
 Why Rome?/ Enlargement of the Roman Empire/
when , how?
 The daily life of the Roman people/ Pompeij
- cultural habits
- everyday customs
 Collapse of the Roman Empire/ Why?
Was there cultural unity in the
Roman Empire?
 Rome and the provinces
- Romanization deeper in places which had been
longest in the Roman Empire/ also in frontier zones
(legions)
- The Romans founded many towns which were linked
by a network of roads
* each town had a temple or an altar dedicated to
Rome
* also public buildings; theatres, amphitheatres,
baths, arches, aqueducts…
 Roman habits and the Roman way of life spread all
over empire
 Every city had its own institutions and officials, just
like in the city of Rome
 The citizenship of Rome to the most of provinces
 Economic unity→ Pax Romana ( 27BC- 200 AD)one
currency, good communications, common use of the
Roman law, division of labour; regions specialized in
what their could produce best→ the city of Rome
became an importer! Map p.77
Economic/ cultural unity of
Rome
 Latin was the official language of the whole Empire;
many other languages were also spoken
 Religion was quite the same; same gods together with
the traditional/ local gods
* oriental cults spread also all over Europe
* Judaism/ Christianity
SO UNITY WITHOUT UNIFORMITY!
* LIMITED, BUT REAL DEGREE OF UNITY..
The Fall of the Roman Empire
 Why?
• Pax Romana
* Internal Crises: economic and social problems; The
Military-anarchy-time and disorder generally in
society
* The Tetrarchy system: The Empire was divided into
four parts; Trier, Milan, Sirmium ( West of Belgrade),
Nicomedia in Asia Minor→ The city of Rome was no
longer the capital of the Empire
* external problems; the Great invasions ( map p.84)
How?
 Emperor Constantine united the Empire once again;
settled new capital in Constantinople, Byzantium
 In 395 the Empire was divided into two parts; The
West Rome and the East Rome ( Byzantium)
 Effects?
- introduction of reforms in the provinces
* Italy lost it privileges, was partitioned
* Lack of money; the taxes had to be raised ( a poll
tax, based on goods too)
* defence
 The desert to the countryside; a threat of barbarian
attacks and revolts of the poor
- ruralization of the society
* the state insisted: those who filled it,
should remain on it
* bartering
→ the Villa´s owner became a protector against the
insecurity of the time ( roots of feudalism)
* In 476 the Germans attacked the city of Rome:
collapse of the West Rome. The rise of Byzantium/
East.Rome