Download The Romans Create an Empire

The Romans Create an
Empire
The early Romans established a
republic which grew powerful and
spread its influence
The Beginnings of Rome
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Roman Legend: Rome
was established in 753
B.C. by Romulus and
Remus, twin brothers
raised by a wolf.
They chose the spot
where they were
abandoned by their
mother to build a city.
The Ancient City
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The real reason Rome
developed at this site was
because of its strategic
location on the Tiber
River and its fertile soil.
It was centrally located
between the alps in the
north and the southern
peninsula.
Earliest Settlers
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1000 – 500 B.C. Three
groups inhabited the
peninsula: Latins, Greeks,
and Etruscans.
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Latins were shepherds and
farmers and lived in a
regions they called Latium.
They were the original
builders of Rome which was
a grouping of huts on seven
hills.
Greeks
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The Greeks established
trade colonies mostly
on the southern coasts
of the peninsula and in
Sicily.
This contact with the
Greeks influenced the
cultural development of
Rome.
Etruscans
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The Etruscans lived in the
area to the north of
Rome.
They were skilled in
metalwork and
engineering.
They claimed the fertile
area where Rome was
built Rome and they
wanted to control Latins.
Etruscan Art
A Blending of Cultures
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The Roman adopted many
cultural practices from both the
Greeks and Etruscans.
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From the Etruscans the Romans
borrowed they tradition of military
organization and the love of blood
sport.
From the Greeks, the Romans
borrowed the gods but renamed
them with Latin names.
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Zeus = Jupiter
Hera = Jumo
The Early Republic
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Around 600 B.C. Etruscan
kings began to build
temples and major
earthworks projects in
Rome.
The last king that exerted
unwelcomed control over
the Latins was Tarquin the
Proud. The Romans drove
him from power in 509 B.C.
and declared their
independence from all
future kings.
The Republic is Born
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In 509 B.C. The wealthy
landowners and aristocrats of
Rome took an oath that they
would never be ruled by a
king. Anyone who attempted
to seize power would be
killed. (This drama later plays
out with the assassination of
Julius Caesar)
They established a new
government that gave power
to the citizens to freely
selected their leaders through
voting (a Greek influence).
Patricians and Plebeians
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Voting rights were granted
only to free-born male
Roman citizens.
In Rome two major groups
struggled for political
equity- the Patricians and
the Plebeians.
Patricians= aristocratic
landowners
Plebeians= everyone else
Social Discord
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The Patricians set up a legislative
body to establish law called the
Senate. In the beginning, the
plebeians were not allowed to
participate in senatorial debates
or vote on senatorial issues.
Over time, through a series of
critical military boycotts, the
plebeians were allowed to form
their own legislative assembly, the
tributaria, and elect their own
representatives called tribunes.
The Twelve Tables
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An important victory for the
plebeians was the creation of
the Twelve Tables or a written
code of laws.
When the laws were
unwritten, they were often at
a disadvantage as patrician
officials could interpret laws
and offenses any way they
wanted.
The Twelve Tables were
codified in 451 B.C. and
became the basis for Roman
law.
Government Under the Republic
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Executive Branch: 2
Consuls- the head of
the Roman
government- they
shared power and
served for a year,
they were not
allowed to serve
again for another 10
years.
Legislative Branch
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Legislative Branch: 300
members selected from the
aristocracy. They held their
position for life.
They dealt with foreign
affairs, financial policies and
as advisors for the consuls
The Centuriate assembly
selected consuls and made
laws.
The Tribal assemblies elected
tribunes and made local laws.
Judicial Branch
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Judicial Branch:
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Praetor (mayor or governor)
eight judges chosen to serve for only one year by the
Centuriate Assembly, two judges were to oversee civil
and criminal courts the others were sent out to the
roman provinces
Dictator
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In times of crisis, the
Roman Senate
appointed a single
person with absolute
power to deal
decisively with the
crisis. The term of a
dictator was one year,
or end of the crisis
which ever came first.
The Roman Army
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All landowning citizens were
required to serve in the army.
In order to later serve in public
office, a soldier had to serve a
minimum of 10 years.
The Roman legion was made up
of 5,000 foot soldiers, a small
group of cavalry supported each
legion. Each legion was divided
into groups of 80 men called a
century.
Rome Falls 390 B.C.
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By the 4th Century B.C.,
Rome slowly gained
control of Central Italy ,
however in 390 B.C.,
Gauls, Celtic people who
came in from the north,
sacked Rome. The
Romans paid them to
leave and after a bout
six months, the Gauls
left and Rome quickly
recovered.
Rome Spreads its Power
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After its stunning defeat, Rome rethinks it relationship with its
conquered peoples and changes
the policy toward its territories.
The conquered people closest to
Rome were offered full citizenship
in exchange for an oath of loyalty.
All other conquered people were
considered allies and Rome took no
direct control over these areas as
long as they provided soldiers for
the Roman army and paid their
taxes. They were not allowed to
make treaties with any other state.
Rome’s Commercial Networks
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Rome began to dominate trade
throughout the Mediterranean. The
Romans traded a variety of goods
such as wine, olive oil, raw materials
and manufactured goods.
The growing trade put the Romans
into direct competition with the
North African city of Carthage ( a
Phoenician colony).
A series of wars were fought
between Carthage and Rome for
control of the Mediterranean. These
wars were called the Punic Wars.
Rome
•
Carthage
The Punic Wars
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In 264 B.C., Rome and
Carthage went to war.
Between 264 and 146
B.C., three wars were
fought .
The first war 264-241
B.C., was for control of
the Island of Sicily.
Rome won.
2nd Punic War
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The second war began in 218
B.C., Carthage wanted to
avenge their prior defeat and
win back control of Sicily and
control of the western
Mediterranean.
This war was led by Hannibal,
the son of the general who
had been defeated earlier.
Hannibal grew up hating the
Romans and promised
revenge at his father’s death
bed.
Hannibal and His Elephants
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Hannibal assembled nearly
60,000 men and 60
elephants with the intent of
capturing Rome.
Instead of attacking from
the south (the closest
route) he planned a
surprise attack from the
north that meant going
across north Africa, crossing
the Strait of Gibraltar,
through Spain and France
over the Alps into Italy.
Hannibal Marches on Rome
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The attack from the north and
the presence of elephants,
never seen before by Romans,
unsteadied the Romans.
Hannibal won a great victory
against the Roman army in 216
B.C., at Cannae.
The Romans and their allies
were able hold off Hannibal but
he steadily marched toward the
city.
Scipio Africanus
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A general in the Roman
army devised a plan to force
Hannibal to retreat. Instead
of engaging Hannibal’s army
in Italy, he took his men to
lay siege to Carthage.
Hannibal left Italy to defend
his native city.
In 202 B.C., on the coast of
northern Africa, Hannibal’s
army was defeated in an
ambush attack at Zama.
Third Punic War
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The Third Punic War 149 -146 B.C.,
Carthage was no longer a real
threat to Roman dominance of the
Mediterranean but the hatred
between the two cities still
remained.
A politician named Cato called for
the total destruction of Carthage
so that it would never again rise
up against Rome.
In a three year war, Carthage was
reduced to rubble, its inhabitants
were sold into slavery and salt was
spread over its land to poison the
soil.
Rome Controls the Mediterranean
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After stunning victories against
Carthage in the Punic Wars,
Rome gained dominance over
the western Mediterranean.
The Romans went on to
conquer the eastern region of
the Mediterranean by taking
control of Macedonia, Greece,
and parts of Anatolia (Turkey).
By 70 B.C., Rome controlled all
lands that bordered the
Mediterranean Sea.