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Ancient
Rome
Geography
First
“the
boot” in the
Mediterranean Sea
Rome
is in the
center of the
peninsula
Compared to Greece
Not
broken up into small
isolated valleys
Apennine Mountains not as
rugged as Greek
mountains
More fertile land on
which to farm
Early
People
In
Latins
Rome by 800’s BC
Settled along the
Tiber River
Herders
and farmers
Greeks
Greek
colonists
were settled along
the southern
coastline
Etruscans
Lived
north of Rome
At one time controlled
most of central Italy
(including Rome itself)
Brought
alphabet to Rome
from Greeks! Example of…
The
Roman
Republic
509 BC
Etruscan
ruler driven
out of Rome
Marks the
beginning of the
Roman Republic
New government is a Republic
Some
officials chosen by the
people
Literally means “thing of the
people”
Thought it would keep any
one person/group from
gaining too much power
Roman Society
 Patricians
– Landholding upper class
– Held most power in the government
 Plebeians
– Merchants, artisans, farmers – middle
and lower middle class
– Held no power initially, will gain power
as Republic grows
Government Organization
Senate
–Patricians
–Had 300 members
–Served for life
–Made the laws
Government Organization
Assembly
of Tribes
–Plebeians
–Looked out for rights
of plebeians
–Chose Ten Tribunes
Tribunes
 Tribunes
could veto laws passed
by the Senate
 Enough pressure on patricians to
gain access to the consul; hold
high offices and finally open
Senate itself to plebeians.
Consuls
 Served
one year term
 Chosen by Senate
 expected to consult with Senate
 Job was to supervise the
business of government and
command the armies
 Could serve only one term –
WHY?
By
limiting time and
making them
responsible to Senate,
Rome establishes
system of checks on
government power
Veto – Consuls could
veto each other
Exceptions
During
war Senate
could choose a
dictator
But only for 6 months
and then he had to
give up power
Twelve Tables – 450 B.C.
Plebeians
force writing of 12
Tables
Displayed in the Forum (central
market place)
Made it possible for plebeians
to appeal judgment from
patrician judges
Lesson learned?
No
bloodshed; no
revolution; no deaths
to protect interests of
plebeians...........just
pressure!
Society
during the
Roman
Republic
Family
Patriarchical
with absolute
power
Enforced strict discipline and
total respect
Ideal Roman women was
loving, dutiful, dignified and
strong
Role of Women Changes
 In
later Roman times she could own
and operate a business
 Earned respect by paying for public
festivals or supporting the arts
 Most still worked at home and took
care of the family
 Some did become very important
and influential in Roman politics
Roman
Education
Girls
and boys learned
to read and write (even
lower class)
Wealthy families hired
tutors from Greece to
oversee the education of
their children (rhetoric
still important)
Roman
Religion
Polytheistic
Main
god is Jupiter
His wife is Juno who
protected marriage
Neptune god of the
sea
Mars god of war
Time to
Expand
By 270 BC
Rome
conquers
Etruscans and
Greeks and controls
most of the Italian
Peninsula
Roman Army
Skillful
and loyal
Basic military unit was a
legion of about 5,000
men
Fought without pay and
provided own weapons
Military leaders
Ensured
success by mixing
harsh punishment with
rewards
Soldiers show courage =
public praise
Soldiers show weakness = 1
of every 10 were put to death
Conquered Lands
Treated
with justice
Had to acknowledge
Roman leadership, pay
taxes and supply soldiers
In return they could keep
customs, money and local
government
A
chosen few
received full Roman
citizenship
Others received
partial citizenship
Also offered protection
Posted
soldiers in
conquered areas
Intricate system of roads
all of which lead to Rome.
Italy begins to unite under
one Roman rule.
Result.....
Most
conquered
people remained
loyal even in
troubled times.
ROMAN EXPANSION
(264
B.C. - 146 B.C.)
Rome fought three
conflicts:
THE PUNIC WARS
against Carthage.
The goal was to control
the western Mediterranean
Sea
st
1
Punic War
battle
over the
Strait of
Messina… Rome
won (hand to
hand combat)
Results
Won Sicily,
Corsica, and
Sardinia
nd
2
Punic War(218 BC)
Hannibal
(from
Carthage)
provoked new
battle
Used
elephants on long
march from north across
Pyrenees, through France
and over the Alps into Italy
Surprise to Italians
15 years of battle
Never captured Rome
itself!
Tactical Mistake.....Why?
Italy
attacks
Carthage
Hannibal must
hurry home to help
Romans defeat
Hannibal
Results
Carthage
gives
up all lands
except those in
Africa
rd
Punic
War
3
(Carthage’s
power rising)
Rome
destroyed
them!
Results
...sold
women/children
into slavery &
salted their fields
Rome now imperialist—
Committed
to
establishing
control over
foreign lands or
people
In Eastern Mediterranean
Rome
conquers Macedonia,
Greece and parts of Asia
Minor
They become provinces—
land under Roman rule
Control Med. Sea – “our sea”
Results of Imperialism
Incredible
riches
New class of Roman
wealthy that bought up
huge estates—
latifundia and forced
conquered people into
slavery
Forced
the small farmer
out of business
Farmers move to the
city for work
NO WORK!
Gap b/t rich and poor
broadens
Also
increased
corruption
Greed and selfinterest replace
simplicity, hard
work and devotion
to duty
Entertainment for the Poor
Bread
and Circuses
Free grain to the poor
Circuses – Entertainment –
Gladiators, Chariot Races
Attempts to Reform
Patrician
Tiberius
Gracchus (133 BC)
encouraged the state
to distribute land to
poor farmers
Patrician
Gaius
Gracchus (123 BC)
sought wider range
of reforms including
the use of public
funds to buy grain
to feed the poor.
Results?
Angered
Senate saw
Gracchus brothers as a
threat and in massive
street violence set off by
the Senate and their hired
thugs the brothers were
killed.
Rome
plunged into Civil
War
At issue was who
should rule?
1. The senate which had
governed in the past.
2. Popular political figures
who wanted to weaken the
senate and enact reforms.
So now.......
Slave
rebellions
(Spartacus 73-71BC)
Revolts
among
Roman allies
Meanwhile
The
old legions of citizensoldiers became professional
armies whose first loyalty was
to their commander (loyalty lies
where the money lies)
Rival generals march to Rome to
advance their ambitions.
The Rise
of Julius
Caesar
Ambitious
military
commander
Worked closely
with Pompey for a
while
59 BC
Set
out with his army to
make new conquests
After nine years of
fighting conquered Gaul
(present day France)
Fearful
of Caesar’s
popularity, Pompey
convinced the
Senate to order
Caesar’s army
disbanded and that
he return to Rome
Caesar
defies the
order and secretly led
his army across the
Rubicon River into
northern Italy and
then toward Rome
More Civil War
Caesar
CRUSHES
Pompey and suppresses
other rebellions in the
region
“Veni, vidi, vici”—”I
came, I saw, I
conquered
Caesar
forces the
Senate to make him
dictator
Kept the senate and
other democratic
features, but in reality
he had absolute
power.
Caesar’s Reforms
 Public
works programs to employ
the jobless
 Gave public land to the poor
 Granted citizenship to more
people in the provinces
 Julian calendar—used in western
Europe for over 1,600 years and
with minor adjustments the one
we use today
Caesar is Assassinated!
March
15, 44 BC (Ides of
March) because his enemies
thought he would make
himself king.
Who were his enemies? Why?
Claimed it was to save the
Republic
But the result was....
More
civil war
Marc Antony (Caesar’s
chief general) and
Octavian (Caesar’s
grand-nephew) join
forces to hunt down
murderers
But
they become bitter
rivals and Octavian defeats
Marc Antony and Cleopatra
(in Egypt at the Battle of
Actium) to become new
leader in Rome.
Marc Antony and Cleopatra
commit suicide in
Alexandria
The Rise of the
Roman Empire
Octavian’s Rule
Senate
gives him title of
Augustus
Exercised absolute
power
Ruled from 31BC to
14AD
Changes in government
1. Civil service created to
enforce laws (Senate
remains but has limited
power)
Talented men could work in
government under new
system regardless of social
status
2. Renewed
alliances with
provinces by
allowing them a
large measure of
self-government
3. Ordered a census to
make tax distribution more
fair
4. Set up postal system
5. Issued new coins to
make trade easier
6. Put jobless to work
building roads and
temples and sent
others out to farm.
 Period
known as PAX
ROMANA