Download Rome - Edmonds

Rome: From
Village to
Empire
Objective: To understand how geography and
political elements work to influences growth
Get things in BLACK into your notes.
circa 750 BC area that becomes Rome is settled by
Latins (tribe)
See Rome Expand!
Geography
Peninsula = land
surrounded on three sides
by water
Location of Rome is the
Italian peninsula
surrounded by
Mediterranean Sea
Rome is West of Apennines Mountains which provide
protection
Area provides fertile land & river access
Rome has access to the Mediterranean Sea – excellent for
trade
The early Romans were mostly farmers
c. 600 BC:
Etruscans
Conquer Rome…
…Romans adopt
(take as their own)
Etruscan alphabet,
art, gods, building
techniques (including
the arch)
In 509 BC...
…the
Romans
overthrow
the
Etruscans
Unlike the Athenians (Greeks), who had a direct or
participatory democracy (one person one vote), the
Romans established a representative democracy, or, a
REPUBLIC (where people choose representatives to
represent them)…
…like the US has today
Roman Social Structure
(for men) in the Republic
 Patricians: wealthy landowners and office-holders
Plebeians: farmers, artisans, merchants,
traders…could vote but not hold political office
 Slaves: mostly prisoners of war…not citizens… no
rights
Roman Religion
 Polytheistic: belief in more
than one god (Jupiter, Juno,
Minerva, and more)
Absorbed gods of
others…including the Greeks
Lots of public festivals
Roman Women
 Educated just like boys (not with books, but
with lecture and memorization)
Could NOT vote, but could testify in court
(unlike Greek women who were seen as too
emotional, therefore unreliable)
 Gained property rights (wives and
daughters could inherit)
More influence in family than Greek women
Gradually, the Romans began to expand their control
from the city of Rome until they conquered the entire
Italian peninsula plus the islands of Corsica, Sardinia
and Sicily
As they expanded
their control…
…the Romans built
an excellent network
of roads
Here’s how they built them:
Draw the road in your notes
Their road system is one of the Romans’ greatest
achievements spreading throughout Western Europe
and Northern Africa (G)
The Roman Road System
 Helped unify expanding Roman
territories (S)
Allowed easy military transport (P)
 Enabled trade and commerce (E)
Created freedom of movement (C)
Who do you think would be a likely rival for control of
the Mediterranean Sea?
CarthagE!!
Between 264-146 BC the Romans fought three wars with
CARTHAGE, known as the Punic Wars.
Hannibal, one of the Generals of
Carthage, attacks Rome using elephants
(defeated 202 BC)
Rome won…and went on to conquer the rest of
the Mediterranean world.
The period 27 BC-180 AD (the last map) is known as:
PAX ROMANA
Roman Peace
During this period:
o Romans thought they were the entire civilized world
(3 million square miles, 60-80 million people)
oRome enjoyed military dominance
o The population of the city of Rome reached 1 million
oTrade increased, bringing a wealth of resources into Rome
o The arts flourished