Download Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome
TCAP Review Week 3
Geography
Of
Ancient Rome
Rome is located
• On the Tiber River
• In the country of Italy
• On the continent of Europe
• The “Boot” of Italy sticks out into
the Mediterranean Sea = great
for trade
• Located right in the middle of the Italian Peninsula = trade
and communication
• Built along the Tiber River 15 miles from sea and
surrounded by 7 hills
Two Mountain Ranges
• The Alps Mountains, Europe’s
highest mountains, separated the
Italian peninsula from the rest of
the continent.
• The Apennine Mountains run north
to south along the length of the
Italian peninsula
Climate - mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers.
• Made it possible for the region to develop a strong
agricultural base.
Tiber River
•
Aided the growing agricultural
system
•
provided a reliable source of
fresh water used for irrigating
their farms
•
provided drinking water for
humans and animals
•
unlike many other civilizations,
Rome did not develop in the
river’s delta
Religion
Of
Ancient Rome
• Polytheistic - Adopted Greek gods
• Later Christianity – Jesus - Crucified
The Romans were very superstitious. They believed that
good or bad luck was given by the gods – if the gods were
happy then you would have good luck but if they were
unhappy then your luck would be bad. There were many
different gods and each of them looked after different things
Jupiter was the god
of the sky and the
most important god.
Neptune was
the god of the
sea.
Mars was
the god or
war.
• The Romans worshipped their gods in a temple.
• They made sacrifices of animals and precious items to
their gods.
• They believed that when an Emperor died he became a
god and so a sacrifice was also made to the Emperor.
Roman Christianity
The origins and early spread of Christianity took
place in the Roman Empire. It was based on the
teachings of Jesus Christ. Spread during the
PAX Romana. Despite persecution of the early
Christians, Christianity became the official
religion of the Roman Empire.
Emperor Constantine is
credited with converting the
Roman Empire to Christianity.
Achievements
Of
Ancient Rome
• Romans were the 1st to institute:
• innocent until proved guilty when accused of crime.
• Evidence needed to be “clearer than daylight”
• Architecture: Arches, domes, and vaults
Pantheon, Colosseum, Circus Maximus
and Forum
• Technology: Roads, Aqueducts, Arches, Domes
• Literature:
• Legend says that Rome was founded by the brothers
Romulus and Remus, sons of Mars - god of war.
• Virgil’s Aeneid : epic – tells the story of the founding of
Rome. He expresses the values that he believed should
guide Rome.
• Roman Poet – Horace wrote satires and odes. Satires
poked fun at human weaknesses. Odes express strong
emotions about life.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Republican model of government (elected senate)
Civil Law Code (Justinian Code)
Institution of the Christian Church
History: Tacitus and Livy – wrote about Roman history
Law: 12 Tables, Innocent until Proven Guilty
Mosaics – patterns or pictures made from small pieces
of colored glass or stone. Popular in the Byzantine
Empire.
Politics
Of
Ancient Rome
•
Plebeians: the group of common people or peasants in
Rome who were calling for changing the government where
they had more of a say in how the city was run.
•
Patricians: Roman nobles who ran the government. Only
they could be elected to office, so they held all political
power.
•
Magistrates: Elected government officials.
•
Consuls: The title of the two most powerful magistrates.
Made up of three parts
1. Magistrates
2. Senate
3. Assembly
•
The two highest magistrates were
called Consuls
•
The most powerful political position in
Rome.
•
The consuls issued laws and led the
army.
•
In order to prevent one person from
becoming too powerful, each consul
could veto the decisions of the other.
•
Additionally, consuls, like the other
magistrates, only served for one year.
•
was made up of 300 men, who at first were only selected
from the patrician class
•
Senators were elected and held their offices for life
•
First the Senate’s only job was to advise the consuls, but
over time, it gained power.
• eventually becoming the most important part of the
government and making decisions about laws, foreign
policy, and finance.
• Protected the rights of the plebeians. The plebeians had
an assembly, or lawmaking body, of their own called the
Council of the Plebs.
•
This assembly could elect ten officials, called tribunes.
• The tribunes had the power to veto the actions of the
consuls or the Senate.
• The veto power meant that this group of tribunes had
the ability to limit what the Senate and the consuls
could do, which made them very powerful.
•
leaders are elected by the people to serve in government
and represent the views of the entire society.
•
Rome, unlike in Athens, not everyone’s views were
represented. However, the idea of elected officials serving
the interests of the entire society was an important
innovation in political thought.
•
no one person, group, or branch of government has all
the power.
•
This idea was central to the creation of the United
States government.
• The United States government is separated into three
branches—the legislative, executive,
and judicial branches—each with their
own powers and responsibilities.
Dictator – a person granted absolute power
Cincinnatus:
• Rome’s most famous dictator
• Left his farm in 460 B.C. and took over the Roman
army to defeat enemy forces
• Even though he could have kept power, he returned
to the life of a farmer.
• Widely admired for fulfilling his civic duty
The Twelve Tables
• Rome’s first Code of Laws
• All free citizens – patrician and plebeian alike – had the
right to be treated equally
• Carved on 12 bronze tablets placed in Rome’s market
place, called a Forum.
•
Rome fought Carthage during the 200’s B.C. in
three different wars called the “Punic Wars” –
Rome wins!
•
These victories greatly expanded their empire
and gave them important trading cities such as
Sicily and Carthage = $$$
•
Rome’s domination of the Mediterranean
Sea has begun!!
• Marius – general that believed that he could solve
Rome’s economic problems
• Formed an army of professional soldiers
• Sulla – opposed Marius, named himself dictator.
• Hoped that his reforms would restore the Roman
Republic, instead, Rome plunged into conflict
In 60 B.C. Three men ruled the Roman Republic
• Crassus – a general and one of Rome’s wealthiest men
• Pompey and Caesar – both rich and known for their military
accomplishments
First Triumvirate
A political group of three people who
share equal power.
Crassus, Pompey, Caesar
• Crassus – led in Syria
• Pompey – led in Spain
• Caesar – led in Gaul
• 44 B.C. – Caesar took over the Roman Government and
declared himself dictator for life.
•“Ides of March” – March 15, 44 B.C. – Caesar assassinated
by the Senators
•After Caesar’s death, civil war broke out.
•Octavian – “Caesar Augustus” -Rome’s First Emperor
• Pax Romana – “Roman Peace”
• Began under Emperor Augustus
• Rome reached the height of power
• 200 years of Peace and Prosperity
• Expansion and solidification of
Roman Empire, particularly in
the Near East.
• Augustus named an official called proconsul, or governor,
to oversee each of Rome's provinces
Second Triumvirate
• Octavian – Caesar’s grandnephew – 18 years old
• Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus – two of Caesar’s top
generals
• Did not last long – Octavian and Antony became Rivals
•Battle of Actium – Octavian and Antony’s navies clash off
the Greece’s coast
•Defeated Antony and Cleopatra (killed themselves)
Economics
Of
Ancient Rome
•Agriculture – Farming
•Industry – Potters, weavers, and jewelers
•Artisans – glass, bronze, and brass. Exported throughout
the Mediterranean region.
•Trade flourished – Roman system of money was used
within the empire.
•Used standard system of weights and measurements
• Roads – allowed Romans to communicate and move armies
and goods easily.
• Navy – eliminated piracy – goods could be shipped safely
• Traders sold luxury goods to wealthy Romans
• Romans imported raw materials, such as British tin and
Spanish silver and lead.
• Trade made many people wealthy.
Social Structure
Of
Ancient Rome
Family: basic unit of society
• Male head of household (usually father) had absolute
power
• Enforced discipline
• Demanded respect
Women: played larger role than Greek women
• Could run businesses, attend baths, theater and public
entertainment – supported arts and public festivals
• Most worked at home, however!
Education:
• Girls and boys learned to read and write
• Wealthy Romans hired private tutors (from Greece) to
supervise education of children
Everyday People:
• Plebeians: Ordinary working citizens
• Patricians: Wealthy land owning families
• Women- Were expected to run the house. Girls had very
little schooling
• Children: Went to school from dawn to dusk. School was
for the privileged, few attended and most could not read
or write.
• Gladiator – a person who fought people or animals for
public entertainment.
• Slaves – worked in homes and harvested crops, mined
ore, helped build roads, bridges, and aqueducts.