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Ancient Rome
Geography of Italy
Italian Peninsula
-100 Miles Wide
-700 Miles Long
 3 Seas Around Italy
-Tyrrhenian Sea
-Adriatic Sea
-Mediterranean Sea
 Rivers
-Po valley: rich farm area; Tiber-food
/ transportation
 Looks Like a Soccer Shoe
with a ball.
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Label the map of "The Topography of Ancient Rome" as indicated below:
bodies of water [blue ink]:
Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea
rivers [blue ink]:
Po, Tiber, Rubicon
mountains/peaks [brown ink]:
Alps, Apennines, Mt. Etna, Mt. Vesuvius
islands [green ink]:
Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily
cities [red ink]:
Rome, Ostia, Syracuse, Carthage, Pompeii, Brindisium, Tarentum
peoples [purple ink]:
Latins, Gauls, Etruscans, Greeks
other [black ink]:
Magna Graecia
Italy
Greece
Geography
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Italy is poor in mineral resources and surprisingly devoid of useful harbors.
The most stunning difference between Greece and Italy is the larger amount
of fertile land. While Greece is poor in fertile land, Italy is wealthy in both
land and precipitation.
Italy had one other significant difference from Greece: it was easily accessible
from Europe to the north.
The Greeks lived behind a formidable mountain range; the Alps to the north
of Italy were not quite as invulnerable.
The Greeks also had a warlike Greek population to the north,, to serve as a
buffer between themselves and other Europeans..
Geography of Italy
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The land is less rugged than Greece, so
travel by land was much easier.
Travel by sea was more difficult because
Italy had few good harbors.
This made trade with others living on the
peninsula easier than trading with outsiders
Natural Resource
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Plenty of good buildings Stone
A good supply of clay was widely used for
brocks and pottery
Forests provided timber for shipbuilding and
wild animals for food.
Fertile volcanic soil and a mild climate resulted
in profuse harvests of wheat and barley as well
as olive trees.
Farmland
•There was much more arable land in Ancient Rome
than in Greece.
•The fertile land and mild climate were ideal for
farming.
•The Ancient Romans didn’t need to import as much, so
extensive trade wasn’t necessary.
•Rivers carried mineral rich silt that created good
farmland.
Volcanic ash made the soil rich. (Most of the volcanoes
are now extinct.)
Origin of the Etruscans
•Etruscan civilization is the
modern English name given to
the culture and way of life of a
people of ancient Italy
•Between the 900 and 500 BCE
they called themselves the
Rasenna
•The Greeks Called them the
Tyrrhenian
•The Romans called them the
Entrusean
•They came from the eastern
Mediterranean
Etruscan Political System
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Independent, fortified city-states
Had a strong military that dominated
all the surrounding peoples
By 6c BCE, the Etruscan military had
conquered much of the Italian
peninsula, including Rome and the island
of Corsica.
Etruscan Military
Bronze Warrior
6c BCE Chariot
Etruscan Religion
Polytheistic.
Believed that the destiny of man
was determined by the whims of the gods
Reconstruction of an
Etruscan Temple
Etruscan Cemetery
Etruscan Funeral
& Tomb
Etruscan Tomb
Wall &
Tomb Fresco
Interior of an Etruscan Tomb
Etruscan Gold Jewelry
Life-Size Statue of an Etruscan Baby in Swaddling Clothes
Dance, Dance, Spin !
Double Flutist
An Etruscan Banquet
Etruscan Wrestlers
Etruscan Jars & Vases
Etruscan Bronzes
Questions Of The Day
How Wide was Italy?
100 Miles Wide
 How Long was Italy?
700 Miles Long
 3 Seas Around Italy are :
-Tyrrhenian Sea
-Adriatic Sea
-Mediterranean Sea
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The Story Of
Romulus and Remus
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Romulus and Remus, twin sons of Mars and the Vestal
Rhea Silvia.
when children were unwanted. They were unwanted
because Amulius, was fearing that the boys would grow
up to overthrow him, had them placed in a trough and
thrown into the River Tiber.
They were found by a she-wolf, who instead of killing
them, looked after them and fed them with her milk.
Faustulus, a shepherd, who brought the children to his
home. Faustulus and his wife, Acca Larentia, raised the
boys as their own
Romulus and Remus
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They decided to build a city near the spot.
Romulus slew Remus with a shovel over a
dispute about which one of the two brothers
had the support of the local deities to rule the
new city and give it his name.
Romulus win and named the city (ROME)
The Fasces
The faces was on of the
Etruscan tradition adopted by
the Romans.
-Axe gathered together with
wooden rods was a symbol of
the authority of the
magistrate and was displayed
when a magistrate was
present.
- Before world war II the fasces
was adopted as a symbol of
fascist party in Italy.
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Etruscans Influence on Roman life
They settled south of the Tiber River where
they raised crops and herded sheep, goats,
and cattle.
-Etruscan influenced roman worlds.
-roman life including numerals
-fondness for blood sports.
-belief in Hades and the underworld gods.
-Etruscan political affairs.
Romans adopt Etruscan, art, gods, building
techniques (including the arch)
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c. 600 BCE:
Etruscans Conquer Rome…
•3 groups battle for
control of the Italian
Peninsula – Latins,
Greeks, Etruscans
•Etruscans native to
northern Italy – skilled
metalworkers and
engineers
•600 BC – an Etruscan
became king of Rome –
allowed Rome to grow from
a collection of hilltop
villages to a city that
covered 500 square miles
Roman Beginnings…
Rome started with the
Latin Tribe on the Italian Peninsula
in the Tiber River Valley
around 2000 B.C.
Italian Peninsula Powers
map
Eventually…
The Tarquin (Etruscan Family) Dynasty was
overthrown.
Rome forms its own government.
Life of the people( city life )
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Rome was the largest city of the roman empire it
had almost 1 million people living in the city
More the Alexandria in Egypt. It was the second
city with (750 000)
It was the center of trade and culture.
Engineers planned the city with public building,
temples.
Family life
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Head of roman
household was the
father. he had total
power over all members
of his household.
Power to sell his children
into slavery. Or have
them killed, as long as
the father lives.
Children
Children in ancient Rome enjoyed the
same kind of toys and games that the
chldren enjoy today.
-dolls, carts, hobby hours, and board games.
 They also had dogs, cats and other pats.
 In wealthier families, most boys get
married when there were just 15,18
 Most girls would get married at 13 or 14
years of age. The father picks the
husband for her.
 In poor rural family, children had to work
in the fields.
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Education
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No public schools.
Earliest schooling would be
at home until about 10 or
11.
They learn how to read,
write, and arithmetic,
Slaves from Greece thought
the children.
Until age 14 they studied
mainly Latin and Greek
grammar and literature.
The Roman Republic
Republic: Citizens elect representatives
to run the government.
The Republic
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An political system in which
a country is ruled by law, has
representative government,
and is democratic in nature.
Established in 509 B.C.
Gives each “tribe” of Rome
Senatus Populus Que Romanus
representation in the
(The Senate and the People of Rome )
government.
Uses two different branches
to run the government
The Roman Republic
Senate
Consuls
Law Makers
300 Members
-Proposed Laws
-Lifetime Terms
-Nominated Consuls
-Consuls appoint vacancies
Chief Executive
Two Positions
-One year terms (to limit
their power)
-During war time one is
chosen to act as dictator
The Senate was made up of land owners or Patricians.
The common people were known as Plebeians.
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Patricians
Large landowners
Rome’s ruling class
Plebeian
-smaller landowners
-farmers
-crafts people
-soldiers.
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Both Patricians and Plebeian were citizens and groups can vote
Plebeian Plight for Equal Rights
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509B.C. - Republic created: Plebeians are citizens with
the right to vote, but they could not hold political office
494B.C. - Formation of the Plebeian Assembly and
Tribunes
451B.C. - Twelve Tables created: Ensuring the right to
protection of the law for all Roman citizens
287B.C. - Plebeian Assembly evolves into the Popular
Assembly with near equal status to the Senate
Twelve Tables
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TABLE I (Civil procedure)
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TABLE VIII (Torts)
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TABLE II (Civil procedure)
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TABLE IX (Constitutional
principles)
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TABLE III (Debt)
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TABLE X (Funeral regulations)
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TABLE XI (Marriage)
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TABLE XII (Crimes)
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TABLE IV (Parents and children)
TABLE V (Inheritance)
TABLE VI (Property)
TABLE VII (Real Property)
Twelve Tables
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An important step in the political development
of any people is the organization and publication
of their laws in a way that makes it possible for
all persons to know what the law is. About 450
B.C.E., the Romans codified their laws and
inscribed them on twelve bronze tables which
were set up in the Roman Forum. These Twelve
Tables were the basis of all later Roman law, and
through it, of the legal system of much of the
world today.
Statue of Justice in front of the U. S. Supreme Court Building
Rome Expands…
North - Took over the
Etruscans
 South - Took over the
Greeks
By 270B.C. Rome ruled all of
central and southern
Italy
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Punic Wars
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Series of three wars over
100 years… Carthage versus
Rome
First War: 241B.C. - Sicily
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Carthage controlled part of
Sicily, Rome wanted it as a
buffer
Fought by ships
Rome won!
Battles BC
Hannibal the
Annihilator Part
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219B.C. - Carthaginian General Hannibal attacks Rome
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Hannibal
Through Iberian Peninsula, through Gaul and over the Alps
Losing half of his men
Rome attacks North Africa
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Hannibal returns to Africa to defend Carthage
Third Punic War
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199B.C. Carthage attacked a Roman ally
Rome gets annoyed with Carthage and they
destroy the city of Carthage
Therefore Rome controls all Carthaginian land
North Africa = Roman Province
Rome before the wars…
Rome after the Punic Wars…
Roman Empire
Expanding across the Mediterranean
brought many changes to Rome…
Expansion under the Republic
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Rome expanded to…
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146 B.C. Macedonia and Greece
133 B.C. Asia Minor
100 B.C. Middle East and Egypt
End of the Republic
Senate became too powerful and the
army was doing all the work…
Enter: Julius Caesar
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Popular General
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Fresh from the Gallic Wars in
which Rome took over Gaul
44B.C. formed the First
Triumvirate
(oligarchy)
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Overthrew the Senate (weakened
it)
Gave Roman citizenship to nonRomans
Adjusted taxes (taxed rich more
than the poor)
Julius Caesar
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Became a dictator
All powerful
According to the Senate…
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He was too powerful!
Senate
assassinates/murders
Julius Caesar
Augustus
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Created a peaceful
empire (Pax Romana)
Concentrated on
building the empire from
within…
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Adjusted taxes
Public works
Lack of corruption
Encouraged large Roman
families
Augustus “the majestic”
The Roman Empire is born!
Pax Romana (Roman Peace)
Roman Trade
Causes of the Decline of Rome
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Rome’s economy declines.
Rome faces military upheaval.
Roman politics decay.
Bigger gap between the rich and poor.
Rome splits into East and West
Contributing Factors to the Decline of the Western
Roman Empire…
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Economic
 Inflation
 Disruption of Trade
Military
 Threats from Northern European tribes
 Decline of patriotism & loyalty among soldiers
 Low funds for defense
Political
 Division of the empire
 Political office seen as a burden, not an honor
Social
 Lack of confidence in the empire
 Decline in interest of political affairs