Download The Origins of Rome

Geography
• Few natural resources
• Although coastline extensive, few
natural harbors – limited seafaring skills
• Predominantly agricultural – Plains of
Latium
• Land open to invasion / farmer-soldiers
The Etruscans
• Dominated central and
northern Italian
Peninsula
• Confederation of citystates
• Flourishing trade with
the East
• Alphabet based on
Greek- not totally
decipherable
• Great respect for
women
The Etruscans
• Influences on Rome
 The Arch
 The Vault
 Gladiator combat
(funeral rite)
 Studying animal
entrails
Early Greek Influences
• Greek colonies on
peninsula / Sicily
• Influences include:
 Religion
 Alphabet
 Crops- grapes and
olives
The Origins of Rome
• Indo-Europeans
2,000-1,000 BCE
• City-state of
Rome founded
753 BCE
• Tiber River /
Seven Hills of
Rome
• Strategic
importance
The Origins of Rome
• Romulus and
Remus
• Rape of the Sabine
Women
Origins 3:54
The History of Rome
• Roman history in three major political
phases:
The Kingdom (753-507)- Traditionally, rule
by seven kings from Romulus to Tarquinius
Superbus
The Republic (507-31)- Rule by Senate,
Consuls, Assemblies, and dictators
The Empire (31 BCE – 476 CE)- Rule by
emperors
The Kingdom
• Senate (Senex- “old man”)- Council of
elders (clan chiefs)
• Possible veto power over king
• Tarquinius Superbus (Etruscan)
• Etruscan construction
The Kingdom
• The Rape of
Lucretia
• Patriotic Myths
• Suspicion of
monarchy
• Etruscans absorbed
by growing Roman
state
The Rape of Lucretia
The Republic
• Territorial
expansion and
warfare (Sabines,
Samnites, etc)
• Use of diplomacy
and citizenship
• Cincinnatus
• The ideal of the
Virtuous Citizen
Rome’s Military 8:29
The Republic
• Class structure
 Patrician- wealthy,
landowning families from
origins of Rome
 Plebeians- farmers, soldiers,
merchants; could vote
 Intermarriage forbidden until
fourth century BCE
 Slaves
• Power struggle / civil war
between Patricians and
Plebeians throughout Republic
period
The Republic
• Roman Republican Bureaucracy
 Senate- “old” prestigious families; Patricians;
oligarchy
 Consuls (x2)- executive; leaders in battle
 Praetors- administered laws
 Quaestors- administered treasury
 Tribune (x10)- protected rights of Plebeians
• Until fourth century BCE, officials drawn from
Patrician class only
The Republic
• Roman Legislative
Bodies
 The Senate - composed
of 300 Patricians;
served for life; advised
the government
 The Centuriate
Assembly - based on
classes; elected
officials; passed laws
 The Council of the
Plebs - formed in 471
BCE; In 287 BCE its laws
were binding on all
citizens
The Punic Wars
• Series of three wars with Carthage
(264-146 BCE)
• Dominance in Mediterranean
• First Punic War
Conflict over Greek and Carthaginian
colonies in southern Italy / Sicily
Sicily absorbed by Rome
The Corvus
The Punic Wars
• Second Punic War
 Roman
interference in
Carthaginian
Spain
 Hannibal
 Crossing of Alps
 Battle of Lake
Trasimene
 Battle of Cannae
 Battle of Zama
Second Punic War
The Punic Wars
• Cato – “Carthage
must be destroyed”
• New Roman province
of North Africa
• Breadbasket of Rome
• Roman conquest of
Macedonia and
Greece
• Gift of Pergamum
The Punic Wars 14:20
Social Unrest and Revolt
• Decline of small farms
and rise of large
landowners
• Migration of landless
poor to Rome
• Rise of commercial
farming – latifunda
• Labor market versus
slavery
• Tiberius and Gaius
Gracchus
Rise of the Roman
Republic 8:22
Social Unrest and Revolt
• Marius – oath / landless
poor
• Sulla
 Seized Rome with
military (82 BCE)
 Civil War
 Abolished all assemblies
except Senate
 Set precedent of violent
political action
Marius
Sulla
Social Unrest and Revolt
• Emergence of the First
Triumvirate
 Julius Caesar, Crassus,
Pompey
 Crassus killed by Parthians
53 BCE
 Senate support of Pompey
versus Caesar
 Crossing the Rubicon – civil
war
 Defeat of Pompey
 Caesar made dictator 47 BCE
Julius Caesar
Social Unrest and Revolt
• Caesar initiates
reforms
• Adopts Egyptian
solar calendar –
Julian Calendar with
365 days
• Senate fears
monarchy
• Caesar
assassinated 44 BCE
The assassination of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar and Rhine Bridge
10:11
The End of the Republic
• The Second Triumvirate
Octavian, Marc Antony,
Lepidus
• Civil war - conspirators
defeated
• Rome divided / ruled by
Octavian and Antony
• Antony and Cleopatra
• Battle of Actium
• Deaths of Antony and
Cleopatra
The death of Cleopatra
Empire
• Octavian “restores”
power to the Senate
• Awarded titles of
Augustus and imperator
• Expands into Balkans,
Germany
• Establishes Praetorian
Guard
Caesar Augustus (Octavian)
Empire
• Julio-Claudian
Dynasty
 Augustus
 Tiberius
 Caligula
 Claudius
 Nero
Nero
Nero 12:32
The Five Good Emperors
• (96 – 180 CE)
 Nerva
 Trajan
 Hadrian
 Antoninus Pius
 Marcus Aurelius
Nerva
Trajan
Hadrian
Trajan 8:29
Antoninus
Pius
Marcus Aurelius
Roman Engineering
A lasting legacy
Roman baths were
used as meeting
places where one
could not only bathe
but eat, conduct
business, and be
entertained
Roman aqueducts provided as much fresh water to
Roman citizens as is provided today
Water was taken
from mountain
sources and moved
along underground
and aboveground
channels using the
force of gravity
A fountain could be
found at the
terminus of each
aqueduct to release
its pressure
Water
6:57
Roman Roads 3:10
Hadrian’s Wall - Hadrian put the empire into a defensive mode
To facilitate the
transport of trade
goods, the Romans
constructed a port at
Portus bypassing
the inadequate
Ostia
Python Roman
Adv 1:59
Empire
• Romans promoted
cultural unity
through the Latin
language, Roman
law, and citizenship
• 212 CE - Emperor
Caracalla made all
free people within
the empire citizens
Forum & Latin 1:44
Python Latin 1:46
Roman Law
• Roman law was based on the Twelve Tables
set in 450 BCE
• Law dealt with both citizen and non-citizen –
evolved into Law of Nations
• Standards included
 Innocent until proven guilty
 Right to a defense before a judge
 Responsibility of judge to weigh evidence before
rendering verdict
Roman Life
• Wealth gap
• Wealth stimulated
long-distance trade
(India, China)
• Rise of land estates
- commercial
farming – work done
by slaves
Roman Feast 13:09
• City of Rome –
landless poor
• “Insulae”
• Unemployment
versus slavery
• Paterfamilias
• Rights of Father –
early versus late
Rome
• Rights of women
– early versus late
Rome
Access to public buildings
Greek Influences on Late
Rome
• Post-Conquest: removal of Greek art
and literature
• Popularity of Greek slaves
• Popularity of Greek philosophy / religion
(Stoicism)
• Transmission of Greek culture
• “Captive Greece took captive her rude
conqueror” Horace
Bread and Circuses
• Free bread and entertainment
• Political advantages
Colosseum
10:46
Slavery
•
•
•
•
Slavery in nearly all areas of Roman life
Some measure of freedom
Cost benefits of slavery
Slave revolts – Spartacus (73 BCE)
70,000 slaves
• Impact of slavery on technological
development
Slavery
• “War is business” –
Generals as slavers
• Julius Caesar –
58,000 slaves from
one battle
1 / 13:13
2 / 18:37
3 / 12:26
Roman Religion
• Based on Greek gods
• Paterfamilias – daily
offerings to Vesta
(goddess of the home)
• Emperors often
proclaimed gods to gain
support from masses
• Romans usually tolerant
of other religions
Vestal Virgin
Rome and the Jews
• Judea - Roman
province in 6 CE
• Sadducees favored
Roman rule
• Zealots – nationalists –
advocated violent
overthrow of Roman
rule
• 66 CE – Zealots begin
revolt
Judean Uprising 4:32
Python Stoning 2:31
Rome and the Jews
• Masada
• Sack of Jerusalem
(Ark)
• Judea under total
Roman control
• The Jewish
Diaspora (80 CE)
Rome and Christianity
• Political climate when Jesus
preached
• Roman Procurator Pontius
Pilate
• Peter and Paul of Tarsus –
Christianity a Jewish sect?
• Use of Roman roads
• New Testament- writings
between 40-100 CE
• Importance of Jerusalem
Pilate “washing” his hands
Rise of Christianity 2:02
Rome and Christianity
• Persecution sporadic –
based on perceived
threat to state
• Nero - first persecution
• Church developed
organizational structure
with salaried priests and
bishops
• Christianity widespread
by 300’s CE
• Fulfilled need to belong,
personal salvation
Feeding Christians to the animals
Rome and Christianity
• Last great persecution
under Diocletian in
fourth century CE
• Constantine – first
Christian emperor
• Edict of Milan
• Christianity made state
religion under
Theodosius the Great
(378 – 395 CE)
Constantine 3:05
Constantine
Rome’s Decline and Fall
• Barracks Emperors
• Loss in population due to plague, famine,
decrease in agricultural production
• Shrinking revenues – debasement of coins,
hereditary occupations
• Military defeats – inroads by Germanic tribes
• Population soft, corrupt, decadent
• Sharing of power – Tetrarchy for short period
beginning with Diocletian
Constantinople
West
East
The empire was split between two emperors each assisted by two
“Caesars”
Rome’s Decline and Fall
• East eclipsed West
in wealth – shift in
political power
• Huns and
Germanic tribes
• Emperor Romulus
Augustulus
deposed 476 CE
• West disintegrates
– East survives as
Byzantine Empire
The sack of Rome
Decline 1 / 12:23
Decline 2 / 18:06