Download File

The Roman
Empire
500 B.C.E. to 500 C.E.
Geography of Italy
• Peninsula
• 3 main islands:
Corsica,
Sardinia &
Sicily
• Alps mountain
range to the
North
• Rome near
dormant
volcano
People of Italy
• 2000 BCE – the Italic tribes settled in the
central part of Italy
• Latins were the most important of the Italic
tribes.
• Mainly good farmers who knew little about
civilization.
• Fights for the land between the Greeks,
Etruscans and Latins
Etruscans
• 1000 B.C.E. – Etruscans came to
Italy.
• Were highly civilized – good
craftsmen, traders, sailors, and
shipbuilders
• Knew how to write
• Taught Italians what they knew
Etruscan Art
Etruscan influence
•
•
•
•
•
Rome became civilized
Wall around the city
1st sewer system
Arches in architecture
Ruled as kings
Founding of Rome
• 1400 BCE Latins moved near the Tiber
river.
• City of Rome was founded
– Surrounded by 7 hills
– 1st settlement was a village of
huts on the Palatine hill
Legend of
Romulus & Remus
• Rome founded in 753 B.C.E.
• Founder was Romulus, who was raised with his
twin brother, Remus, by a she-wolf
Roman Religion
• Influenced by both
Etruscans and Greeks
• Personalities and legends
of Greek gods and
goddesses with different
names
• Rituals of Etruscans to
win favor of the gods
Roman Republic
509 B.C.E to 27 B.C.E
• 509 B.C.E. – last Etruscan king forced
out by the Latins & Republic started
• Republic: form of government in which
power rests with citizens who have a
right to vote to select their leaders.
Social Classes
• Patricians: aristocratic landowners
who held most of the power. Only
ones who be elected to public
office.
• Plebeians: common farmers,
artisans and merchants who were
the majority of the population.
• Citizens: free born Latin males
3 Branches of
Government
1. Legislative (Senate/Assemblies)
2. Judicial (Praetors)
3. Executive (Consuls)
Twelve Tables
1. Idea that all free citizens – both
patricians and plebeians - had
the right to protection of the
law. (Rule of Law)
2.
Written in 451 BC to prevent
patricians from abusing law
3. Influenced all European law,
even US law:
-innocent until proven guilty
- right to face your accuser
Consuls
• Consuls: 2 officials that
commanded the army and
directed the government.
– 1 year term
– 10 years between terms
– Could veto the other consul
Senate
• Aristocratic branch of the
government with legislative and
administrative functions
• 300 members of Patrician class
– Plebeians later allowed into senate
– Position for life
– Controlled foreign & economic policy
– Advised the consuls
Assemblies
• Assembly of Centuries (aka Centuriate
Assembly) was made up of all citizen-soldiers
– Patrician controlled
– Less power than senate
– Appointed consuls
• Assembly of Tribes (aka Tribal Assembly)
was made up of plebeians
– Elected tribunes
– Made laws for common people (eventually
everyone)
Dictator
• In times of crisis – republic
could appoint a dictator
– Absolute power to make laws
and command army
– Power lasted for 6 months
– Chosen by consul and elected
by senate
• 1st dictator was Sulla
Punic Wars
264 to 146 BCE
•
•
•
•
Rome vs. Carthage
3 different wars
Hannibal & Scipio
Rome becomes the
dominant force in the
Mediterranean
Collapse of the
Republic
1. Wide gap between rich &
poor (majority)
2. Slaves (POWs) worked on
huge Roman farms called
latifunidas
3. Small farmers and returning
soldiers became homeless
4. Civil War
First Triumvirate
• Triumvirate: group of 3 rulers
• Julius Caesar, Crassus & Pompey
• Caesar wins a civil war and was named
dictator for life – absolute ruler
• Adored by people
Caesar’s Reforms
• Expanded the Senate
to 900 members, most
loyal to him
•Gave land to the poor
•Used public works to
create jobs
•Raised pay for
soldiers
•Expanded Roman
citizenship to people
from the provinces
Beware the
Ides of March
March 15, 44 BCE
Second Triumvirate
• Octavian – Caesar’s nephew & heir
• Mark Antony – Caesar’s second-in-command
• Lepidus – commander of Caesar’s cavalry
• Doesn’t last long! Lepidus forced into
exile…
• Mark Antony & Octavian divide the Empire
in half: Octavian takes the West, Antony the
East
Roman
Empire
27 BCE to 476 CE
• Octavian Augustus
becomes 1st Roman
Emperor – rules for
45 years
• Keeps the Senate under control,
but the army is the real basis of his
power
•Expands the Roman Empire
•Gives land to his soldiers
•Reforms Roman tax system
•Build extensive road system to
protect & control the provinces
•Began the PAX ROMANA
“Roman Peace” – 100 years of
peace & prosperity
Rome’s Expansion
• Spread around Mediterranean, Europe
and into parts of Africa and Asia
• Success due to
– Well-trained professional army
– Extensive road system
– Treated conquered people well
(international law)
– Extensive bureaucracy
The Five “Good” Emperors
Nerva
Hadrian
Trajan
-Vast building projects
(bridges, roads, aqueducts
-Reorganized bureaucracy
-Defended against invaders
-Maintained peace &
prosperity
Antonius Pius
Marcus Aurelius
Fall of the
Roman Empire
• Economy declines as trade was disrupted,
inflation occurred, and harvests failed
• Barbarian invasions led to use of
mercenaries
• Loss of patriotism and corruption of
politicians
Legacy of Rome
• Arts & Literature
– Sculptures, Mosaics
– Virgil, Ovid and
Tacitus
• Language:
– Latin
– Basis for French,
Spanish, English, etc.
• System of law:
– All person had the right to
equal treatment under the
law
– Innocent until proven
guilty
– Burden of proof on
accuser
– Punished for actions, not
thoughts
– A grossly unfair law could
be set aside.