Download III. The Triumph of Christianity

Chpt 5
Rome and the Rise of Christianity
I The Land and Peoples of Italy
A. it is a peninsula w/ the Apennine Mts running down middle
B. Rome – located 18 miles inland on Tibet R easy access to sea yet safe from pirates – also made it easy to
defend b/c built on 7 hills – also along N/S traffic route for all of Ity
C. B/C it juts out into Medit Sea, it became stopping point for E/W trade & travel along Medit S  helped Rome
win & maintain its Medit empire
D. Settled by Indo-Eur ppl’s – one group was Latins from Latium – later Greeks & Etruscans moved into Ity
E. Greeks settled in S Ity, giving Romans their alphabet & artistic style (architect, sculpt, & lit) – Grks also
occupied parts of Sicily – Etruscans had biggest impact on Rome  turned it from village into a city, gave
them mode of dress (toga & short cloak), & model for their army
II The Roman Republic
A. early Rome – ruled by Kings (some Etruscan) – overthrew last king 509 BC & est republic w/ no king or
queen & some citz have right to vote
B. enemies surrounded Rome – began long period of continuous warfare – defeated Latium, ppl of central
Apennines, Grks in S, Etruscans to N  Rome now contl’d most of Ity
C. To rule – set up Roman Confederation – some ppl (esp Latins) had citzship – other groups were allies who
cont’ld local affairs but gave Rome soldiers – these could become Roman citz
D. believed success due to 3 virtues: duty, courage, & discipline – these were found in Roman writings of Livy
who gave models of these virtues
E. Romans – also successful b/c good diplomats who extended citzship to many & allowing states to run own
affairs – were also skilled persistent soldiers & brilliant strategists (planning) – built towns throughout
conquered territories & connected them by roads (unlike Greece) – soldiers could always get there quickly if
needed – were practical in law & politics, responding effectively to problems
III The Roman State
A. ppl – distrusted kingships b/c of experience w/ Etruscans – wanted diff form of gov’t
B. early Rome – divided into 2 groups: 1) patricians (large landowners & ruling class) ; and 2) plebeians
(smaller landowners, craftsmen, & merchants)  members of both were citz & could vote, BUT only
patricians could be elected to office
C. chief executive officers of Rom Rep – consuls & praetors – 2 consuls ran gov’t & led army into battle –
praetor directed civil law (that which applied to citz) – later a praetor was added to handle law of non-citz
D. Rom Senate – impt – had 300 patricians who served for life & made up original Senate – y 3rd c, had force of
the law
E. most impt ppl’s assembly  centuriate assembly – elected consuls & praetors and passed laws – organized by
classes based on wealth, so wealthiest always the majority
F. conflicts often b/w plebs & pats – plebs wanted pol & social equality, esp when they fought in army to protect
Rome – to appease in 471, the pop assembly called the council of the plebs was created – also officials called
the tribunes of the plebs were empowered to protect the plebs, & by 4 th c, plebs could be counsuls – in 287,
the council of plebs received the right to pass laws for all Rome – despite these gains for the plebs, the
wealthy ruling class dominated pol life
G. one of Rome’s most impt contributions was its syst of law – their first code of law, the Twelve Tables was
adopted – later Romans adopted a more sophisticated syst of civil law which applied to Roman citz only
H. as Rome expanded, legal ? arose that involved Romans & non-Romans  out of this came a body of laws
called the Law of Nations to handle disputes – applied to all ppl equally & many principles used today like:
innocent until proven otherwise; accused has a right to a defense before a judge; & judges should decide a
case based on evidence
IV Rome Conquers the Mediterranean
A. Rome faced a strong pwr in Medit  Carthage, founded by Phoenicians on N coast of Af – large trading
empire in Medit, & their presence in Sicily worried Romans  leads to struggle for control of Medit  the
Punic Wars were on
B. 1st Punic War – b/w Rome & Carthage came when Rome sent troops to Sicily – Rome knew to win it needed
large navy, so it built one – after Rome beat Carthage, Cart gave up rights to Sicily & pd $ to Rome,
becoming Rome’s 1st province
C. Carthage wanted revenge  sent Hannibal, the greatest Carthaginian general to begin 2nd Punic War –
Hannibal changes strategy & moves into Spain, crosses Alps with large cavalry of horses & elephants –
although many died along way, Rome is still under a huge threat
D. Battle of Cannae – Rome lost 40,000 men – responded by raising another army – Hannibal still roaming
around Ity but could not successfully attack major cities – in a brilliant move, Rome attacks Carthage, forcing
E.
F.
Hannibal to make a decision to stay or go back & defend his home – Hannibal returns & is crushed at the
Battle of Zama – Spain became a province as Rome contr’ld Medit
50 yrs later is 3rd Punic War – Roman soldiers sacked Carthage – 50,000 men, women, & children sold into
slavery – Carthage becomes a province of Rome called Africa
Rome conquered Macedonia & Greece – both put under Roman control
5.2
I Growing Inequality and Unrest and a New Role for the Army
A. 2nd c, the Senate was made of mostly landed aristocracy & governed Rome – Senate & pol offices were
increasingly contr’ld by small group of wealthy, pwrful families
B. backbone of state & army was the small farmer – most of them now have lost land to the larger landowners –
formed a new urban class of landless poor – Rome began to suffer econ & social unrest
C. 2 brothers Tiberius & Gaius Gracchus (reform-minded aristocrats) believed problem was decline of small
farmer  they called for laws giving pub land of aristocrats back to landless poor (where have we heard this
before???) – this angered a group of senators (they stood to lose lots) and both brothers were killed 
discontent & unrest grew in Rome
D. Sulla – won pwr by seizing Rome in 82 BC – he tried to restore Rome to the traditional Rep by restoring pwr
to Senate & by taking away pwr of the pop assembly – this example of seizing pwr thru use of mil would later
be repeated to Rome’s detriment
II The Collapse of the Republic
A. for almost 50 yrs (82 to 31 BC) Rome had civil wars – 3 men emerged victorious and agreed to rule together
as the 1st Triumvirate: Crassus, Pompey, & Julius Caesar – they would all have equal pwr ???!!!
B. Each man had mil command – Crassus dies
C. Pompey went to war agst Caesar & lost – Caesar became dictator, but he knew Rome needed reform
D. Caesar’s right hand man, Antony, sought to continue the reforms so he formed the 2nd triumvirate w/
Octavian and Lepidus – more conspiring – civil wars in Roman Rep ended – a new period of Roman history
known as Age of Augustus began
III The Age of Augustus
A. Octavian proclaimed “the restoration of the Republic” – gave only some pwr to Sen & became Rome’s 1st
emperor  Sen gave title of Augustus – the revered one
B. Aug was pop even though army was chief source of pwr – Sen also gave title of imperator or commander in
chief
C. Had army of 28 legions (5,000 troops ea) – also est the Praetorian guard of 9,000 to protect emperor
D. He stabilized Rome’s frontiers & conquered new areas – German warriors wiped out 3 Roman legions –
taught Aug that Rome’s pwr was limited
IV The Early Empire
A. period called the Early Empire lasted AD 14 to 180 – after Aug, emperor allowed to pick successor form his
family – 1st 4 after Aug were from his family: Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, & Nero – under these, the role of
emp became more pwrful & more corrupt
B. Nero killed any one he wanted out of his way, including own mother – lacking an army, Sen could not oppose
Nero, but his own legions revolted agst him & he committed suicide
C. Later came the 5 good emp – Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antonius Pius, & Marcus Aurelius – created a time of
peace and prosperity called the Pax Romana (Roman Peace) – lasted almost 100 yrs – these emp’s stopped
arbitrary executions, respected the ruling class & maintained peace – took pwr from Sen – appointed officials
who ran gov’t – adopted capable men into families to serve as successors – some instituted programs to help
ppl by helping poor educate their children & bldg projects
D. During beginning of early emp, Rome expanded – Hadrian was wise enough to see the emp getting too large –
he w/drew troops from Mesop & became defensive along frontiers, strengthening fortification b/w Rhine &
Danube R – also built wall in N Britain to keep out Picts & Scots – with all these efforts, defending emp
became  difficult
E. cities – impt in spread of culture, law, & Latin lang – while this was standard in west, Greek was used in eastthis mixture of Roman & Grk cult after spread of Rom Emp’s spread is called Greco-Roman civilz
F. early emp – was prosperous – internal peace helped trade grow – trade went to China for silk & imported
large amounts of grain & luxury items
G. farming – basis of Rome’s prosperity – large landed estates called latifundia, dominated farming
5.3
I Roman Art and Architecture and Roman Literature
A. devel’pd taste for Greek art
B. Romans excelled in archit – forms based on curved lines: dome, arch, & vault – also engineers built roads,
bridges, & aqueducts – 500,000 miles of road
C. Lat Lit came to a high point
II The Roman Family
A. headed by the paterfamilias – the dominant male
B. Romans raised children at home (unlike Grks)
C. Rom’s believed women should have male guardians, usually the paterfamilias who arranged the marriage
D. Legal minimum age for girls to marry was 12, though 14 more common - boys married at 14 – once divorce
was introduced, it became easy for men or women
E. By 2nd c, paterfamilias lost complete authority in family – he could not sell children into slavery or have them
put to death (WOW!) – women now did not always have to have guardian – Upper-cl women could own, sell,
& inherit prop and were not segregated in house from men like Grk
F. Outside house, women could attend races, theater, & events in amphitheater, BUT could not participate in pol
III Slavery
A. no ppl relied on slavery as much as Romans – even small farmers owned one
B. slaves came in as conquered war captives from around Medit
C. masters feared slave revolts – punishments were harsh – most famous slave revolt was led by Spartacus
IV Daily Life in The City of Rome
A. largest pop in Rome – brought overcrowding and noise – they organized a police force, but city was still
dangerous – filthy place to live
B. poor – lived in apts called insulae – bldgs were 6 stories tall & poorly constructed (often collapsed) – fires
were constant threat
C. high rents forced entire families to live in one room – apts did not have plumbing or cent heating forced
many ppl to spend time in streets
D. Unequaled pub bldgs like baths, temples, theaters, & markets – poor received free grain
E. Ppl entertained by grand pub spectacles & entertainments – gladiator contests, chariot races, & dramatic
performances.
5.4
I. Background: Roman Religion
A. Augustus - revived traditional Roman relg festivals & ceremonies to bring back the Roman state relg focused on worship of number of gods and goddesses  Jupiter, Juno, Minerva, and Mars (based on the Greek
Olympian deities)  Beginning with Augustus, emperors often were declared gods.
B. Romans believed that observing the proper rituals brought them into a right relationship with the gods guaranteed peace and prosperity. They also believed that their success at empire building meant the gods
favored them.
C. The Romans were tolerant of local religions and worshipb/c drawn to the religions of eastern areas they had
conquered  religions gave a more spiritual experience to them, promised entry into a higher reality, and taught
of a life after death is superior to the present one.
II. The Jewish Background and The Rise of Christianity
A. By A.D.6, Judaea, covered the lands of ancient kingdom of Judah  was a Roman province under the
direction of a procurator. (Remember the Jews had been conquered several times and been passed along as
slaves/conquered territory many times) - Unrest was common in Judaea, even among factions of Jews.
B. Among the Jews were 4 different groups w/ different motives:
1.Sadducees- taught to cooperate with the Romans.
2.Pharisees promoted close observance of religious law to protect Jewish identity from Roman influences.
3.Essenes awaited God to save Israel from oppression.
4.Zealots advocated overthrowing Roman rule (A revolt begun in 66 was crushed by the Romans, who destroyed
the temple in Jerusalem).
C. Jesus, a Jew, began to preach in the midst of this conflict. Jesus taught that inner transformation was most
important, not adhering to laws or rituals. He commanded we love God and love each other, treating all as our
neighbors. Jesus taught the virtues that would later shape the value system of Western civilization: humility,
charity, and love of others.
D. Jesus' opponents (Rom gov’t & Jewish leaders) turned Jesus over to Rom authorities b/c they thought he might
cause ppl to revolt against Rome  procurator, Pontius Pilate, ordered crucifixion. (Followers of Jesus
believed he overcame death & that he was the Messiah who had come to save Israel.
E. Prominent figures in early Christianity
1. Simon Peter – one of the disciples of Jesus
2.
Paul - took message of Jesus to both Jews and non-Jews, or Gentiles - founded many Christian communities
in Asia Minor & along the Aegean Sea
F. Paul wrote letters (epistles) to Christian communities - these became basis of the written Gospels ("the good news")
which tell of Jesus' life and teachings  they form basis of the New Testament
G. Christianity's basic values differed from Greco-Roman values & at first Romans paid little attention to spread of
Christianity - attitude changed when Romans came to see Christianity as harmful to public order and morals b/c
Christians would not worship the Roman gods  was an act of treason, a capital crime - Christians believed in
one God only (not the emperor) & that worshipping false gods would endanger their salvation. .
H. Roman persecution of Christians began under Nero's reign (A.D.54-68) he blamed Christians for the fire that
burned much of Rome. He subjected them to cruel deaths. By the end of the rule of the five good emperors,
Christians made up a small but strong minority.
III. The Triumph of Christianity
A. Roman persecution strengthened Christianity  forced to become more organized
B. For a number of reasons, Christianity grew steadily.
1. more personal than Rom relg & offered idea of eternal life and salvation.
2. it was familiar because it offered immortality through the sacrificial death of a savior-god.
3. it fulfilled the human need to belong – all were equal in eyes of God
C. 3rd c, emperors began new waves of persecution, ending with the great persecution by Diocletian - but Christianity
was too strong a force to destroy it & it prospered
1.Constantine - became first Christian emperor. In 313 his Edict of Milan officially sanctioned the tolerating of
Christianity.
2.Theodosius the Great, had Romans adopt Christianity as their official religion
5.5
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
I. The Decline
A. A long period of unrest followed the death of last good emperor, Marcus Aurelius  for a period, Rome was ruled by
the Severans - motto was "pay the soldiers and ignore everyone else." (later 22 emperors – all violent deaths)
B. the Roman Empire– 3 reasons why Roman economy collapsed in 3rd c:
1.Invasions suffered by Persians and Germanic peoples simultaneously, civil wars, and plague almost caused the
Roman economy to collapse.
2.Trade and small industry declined due to many problems
3. there was a labor shortage due to plague & farm production declined on fields ravaged by invaders.
C. Money was short, but Rome needed soldiers more than ever , so hired Germanic soldiers who had no loyalty
D. At the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth centuries, the emperors Diocletian and Constantine
revived Rome, founding a state called the Late Roman Empire  had a new governmental structure, a rigid
economic and social system, and a new religion - Christianity.
E. Diocletian  divided empire into four sections – Constantine extended many of Diocletian's policies.
F. Both expanded the bureaucracy and enlarged the army, but expanding the civil service and the military drained the
treasury
G. In 324 Constantine became the sole ruler of Rome  biggest project was constructing new capital city in the east on
the site of Byzantium on the shores of the Bosporus - founded for defensive purposes, the city eventually was named
Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) - Calling it his "New Rome," Constantine filled the city with a forum, palaces,
an amphitheater, and other signs of Roman and civic glory became a center of the Eastern Roman Empire and one
of the world's greatest cities.
H. policies of Diocletian and Constantine were based on 2 C’s -coercion and control – in long run, they stifled the vitality
Rome needed to revive.
II. The Fall
A. The empire was restored by Diocletian, and Constantinople – cont’d 100 yrs - had two capitals, Rome in the west and
Constantinople in the east.
B. In second half of the 4th c, Huns,Visigoths, & Vandals, all attacked Rome - In 476, the western emperor, Romulus
Augustulus, was deposed by Germanic head of the army  this event usually taken as the Fall of the Western
Roman Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, cont’d on.
C. Many theories proposed to explain the fall of the Roman Empire:
1.Christianity weakened Rome's military virtues ( hmmmmm……….?!)
2. Roman values declined as non-Italians gained prominent positions
3. lead poisoning from water pipes and vessels caused a mental decline (?????)
4. slavery held Rome back from advancing technologically
5. Rome's political system proved unworkable.