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The Roman Empire
Global History and Geography I
E. Napp
Name: ___________________
Date: ___________________
After conquering the rest of Italy, Rome defeated Carthage, its main rival
in the Mediterranean. Carthage, a former Phoenician colony in North
Africa, was completely destroyed. By 146 A.D., Rome dominated the entire
Mediterranean world. The expansion of Rome changed its basic character.
The Roman army became a professional force instead of a citizens’ army.
Julius Caesar, a general, conquered part of Gaul (present-day France) and
Spain. He then marched his armies back to Rome itself. Caesar threatened
to seize absolute power, but was assassinated in 44 B.C. Caesar introduced
a new calendar which forms the basis for the calendar still in use today. Our
month of July is named after him.
In 27 B.C., Rome became an empire that lasted until 476 A.D. As the
Roman army conquered more land, military generals became powerful.
Eventually, Rome’s republican form of government was replaced with
emperors. The first Roman Emperor was Augustus Caesar.
Augustus Caesar was the adopted nephew of Julius Caesar. Augustus
began a long period of peace, known as the Pax Romana or Roman Peace,
which extended throughout Western Europe and the Mediterranean world.
Rome’s centralized political authority, trained officials, and traditions of law
allowed it to govern its vast empire. The Romans built new public baths,
aqueducts, stadiums, and other public buildings as center of Roman culture.
Romans generally respected local customs, promoted trade, and offered
Roman citizenship throughout the empire.
Questions:
What happened to the Roman Republic?
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How did the Roman Republic differ from the Roman Empire?
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Who was Augustus Caesar and why was he important?
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What was the Pax Romana?
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While some Roman emperors improved the empire, some Roman emperors
harmed the empire. Unfortunately, emperors served for life. The only way
to remove a corrupt or bad emperor was to murder him. Between A.D. 180
and 284, 25 out of 29 Roman emperors were murdered. Caligula became
emperor in 37 A.D. He was insane. Some individuals reported that he made
his favorite horse a senator and demanded that people call him a god.
Eventually, his own guards killed him. Nero was one of Rome’s worst
emperors. He thought of himself as an artist and sang and played the lyre.
When he played, people were forced to listen. In 64 A.D., a fire lasting nine
days destroyed half of Rome. Some people said that Nero started the fire.
They even said that he played his lyre while Rome burned! Finally, Nero
was forced to take his own life. Hadrian ruled from 117 – 138 A.D. He
passed laws that protected women, children, and slaves. He even built a
wall across England. This wall defended Roman territory in the south of
England from the enemy in the north. Marcus Aurelius became emperor in
161 A.D. He lived a simple life and like books and ideas. He even took
direct command of the Roman army to protect the empire from barbarians,
or Germanic invaders of the Western Roman Empire. Aurelius was able to
make a temporary peace with the Germanic invaders. Constantine was an
important Roman emperor. He converted to Christianity approximately
three hundred years after the Romans crucified Jesus. Constantine’s
conversion led to the protection and tolerance of Christians in the empire.
Write one fact about each of the following Roman emperors:
Caligula: _____________________________________________________
Nero: _______________________________________________________
Trajan: _______________________________________________________
Hadrian: ______________________________________________________
Marcus Aurelius: _______________________________________________
Constantine: ___________________________________________________
The Roman Empire fell in 476 A.D. There were many reasons for the fall
of Rome including Barbarian invasions. Rome was under continual attack
by fierce tribes from Northern Europe and Central Asia, such as the Goths
and Huns. The Romans considered these tribes barbarians or culturally
inferior peoples. Eventually, these tribes successfully invaded Rome. In
addition, the Roman government depended on the abilities of the emperors,
but many later emperors were corrupt and ineffective leaders. Also the costs
of defending and administering the empire led to high taxes. Inflation and
unemployment led to economic difficulties. Finally, later Roman armies
relied on paid soldiers. These soldiers were often recruited from non-Roman
peoples, who were less loyal than Roman citizens.
List the four reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire:
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The Roman Empire is considered a classical civilization. A classical
civilization is a civilization that contributes important ideas and inventions
to world history. These ideas and inventions are still used today. The
Roman legacy includes Roman concepts of justice, equality before the law,
and innocence until proven guilty. The Roman language Latin is the basis of
five modern languages: Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Romanian.
The adoption of the Christian religion by the Roman Empire encouraged the
spread of Christianity. Finally, the Romans built thousands of miles of roads
to connect the empire. They built bridges and aqueducts to supply water to
their cities. They developed concrete and the use of arches and domes.
List the five Roman contributions to civilization:
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Constantine and Christianity in the Roman Empire:
A major turning point in Christian history occurred when the Roman
Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. Constantine had a vision of
a Christian cross prior to an important battle. Upon winning the battle,
Constantine committed himself to the Christian faith. The result of
Constantine’s conversion was the end of persecution of Christians and the
beginning of Christendom.
In 313, Constantine issued the "Edict of Milan," which commanded
official toleration of Christianity and other religions. He ordered that Sunday
be granted the same legal rights as pagan feasts and that feasts in memory of
Christian martyrs be recognized.
Matching:
A. Pax Romana
B. Barbarian
C. Constantine
D. Republic
E. Twelve Tables
F. Code of Justinian
G. Punic Wars
H. 476 A.D.
I. Patricians
J. Plebeians
______ He was an important Roman
emperor. He converted to
Christianity.
______ Citizens elect
representatives. It lasted in Rome
from 509 to 27 B.C.
______ It was the written law of
Rome. It included concepts like
innocent until proven guilty.
______ It was a golden age in the
Roman Empire. It was a time of
peace, prosperity, and achievements.
______ It marks the fall of Rome.
High taxes, invasions, and corrupt
rulers were factors.
______ They were the wealthy
landowners of Rome. They served in
the Senate.
_______ It was an ethnocentric term.
It referred to a person outside of the
Roman Empire (member of a
Germanic tribe).
_______ These wars between Rome
and Carthage led to Rome’s rise to
power as an empire builder.
_______ They were the working
people of the Roman Empire. They
wanted political rights.
_______ After the fall of Rome, a
Byzantine emperor collected and
organized all Roman laws into a
code.
“The story of the ruin is simple and obvious: and instead of inquiring why
the Roman Empire was destroyed we should rather be surprised that it has
subsisted for so long."
Edward Gibbon