Chapter 5

1. Chapter 5 Ancient Rome

2. Geography of Italy • Is a mountainous peninsula: the Apennines run down the middle, the Alps cut Italy off from Europe • Sticks out in the Mediterranean • Rose was easily defended because it was built on 7 hills • The Etruscans made Rome into an important city and gave Romans the Toga

3. The Roman Republic • 509 BC – established a Republic, leader is not a king and certain citizens can vote • The Republic eventually controlled almost all of Italy • Believed their success came from duty, courage, and discipline • Were successful because: • Extended citizenship to conquered people • Had skilled Military • Responded effectively to problems

4. The Roman State • Divided into two groups of people, both could vote: • Patricians – were large landowners, a ruling class, only patricians could be elected officials • Plebeians – small farmers, merchants • Leaders of the Republic: • Consuls – ran government and led the army • Praetor – handle law applied to citizens

5. The Roman State • The Senate was composed of 300 patricians who served for life, eventually could pass laws • The Council of the Plebs was created to protect the rights of the Plebeians • The law of Nations set a universal law for the republic, with many principles we use today in the U.S.

6. Punic Wars • Rome’s enemy in the Mediterranean was Carthage • First Punic War – Rome built up its navy and won Sicily from Carthage • Second Punic War- Carthage was led by Hannibal • To attack Rome he took a large army, horses, and elephants, to Spain to march to Rome

7. Punic Wars • Many Soldiers and animals died • Rome then attacked Carthage and won • Third Punic War – Rome attacked Carthage and won control over the Mediterranean

8. Inequality and the Role of the Army • Senate was increasingly controlled by a small group of wealthy citizens • Army had been made up of small farmers, but they were losing their land to the wealthy • Created a new group of landless poor people • Marius, a general, promised land to anyone who swore allegiance to him – caused generals to become political

9. Role of the Army • Sulla was the first general to seize control of Rome, which begins a period of seizing power forcefully. • Collapse of the Republic • Civil War breaks out in Rome in 82 B.C. • 3 men emerge victorious: Crassus, Pompey, and Julius Caesar which form the First Triumvirate

10. Collapse of Republic • Crassus died, Senate decided to be ruled by only Pompey – ordered Caesar to turn over his troops • His loyal army stuck with him and he seized Rome • Caesar became dictator in 47 B.C. • He weakened the power of the Senate • He was assassinated in 44 B.C.

11. Collapse of the Republic • Second Triumvirate was formed after his death by his nephew Octavian, Marc Antony, and Lepidus • Antony and Octavian divided the Empire between them • Antony became involved with Cleopatra • Octavian defeated Antony at the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C.

12. Age of Augustus • Octavian changes his name to Augustus and becomes the emperor of Rome • Established a strong military which conquered many new regions • Also established the Praetorian Guard to protect the Emperor

13. The Early Empire (14 – 180 A.D.) • Emperor picked his successor from his family and each emperor gained more power and become more corrupt • Following Augustus’s death emperors were: Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero who were all corrupt • After Nero began the Five Good Emperors: Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius

14. The Early Empire • Created a time of peace and prosperity known as the Pax Romana – lasted 100 years • Programs to help the people • Expanded the empire – Hadrian built a wall in northern Britain to keep out the Scots • In 212 A.D. gave citizenship to all free people • Was a mixture of Greek and Roman culture (called a Greco-Roman civilization)

15. The Early Empire • Spoke Latin in West and Greek in the East • Early Empire was prosperous – traded even with China • There was a wide gap between the wealthy and the poor.

16. Art, Architecture, and Literature • In art they made the Greek Art more realistic • In Architecture, Romans developed the dome, arch, and vault • Built roads, bridges, and aqueducts • Golden Age of Latin Literature was the Age of Augustus • Virgil wrote the epic poem the Aeneid • Livy wrote The History of Rome

17. Family Life • Headed by the Paterfamilias, the head male • Upper class would educate their children in the home, often with Greek Slaves as tutors • Boys were taught reading and writing, morals, values, law, and physical training • Believed women needed male guardians – father arranged marriage • Girls were married between 12 and 14 – both men and women could sue for divorce

18. Family Life • Women got more rights by the 2nd century AD – paterfamilias could not sell children into slavery, and women not required then to have a guardian • Slavery • Relied heavily on slavery – even small farmers had slaves • Slaves worked shops, kept houses, and were servants

19. Slavery • Rome feared slave revolts – Spartacus led a revolt in 73 BC • The City Rome • Had a population of 1 million – over crowded and noisy • Wagons were banned during the daytime • Poor lived in apartment buildings called insulae – often collapsed

20. The City of Rome • Entire families lived in one room homes with no plumbing or heating • Poor often ate only free grain received from the emperor • People entertained by gladiator contests

21. Roman Religion • Augustus brought back religious festivals to revive the Roman religion • Based on Greek gods (Jupiter=Zeus) • Observing proper rituals brought them peace and prosperity • Were tolerant of local religions – Some Romans were actually drawn to the eastern religions

22. The Rise of Christianity • Judaea – A Roman province under direction of a procurator • Factions existed among Jewish people • Jesus – taught the Golden rule – we must love one another and love God • Taught about humility, charity, and love • Procurator was Pontius Pilate and had Jesus arrested and crucified

23. The Rise of Christianity • Said he was the messiah, the Son of God • After Jesus’ crucifixion, leaders of the Christian Church were Simon Peter, and Paul of Tarsus • The life of Jesus was written in the Gospels – part of the New Testament • Christians would not worship Roman gods, which was an act of treason

24. The Rise of Christianity • Roman persecution of Christians began under Nero • Christian Church becomes more organized • There is the clergy (church leaders) and laity( members) • Christianity became more popular – why? • More personal ( salvation) • Familiar to people ( a savior would die for them)

25. The Rise of Christianity • People need to belong (based on love) • Everyone equal in God’s eyes • Constantine – first Christian Emperor • Edict of Milan ( 313) – tolerate Christianity

26. The Decline and Fall of Rome • Rome in Decline • After Marcus Aurelius in 180 AD, Rome was ruled with motto “pay soldiers well, ignore everyone else” • 20 out of 22 Emperors died violently • Economy weakened by Civil War, plague, and invasion • For protection, hired Germanic soldiers, but they were not loyal to Rome

27. The Decline and Fall of Rome • Late Roman Empire • Diocletian ( 284 – 305) • Divided empire into 4 regions, each with its own ruler – it was becoming too difficult to control the empire from only Rome • Revived Rome by controlling it, which later hurt Rome in the long run • Constantine ( 303 – 337) • Built new capital city in Byzantium (renamed it Constantinople) • Rome now had two Capitals

28. The Decline and Fall of Rome • Invansions • Huns from Asia forced Visigoths from Germany to revolt against Rome- Rome was sacked by the Huns • Vandals ( 455) also sacked Rome • By 476 Rome falls • Eastern Rome continues – becomes the Byzantine Empire • The Thousand years of Rome was from 500 BC to 500 AD

29. The Decline and Fall of Rome • Why did Rome Fall? Possibilities: • Christianity weakened its military nature • Non-Romans gained power