Chapter 6: Ancient Rome and Early Christianity,
500 BC-AD 500
I. The Roman Republic
A.
The Origins of Rome
1. Rome’s Geography
a. Site of Rome chosen for its fertile soil
and strategic location
b. Located on Italian peninsula in center of
Mediterranean Sea
c. Built on seven hills on Tiber Riveraccording to legend it was founded in
753 BC by twin brothers—Romulus and
Remus
2. The First Romans
a. Latins, Greeks, and Etruscans compete
for control of region
b. Latins found original settlement of
Rome between 1000 BC and 500 BC
3. Early Rulers
a. Around 600 BC-Etruscan kings begin
to rule Rome
b. Kings build Rome’s first temples and
public centers
c. Romans overthrow cruel Etruscan king509 BC
d. Romans found a republic-gov’t. in
which citizens elect leaders
4. Patricians and Plebeians
a. different groups struggle for power in
early Roman Republic
b. Patricians-wealthy landowning class
that holds most of the power
c. Plebeians-artisans, merchants, and
farmers; can vote, can’t rule
d. Tribunes-elected representatives
protect plebeians’ political rights
5. Twelve Tables
a. 451 BC-officials carve Roman laws
on twelve tables
b. Twelve Tables-become basis for later
Roman law
c. Laws confirm right of all free citizens
to protection under the law
d. citizenship is limited to adult male
landowners
e. Twelve Tables are hung in the Forum
6. Government under the Republic
a. Rome elects two consuls-one to lead
army, one to direct government
b. Senate-chosen from Roman upper
class; makes foreign, domestic policy
c. Democratic assemblies elect tribunes,
make laws for common people
d. dictators are leaders appointed briefly
in times of crisis
B. Rome Spreads Its Power
1. Rome Conquers Italy
a. Romans defeat Etruscans in north and
Greek city-states in south
b. by 265 BC-Rome controls Italian
peninsula
c. Conquered peoples treated justly; this
enables Rome to grow
2. Rome’s Commercial Network
a. Rome establishes large trading
network
b. access to Mediterranean provides
many trade routes
c. Carthage (powerful city-state in N.
Africa) soon rivals Rome
3. War with Carthage
a. Rome and Carthage begin Punic
Wars-three wars between 264-146 BC
b. Rome defeats Carthage, wins Sicily,
in first 23-year war
c. Hannibal-Carthaginian general
avenges defeat in Second Punic War by
attacking Italy through Spain and
France, doesn’t take Rome (he even
took elephants over the Swiss Alps
trying to capture Rome)
4. Rome Triumphs
a. Roman general Scipio defeats
Hannibal in 202 BC
b. Rome destroys Carthage, enslaves
people in last war (149-146 BC)
II. The Roman Empire
A. The Republic Collapses
1. Economic Turmoil
a. gap between rich and poor widens as
Roman Republic grows
b. farmers, former soldiers, lose to large
estates; become homeless
c. two tribunes-Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus
try to help poor but are murdered
d. civil war-conflict between two groups
within same country—begins
2. Military Upheaval
a. military becomes less disciplined and
disloyal
b. soldiers recruited from poor; show loyalty
only to their generals
3. Julius Caesar Takes Control
a. military leader Julius Caesar elected
consul in 59 BC
b. First Triumvirate-formed by Caesar,
Crassus, and Pompey (group of 3 rulers)
c. military victories give Caesar increasing
popularity and power
d. Pompey fears Caesar’s growing power
and challenges him
e. Caesar defeats Pompey’s armies in
Greece, Asia, Spain and Egypt
f. Caesar named dictator for life in 44 BC
4. Caesar’s Reforms
a. makes reforms: grants wider citizenship,
creates jobs for poor
b. group of senators oppose Caesar;
c. Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassius kill him
on March 15, 44 BC (Ides of March)
5. Beginning of the Empire
a. 43 BC-Caesar’s supporters take control;
become Second Triumvirate
b. Second Triumvirate-Octavian, Mark
Antony and Lepidus-alliance ends in
jealousy, violence
c. 31 BC-Mark Antony and Cleopatra’s
forces are defeated at Actium
d. Octavian accepts title of Augustus,
“exalted one,” and rules Rome
B. A Vast and Powerful Empire
1. Pax Romana
a. under Augustus, Rome moves from a
republic to an empire
b. power no longer resides with citizens,
but a single ruler
c. Rome enjoys 200 years of peace and
prosperity known as Pax Romana
2. A Sound Government-Augustus-Rome’s
ablest ruler, creates lasting system of
government
a. glorifies Rome with beautiful public
buildings
b. sets up a civil service to administer
the empire
3. Agriculture and Trade
a. agriculture most important industry in
empire-90% of Romans farm
b. common coin, denarius, makes trade
within empire easier
c. Rome has vast trading network
includes China and India
d. network of Roman roads links empire
to Persia and Russia
C. The Roman World
1. Slaves and Captivity
a. slavery is significant part of Roman
life in both cities and farms
b. some slaves become gladiators;
forced to fight to death
2. Gods and Goddesses
a. early Romans honor guardian spirits
and gods, Jupiter, Juno Minerva
b. worship of emperor becomes part of
official religion of Rome
3. Society and Culture
a. rich live well; most people are poor,
receive grain from government
b. 150 holidays and Colosseum events
created to control the masses
III. Rise of Christianity
A. Romans conquer Judea--home of Jews;
makes it part of empire AD 6
B. Christianity Spreads through Empire
1. followers of Christianity help it spread—
common languages of Latin and Greek help to
spread message
2. Jewish Rebellion
a. Jews rebel against Rome; Romans storm
Jerusalem, destroy Temple
b. rebellions in AD 66, 70, 132 fail; Jews
driven from homeland
c. Jews leaving create Diaspora—centuries
of Jewish exile
3. Persecution of the Christians
a. Christians won’t worship Roman gods;
become enemies of Roman rule
b. Roman rulers use Christians as scapegoats
for hard times
c. as Pax Romana crumbles, Christians
crucified, burned and killed in the arena
C. A World Religion
1. Christianity’s Expansion
Christianity=powerful force; reasons for
widespread appeal
a. embraces all people
b. gives hope to the powerless
c. appeals to those repelled by
extravagance of Roman life
d. offers personal relationship with a
loving God
e. promises eternal life after death
2. Constantine Accepts Christianity
a. Constantine—Roman emperor battles for
control of Rome in AD 312
b. has vision of cross (Christian symbol);
places on soldiers’ shields
c. believes Christian God helped him win;
legalizes Christianity
d. AD 380-Emperor Theodosius makes
Christianity religion of empire
3. Early Christian Church
a. priests direct a single church; bishops
supervise many churches
b. Apostle Peter—first bishop of Rome;
clergy trace their authority to him
c. Pope-the father, or head, of Christian
Church; Rome-center of Church
IV. Fall of the Roman Empire
A. A Century of Crisis
1. The Empire Declines
a. Pax Romana ends in AD 180 with death
of Emperor Marcus Aurelius
b. subsequent emperors unable to govern
giant empire
2. Rome’s economy weakens
a. hostile tribes outside the empire disrupt
trade
b. inflation-drop in value of money and rise
in prices-weakens trade
c. overworked soil, war-torn farmland leads
to food shortages
3. Military and Political Turmoil
a. by 3rd Century AD-Roman military in
turmoil
b. soldiers loyal to commanders, not Rome;
commanders fighting for throne
c. government enlists mercenaries-foreign
soldiers they pay to fight
d. average citizen lose interest in the affairs
of Rome
B. Emperors attempt Reform
1. Diocletian Reforms the Empire
a. AD 284-Emperor Diocletian restores
order, divides empire in two
b. two emperors-East—Greek speaking;
West—Latin speaking
c. AD 305-Diocletian retires, rivals
compete for power
2. Constantine moves the Capital
a. Constantine-emperor of Western
Empire AD 312
b. seizes Eastern Empire in AD 324;
moves Roman capital to Byzantium
c. Byzantium eventually renamed
Constantinople—city of Constantine
C. Western Empire Crumbles
1. Germanic Invasions
a. Mongol nomads from Asia, the Huns,
invade northern borders of empire
b. Germanic tribes flee Huns, enter
Roman lands and sack Rome AD 410
2. Attila the Hun
a. Attila-unites the Huns in AD 444;
plunders 70 cities in East
b. attacks Rome in 452; famine and
disease prevent victory
3. An Empire No More
a. last Roman emperor falls to Germans
in 476; end of Western Empire
b. East thrives for another thousand
years as Byzantine Empire
V. Rome and the Roots of Western Civilization
A. Legacy of Greco-Roman Civilization
1. A New Culture Emerges
a. Romans adopt aspects of Greek and
Hellenistic culture
b. results in Greco-Roman culture, or
classical civilization
2. Roman Fine Arts
a. developed bas-relief sculptures to tell
stories
b. artists skilled in creating mosaics,
painting frescoes
c. Pompeii—Roman town; ash from
volcano eruption 79 AD preserves
buildings and art
3. Learning and Literature
a. Romans borrowed from Greek
philosophy and literature
b. Poet Virgil writes epic Aeneid
modeled after Homer’s Greek epics
c. Roman historian Tacitus excels in
writing factually accurate history
d. Tacitus wrote Annals and Historiesprovide comprehensive look at Roman
life
B. Legacy of Rome
1. Latin Language
a. Latin-official language of Roman
Catholic Church until 1900s
b. develops into French, Spanish,
Portuguese, Italian, Romanian
c. more than half the words in English
stem from Latin
2. Master Builders
a. Romans pioneer use of arch; also used
domes and concrete
b. create aqueducts—structures to bring
water into cities, towns