Chapter V:
Rome and the Rise of Christianity
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kRwJJwx
GZE
Geography
• The location of the city of Rome was especially
favorable to early settlers
• Located 18 miles inland on the Tiber River, Rome
had a way to the sea
• Far enough inland to be safe from pirates
• Built on seven hills=easily defended
• Situated where the Tiber River could be easily
crossed
• Great central location to expand: Mediterranean
empire
• Italian peninsula
700 miles long
100 miles wide
Only 100 miles from Africa
Mediterranean Sea on three sides
Alps to north protect from overland invasion
15,771 feet tall
• Apennines = volcanic mountains running
length of Italy
Fertile, volcanic soil
Less rugged than Greece
Few good harbors
Land easier than sea for travel
Mild, Mediterranean climate
Origins
• Etruscans (most influencial)
• Launched a building program and turned
Rome into a city
• Latins (language)
• Greeks
• Rome = Settled about 750 BCE
Mythic origins
• Name for decedents of Aeneas (Trojan survivor as written
by Virgil)
Kings daughter gives birth to twin sons: Romulus and
Remus
King's cruel brother seized the throne
Uncle was afraid boys would grow up and claim throne
Had boys exposed on bank of Tiber river (common form of
infanticide/birth control)
Boys raised by she-wolf
Grew up to defeat their great-uncle and restore
grandfather to throne
Boys fought about where to build a city
Romulus kills Remus
Romulus found Rome
Roman Republic
• Early Rome was ruled by kings
• 509 BC the Romans overthrew the last Etruscan king
and created a republic (the leader is not a king and
certain citizens have the right to vote)
• Twelve Tables: Rome’s first law code
• Patricians= wealthy landowners
• Plebeians= less wealthy landholders, craftspeople,
merchants, and small farmers
• Roman Senate: a select group of about 300 patricians
who served for life
• Rome conquers the Mediterranean (Punic wars)
Patricians
Plebeians
ruling class
majority
great landowners
small landowners, craftspeople, merchants, farmers
originally, only patricians served in Senate and held
public office
served in council of the plebs
Daily Life
• Paterfamilias= head of the Roman family
• Men v. Women
• Men - controlled family (could kill or sell kids into slavery)
Private schooling 6-11years old (or until 14 years old if
wealthy)
Arranged marriages at 15-18 years old
While father still alive, sons couldn't own land or have
control of own family
Married sons lived with wife and children in home of father
until father's
Women - could own land
No education since no role in politics
Arranged marriages at 13-14 years old
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6snVyK6g
QCE
From Republic to Empire (Roman
Politics)
• Originally monarchy
509 BCE Roman Republic formed when king tossed out
Evolved into republic (never was a direct democracy like Greece)
Freemen elected officials who passed laws
Patricians elected senators that advised two power-sharing consuls
494 BCE Plebeians rebelled and marched out of Rome
Elected their own tribune
Official Senate accepted Tribune after this economic "blackmail"
Plebeians moved close to equality
Result is very similar to USA's politics of Senate (2 per state) and
Assembly (based on population)
• Either house can initiate a law but both houses must
agree on wording of law
59 BCE Julius Caesar, Roman general elected to consul
Wanted to rule all of roman lands
Invaded Gaul (France) and became Gaul's governor
49 BCE planned return to Rome but Roman senate
feared he'd become dictator
Senate warned him not to cross the Rubicon River with
his army
Julius Caesar did cross and declared war on his
enemies
3 years of civil war
• 46 BCE appointed dictator for 10 years, was a
good leader
44 BCE declared dictator for life
March 15 stabbed by group of senators (et tu
Brutus?)
Followed by civil war
• Octavian (grand-nephew) and Mark Anthony
(Roman General) fight and win senate's army
Gain control of all of Rome
Octavian controls the east
Anthony controlled the west (falls in love with
Egypt's Cleopatra)
Octavian fights Anthony and wind control of all of
Rome
Changed name to Augustus (Caesar Augustus)
Peace for 200 years (Pax Romana)
27 BCE Roman Republic end
• 476 AD Roman Empire "Falls" apart
Rome still capital of modern Italy
"Eternal City"
Has been important for 300 years
• The Senate got too powerful and there was
civil unrest+-
• Rome’s success in gaining control of the entire
Italian peninsula
• Romans were good diplomats ( extended
citizenship)
• Crushed rebellions when necessary
• Brilliant strategists: as they conquered, they
built colonies, roads and infrastructure
• Did not try to build an ideal government:
reacted to problems as they arose.
• Triumvirate (a government by three people of
equal power)
• First Triumvirate (Crassus, Pompey, Julius
Caesar)
• Dictator= a ruler with absolute power
• Second Triumvirate (Marc Antony, Octavian,
Lepidus)
• Early Empire
• Augustus
• Pax Romana= a period of peace and prosperity
that lasted almost a hundred years
• Nero=persecution of Christians
Political and Military Reforms of
Diocletian and Constantine
• Diocletian believed the Roman Empire had
grown too large for a single ruler so he divided
it into four units, each with its own ruler
• Greatly enhanced the army and civil service
institutions, but drained most of the public
funds
• In the long run, they stifled the vitality the late
Empire needed to revive its sagging reforms
Gladiatorial Games
• A way the emperor kept the poverty-stricken
masses pacified
The Rise of Christianity
• Able to draw believers away from the Roman gods for
three main reasons:
• The Christian message was personal and offered
salvation and eternal life to individuals
• Seemed familiar
• Fulfilled the human need to belong
• Constantine= first Christian emperor
• Theodosius the Great= made Christianity the official
religion of the Roman Empire
• Edict of Milan= proclaimed official tolerance of
Christianity
Decline and Downfall
• Christianity weakened Rome’s military virtues
• Roman values declined as non-Italians gained
prominent positions
• Lead poisoning from water pipes and vessels
caused a mental decline
• Slavery held Rome back from advancing
technologically
• Rome’s political system was dysfunctional
Roman Timeline
• 1000 BCE migration south over Alps
753 BCE Romulus and Remus found Rome
509 BCE Republic established
264-146 Roman Empire expansion
27 BCE Augustus become Emperor
96 - 108 AD Height of power and territory
395 AD East and West split
476 AD West overthrown by Germans