Roman Republic
Mr. Dunham
Geography
Rome is located on the
peninsula of Italy. The
Mediterranean Sea
provides transportation
and food.
Italy provides fertile
plains and river valleys
for food and easy
communication.
Roman Religious Ideals
Romans were polytheistic,
believing in many gods and
spirits.
Knowledge of the Greek Gods
filtered into Roman culture.
This is known as cultural
diffusion.
The Greek God Zeus became the
almighty Roman God Jupiter.
The Greek Goddess Hera became
the Roman Goddess Juno.
The Roman Republic
Rome was founded about 509 BCE. Romans founded a new
type of government called a republic. In a republic people
chose officials to represent them.
The highest form of government in Rome was the Senate.
Senators were wealthy landowners (called Patricians.)
The Roman Republic Cont…
The senators elected two Consuls, whose job it was to run
the government and command the army.
Romans Valued Family Ties
Roman families were headed by the
eldest male. The Romans emphasized
discipline, strength, and loyalty.
Women had many rights and duties in
Roman society. She did not, however
have the key right, the right to vote.
Officially, the Roman women were
expected to remain in the background.
Society was Divided Into Classes
Upper class Romans were known
as patricians. These people held
nearly all the important political
offices.
Common framers, artisans, and
merchants were known as
plebeians.
These two classes were based on
birth alone. The line between the
two classes was extremely rigid.
Rome Built a Mighty Army
Both patricians and
plebeians lead double lives
as farmers and soldiers
because of the constant
threat of war.
All male citizens were
required to serve in the
army, and no one could hold
public office until he served
10 years as a soldier.
Rome Built a Mighty Army
Massive military units were
called legions. Which
consisted of:
Infantry: 4,000-6,000 Heavily
armed foot soldiers.
Cavalry: Smaller groups on
horseback that assisted the
infantry.
Each legion was divided into
60 smaller groups called a
century.
A Fight with Carthage
By 270 BC Rome had conquered all of
Italy. They went on to control northern
Africa (Carthage), Greece and parts of Asia
Minor. But the expansion also led to much
corruption.
Film: Ancient Rome’s Accomplishments
Julius Caesar
Caesar came to power
in 48 BCE. Under
Julius Caesar Rome
conquered many
lands.
Caesar also reformed
the government,
founded libraries and
planned public work
projects.
Caesar Murdered
Caesar was murdered in 44BCE by a group of
Roman aristocrats who feared his power and did
not want a dictator.
Augustus
After Julius Caesar died,
his grandnephew,
Octavian (Augustus)
took over.
Augustus ruled with
absolute power. This
began the Roman Empire
period during which
Rome was ruled by a
series of emperors.
Under Augustus Rome
enjoyed a peaceful period
that lasted about 200 years.
This was referred to as the
Pax Romana.
The government maintained
order, enforced laws,
defended the borders and
helped the poor. Many
public works projects were
conducted, such as
aqueducts, canals and roads.
Solid paved roads were built to assist trade and
communication around the empire. Many still
exist today.
Roman aqueducts were incredible works of
engineering and architecture.
The aqueducts could carry up to 300 million
gallons of water to the city of Rome every
day.
Roman
architecture
borrowed Greek
elements, but
made them more
grand and heavy.
Roman architects
designed arches
and domes that
could carry great
weights.
The Colosseum
Cultural Contributions
Roman poets, historians
and philosophers like
Virgil and Tacitus wrote
works in Latin that
survive to this day.
Latin is the root of several
modern languages.
Roman numerals can also
be seen in many places
today.
Legal Contributions
The most valued contribution of
the Romans to the world was the
Twelve Tables of written laws.
The Roman legal system provided
security for the empire, equality
under the law, the right to a
defense and to be considered
innocent until proven guilty.
The Roman legal system inspired
legal principles still practiced
around the world today.
Decline and Fall
Rome wasn’t built in a day and it took a
long time to decline. Eventually the
emperor Diocletian divided the empire into
eastern and western empires.
While the western empire fell into chaos
and was invaded, the eastern empire
survived as a center of trade and culture and
became the Byzantine Empire.
Invasions of
Visigoths and
Germanic tribes
Causes of the
Fall of Rome
Heavy taxes,
Shrinking middle
Class,
Not enough
farmers
Governmental
Corruption,
People stop
Supporting the
government
Population decline
From war and
Famine,
People got lazy