The Pre-Roman World
The Rise of Rome
Greek ways did not die with the end of
Greece’s freedom. They were adopted and
spread widely by another civilization,
Rome.
The Origins of
Rome
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Location
Heels – Greece
Toe – Sicily
Top – Alps
Apennines
Landscapes – similar to
Greece
• Better farmland
Where was Rome located?
• Geography played a major role.
• Tiber River
– Source of water
– Way to rest of Mediterranean world
• Easily cross Tiber River
• Built on seven hills
– Steep
• Stopping place
How did Rome begin?
• 2 different legends
– Twin brothers: Romulus
and Remus
– Aeneid
• Latins lived there as early
as 1000 B.C.
– Built huts, tended herds,
and grew crops
– 700 B.C. banded together
to the community known
as Rome
Early Influences
• Greeks and Etruscans
• Etruria – north of Rome
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Skilled metalworkers
Rich from mining and trade
Tomb paintings
Changed Rome
Etruscan murals often showed lively scenes of
daily life, such as religious ceremonies or
people enjoying music and feasts.
The Birth of a Republic
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Etruscan rule lasted over 100 years.
Rome – wealthy and powerful
Tarquins
509 B.C. Rome rebelled
Republic
Small city surrounded by enemies
Birth of a Republic continued
• 338 B.C. defeated
the other Latins living
nearby
• 284 B.C. defeated
Etruscans
• 267 B.C. conquered
Greeks in southern
Italy
• Became masters of
almost all of Italy
How did Rome’s treatment
of conquered peoples help
it to build the Roman
Confederation?
Rome gave full citizenship to
some peoples and the status of
allies to others. This gave
conquered peoples rights in the
Roman republic.
Why was Rome so strong?
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Excellent soldiers
Army and discipline
Fighting style
Legions – 6,000 men
– Divided then into 60 to 120 soldiers
• Roman soldiers – legionaries
– Short sword – gladius
– Spear - pilum
• Each unit carried its own standard.
Shrewd Rulers
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Smart planners
military settlements
roads
Roman Confederation
– Citizenship
– Vote and serve in gov’t
– Other peoples --- allies
• Used force if necessary
Review
1. Where did the Greeks live in Italy, and how did
they influence Roman civilization?
2. Describe the two legends that tell of the
founding of Rome. Then describe how and
when Rome was actually founded.
3. Describe the Roman conquest of Italy.
4. How did geography affect the development of
civilization in Greece and Italy?
List examples of how geography determined Rome’s
location.
The Location of Rome
The Location of Rome
Rome built on
Tiber River
Seven hills for
good defense
Access to sea
The Roman Republic
Rome’s republic was shaped by a
struggle between wealthy
landowners and regular citizens
as it gradually expanded the right
to vote.
Rome’s Government
• 2 classes:
– Patricians – wealthy landowners
• Made up Rome’s ruling class
– Plebeians – artisans, shopkeepers, and
owners of small farms (most of Rome’s
people)
• Less social status
• Both were Roman citizens.
– Right to vote
– Responsibility to serve in army and pay taxes
How the gov’t worked?
• Tripartite gov’t
– 1. ran gov’t
– 2. made laws
– 3. acted as judges
• Checks and balances
How the gov’t worked?
Cont’d
• Consuls
– 2 (Patricians) were chosen each yr.
– Headed army and ran gov’t
– Veto power
• Praetors
– Interpret law and Act as judge in court
• Senate
– Lawmaking body
– Select group of 300 patrician men
• Assembly of Centuries
Roman Gov’t
USA Gov’t
Plebeians Against Patricians
• 494 B.C. – Plebeians go on strike.
• Council of Plebs
– Elected tribunes who brought plebeian
concerns to gov'ts attention
– Won right to veto gov’t decisions
• 455 B.C. – plebeians and patricians were
allowed to marry
• 300s B.C. – they were allowed to become
consuls
Plebeians Against Patricians
cont’d
• 287 B.C. – Council of Plebs gained power
to pass laws for all Romans.
– All male citizens had equal standing at least in
theory.
– Reality: few wealthy patrician families still
had most of the power and women had no
voice
• Roman Republic became more
representative but not a full-fledged
Democracy.
Roman Everyday Life
Cincinnatus
• Best known dictator
• 460 B.C.
surrounded by a
powerful army
• Widely admired for
his civic duty
Roman Law
• Rome’s chief gift to the world
• Twelve Tables
– Basis for all future Roman laws
– Established principle that all free citizens and right
to be treated equally
– Applied only to Roman citizens
• Law of Nations
– Stated principles of justice that applied all
• Rule of law
Why was it necessary
for Rome to create
the Law of Nations
when it already had
the Twelve Tables?
These bundles
of rods and
axes, called
fasces,
symbolized
the legal
authority of
Roman
Leaders.
How was Carthage founded?
• According to legend, Carthage was founded by
Queen Dido, who escaped from the Phoenician
city of Tyre after her brother killed her husband.
When Dido and her followers came to the place
on Africa’s north coast where Carthage would
stand, she asked the people there if she could
claim any land she could enclose with a bull’s
hide. They agreed. The queen then had a bull
hide cut into thin strips and she used those strips
to encircle a large piece of land. On this land,
Dido built a fort around which grew the city of
Carthage.
Rome Expands
• Conquered Italy but had a rival – state of
Carthage
• Phoenicians
• Great trading
empire
• Largest and
richest city in
western
Mediterranean
Rome Expands
Rome Expands
Many-Front War
Rome Expands
Punic Wars
First Punic War -- 264 B.C.- 241 B.C.
Second Punic War -- 218 B.C. – 202 B.C.
Third Punic War -- 149 B.C. – 146 B.C.
The First Punic War
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Control of Sicily
Began in 264 B.C.
Lasted for more than 20 years (241 B.C.)
Mostly a naval war
Carthage
– Left Sicily
– Had to pay a huge
fine to Romans
The Second Punic War
• Carthage expands into southern Spain
• Hannibal
• Crossing the Alps
HANNIBAL’S ROUTE OF INVASION
Did you know?
• While fighting in Italy, Hannibal found
his route blocked by a Roman army. To
get past the Romans, Hannibal used a
clever tactic. He sent a very odd force
out under cover of night---2,000 oxen
with lighted torches tied to their horns.
The Romans thought they were under
attack and moved from their position,
clearing the way for Hannibal to march
through.
Interesting facts
about
Second Punic War
• Romans had the advantage in cavalry,
which helped them win the battle.
• Some Roman soldiers blew trumpets and
yelled to distract the war elephants.
• Hannibal’s forces included about 80 war
elephants.
• The Romans left empty space between
their soldiers so the elephants would do
less damage.
The Second Punic War cont’d
• Battle of Cannae
• Roman General Scipio
– 202 B.C. invaded
Carthage
– Hannibal had to return
home to defend hi s people
• Battle at Zama
– Scipio’s troops defeated the
Carthaginians
– Carthage gave up Spain, its navy,
and paid a huge fine
Rome now ruled the western
Mediterranean.
More Conquests
• Carthage – trading center
• Third Punic War
– Burned Carthage, enslaved 50,000 men,
women, and children
– Legend
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Carthage now a Roman province
148 B.C. – Macedonia
150 B.C. – all of Greece
129 B.C. – 1st province in Asia
~Summary~
Outcome of the Punic Wars
PUNIC WARS
OUTCOME
FIRST
Rome lost many ships and
soldiers, but defeated the
Carthaginians and forced them
to leave Sicily.
SECOND
Carthage agreed to pay Rome a
huge sum of money and gave up
all its territories, including
Spain.
THIRD
Rome added Greece to its
empire and became the leading
power in the Mediterranean
world.
Review
1. Who were the top government officials in the
Roman Republic, and what were their duties?
2. What does mare nostrum mean, and why did
the Romans use the term?
3. Where was Carthage located, and why did it
compete with Rome?
4. What other conquests did Rome carry out
during the period of the Punic Wars?
5. Why do you think the legacy of Roman law is
considered so important?
Rome
invades
Sicily.
Rome
invades
Sicily.
War
ends in
241 B.C.
Rome
builds a
large
fleet.
Rome
defeats
Carthage
at sea.
Rome
encourages
the Spanish
to rebel.
The Fall of the Republic
By the end of the Third Punic War,
Rome ruled the Mediterranean
world. All was not, well, however.
Closer to home, the republic faced
increasing dangers that would
soon lead to its end.
Trouble in the Republic
• Use of enslaved labor
• Victorious army
• Trouble on home front
Wealthy landowners were forcing small farmers out
of business.
Rich versus Poor
• Patricians
– Ruled Rome
– Ran Senate
– Held most powerful
gov’t jobs
– Handled finances
and directed its wars
• Farmers
• Latifundia
– Enslaved laborers
(POWs)
• “bread and circuses”
Ancient Roman circuses
• Great arena that held spectators who
came to see chariot races, footraces, and
fights to death by gladiators.
Why did Reform fail?
• Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus
– 2 prominent officials who worked for reforms
– Asked Senate to take back public land from
the rich and divide it among landless Romans
– Senators put their own interests above
general welfare and fought this proposal.
– A band of Senators even killed Tiberius in 133
B.C.
– 12 yrs later, Gaius was killed.
They were killed.
The Army Enters Politics
• Marius
– Military leader
– Recruited soldiers from the poor
– Citizen volunteers to paid
professional soldiers
– Led to power struggles
• Sulla
– Rival general
– Made himself dictator
– Era of civil wars
Julius Caesar
Military hero seized power and
made reforms. In 60 B.C., three
men, Crassus, Pompey, and
Caesar, formed the First
Triumvirate to rule Rome.
Caesar’s Military Campaigns
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Military commands of Triumvirate
Caesar invades Britain
Hero of lower classes
Feared he was becoming too popular and
become like Sulla
• Crassus dies
• Pompey rules alone
• Caesar’s decision
Caesar’s Rise to Power
• 44 B.C. declared dictator of Rome for life
• Reforms:
– Granted citizenship to people living in Rome’s
territories outside the Italian peninsula
– New colonies to provide land for landless ‘
– Created work for jobless
– Slave holders had to hire more free workers
– Julian calendar
Caesar’s Rise to Power cont’d
• Supporters: strong leader who brought
peace and order to Rome
• Enemies: feared he wanted to be king
• Opponents led by Brutus and Cassius
plotted to kill him.
• Caesar ignored warning “Beware of the
Ides of March”.
• In 44 B.C. on March 15, he was stabbed to
death.
Rome Expands
Rome becomes an Empire.
The Roman Republic, weakened
by civil wars, became an empire
under Augustus.
Second Triumvirate
The Second Triumvirate
• Octavian forced
Lepidus to retire.
• Division
• Cleopatra VII
• War declared
• Battle of Actium
• Civil wars end
• Roman Empire
Who was
Augustus?
• Dictator for life?
• Cicero
• Influenced writers of
the US Constitution
• Imperator
• Emperor
• Augustus
Octavian restored
the republic,
which Cicero
favored.
Review
1. What is a triumvirate?
2. Who was Cicero, and how did he influence the
writers of the United States Constitution?
3. What reforms did the Gracchus brothers
suggest?
4. What was the “bread and circuses” policy, and
how did Roman politicians benefit from it?
5. What reforms did Julius Caesar put in place
that increased his popularity with poor and
working-class Romans?
Fill in the chain of effects that
was caused by the thousands of
enslaved prisoners that were
brought to Italy from Rome’s
many wars.
Many enslaved
prisoners worked
Rome’s large
farms.
Farmers had to
move to the
cities.
Farmers lost
farms.
Farmers could
not find jobs.
The Early Empire
The Emperor Augustus
• New era of prosperity
• 200 years of peace
• Mediterranean region under control of one
empire (no more conflict)
Augustus’ Achievements
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27 B.C.
Empire strong and safe
Professional army
“I found Rome a
city of brick,”
Praetorian Guard
Augustus boasted,
Conquered nations
“and left it a city of
marble.”
Rebuilt Rome
Proconsul
Reformed Roman tax and legal systems
Rome
under the
reign of
Augustus
Emperors
after
Augustus
• Augustus’ reign
• Successors
• Tiberius, Caligula,
Claudius, Nero
• Julio-Claudian
emperors
Emperors
after
Augustus
Vespasian
Titus
Domitian
Unity and Prosperity
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System of roads
Aqueducts
Ports
Common currency
Vespasian
Rebellion
Colosseum
Titus and Domitian
Natural disasters
Rome Expands
Rome Expands
Rome Expands
The “Good
Emperors”
• A.D. 96 to A.D.180
• Nerva, Trajan,
Hadrian, Antoninus
Pius, and Marcus
Aurelius
• Agriculture flourished
• trade increased
• Standard of living rose
• Programs to help
ordinary people
A Unified Empire
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Conquered new territories
Largest under Trajan
His successor’s
Hadrian
1 of greatest empires in history
– 3.5 million miles²
– Spoke differently languages
– Practiced different local customs
• Law unified them.
1. Hadrian’s Wall and the Rhine and
Danube Rivers.
2. Grains, animals, olive oil, timber,
and spices
A Booming Economy
• Land
• Latifundia
– Gaul and Spain: grapes and olives
– Britain and Egypt: grains
• Industry
– Potters, weavers, jewelers
– Cities – center for making glass, bronze, and
brass
• Largest port cities: Puteoli on Bay of
Naples and Ostia at mouth of Tiber River
Roads and Money
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Vital to trade
Pax Romana
Navy
Common
currency
• Standard system
of weights and
measurements
Ongoing Inequality
• Shopkeepers, merchants and skilled
workers = benefit from trade
• Rome built great fortunes and lived in
luxury.
• Most city dwellers and farmers remained
poor, and many remained enslaved.
Review
1. What was the Pax Romana?
2. What products came from the farms of Italy,
Gaul, and Spain?
3. Describe the sequence of emperors who ruled
Rome from Augustus through the “Good
emperors”.
4. Why was Rome’s creation of a common
currency important?
5. Who do you think was a more important
leader, Julius Caesar or Augustus? Explain.
Changes
Under
Augustus
Appointed
proconsuls
Made tax collectors
gov’t workers
Changes
Under
Augustus
Built new roads
and buildings
Created
laws for
noncitizens
A Bit of Perspective