Ancient Rome
(continued)
Objective: The student will summarize the
worldwide influence of ideas that originated in
the Roman Republic and Empire.
Chapter 6
Roman Vocabulary
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Republic
Patricians
Plebeians
Senate
Dictator
Legion
Julius Caesar
Pax Romana
Gladiators
Apostles
The Geography of Rome
And the Empire
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Good Farmland
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Due to many river valleys located in the Roman Empire food was very
easy to grow.
 Great Climate
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Average temperature = 78-83 Fahrenheit
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Located in the middle of the Mediterranean
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Lots of Rain and Sunshine
 Very Defensible
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Because of the access to water, it was very easy to defend the
empire…Why?
The Founding of Rome
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Rome was founded by twin brothers Romulus and Remus in 753 B.C.
According to legend they were from a wealthy family and were abandoned.
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A She-Wolf took them in and raised them.
Romulus eventually killed his brother Remus and took control as leader.
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This is where we get the name of the empire… Rome (from Romulus)
The Etruscans
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Around 600 BC the Italian peninsula underwent
a rapid change in cultural and economic
development.
 Invaders (probably from Anatolia) came to “visit”
and liked what they saw…eventually they
controlled all of what is today Italy.
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Cities, trade, civil govts, mfg bronze & iron goods.
Greek armies began to “wander” into the Italian
peninsula, and eventually with the help of Germanic
tribes and nomads from Gaul, the Etruscans were
conquered.
The Early Republic
•By 509 BC, the Romans had
overthrown their last king. Saying
he was too harsh, they voted to
never have a king again, but to have
a government ruled by the people.
•The Romans created a Republic,
Latin for “people’s affairs”. (p. 143)
•In the Republic power rest with the
citizens, who select their leaders.
•In the early republic, two groups of
citizens rose to power in Rome, the
Plebeians and Patricians.
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Two Groups Emerge as The Leaders of Rome
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Patricians – Rich, aristocratic nobles who governed in the Senate.
• The Patricians believed their power was inherited through their family
lineage. Therefore, this gave them power to make laws for all Roman
citizens who had the right to vote.
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Plebeians – Merchant landowners, and small farmers & laborers.
• Plebeians had the right to vote, own land, and essentially controlled the
“economy” of Rome.
• Could elect a tribune to serve in the senate
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Rome is Governed by the Twelve Tables
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Written law that hung in the Forum of the Senate.
This law protected the rights of the Plebeians, and restricted the rights
of the Patricians.
The Senate
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Held both administrative and legislative functions.
300 members, lifetime membership.
This continual role of the Senate gave comfort to all Romans…Why?
In times of crisis the Senate would elect a dictator who would make
quick executive decisions for the empire (usually in war).
Rome Spreads its Power
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By 390 BC, Rome conquers all of the Italian peninsula. They
defeated the Etruscans to the North, and the Greek city-states to the
South.
However, after the conquer their enemies, they develop a
relationship of mutual respect and friendship.
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With the help of their “allies” Rome challenges the other “super”
power in the Mediterranean, the Carthaginians located in N. Africa.
There were 3 separate Punic Wars
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One of the interesting things about Rome and their territory, was after
they had conquered a group, they let them remain almost completely
autonomous. They could trade with whomever they wanted, they could
speak their native tongue, they were exempt from Roman taxes, and
often were allowed to take Roman wives – but they could not vote.
First Punic War: Fought over Sicily (rich in grain) from 264-146 BC
Second: Hannibal invades Rome from the North with Elephants in 218
BC. Years of battles on the Italian peninsula.
Third: Final battle to conquer Carthage in149-146 BC
By 146 BC, Rome is the undisputed “Master of the Mediterranean”
Rome
Benefits & Problems
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Benefits
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Largest empire in the Mediterranean
• Control Italian peninsula, Macedonia, N.Egypt and Sicily
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Annexed all Carthage’s possessions
• Possessions included all economic aspects as well
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Trade, economy, and culture flourished
Problems
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Unequal distribution of wealth – explain
• Income gap is widening = class tensions /\
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Faming “latifundia”
• Causing tensions via inadequate land distribution.
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Poverty
• Due to latifundia crowding out the “little man” these farmers are
resorting to moving to the cities, and due to lack of job skills, they
become homeless and cause the poverty rate to rise.
Life in Rome
 Public Amusements
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Free bread and free entertainment kept poor
from revolting
130 celebrated holidays a year
Circus Maximus was like the Texas Motor
Speedway seating 130,000
Gladiator duels, fighting animals, were
popular events
The Roman Republic
Julius Caesar – forms a triumvirate with Crassus
and Pompey
 They come into conflict and Caesar wins and
becomes sole ruler (dictator) of Rome.
 Caesar’s Contributions to Rome
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Granted citizenship to people outside of Italy
Reduced slave labor
Invented our current calendar
He made land reforms and gave land to the poor.
Killed on the Senate floor by Brutus in 44BC
The Republic Becomes an Empire
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After Caesar's death, there were several power struggles
that ensued over control of what was left of the Roman
Republic.
 Several groups of three (triumvirate) came to rule Rome.
During the triumphant periods, the Senate was at most,
a figurehead.
 Through more fighting and turmoil, Caesar’s adopted
son– Octavian –became the sole ruler of the new Roman
Empire.
 As the new ruler of the Roman empire, Octavian (now
called Caesar Augustus) vowed to bring peace and
harmony to the people. This period is called the Pax
Romana (period of Roman Peace 27 BC – 180 AD).
Life in the Roman Empire
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Agriculture & Trade
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All of Rome’s success hinged on the success of growing enough
food to feed more than 80 million people. Approximately 80% of
citizens in the empire were farmers.
Foods that were not native to a particular area were easily traded
with a denarius (the common silver coin of Rome) and a road
system.
The Romans traded easily with all parts of the empire, as well as
China and India.
Managing the Empire
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The empire had over 10,000 miles of border. The empire controlled
it by introducing the different peoples it controlled to the Roman
way of life and culture. By this, the citizens of the empire felt like
they were a part of the life, rather than property the Romans
owned.
Rome’s Early Road System
…continued…
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The New Roman Government
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Augustus was Rome’s ablest emperor. He build grand buildings,
stabilized the frontier, and created a government that survived for
centuries. In his government he created the civil service (a
series of paid positions that put people in charge of civil aspects
of the government). This allowed people to have a “vested”
interest in the empire.
However, he was a harsh critic of Christianity and always
demanded that the citizens of Rome worshiped Roman
gods/goddesses
Succession of Emperors
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There was no written method of how to choose an emperor
when one died. The civil service, and Senate were in large part
responsible for choosing the next leader of Rome.
Through the period of 37 AD – 180 AD there were a series of
good and bad emperors. Through the bad emperors, the Roman
empire struggled to stay “alive”.
The fix…the emperors were eventually responsible for choosing
their successor. Why does this cause a shift from “bad” to
“good”?
The Empire’s Public Improvements
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Built vast amounts of roads that are still in use today.
This allowed for easy trade throughout the empire.
Establishment of the Polis – central political unit in Rome
Aqueducts – brought in all the water necessary for the
cities and farms. These used the parabola for strength.
Temples—These buildings, built for the Gods and
Goddess, copied Greek style of architecture.
Forums - Public areas of the city, where classes, and
debates were held. This is where all the political action
of the city was at.
Theaters- For entertainment. People would come to
watch plays, comedies, and dramas.
Contrary to popular belief, the Romans did not invent the
dome…this comes later in the Renaissance.
Christianity and Rome
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Helped Christianity spread
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communication through the written language (Greek & Hebrew)
Appeal to the Masses
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Unrest, questioning of polytheism leads to people
seeking Christian teachings.
Explained spiritual aspects
Teachings were common to everyday Roman citizens
Emphasis of eternal life
Community, belonging
Special emphasis on the poor
Split of Rome…
Fall of Rome
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330 AD, the Emperor Constantine moves the
capital of the empire from Rome to
Constantinople.
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This was a more central location in the empire, as it
now stretched from Great Britain & Spain in the
West, to the Persian Gulf in the East
This made governing the empire more effective and
efficient.
The Beginning of the End
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Internal decay of the polis, physical structures, and
poor harvest make the citizens of the empire begin to
grow weary.
continued
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Military Spending
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Tax Increase
Inflation
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People don’t eat, they get mad!
Causes Income Gap
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Job shift from agriculture to other “skilled” jobs
Poor Harvest
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Burden passed on to Roman citizens
High Unemployment
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Out of control…why?
$ diverted from internal problems to external problems  No
infrastructure support
Gap between rich and poor…worsens as time goes on.
German Invasions
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Visogoths = Friendly, but not welcomed by the Romans
Huns = Roamed down from the East and North into far reaching
frontier areas of North Europe…Established colonies at will, and
butchered and killed anyone who differed from their ideals.
The Roman Legacy
Writing and the Law
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Official End
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476 AD the last Roman emperor (Romulus Agustulus) is
deposed by a Germanic general.
Unlike the Chinese, the Roman empire and culture did not die
away…it lasted for almost a millennium through the efforts and
preservations of the Byzantines.
Alphabet- should look familiar to us
Romans wrote down everything- Very literate, passed on
to use every day: alma mater, alter ego, per capita, vice
versa, am/pm, RIP.
Some consider the statutes and case law most important
legacy – The Romans took the idea that a written law
can protect one person from another and put it into
practice. Just because it’s the laws usually means
something to us, but not necessarily in other cultures.
Tried to appeal to people through argument- idea of
people deciding by evidence who is right and wrong.