Chapter 9: The Rise of Rome
Section 1: The Roman Republic
Essential Question: how did Rome become a Powerful Empire?
1. Understand geographic features that helped Rome build a civilization.
 Located on Italian peninsula the Romans had access to the sea to get resources that they
needed to survive
 Italian alps and Apennines Mountains protected cities from invading armies
 Located near the Mediterranean Sea
 Had very good farmland. They could grow important resources. They also raised many
farm animals
 Farmers planted grains such as wheat and barley and sometimes beans
 Animals consisted of pigs, sheep, goats, and chickens
 Only wealthy farmers grew grapes and most farmers lived in mud brick houses that also
include timber.
 Every Roman town had a forum, a central area with shops and temples, which was always
crowded with people
 The city of Rome there is seven mountains or hills.
 Peninsula- land exceeding into a body of water
 Alps and Apennines Mountains- mountains that formed a barrier around the
Roman Empire protecting from invaders.
2. Analyze what life was like inside early Roman society.
 There were two main social groups in ancient Roman Society.
 Plebeians were poor commoners who were not allowed in government.
 Patricians were wealthier people who made up most of the government.
 Most early Romans lived on small plots of land that were used for farming
 Qualities of discipline, loyalty and hard work allowed farmers to succeed and help the
civilization progress and also made the Roman armies successful
 Farming also helped Romans conquer all of Italy which eventually became part of their
vast empire.
 Some people walked around Rome while others would be carry in litters
 Soldiers strode through town in chain mail or leather armor. Workmen hurried in belted
tunics of dark wool.
 Patricians were wealthy who made up most of the government
 The Plebeians were the Non-Wealthy commoners
 Litters were curtained couches carried on poles by slaves.
3. Describe how Rome’s republican government was organized.
 The Roman Empire established a tripartite-type of government. There were three different
branches of government.
 There were three different branches of the government.
 There was the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches
 The Legislative made laws for the republic
 The Judicial interpreted laws in court.
 Executive enforced the laws
 In the beginning the Assembly could vote for suggested laws but the Senate could deny
them
 Rome loved orators who gave great speeches and you did not have to be wealthy because
if you could be persuasive then you would be liked
 The Senate was a Powerful body of 300 members that advised Roman Leaders
 Consuls were officials who led executive branches
4. Analyze the causes and effects of Roman expansion
 Rome expanded its empire for many years after it was founded.
 They conquered the Etruscans to north and the Greek city-states to the southeast
 Rome did not impose harsh rule on these conquered people but they did force the new
citizens to pay taxes and provide soldiers for the Roman Army
 Punic Wars began in 264B.C and it was a series of three wars with their rival, Carthage
 Rome won every war but they almost lost the second when Hannibal, a general from
Carthage, stormed through the Alps with a herd of elephants and nearly captured Rome
 In 146B.C. Rome won the third Punic war and they captured 50,000 inhabitants, by
burning the city Carthage was then destroyed.
 Eventually Rome’s empire stretched Greece to the Iberian Peninsula
 After the wars Rome brought back great wealth and many slaves to work in the farmland
 For a while the civilization was at its peak but soon poverty and unemployment increased
 More anger and tension raged between the classes and the wealthy were having problems
with the poor
 The Second Punic War turned Rome from a regional power into an international empire: it
had gained much of northern Africa, Spain, and the major islands in the western
Mediterranean. Because Philip V of Macedon had allied himself with Hannibal and started
his own war of conquest, the second Punic War forced Rome to turn east in wars of
conquest against first Philip and then other Hellenistic kingdoms. The end result of the
second Punic War, in the end, was the domination of the known world by Rome.
 Punic Wars- A series of wars between Carthage and Rome in order to obtain land
 Hannibal- General who rode into Rome on elephants trying to take over the city.
 Scipio- Roman General who devised a plan to attack Carthage and force Hannibal
back to Africa
Chapter 9: The rise of Rome
Section 2: Rome becomes an empire
Essential Question “How did Rome become an Empire”
1. Trace the events that led to the overthrow of the Roman Republic.
 Wealthy Romans bought land and farmed it with slave labor which produced a wider gap
between rich and poor leading to the downfall of the republic. Reformers then attempted
to relive the amount of uprisings but the rich felt threatened and in the process the
reformers were killed.
 Generals needing land workers hired poor farmers to work and more people followed
generals than the republic. Causing a civil war to break out. On one side were the
generals who followed the plebeians and on the other side were generals that followed the
senate/partitions.
 The civil war had three parts. The first part was called the first Punic war this lasted for
23 yrs. between the Romans and the Carthaginians and during this time Rome formed a
navy. The second part of the war was called Hannibal and the second Punic war.
Carthaginians led by Hannibal Barca who used elephants for war. Carthage attacked
Rome from through Spain. Carthage then paid Rome back after war defeat. The third part
was called the third Punic war. Peace was developed and lasted for 50 years. Corinth and
Carthage were added to the roman map and Rome gained power of the ancient world.
Eventually it was narrowed down to two generals, one was Marius who followed the
plebeians and the other was Sulla who followed the senate. Sulla won after many battles
and finally took power. Years later after the death of Sulla, Julius Caesar one of the many
generals took power to rule.
 Civil War- Armed conflict between groups in the same country.
 Plebeians- non-senators and their followers
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I. Describe the influence of Julius Caesar on the transition from republic to empire.
. After Sulla dies, Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus ruled. They were called the
triumvirate.
 Julius went to Gaul (in modern France) to conquer them.
 Julius’s conquest (brilliant campaign) won land and wealth for Rome and fame and
fortune for him.
 Crassus was killed in his area of control.
 Caesar’s power in Gaul was increasing because of Crassus’s death.
 Two Consuls, Cato and Cicero, were alarmed that Julius was going to become a king.
 Cato and Cicero made the senate try to force Julius to break up his army.
 Cicero had Julius arrested for treason because Julius crossed the Rubicon river with his
troops, which was considered treason.
 Julius went onto Rome and defeated Pompey, making himself the only person in power.
 Julius was crowned Dictator for two years and a little bit later, Dictator for life.
 Caesar made changes that reduced the power of the senate.
 The Romans still feared he would make himself king so on the 15th of March (Ides of
March) Caesar was assassinated.
Because Caesar was appointed dictator, he made changes that eventually eliminated the
republic.
Julius Caesar - A Roman general, politician, and dictator
Triumvirate- A trio that ruled after Sulla died. It was composed of Caesar, Crassus, and
Pompey
Gaul- An ancient civilization of tough fighters located in modern day France
Campaign- A series of military operations that form part of a war
Consul- A patrician that had the highest power in the Republic and ruled for one year.
Cicero- A Roman consul, speaker and opponent of Caesar
Rubicon River- A tiny stream that marked the border of Rome, to cross it with a standing
army was treason.
3. Describe the influence (role) of Augustus on the transition from republic to empire.
 Roman leaders struggled to gain power after Caesar’s death, leading to another civil war,
destroying the republic
 Octavian wins and takes the name Augustus, meaning “exalted one” ( or person of great
rank or authority)
 Augustus restores republican government by giving senators and consuls a place in office
with him having power over all of them
 Augustus str
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Augustus- Julius Caesar’s adopted son/great-nephew who became the first Roman empire
Civil service- group of officials employed by the government
Marble- type of stone that can be highly polished
Pax Romana- time period of the peace and stability of the Roman empire, meaning “Roman
Peace”
Chapter 9: The Rise of Rome
Section 3: The Daily Life Romans
Essential Question: How did Rome become a powerful empire?
II. Understand how Roman families were organized.
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Head of family was father or paterfamilias
Women raised children and could inherit property
Women can run business’ when men were away fighting
Most parents gave children education but the richer went to school
 Private Schools- schools that charges students for admission
 Cause- reason for acting
III.
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Trace the influences of other cultures on Roman religious beliefs
Religion and government were linked in Rome
The emperor was head of church
Most Roman gods were linked to Greek gods
Overtime, the emperor became a god
 Shrines- places where sacred religious objects are kept
 Emperor- person who rules an empire
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Describe what life was like in Roman cities
At Roman’s height, they had nearly 1 million people
Roman’s center was crowded, messy, and loud
They dropped their trash out of windows onto streets
The wealthy lived in the country side
 Empire- a group of territories and peoples brought together under one
supreme ruler
 Aqueducts- artificial channels that carry water, sometimes over arched
bridges
 Colosseum- roman stadium where Romans watched gladiators fight
 Gladiators- trained roman warriors
Chapter 9: The Rise of Rome
Section 4: The Development of Christianity
Essential Question: How did Rome become a Powerful Empire?
I.
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Explain the connection between Christianity and Judaism.
The Jews believed a Messiah would be sent by God.
The Jews wanted to be free from foreign rulers like the Christians.
Both religions used bibles that were their sacred text.
 Messiah- An item that the Jews believed would be sent by God to free them
II. Summarize the key points in the life teachings of Jesus.
 Jesus lived in Judea but taught different practices of religion.
 Jesus had 12 disciples and traveled as a Christian teacher.
 Jesus’ 12 disciples were the starting rulers of Christianity.
 Gospels- Four written accounts of life of Jesus
 Disciples- Closest followers of Jesus
 Parables- stories with morals, often told by Jesus
III. Analyze the activities of the disciples and their efforts to spread the Christian faith after
the death of Jesus.
 The disciples said that anyone who believed in Jesus’ resurrection would share in the life
of Jesus.
 The disciples traveled and continued to believe and teach Jesus’ teachings.
 They spread Christianity by creating missions which is extending religious teachings in
an area.
 Jesus- Jewish teacher whose life and teachings became the basis of Christianity
IV.
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Describe the early church.
The early church wanted to practice charity and helping prisoners and giving the meals.
According to the church all members of the world were equal.
After the western empire was destroyed, the western church was a major factor in
preserving classical civilization.
 After the church separated from other churches, all the divisions followed this church.
 Gentiles- the non-Jewish people
V. Summarize Paul’s rule in spreading Christianity.
 Paul traveled as a missionary to spread Christianity.
 Paul and his missionaries changed the views at Christians to let the Christians travel
freely among the Roman Empire.
 Paul focused on changing the views of the Gentiles.
 Paul had trouble spreading Christianity because some of the people in the church did not
like him.
 Paul- Apostle and early leader of the Christian Church
 Missionary- person sent to do religious work in another place
 Epistles- letters that became part of the new testament
Chapter 10: Rome’s Decline and Legacy
Section 1: Rome and Christianity
Essential Question: Why did the Roman Empire fall and what is it legacy?
Notes not submitted….
Chapter 10: Rome’s Decline and Legacy
Section 2: Decline and fall of the Empire
Essential Question: Why did the Roman Empire fall and what is it legacy?
1. Summarize the weakness that emerged in the Roman Empire during the A.D.
200’s
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A weak economy is a major problem
o This stopped the empire from growing
o It raised taxes, and lowered wealth of empire
Technology stopped being invented
o It was not necessary because farmers relied on slaves
Constant wars with nomadic people hurt the empire
o These people were Germanic
 They were seen as barbarians
 They sometimes plundered the empire
 An example is the Franks lead by Clovis
o Farmland was devastated so food was short
o The military lost power and needed more people
 Rome hired mercenaries
 This cause Roman soldiers to be less loyal to Rome
The government was messed up
Emperors changed so fast
There were 37 emperor in 49 years
 People lost sense of rule
The government had people be forced to do things by one ruler
This made people less loyal, and therefore didn’t unite as one nation
Government officials were corrupt
People became less involved
News was less widely know
So less citizens attended civic matters
Less people felt like they had a duty
Also civil wars, disease, and famine created disorder within the empire
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Economy- a system that is based on the production, distribution, and/or consumption of
goods and services
Nomadic- a type of people that made a living by herding animals and moving as the
seasons changed
Germanic-people and other groups that lived beyond the Roman Empire
Barbarians-a term used by the Romans to describe someone uncivilized and primitive
Mercenaries-soldiers for hire
Corrupt-guilty of dishonest actions
Clovis-leader of the Franks, who founded the Frankish Kingdom in the Western Roman
Empire
Plundered-to loot, or take things by force
2. Describe Diocletian’s attempt to strengthen the empire by dividing it.
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Diocletian felt it would be easier to control and defend
o This way he could introduce more economy reforms
 For example he lowered the price of bread to get trade going
Diocletian choose to govern the eastern half
o The eastern part had greater trade, wealth, and cities
o The eastern empire could defend themselves
 This pushed armies into the western part of the empire
Maximilian was appointed to rule the western part of the empire
 Both men ruled for about 20 years
Diocletian thought it would help the succession of emperors
o He wanted to make sure the best man got the most important role
Diocletian-Roman Emperor who restored order and divided the empire into Eastern and
Western parts
Maximilian-emperor of the Western Roman Empire
3. Analyze Constantine’s ongoing efforts at reform in the Roman Empire.
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Constantine improved the government/court systems, and created coins
Constantine upgraded important structures, and built many churches
o The Roman Catholic Church untied the peoples of Rome
 It was also a symbol of hope
Constantine was the first Christian emperor
o He saw a cross in the sky before battling for control of the empire
o Constantine won control of the Empire
o After winning the battle under the cross he converted to Christianity
He made it a lawful to be Christian
Constantine moved the capital from Rome to Byzantine, Greece
o Byzantine became Constantinople
 It was well placed and easily accessible
 This helped trade and defense of the empire
This movement signaled a change in power
The power, and wealth went to the East from the West
Lawful-allowed by the law, legal
Constantine-a Roman emperor that made Christianity legal
Constantinople-the capital of the Eastern and Western Roman Empires
Byzantine-the city Constantine moved the capital to and renamed it Constantinople
Roman Catholic Church- the first Christian church in Rome that united the empire
Chapter 10: Rome’s Decline and Legacy
Section 3: The Byzantine Empire
Essential Question: Why did the Roman Empire fall and what is its legacy?
l. Summarize the history of the Byzantine Empire
 The Byzantine Empire lasted for 1000 years after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
 During the centuries, they had multiple religious differences and political threats from
European cultures, Asian cultures, and Islamic cultures.
 Byzantium was founded by Greeks in 660 B.C.
 330 A.D., Byzantium became capital of the entire Roman Empire and is renamed
Constantinople.
 394 A.D., The Roman Empire split into 2 permanently.
 476, Western Roman Empire falls.
 Justinian becomes emperor of Byzantine Empire in 527.
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He regained the lands lost after the split of the empire.
After a huge riot, Justinian rebuilt most of the city.
His wife, Empress Theodora, had power within his empire and supported women’s rights.
In 565, Justinian dies, leaving the empire bankrupt.
He is most remembered for his legal code known as the Justinian code.
He also brought the empire to its peak, as it would go largest as it would grow during his
reign.
 1054, Roman Catholic Church splits.
 1453, Byzantine Empire is defeated by the Turkish.
 Byzantine Empire: Eastern half of the Roman Empire that survived for 1000
years after the fall of Rome.
 Absolute Ruler: Leader who has total power.
 Justinian: Emperor who expanded the Byzantine Empire.
 Justinian Code: Uniform code of law based on Roman law.
ll. Describe how the Byzantine Empire preserved Roman culture
 The Byzantines continued to hold gladiatorial battles in amphitheaters.
 Justinian’s Code of Law is based off of Roman Law
 This Code of Law includes laws on marriage, slavery, property, women’s rights and
criminal justice
 Byzantine students learned Greek, Roman and Latin literature and history.
 Justinian’s Code of Law was the basis for many Western civilizations including the U.S.
 Since the Byzantine Empire had conquered many lands, it spread Latin and Greek
language throughout the empire.
III. Describe the division of the Christian church into the Roman Catholic and Eastern
Orthodox churches.
 The Eastern and Western Empires had differences in religion that caused them to split
 They started as the Christian church
 The Empire went into chaos after Justinian’s death
 The western side was conquered and the eastern side was conquered almost 1000 years
later
 Normans took control of southern Italy as Seljuk Turks defeated the Byzantines at
Manzikert
 By the late 1300’s Constantinople and part of Greece were the only remnants of the once
powerful empire
 Roman Catholic Church: original church of Rome
 Eastern Orthodox Church: new religion of eastern empire
 Delegates :someone assigned to represent a group of people
Chapter 10: Rome’s Decline and Legacy
Section 4: The Legacy of Rome
Essential Question: Why did the Roman Empire fall and what is its legacy
VI.
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Analyze the artistic and cultural legacy of Rome.
Roman culture was based on values of strength, loyalty, and practicality
Roman culture ended up as a blended roman practicality with Greek idealism
The Romans popularized mosaics and other different art forms
Romans also copied Greek literature one example is the epic
The Romans also invented oratory which persuaded Roman politicians
Latin was the main language
Roman art grew out of Etruscan art
Romans believed in having a good fore image was important in keeping their ghost
happy
 Mosaic- picture made by placing small, colored pieces of stone
 Bas-Relief- sculpture in which slightly raised figures stand out against a flat
background
 Stoicism- Greek philosophy that stressed the importance of virtue, duty, and
endurance in life
 Oratory- art of public speaking
VII.
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Analyze the technological and architectural legacy of Rome.
Developed newer construction so they could build buildings higher
Developed new form of concrete that is still used today and was light and strong
11 major aqueducts in Rome and longest stretched 57 miles
Romans were famous for their quality of their roads
Increased trade but made it easier for enemies to invade
Aqueducts were built from a combination of stone, brick, and volcanic cement
Used cement and arches to make a stadium that holds 50,000 spectators
Built unparalleled network of roads, 50,000 miles long
 Vault- arches that form a ceiling or roof
 Aqueduct- system of channels, pipes, and bridges that carried water into
Roman towns
VIII. Analyze the legal and religious legacy of Rome.
 Roman Empire made many major contributions to religion and law
 Roman leaders resisted Christianity, but later accepted it and made it the official
religion
 Christianity kept spreading when the Western Roman Empire fell
 Judges and political leaders made laws referring to Stoic ideals of duty and high
caliber, and showed fairness and common sense
 Romans started as a republic and established a senate
 Roman law was drawn from customs and statues
 At first Rome’s government saw Christianity as a threat
 Rome was first to have people whose job was to interpret the law on behalf of clients
(lawyers)
o Senate- used to make laws and represent people’s views
o Republic- average citizens held much power
o Christianity- the basic belief in Jesus Christ