Ancient Rome
6th Grade
Early Rome
The city of Rome was established
on the Tiber River in modern-day
Italy in 753 B.C.
The city was founded by an IndoEuropean tribe known as the
Latins, and Latin kings ruled
Rome until about 616 B.C.
At this point, Rome came under
the control of the Etruscans, who
greatly influenced Roman culture
and ruled until approximately 509
B.C.
EARLY ROME continued…
In 509 B.C., after a group of nobles
overthrew the king of Rome, the Roman
Republic was formed.
According to legend, the city of Rome was
founded around the year 753 B.C. and was
ruled by kings from that time on.
The last king of Rome was cruel and
tyrannical, resulting in a great deal of
unrest.
After the overthrow, the nobles decided to
create a new government called a
republic. Under this new government,
officials were elected once a year to rule
the city
Life in the Roman Republic
The Roman Republic existed from 509 B.C. to 27 B.C.
The Roman Senate developed during the Republic; senators
were aristocrats who were politically influential in the state.
In times of military emergencies, a single dictator was chosen
for a term of 6 months to have control of the Roman state.
Education in Ancient Rome was the responsibility of the
parents. The schools that did open only taught a few early
grades. Those families who couldn't afford a tutor had a very
limited education.
Life in the Roman Republic
Governmental power in the Roman
Republic was divided among three
branches:
the senate,
the legislative assemblies,
and the executive magistrates.
Civic duty was an important part of
life for Roman citizens.
Serving as a judge when asked to hear
a legal case was an example of the
moral obligations of all Roman
citizens during the Republic.
From Roman Republic to
Roman Empire
• Julius Caesar was a strong and admired
leader of the Roman Republic.
• However, he disobeyed the Senate by
bringing his army across the Rubicon
River to attack Pompey, his political
enemy.
• He gained control of the Roman
government and became dictator for life.
• A group of senators believed that Caesar
was trying to end the republic, so they
killed him in 44 B.C.
After Julius Caesar…
After Julius Caesar's death, his
nephew Octavius inherited all of
Caesar's wealth.
People were angry that Caesar
had been killed, so they supported
Octavius against the Senate.
With his army, Octavius held
control of the government and
became Augustus, the first
Roman emperor.
Life in the Roman Empire
The reign of Augustus began a
time period known as Pax
Romana, which means "the
Roman peace."
From 27 B.C. until about 180
A.D., Rome had no civil wars
and fought few other wars.
Brain POP: Pax Roman
Life in Roman Empire
Hadrian was a Roman
emperor who focused on
defending land that Rome
had already conquered
instead of conquering new
lands.
He ordered walls built on the
empire's borders to protect
against barbarians. The most
famous of these is Hadrian's
Wall in Britain.
Life in Roman Empire
The military of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire was
grouped into units called legions.
These legions did most of the heavy fighting when Rome was at war,
and they guarded the empire when it was at peace.
Legions also performed other jobs, such as building roads and forts.
Rome's military and public services were supported by taxes that
people in the empire paid.
Most of these taxes were paid by people who had been conquered by
the Roman Empire.
Life in the Roman Empire cont..
Slaves in the Roman Empire were treated as
property, but they had some legal rights.
Slaves could testify in court, own money or property,
and even sometimes buy their freedom. They had few
other rights, however.
Trade was very important to the economy of
Ancient Rome.
The Romans imported items like glassware, olive oil,
lead, iron, silk, and silver from all over its empire.
FYI: Important trade cities included Seville in
present-day Spain, Marseilles in present-day France,
and Alexandria in present-day Egypt.
Life in the Roman Empire
cont…
The Roman economy benefited from standard currency, or coins.
This is because more people would trade for the Roman coins than for
Roman goods themselves.
Rome's road system was also beneficial to its economy.
Roman roads connected most parts of the empire, making it easier for
people to travel for trade.
QUIZ 1 will cover slides 1-12
Decline of the Roman Empire
Pax Romana came to an end in
about 180 A.D., and the Roman
Empire began to decline.
The empire was politically
unstable.
Emperors were often generals
who gained their position by
killing the emperor before them.
Many emperors did not live
longer than a year.
Decline of the Roman Empire
Barbarian attacks and
invasions were major
factors leading to the
fall of the Roman
Empire.
These groups would
also attack the Empire,
eventually causing the
Empire to shrink.
Decline of the Roman Empire
These barbarian attacks
stopped the Romans from
being able to protect their
trade routes.
The quality of roads and
harbors in the Roman Empire
declined, which also decreased
trade, and made
communications between
Rome and the cities and
legions on the border less
reliable.
MAP of DECLINE OF
ROME…
Decline of the Roman Empire
continue…
As trade with other nations
decreased, Romans wanted new
jobs in the city.
However, most of the jobs were
done by slaves, so a lot of Roman
citizens were unemployed.
Without jobs, Roman citizens
could not afford to pay their taxes
and the Empire did not have
enough money to support all the
land in the large empire.
Decline of Roman Empire
continue…
The Roman Empire divided into two
parts:
Western Roman Empire
Eastern Roman Empire.
The two empires grew weaker and were
less able to protect against invasions.
The city of Rome itself was sacked
(captured and looted) two different
times.
A Gothic barbarian leader removed the
Roman emperor and made himself king.
This is considered to be the time that the
Western Roman Empire fell.
Brain pop: decline of Roman Empire
ROMAN REPUBLIC and
EMPIRE…
The Roman Republic and Empire began in present-day Rome and, at its
height, extended from Great Britain into Eastern Asia.
Roman culture shared many aspects with ancient Greek culture. Religion,
for example, was similar in both societies.
In mythology, the Romans took many of the Greek gods and created new
names for them.
For example, the leader of the gods in Roman mythology is Jupiter, but stories
about him and his rule in the skies are very similar, if not the same as, myths
about Zeus in Greek mythology.
Figures in Roman History
Romulus and Remus are the traditional
founders of Rome.
They appear in Roman mythology as
twin sons fathered by Mars, the god of
war.
According to legend, Romulus killed
Remus in a dispute over which brother
had support of the local gods to rule the
city and give it his name.
Romulus served as the first King of
Rome, created the Roman Legions and
Roman Senate, and added citizens to his
city by abducting women of the
neighboring Sabine tribes.
Figures in Roman History
Aeneas, another figure in Roman
mythology, was the son of the
goddess Aphrodite and was a
Trojan hero.
His journey from Troy is told in
Virgil's epic poem the Aeneid.
He is one of the few survivors of
Troy's fall to the Greeks.
His journey leads him to the
founding of the city that would
one day become Rome.
Figures in Roman History
Julius Caesar was a Roman
military and political leader who
played an important part in the
transformation of the Roman
Republic to the Roman Empire.
He extended the Roman world to
the Atlantic Ocean through
conquests and was proclaimed
dictator for life.
He was murdered by members of
the Senate who wanted to restore
the republic.
Figures in Roman History
Cicero was an orator and statesman of
Rome and is considered the greatest Latin
orator (public speaker, especially one who
is eloquent or skilled).
FYI: Many of his books and speeches have
survived and are famous today.
He was exiled from Rome for putting
Roman citizens to death without a trial
and returned over a year later.
He worked to earn favor with Julius
Caesar during Caesar's rise to power.
Figures in Roman History
Caesar Augustus (also known
as Octavius) became emperor
after the death of Julius Caesar
and kept control over all
politics and the military.
During his long and peaceful
reign, he had many
accomplishments, including
expanding the empire and
extending trade routes to India
and China.
Figures in Roman History
Hadrian was a Roman emperor who
focused on defending land that Rome had
already conquered instead of conquering
new lands.
He ordered walls built on the empire's
borders to protect against barbarians.
The most famous of these is Hadrian's
Wall in Britain.
FYI: He worked to fight rebellions within
the empire, including a Jewish revolt that
ended with the destruction of the Second
Temple.
He supported architecture and other
artwork in the empire.
FYI: Hadrian traveled frequently and
admired the arts.
Figures in Roman History
Hannibal was one of Rome's most famous
enemies.
He led an invasion of Italy during the
Second Punic War fought between Rome
and Carthage.
Hannibal's army included war elephants
from Africa.
The army traveled through Spain and
crossed the Alps during their invasion of
Italy.
He won several victories against the
Romans, but he was unable to capture the
major Roman cities.
Hannibal was defeated when the Romans
began their own invasion of Carthage,
forcing him to retreat.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS…
The ancient Romans had many
accomplishments in the fields of art,
architecture, technology, science, law,
and literature. Many elements of
Roman society continue to influence
the modern world.
Art and Architecture
Strongly influenced by Greek art in
painting, sculpture, and pottery
Depicted warriors and heroic
adventures in Roman art
Used mostly marble and terra cotta
for sculptures
Displayed mosaics, paintings, and
sculptures on buildings
Modified Greek architecture to fit
their needs
Developed concrete to build large
buildings and bridges
Art and Architecture
continued…(S)
Built aqueducts (to transport water) and amphitheaters
Developed the arch in buildings and bridges
Perfected the design of dome structures to use with large
buildings like the Pantheon
Built the Colosseum, inspiring design elements used in many
modern stadiums
Technology and Science
Used labor-saving machines like cranes, water
mills, grain mills, donkey mills (using donkey's
strength), water pumps, and cargo ships
Built sewer systems in order to transport waste
away from their cities
Used indoor plumbing in public baths, which
provided a place for people to bathe and to
socialize
Improved transportation by building many
roads such as the Appian Way, one of the many
roads that the ancient Romans used to connect
the different areas of their empire
Introduced Roman numerals, the basis for
Roman mathematics
Law
Had a body of common laws that applied to
Roman citizens
Civil Law, which is based on written rules,
developed in Ancient Rome.
The legal systems used in many European and
Latin American countries today are based on this
system.
In the 6th century A.D., Emperor Justinian
developed a body of law called the Justinian Code.
JUSTINIAN CODE: became the basis of legal
principles and practices in the Byzantine Empire
and Western Europe through the 18th century
Literature
Many great writers such as Cicero, Ovid,
and Virgil emerged from Rome
Cicero was a Roman politician who was
well known for his speaking ability
Cicero also wrote books on rhetoric and
philosophy
Ovid was a Roman poet who wrote the
Metamorphoses, an epic poem based on
Greek mythology
The Aeneid, which was influenced by
Greek poet Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, was
a famous work by the Roman poet Virgil
Language
Ancient Rome and its empire spoke and
wrote Latin
Latin is the origin of Romance languages,
including French, Spanish, Portuguese,
and Italian
Roman Contributions…
The Roman Empire stretched through
much of Europe, North Africa, and the
Eastern Mediterranean during its height.
It contributed to the Western world
through its art, engineering, and beliefs.
The empire's internal weaknesses,
however, ultimately led to its fall.
Citizenship was significant in the
Roman Empire because not everyone
in the empire was a citizen.
Roman citizens had many more rights
than non-citizens.
Most Roman citizens were people
who lived in Rome and other parts of
Italy.
However, citizenship could be
granted to anyone in the empire.
For example: some conquered
people, such as those in Spain, could
hope to have the same rights as those
who lived in Rome enjoyed.
Philosophy
Influenced by the Greeks, the
Romans continued the
development of philosophy.
One of the most influential
Roman philosophies was
Stoicism, which believed
that people must control their
emotions to enjoy happiness.
Marcus Aurelius is one of the
most important Stoic
philosophers.
Religion
Rome played an important part in world
religions.
Although the Romans took part in an
imperial cult, a religion in which the
emperor is worshiped as a god, they were
tolerant of other religions.
Judaism was generally protected as a
unique religion until the Jewish Revolt in
70 A.D.
After the revolt, Jews were required to
pay a special tax but were still accepted.
Religion
Christianity began with Jewish
followers of Jesus of Nazareth.
They believed that Jesus of
Nazareth was the "Christ," the
savior that the Jewish prophecies
said would come to Earth.
Jesus taught that everyone must
turn away from doing wrong things
and start doing things that are
pleasing to God.
Jesus also taught his followers that
they should spread this teaching to
everyone they meet.
Under the leadership of
the Apostles Peter and
Paul, Christianity
gradually separated from
Judaism.
Paul mainly preached to
the Gentiles, the people
who were not Jews.
He taught that the God of
Abraham is for all people,
both Jews and Gentiles,
instead of for Jews only.
Religion
Religion…
Though initially persecuted,
Christianity spread throughout
the empire.
Around 313 A.D., under the
Emperor Constantine,
Christianity became an
officially recognized religion of
the Roman Empire.
Christianity had been preserved
and spread throughout the
Roman Empire through the
Roman Catholic Church.
Roman Weakness-Geographic
Borders and Army Loyalty
The great size of the Roman Empire
eventually became one of its greatest
weaknesses.
Rome had become too large to defend.
Rome expanded to conquer different lands
and groups of people. However, Rome was
not able to conquer some groups, such as
the Germanians in Europe, the Celts in
Britain, or the Persians in Asia.
These groups, along with barbarian tribes
from further east, attacked the Roman
Empire and contributed to its fall.
Roman Weakness-Geographic
Borders and Army Loyalty
As a result of expansion, military leaders were dependent on people
who were not Roman citizens but instead lived within the empire to
join the army.
Soldiers were giving their allegiances to their generals instead of Rome.
Generals took this power and fought against their orders from Rome.
In the last centuries of the Western Roman Empire, the armies of
Rome had the greatest control over the empire.
Roman soldiers would often kill the emperor if he displeased them,
and they would place a respected officer in the position of emperor.
Roman generals often became emperors themselves after having the
former emperor killed.
Education
There was a general lack of
education in the Roman Empire.
Education was limited to the very
wealthy and church officials.
In Ancient Rome, the mother and
father taught their children
everything they needed to know
unless the family was wealthy
enough to hire a tutor.
Later in the Roman Empire, schools
did exist, but they only taught the
early levels of education.
Slavery
Slavery was an issue in the
Roman Empire.
Conquered groups of people
were often forced into slavery.
Some citizens were also sold
into slavery when they could
not pay debts.
The rise in the number of
slaves affected the number of
jobs available for Roman
citizens.
WRITING…into History
The earliest human civilizations
developed writing out of the need to
record information, instead of relying on
oral history to pass along information.
The Phoenicians created the first written
alphabet, which was modified by the
Greeks and later by the Romans.
Phoenicians and Vowels
The Phoenicians were the first
people to create a written
alphabet that used letters to
create words.
The Greeks took this earlier alphabet
and modified it to include
vowels.
The modern alphabet we use today
was actually created by the Romans,
but it was directly influenced by the
alphabet that the Greeks developed.
Latin….
The Romans created the modern scripted
language used today in English-speaking
countries.
Latin, the language of Ancient Rome, is the
basis of the Romance languages.
Romance languages include French,
Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian.
They started as dialects, or slight differences
in speaking, from Latin.
They later evolved into their own languages.
Most Western European languages,
including English, have words with Latin
roots.
Catholic Church…
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Latin language was no
longer spoken. However, it was still used by the Catholic Church
in Medieval Europe and in fields such as science, literature, and
law. Scientists use Latin to name plants and animals. In addition,
many Latin terms like subpoena and veto are still used in the U.S.
legal system today.