Friday, April 4, 2014
 No homework 
 Do Now: Word Wise (on your desk)
Section 1
1.
How was Rome founded?
2. What is the geography of Rome like? Is it good or
bad?
3. What influence did geography have on the
development of ancient Rome?
4. Who influenced ancient Rome? (what groups of
people?)
How was Rome founded?
The legend tells us…
 Twin brothers of Romulus and Remus were placed in
a basket by their uncle. Their uncle was threatened
by them
 They began to float down the Tiber River where they
had gotten into some trouble
 A she-wolf saved them, but the two brothers argued
over power
 Remus is killed by Romulus and he founds city of
Rome (naming it after himself)
What is the geography like in Rome?
A BOOT INTO THE SEA
 Italian peninsula is part of the European continent
that sticks out into Mediterranean Sea like a
“kicking boot”
 Sicily is an island west of the “toe” of the Italian
peninsula. Sicily was a popular spot for Greek
colonists because of rich farmlands.
Mountain Ranges, Fertile Soils, and Rivers
 The Alps Mountains form the northern border of Italy
and wall off the Italian peninsula from the rest of
Europe
 The Apennine Mountains form the giant “backbone”
that runs through Italian peninsula
 Latium is an important fertile plain on the west coast
of central Italy.
 The Tiber River runs through Latium, this is where
Rome is located
What influence did geography have on the
development of ancient Rome?
 Helped Rome grow
 Hills acted as a natural defense
 Access to the Tiber River which led to ports and key
trade routes
Who influenced ancient Rome?
 Greeks – Many traveled to Rome and brought their
culture with them
 Etruscans – they formed the basis of religion and
with help from the Greek helped form the Roman
alphabet (we still use it today!)
Monday, April 7, 2014
 Homework:
Page
370 key terms and read section 2
Sign & return chapter 11 tests
 Do Now:
Take out your notes and be ready to
continue
The Roman Government
 “It was impossible even for a native to pronounce
with certainty whether the whole system was
aristocratic, democratic, or monarchical” Polybius,
ancient historian
 Leaders, wealthy aristocrats, and average citizens all
play a role
The Roman Government
 Roman government was structured by a
constitution

A system of rules by which a government is organized
 Separation of powers was the main idea
 Made sure no one person could become too powerful
Limiting Officials’ Power
 Split office positions between two or more men
 2 leaders called consuls with equal powers
 Time in office is limited to 1 year
 The power to veto
to stop or cancel the action of a government official
 “I forbid” in Latin

Checks and Balances
 Power was divided among 3 branches (tripartite)
 Assemblies
 Senate
 Magistrates: elected officials who enforce laws
 One branch could check, or stop another branch
from misusing power
 No one branch could have TOTAL power
Rule of Law
 The law applied to EVERYONE
 Elected officials could even be tried for violating
the law after their term of office ended
Roman Citizenship
 Free Roman men were considered citizens
 Women and slaves were not considered citizens
and had no direct role in government
 Symbol of Roman citizenship was the toga
 A garment that adult men wore wrapped around their
bodies
 Only citizens could wear togas
Rights and Responsibilities
 Citizens
 had the right to a trial
 Had the right to vote
 Had the responsibility to serve in the army
 Roman culture stressed civic duty
Roman Society
 The society divided into two groups based on a class
structure.

The patricians were wealthy landowners who were members
of Rome’s noble families.

The plebeians were commoners who were allowed to vote,
but not be elected to government office. Plebeians were
farmers, traders, and craftsmen.
Plebeians
 The plebeians protested the rule of the patricians.
 During a war, they walked out of the city and
refused to fight. Rome could not go on without
them.
 The plebeians forced the patricians to open up
offices to them.
 Now both patricians and plebeians had a role in
government
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
 Homework:
Read
page 375 “Roman Example” and
answer page 375 # 4 & 5
 Do Now:
Please
have out your homework (page
370 key terms)
Assemblies
 Democratic part of the Roman government
 All adult male citizens could participate
 Votes of the wealthy men usually counted more than
the poor
Assemblies
 At assemblies, officials were elected and laws were
passed
 The power of the assemblies was checked by the
powers of the senate
Senate
 Worked like an oligarchy
 Made up of the wealthiest and best known Roman
men
 Often, they had been former magistrates
 Government official who enforces the law
 They were not meant to represent the people,
instead guide the state
Senate
 Advised the assemblies and magistrates
 Almost always, the advice given from the senate was
followed.
 The senate controlled foreign policy and decided how to
spend the state’s money
 MOST POWERFUL PART OF ROME’S GOVERNMENT
Tribunes
 Tribunes acted as the protectors of the plebeians
 Had the right to veto any law or action of a
magistrate
 It was strictly forbidden to harm a tribune
Praetors and Consuls
 Praetors
 Judged cases
 Managed the city of Rome
 Led armies in times of war
 Consuls
 Top officials in the Roman Republic
 Lead the army
 Presided over the senate and assemblies
 Considered the highest judges
Lower Offices
 Quaestors
 Accountants who kept track of the state’s money
 Served as assistants to higher officials
 Aedile
 In charge of holding festicals
 In charge of maintaining public buildings
Cincinnatus
 The Senate could vote for a dictator in an emergency,
but it was only for a max of 6 months
 Cincinnatus was working on his field when he had
heard he was voted dictator
 He quickly defeated Rome’s enemies, resigned, and
went back to his fields.
 He was considered a model citizen
Thursday, April 10, 2014
 Homework: page 376 key terms and read section 3
 Do Now: From what we have learned about the
government and how it is run, who do you think runs
the Roman household? Why? (you may work with a
partner)
Roman Society
 Rome was a patriarchal society
 Men ruled their families
 Paterfamilias (head of the household)
 Owned all property
 Power over wife, children, underage siblings
 In practice, a father’s power was usually limited by custom
Roman Society
 Women:
 Could own personal property
 Went to parties
 Enjoyed the theater
 Participated in religious rituals
 BUT women could not vote, attend assemblies, or hold office
 The ideal woman was a faithful wife and mother, devoted to
her family
 Read pages 377-378
Rich vs. Poor
 Wealthy Romans earned money from agriculture or
business
 Upper class lived in one or two story houses with
court yards, gardens, private baths, and running
water
 Many elite families owned villas (large country
homes)
Rich vs. Poor
 Most poor Romans lived in cramped apartments
without running water
 Apartment buildings were poorly built and could
collapse
 Some worked as day laborers in construction, ran
stores or restaurants
 Some worked as tenant farmers
 People who rented land from wealthy landlords
Slavery
 Very common in ancient Rome
 Slaves had no rights, bought and sold like property
 Some worked in mines and on large farms
 They died quickly due to brutal treatment
 Some worked in households
 Some educated slaves (usually Greek) worked as
secretaries or teachers
Slavery
 Some slaves could become free as a reward for
serving loyally
 Some slaves rebelled
 Spartacus
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
 Homework:
 Page
379 1-6 & 9
 Do Now:
 Please
take out your lists from yesterday (roles of
men, women, or slaves)
Roman religion
 Worshipped hundreds of gods
 Most came from the Greek, but some were from the Latin
tradition
 Top government officials also served as priests
 Romans believed that maintaining good relationships
with the gods was a part of the government’s job
 They wanted to keep the gods happy
Monday, April 21, 2014
 Homework:
 Page
380 key terms
 Do now:
 Please
review all material from chapter 12
(before spring break)
Struggle with Carthage
 City in present-day Tunisia (north coast of Africa)
 Controlled much of the land in the western
Mediterranean and Sicily.
 Once a colony of Phoenicia. “Punic” was Latin work
for Phoenicia—Punic Wars.
Struggle with Carthage
 Hannibal, Carthage’s most successful general led his
troops from Spain into Italy
 Rome defeats Hannibal’s troops, but knew “Carthage
must be destroyed”

One senator ended every speech by saying this
 Rome now conquered Greece and parts of southwest
Asia
Rome as an empire
 Rome did not have an emperor, but it ruled an
empire

A state containing several countries or territories
 Divided into provinces where magistrates governed
(cruelly and corruptly)

A province is an area within a country or empire
Use pages 380-381
 Who was Hannibal?
 What did he do?
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
 Homework:
 Complete class work (Comparing Roman army
before and after reforms)
 Chapter 12 test Friday!
 Do Now:
 Please have out your homework from last night
 Please complete the vocabulary matching sheet
on your desks (all of chapter 12)
Conquest causing problems
 Although Rome had become powerful and wealthy,
rules were broken and there were many problems
 Magistrates became wealthy by stealing from people
in the provinces
 Politicians used violence
 Government stopped working
Rome grows rich, Romans get poor
 Landowners and employers bought slaves to do the
work the poor Romans used to do.
 Tenant farmers lost their livelihood
 The government feared that the poor would start a
rebellion

They began giving out free grain
Politicians
 Supported reforms
 Appealed to the poor to win office
 More elite traditional politicians opposed them
The Army
 Gaius Marius reformed the Roman army
 Changed or improved
 Now even poor Romans could join the army
 The government would pay for their equipment
 Retired soldiers needed land to live on and because it was
provided, they became more loyal
From Republic to Empire
 Army commanders turned their armies against their
enemies and the senate

Civil war broke out
 Pompey conquered parts of southweat Asia, Caesar
conquered Gual

The two ran the government together, but ignored customs
and laws
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
 Homework:
 Complete
classwork – Page 384 1-7, 9, 10
 Chapter 12 test Friday!
 Do Now:
 Please
have your homework out and ready to hand in
 In the next space available in your notes please
answer – Is a stronger army always a good thing?
Explain
From Republic to Empire
 Pompey and Caesar fought
 The senate sided with Pompey and ordered Caesar to give up
his legions
 Civil war broke out
 Caesar marched across the Rubicon River and rook
control of Rome

He declared himself dictator for life
From Republic to Empire
 Caesar angered senators with this dictator
proclamation

“Beware the Ides of March” – Caesar was killed on March 15,
44 BC
 Octavian takes over and promises to avenge Caesar’s
death
 He soon ruled Rome and changed his name to
Augustus

This means “honored one”