World History
Ancient Rome
Unit 4
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Origin of the Etruscans
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Between 900 and 500 BCE
Called themselves the Rasenna, the
Greeks called them Tyrrhenioi; the
Romans called them the Etruscans.
Came from eastern Mediterranean,
possibly Asia Minor.
Their land was called Etruria.
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The
Land
of the
Etruscans
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The Etruscan Alphabet
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Etruscan Writing Tablet
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Etruscan Religion
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Polytheistic.
Believed that the destiny of man
was determined by the whims of the gods.
Believed in prophecy and reading
the signs of nature by augurs.
Believed in predestination.
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Etruscan Art
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Art created for religious or practical
purposes.
Most famous pieces created out of
terracotta.
Many murals and frescoes on tomb walls.
Lively depictions of life—dancing, games,
music, and feasting.
Pottery at first copies of Greek works.
Later, created their own bronze pottery.
Bronze crafts [mirrors, bowls, candelabra].
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Dance, Dance, Spin !
Double Flutist
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An Etruscan Banquet
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Etruscan Wrestlers
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Geography and Rome
Rome is located in the center of
the Italian peninsula. This
location helped the Romans
expand in Italy and beyond.
The Apennine Mountains run
down the center of Italy but are
not too rugged.
Fertile plains supported a
growing population.
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Ancestors of the Romans
settled along the Tiber River.
These villages eventually grew
into Rome.
How was Greco-Roman civilization
formed?
The Romans borrowed heavily from Greek culture after
they conquered Greece.
At the same time, Roman generals carried
achievements of Roman civilization to conquered lands.
The blending of Roman, Hellenistic, and Greek
traditions produced Greco-Roman civilization.
Trade and travel during the Pax Romana helped spread
this new civilization.
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The Roman Republic:
In 509 B.C., the Romans drove out the Etruscans and set up a new
government, which they called a republic. In a republic, some
officials are chosen by the people.
In the early republic, the senate dominated the government.
Its members were patricians, or members of the landholding
class.
Little by little, the plebeians, or common people, gained some political
power. These included the right to elect their own officials, called tribunes.
The tribunes could veto, or block, laws that they felt harmed plebeians.
More than 2,000 years later, the framers of the United States
Constitution would adapt Roman ideas of government, such as the
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3 Important Groups in the
Roman Republic:
 The
Senate
 The Assembly of the
Centuries
 The Assembly of the Tribes
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The Roman Senate
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The Senate was the most powerful
group in the government.
Composed of three hundred men
 Controlled public funds
 Controlled political appointments
 Determined foreign policy
 Sometimes acted as a court
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The Assembly of the
Centuries
Divided its voters into voting units
called centuries.
 Each century had 100 members
 There were 193 centuries in the
Assembly
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The Assembly of the Tribes
Made up of citizens grouped into
35 tribes according to where they
lived
 The group was controlled by the
plebeians, or commoners.
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Patricians and Plebeians
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Patricians – aristocrats of the early
Roman Republic.
 The word patrician comes from
the Latin word pater, which means
father.
 This word was also used to
describe the members of the
Roman Senate.
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 Patricians
came from
wealthy
families.
 They
controlled the
government,
army, and
state religion.
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Plebeians – the commoners in the
early Roman Republic.
Included freed slaves, peasant
farmers, and dependents of patricians.
 Denied many rights.
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 For
many years,
plebeians were
unable to vote, hold
public office, or
become priests.
 They were not
allowed to marry
outside their class.
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Expansion in Italy
By about 270 B.C., Rome controlled most of the Italian
peninsula.
Why was Rome’s
expansion in Italy
successful?
Skilled diplomacy
 Loyal, well-trained army
 Treated defeated enemies fairly
 Gave rights to conquered people
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Roman Society:
FAMILY
WOMEN
The family was the basic unit of
Roman society.
Women gained greater freedom
and influence over the centuries.
Male was head of household and
had absolute authority.
Some women ran businesses.
Most worked at home, raising
families.
EDUCATION
Both girls and boys learned
to read and write.
Education was highly
valued
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RELIGION
Gods and goddesses resembled
those of Greeks and Etruscans.
Religious festivals inspired sense of
community.
Romans built many temples for
worship.
Roman Religion
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The religion of Rome was centered around
trying to please the gods.
Polytheism – the worship of many gods.
Each god was linked to a particular human
activity.
Every activity honoring the gods had to be
carried out in the appropriate space.
Each god has an assigned space.
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Around 400 B.C., plebeians were
given the right to marry patricians,
run for consul, and be eligible for
priesthood.
 In 287 B.C., the comitia tributa, an
assembly of all the people, was
given the power to make laws that
bound everybody.
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Pompeii and Vesuvius
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Pompeii was an ancient city in Italy that
became famous by its destruction
following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
Pompeii became a Roman city in 91 B.C.
It was located on a plateau of ancient lava
near the Bay of Naples, less than one mile
from Mount Vesuvius.
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The
Colosseum
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Romans
marveled at
the shows put
on at the
Colosseum,
ancient Rome’s largest stadium.
Spectators watched
the slaughter of exotic animals, gladiators
battling to the death, and mock naval battles.
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An Architectural Marvel!
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The Colosseum was an architectural
marvel. Its floor was about the size of
modern football field.
As many as 50,000 spectators could crown
onto the Colosseum’s marble and wooden
benches.
There, they were protected from the hot
Roman sun by a giant canvas roof.
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Spartacus
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Rome needed workers to
maintain its wealth.
The first conquered
people were welcomed as
Roman citizens, but after
265bc, many conquered
people were auctioned off
as slaves.
A great deal of the
grandeur of Rome was
created by the grueling
labor of slaves.
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Kirk Douglas as
Spartacus (1960)
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A slave named Spartacus led a revolt
against the Romans 73bc.
Spartacus built an army of thousands of
soldiers from slaves he and his followers
liberated.
The slaves resisted the Roman army for
more than two years and plundered the
Italian countryside.
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The Roman councils sent an army of 40,000
soldiers to defeat the slave revolt.
Spartacus was milled in battle, but six thousand
of his soldiers were taken prisoner and crucified.
Crucifixion is a form of execution where the
prisoner is nailed to a cross and left to die a
slow, painful death.
Crosses stretched for miles along the Apian Way,
one of Rome’s most traveled roadways.
They served as a gruesome reminder of the
strength and the brutality of the Roman army.
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In the summer of A.D. 79, Mount Vesuvius
erupted violently.
Hot ashes, stones, and cinders rained
down on Pompeii.
Remains of about 2,000 victims out of a
population of 20,000 have been found in
excavations.
About three-fourths of the city of Pompeii
has been uncovered by archeologists.
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Decline of the Republic:
Conquered people forced to work as slaves
Huge quantities of grain
Small farmers no longer needed to produce food
New wealth increases corruption
Farmers flock to Rome and other cities looking for jobs
Greed and self-interest replace virtues of simplicity,
hard work, and devotion to duty
Civil wars
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From Republic to Empire:
Civil wars
Julius Caesar forces the Roman senate to make him dictator.
Caesar institutes reforms to try to solve Rome’s many problems.
Caesar is killed by enemies who feared that he planned to make
himself king of Rome.
More civil wars break out.
Octavian defeats Mark Antony in a struggle for power.
The Roman senate gives Octavian the title of Augustus, or
Exalted One, and declares him first citizen.
The 500-year republic comes to an end. The age of
the Roman empire begins.
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Winning an Empire
After gaining control of the Italian peninsula, Rome began
to build an empire around the Mediterranean Sea.
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The Romans followed a policy of imperialism,
establishing control over foreign lands and peoples.
Carthage, Macedonia, Greece, and parts of Asia
Minor became Roman provinces, or lands under
Roman rule.
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HANNIBAL
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When Hannibal was born in 247 BCE,
his birthplace Carthage was losing a
long and important war.
 Carthage had been the
Mediterranean's most prosperous
seaport and it possessed wealthy
provinces.
 However, it had suffered severe losses
from the Romans in the First Punic
War.
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Prelude to Hatred
After Rome's victory, it stripped
Carthage of its most important
province, Sicily.
 As a result of this chaos, a civil war
broke out in Carthage, and Rome used
this opportunity to seize Sardinia and
Corsica as well.
 These events must have made a great
impression on the young Hannibal.
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An Influential Father
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Hannibal's people originally
came from the Middle East.
He was the oldest son of the Carthaginian
general Hamilcar Barca
Hamilcar took the ten-year old boy to
Iberia in 237 B.C..
Hannibal and his father (Hamilcar) crossed
to Spain with no army.
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True or False?
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The Romans believed that Hannibal's father
forced his son to promise eternal hatred
against the Romans.
In fact, it is believed that at age 9 Hannibal
made a promise to his father to destroy the
Romans.
This might only by an invention, but there
may be some truth in the story: after all,
the Carthaginians had good reasons to hate
their enemies.
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When Hamilcar died in 229 B.C., his son-inlaw Hasdrubal the Fair took over command.
The new governor secured the
Carthaginian position by diplomatic
means, among which was intermarriage
between Carthaginians and Iberians.
Hannibal married a native princess.
It is likely that the young man visited
Carthage in these years.
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Hannibal Becomes General!
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In 221 B.C., Hasdrubal was murdered and
Hannibal was elected commander by the
Carthaginian army in Iberia.
The Carthaginian government confirmed
the decision.
Hannibal returned to his father's aggressive
military politics and did whatever possible
to build up Carthage and make it strong.
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Tensions
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Tensions between Carthage and Rome were
still strong after the first Punic War.
Rome felt threatened by Carthage’s
expansion and power
Rome also felt that it was necessary to take
territory from Carthage in order to subdue
Carthage and to expand itself.
In addition, Rome wanted to control more
of the Mediterranean.
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The Punic Wars
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After 350 B.C. the Romans began
to expand their rule beyond their
city.
The first objective was to capture
the rest of Italy
 By 275 B.C. Rome ruled much of it.
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The power of Rome soon came in
contact with Carthage, a large
and powerful city on the coast of
North Africa.
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Carthage feared that Rome
would try to take Sicily, and
Rome feared that Carthage
would close the Strait of Messina
between Italy and Sicily.
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The result was a series of three
wars.
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The First Punic War
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Began in 264 B.C. and ended
twenty three years later when
Rome gained control of Sicily.
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At the Battle of Zama, Romans stampeded
Hannibal's 80 war elephants using
trumpets to scare and confuse them.
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Carthage often used war elephants and
trained them to fight by trampling prisoners
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The Second Punic War
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Began in 218
B.C. and ended
in 202 B.C.
when Rome
defeated
Hannibal.
As a result, it
gained control
of Spain
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The Spanish soldiers who helped
Hannibal wanted the severed hands
of the enemy as trophies.
 Before entering the Pyrenees,
Hannibal lost thousands of men in
battles and desertions.
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The elephants
crossed the Rhine
river in France by
walking across on
their hind legs,
swimming, and
tricked onto rafts
with dirt that
looked like solid
ground.
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Between the Pyrenees in Spain and
the Alps in Italy Hannibal had lost
44,000 men.
 Finally in Italy, Hannibal had only
26,000 men (he started with 70,000)
 Enemies of Rome in Italy gave
Hannibal thousands of soldiers to
help defeat Rome.
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Defeat for Hannibal
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After the 1st battle in Italy, only one elephant
was left.
Swamp fever in northern Italy killed many
soldiers and animals and caused Hannibal to
lose one eye.
Brother Hasdrubal came with an army to help
but was defeated - his head was cut off by
the Romans and sent to Hannibal.
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Hannibal did not attack the city of Rome
because he knew it was no use.
One of Hannibal's generals said: "You
know, Hannibal, how to fight. You do not
know how to win." - He had wanted
Hannibal to attack and destroy the capital
of the Romans.
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The Third Punic War
Began in 149 B.C. when Rome
declared war on Carthage.
 After a bitter siege, the city fell to
the Roman Empire in 146 B.C. and
was totally destroyed.
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At the end of the 3rd Punic War,
Carthage citizens fought from every
house and rooftop - 450,000 died or
were made slaves in the 3 year siege.
 Rome had won again!
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The Roman Empire at Its Height
By 133 B.C., Roman power extended from Spain to Egypt:
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Julius Caesar
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Julius Caesar
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Julius Caesar was one of
the greatest statesmen
and military leaders that
the world has ever
known.
His brilliant leadership
resulted in many reforms
and helped make Rome
the center of a region
that extended across
Europe.
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Caesar’s Accomplishments
Governed the empire
 Improved the calendar system
 Tried to reconcile opponents by
appointing them to office
 Set up colonies (such as Corinth and
Carthage) where poor people in
Rome could go to improve their way
of living
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Stopped dishonest government
practices
Granted Roman citizenship to many of
the conquered people
Planned a way to reorganize city
government in Italy
Replaced dishonest governors with
honest ones
Gave free gain only to the people who
really needed it
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Planned the founding of public libraries
Planned construction of a canal across
Isthmus of Corinth
Known as a great writer and orator
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Julius Caesar was able to accomplish
many things, but he also made
enemies of some important Roman
leaders.
 In 44 B.C. Caesar was murdered on the
steps of the Senate by a group of
Roman aristocrats who feared his
power.
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This marked the end of the Roman
Republic and the beginning of the
Roman Empire ruled by emperors.
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Cleopatra
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Julius Caesar found himself in the middle
of a family feud when he arrived in Egypt
in 47bc.
King Ptolemy XII willed his throne to his
ten-year-old son, Ptolemy XIII, and his
eighteen-year-old daughter, Cleopatra.
The brother and sister were to rule Egypt
as husband and wife, but Ptolemy XIII
forced his sister from the throne in an
attempt to seize total power.
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Cleopatra saw an opportunity to return
to power when she learned Caesar
was in Egypt.
She arranged to have herself
smuggled into Caesar’s suite by
wrapping herself in an ornamental
carpet.
Caesar unraveled his gift to find the
former queen.
The sly Cleopatra impressed Caesar.
His army defeated the people who had
removed Cleopatra from power.
Ptolemy XIII drowned in the Nile River
while try to escape Caesar’s army.
The 54-year-old
Caesar began a love
affair with the much
younger Cleopatra,
who gave birth to
Caesar’s only son,
Caesarion.
 While Caesar was
popular with the
Roman people,
Cleopatra was looked
upon with suspicion
because she was a
foreigner.
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Caesar Augustus
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In his will, Julius Caesar named his
grandnephew, Octavian (better known as
Caesar Augustus) as heir to rule Rome.
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However, when
Caesar died, there
was a scramble to
gain control of the
government.
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The Second
Triumvirate was
formed in 43 B.C.
with Octavian,
Mark Antony, and
Lepidus.
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Photos courtesy of HBO
productions
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Octavian eventually gained sole power,
just like Julius Caesar wanted.
When Lepidus retired, Octavian’s only rival was
Marc Antony.
He was given the title Augustus, which
means “exalted one” in 27 B.C.
From that time on, he was known as
Caesar Augustus.
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Photo courtesy of HBO
productions
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Marc Antony led the Roman army in Egypt,
where he met and fell in love with Cleopatra.
Antony and Cleopatra hoped to oust Octavian
and rule together, but Octavian used the
relationship between Antony and the unpopular
Cleopatra to his advantage.
He told the Roman people that Cleopatra had
cast a spell on Antony.
Octavian argued that Antony was willing to give
away the Roman world to a foreign woman.
The Roman people supported Octavian when he
declared war on Antony and Cleopatra.
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Octavian’s forces defeated Antony and
Cleopatra’s ships in the Battle of Actium on the
Mediterranean Sea in 31bc.
Antony and Cleopatra managed to escape the
encounter and returned to Egypt, but when
Octavian’s army approached, Marc Antony
committed suicide.
When Cleopatra learned of Antony’s death, she
realized she would soon no longer be Queen.
According to legend, Cleopatra wrapped an asp
around her arm.
The asp was a venomous snake that was the
symbol for the Egyptian royalty.
The asp’s bite supposedly ended Cleopatra’s life.
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Augustus’ reforms:
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Created efficient civil service to enforce the
laws.
Opened up high-level jobs to men of talent,
regardless of race.
Allowed cities and provinces to govern
themselves.
Ordered a census, or population count, in
order to make the tax system more fair.
Set up a postal service and issued new coins.
Employed the jobless.
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Roman Empire and Roman
Peace
Augustus laid the foundation for a stable government that
would function well for 200 years. This period was called
the Pax Romana.
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Pax Romana
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Pax Romana – the Roman peace, was the
period from 27 B.C. to A.D. 180.
The period of peace was brought about by
the ability of the Romans to rule others
and maintain their authority through an
efficient government both at home and
abroad.
The Roman law, military organization,
trade, and transportation helped to hold
the empire together.
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Government was the strongest tie holding
the peace.
The Roman army also helped to maintain
the Roman peace.
Auxiliaries – troops from the provinces
that assisted the Roman army.
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They were promised Roman citizenship at the
end of their service.
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Roman Advances in Literature, History, and
Philosophy:
History
Historians wrote about
the rise and fall of
Roman power.
Poetry
Philosophy
Writers imitated Greek styles in
prose and poetry.
Roman philosophers borrowed
heavily from the Greeks.
Virgil praised Rome’s heroic
past in the Aeneid.
Stoics emphasized acceptance
of one’s fate and concern for
the well-being of others.
Poets used verse to satirize,
or
make fun of, Roman society.
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Roman Advances in Art and Science:
Technology
Built roads, bridges,
and harbors throughout
empire
Built many aqueducts
Art
Sculptors stressed
realism.
Artists depicted life scenes
in frescoes and mosaics.
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Science
Romans left scientific research to
the Greeks.
Ptolemy proposed that Earth was
the center of the universe.
Galen used experiments to prove a
conclusion.
Architecture
Emphasized grandeur
Improved column and arch
Developed rounded dome
Roman Law:
During the Roman empire, these principles of law
fostered unity and stability:
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An accused person was presumed to be
innocent until proven guilty.
The accused was permitted to face the
accuser and offer a defense.
Guilt had to be established through
evidence.
Judges were expected to interpret the laws
and make fair decisions.
Centuries later, these principles would become the basis
for legal systems in Europe and the Americas.
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Roman Law
Roman law was an important tie that
bound the empire together.
 Romans published their first known
code of law about 450 B.C.
 This code, The Laws of the Twelve
Tables, set down accepted practices
in written form.
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The laws were inscribed on twelve
tablets which were fastened to the
speaker’s stand in the Roman Forum
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These laws formed the basis of
individual rights of Roman citizens.
 The laws dealt with:
 Legal procedures
 Property ownership
 Building codes
 Punishment for crimes
 And marriage customs
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The Law of the Twelve Tables
could be modified and
expanded in two ways:
1.
2.
New laws were passed when
they were needed.
Judges interpreted the old laws
to fit new circumstances.
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The concept that certain basic
legal principles are common to
all humans was first developed
during Roman times!
An example is the principle that
people are innocent until proven
guilty.
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Roman Military
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Ancient Rome was able to conquer a vast
empire because of its well-trained and
well-disciplined army.
The Roman army was organized into
legions.
A Centurion commanded a group of about
80 soldiers.
Most Roman soldiers were stationed in
forts.
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Gifts From Ancient Rome
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Rome has made many contributions to our
own society.
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The capital letters of our alphabet were given
their final form by the Romans.
Roman numerals
The names of the months on our calendar
also came from Rome.
In many areas conquered by Rome, the Latin
language became part of the native language.
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The Teachings of Jesus
Some of Jesus’ teachings were rooted in Judaism:
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Belief in one God
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Ten Commandments
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Mercy and sympathy for the poor and helpless
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Obedience to the laws of Moses
Jesus also preached new beliefs:
1)
2)
3)
Called himself the Son of God
Proclaimed that he brought salvation and eternal
life to anyone who would believe in him
Jesus also emphasized God’s love and taught the
need for justice, morality, and service to others.
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Spread of Christianity
At first, the apostles and
disciples preached only in
Judea.
Disciples began to preach in
Jewish communities
throughout the Roman world.
Jews who accepted the
beliefs of Jesus became the
first Christians.
Paul spread Christianity
beyond the Jewish
communities, to non-Jews.
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The Early Christian Church
Early Christian communities shared a common
faith and a common way of worship.
A bishop was responsible for all Christians in a
particular area called a diocese.
Gradually, some bishops became patriarchs, with
authority over other bishops in their area.
The Christian Church thus developed a hierarchy.
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Religious Diversity in the Early Empire
As long as people honored Roman gods and
acknowledged the divine spirit of the emperor, they were
allowed to worship other gods as they pleased.
After the Romans conquered Judea, they excused the
monotheistic Jews from worshiping the Roman gods.
Rome mistrusted Christians because they refused to make
sacrifices to the emperor or honor the Roman gods.
Roman officials persecuted the Christians. Many Christians
became martyrs, people who suffer or die for their
beliefs.
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The Julio-Claudian Emperors
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The Julio-Claudian emperors
were all related to Julius
Caesar.
Tiberius was considered an
adequate ruler.
Caligula was insane and
eventually was murdered.
Caligula said he got better
advice from his horse than
from the senate, so he
appointed the horse as one of
his top advisors.
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Claudius ruled wisely and added Britain to the
empire.
Nero, who was hated, committed suicide.
Nero was perhaps the most notorious emperor in
Roman history.
Nero became emperor when his mother conspired
to kill his stepfather.
Once Nero came to power,
he ordered his mother’s
execution.
He also killed two wives and
a stepbrother.
Nero ruled the empire by day,
but at night he prowled the
streets of Rome assaulting
women.
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He believed himself to be the
greatest artist in the empire.
Never before had a Roman
Emperor appeared on a
stage.
Many Roman nobles considered
his performances outrageous,
but no one would risk torture
or death by criticizing him.
In ad67, Nero toured Greece. He participated in many
games and contests, always finishing first.
As Nero devoted himself to his artistic pursuits, he lost
power.
In ad68, Nero faced a revolt from his soldiers.
His guard claimed Nero lamented, “What an artist the
world is losing,” then stabbed himself in the neck.
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The Good Emperors
The Good Emperors ruled Rome
for 84 years.
 Trajan acquired land in Asia,
bringing the empire to its
greatest size.
 Marcus Aurelius defended
against threats from the north
and east.
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After the death
of Marcus
Aurelius, Rome
began a long
period of
confusion and
decline.
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The Long Decline
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Roman emperors try to end the
crisis in the empire
Hun invasions contribute to the
decline of Rome
Economic and social problems
lead to the fall of Rome
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The Empire in Crisis
With the end of the Pax Romana, political and economic
turmoil rocked the Roman empire.
Political Problems
Emperors were repeatedly
overthrown or assassinated.
In one 50-year period, 26
emperors ruled, and only
one died of natural causes.
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Economic & Social Problems
High taxes to support the
army burdened business
people and farmers.
Poor farmers were forced to
work and live on wealthy
estates.
Over cultivated farmland lost
its productivity.
Two Reformers
Diocletian
Constantine
Divided the empire into two
parts to make it easier to
govern
Continued Diocletian’s
reforms
Tried to increase the prestige
of the emperor
Granted toleration to
Christians, which led to the
rapid growth of Christianity
Fixed prices to slow inflation,
or the rapid rise of prices
Established laws to ensure
steady production of food and
goods
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Built a new capital at
Constantinople, making the
eastern part of the empire
the center of power
Foreign Invasions
A weakened Rome could not withstand the forces
of Germanic invasions.
The Huns dislodged other Germanic peoples and,
little by little, conquered the Roman empire.
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