1
Setting the Stage:
While the great civilization of Greece
was in decline, a new civilization to the
west was developing and increasing its
power. The city of Rome grew from a
small village to a mighty empire. It
adopted and preserved much of Greek
art, philosophy, religion, and drama.
And it created a lasting legacy of its
own.
What role did geography play in the
prosperity and defensibility of Rome?
2
GEOGRAPHY OF ITALY
(has much in common w/Greece)
• Peninsula: boot; about 750 miles long north to south
• # of islands (largest: Sicily)
• Mountainous -- Apennine Mts. (run down the
middle; length of the peninsula)
• good farmland: 2 important fertile plains ideal for
farming are along the Po River; the plain of Latium,
where Rome is located, and the plain of Campania,
south of Latium; extensive farmland allowed it to
support a large population.
• ROME became the center of a new civ.
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ITALY
• Rome was favorably located 18 miles inland on
the Tiber River.
• It had easy access to the sea but was safe from
pirates.
• It was easily defended because it was built on 7
hills.
• Rome also was located on a north-south route
in Italy.
• Because the Italian peninsula juts out into the
Mediterranean, it naturally was a stopping
point for east-west trade and travel.
• This position helped Rome win and maintain
its Mediterranean empire.
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ROMAN BEGINNINGS
• city-states
• LATINS: first to settle in Italy
• Indo-European peoples moved into Italy
around 1000 B.C.E.
• One group was the Latins in the region of
Latium.
• Herders and farmers who lived on
Rome’s hills, they spoke Latin, an IndoEuropean language.
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THE GREEKS
• The Romans adopted alphabet,
military systems, styles of literature,
art, architecture from GREEKS;
taught the Romans how to grow
grapes and olives
• Military power & ambitious Kings;
Good at road building, pottery
making, architecture, sanitation
• After 800 B.C.E., Greeks and
Etruscans moved into Italy.
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THE ETRUSCANS
To the North & West of Rome:
• The Etruscans had more impact on early
Rome’s development.
• After 650 B.C.E., they controlled most of
Rome and Latium.
• The ETRUSCANS turned Rome from a
village into a city and gave the Romans
their mode of dress-toga and short cloak.
• The organization of the Roman army was
modeled on the Etruscan army.
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THE ROMAN REPUBLIC
• Early Rome was ruled by kings, some o f
whom were Etruscan.
• In 509 B.C.E., the Romans overthrew the
last Etruscan king and established a
republic (a gov’t w/out a king; leader is
chosen by the people)
• In a republic the leader is not a king and
certain citizens have the right to vote
• In Rome, citizenship with voting rights
was granted only to free-born male
citizens.
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THE YOUNG REPUBLIC
• Enemies surrounded Rome, and so the
young republic began a long a period of
continuous warfare.
• By 264 B.C.E., Rome had defeated
– the other states of Latium,
– the people the central Apennines,
– the Greeks in the south,
– and the last Etruscan settlements in
the north.
• Rome now controlled almost all of Italy.
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ROMAN CONFEDERATION
How did the Romans gain support for
their empire?
• To rule, Romans devised the Roman
Confederation.
• Some people, especially Latins, had full
Roman citizenship.
• Other groups were allies who controlled
their local affairs but gave soldiers to
Rome.
• Such people could become Roman
citizens.
10
ROMAN VIRTUE
How were the Romans so successful in
gaining control of the entire peninsula?
Romans believed that their success was
due to three virtues: duty, courage, and
discipline.
1. Were good diplomats
2. Excelled in military matters
3. They were practical, in law and politics,
as in conquest
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THE ROMAN STATE
• Early Rome was divided into two groups,
the patricians and the plebeians.
–patricians: (aristocrats) large
landowners; ruling class; could be
elected to political office..
–plebeians: smaller landowning
farmers, craftspeople, and merchants.
• Members of both groups were citizens.
• Slaves: some slaves did very well after
they were freed
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CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Consuls were part of the chief executive
office, that ran the government.
• two consuls
– ran the government
– led the army
• one praetor
– directed the civil law, or law applied
to citizens; later another praetor was
added to handle the law as it applied
to non-citizens.
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ROMAN SENATE
• The Roman Senate most powerful part
in the gov’t (was especially important)
– 300 patricians (served for life); made
up the original Senate.
• At first the Senate was only and advisory
body, but by the 3rd Century B.C.E., it had the
force of law.
• In times of crisis, the republic could
appoint a dictator (leader w/absolute
power); were chosen by the consuls,
then elected by the senate
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THE TWELVE TABLES
• Adopted in 450 B.C.E. , one of Rome’s
most important contribution was its
system of law.
– Rome’s first code of law,
• Later Romans adopted a more
sophisticated system of civil law, which
applied to Roman citizens only.
• Law of Nations: natural law; universal
law based on reason; handled legal
questions that evolved between Romans
and non-Romans
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STANDARDS OF JUSTICE
• Standards of justice were drawn from
the Law of Nations applied to all people
equally and used principles recognized
today:
– A person is innocent until proven
otherwise
– The accused has the right to a defense
before a judge
– Judges should decide cases based on
evidence.
JUPITER, SUPREME GOD OF
16 ALL
ROME, FATHER OF
ROMAN LAW
ROMAN ARMY
• All citizens who owned land were required to
serve in the army (10 years)
• Roman legions: made up of infantry and
cavalry
– Fighting force that spread Rome’s power
around the Mediterranean
• Each Legion had a nickname and a flag (eagle –
loosing it in battle considered a disgrace)
• Were self-sufficient; could live off the land; did
their own construction
• Each soldier had its own helmet, shield, sword,
dagger; their fighting skill was the key factor in
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Rome’s rise to greatness
ROMAN EXPANSION
Rome was able to expand its territories
through conquest and trade.
• 270-146 b.c.e.: Romans conquered all of
Italy, Greece, Carthage (Punic Wars),
Macedonia, and Asia Minor
– built a well-disciplined army
– tolerant of the people they conquered
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19
COLLAPSE OF THE REPUBLIC
Through the years, expansion creates
problems;
–gov’t officials became corrupt
–gap b/w rich and poor
–the very rich lived well, the poor could
NOT find jobs
–slaves made up 1/3 of the population of
Rome
–class tensions planted the seeds of the
republic’s collapse.
Efforts to reform resulted in civil wars that
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lasted 100 years.
TRIUMVIRATE
• From 82 to 31 B.C.E., civil wars plagued Rome; three
men, Crassus, Pompey, and Julius Caesar, emerged
victorious; Crassus was wealthy and the other 2 were
military commanders and heroes; they combined their
power to form the First Triumvirate in 60 B.C.E.
• triumvirate: a government by 3 people with equal
power.
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•
•
•
•
JULIUS CAESAR
In 48 b.c.e., he comes to power
45 b.c.e.: was officially made dictator
– he increased Roman power, made
reforms, launched a program of public
works to employ the jobless & gave
land to the poor
44b.c.- he’s assassinated by the Senate
31b.c. Octavian Augustus restores the
republic
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AGE OF AUGUSTUS
FROM REPUB LIC TO EMPIRE:
Octavian gave some power to the Senate
and became Rome’s first emperor:
Augustus
–maintained a standing army of 15K
men
– stabilized the frontiers of Roman Emp
–reduced taxes, gave people jobs, more
freedom to women
–At its height: population 50 mill.
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THE POWER OF ROME
• Augustus stabilized Rome’s frontiers
and conquered new areas.
• German warriors wiped out 3 Roman
legions.
• The defeat taught Augustus that Rome’s
power was limited, knowledge that
devastated him.
• For months he beat his head against the
door and shouted, “Varus, [the defeated
commander] give me back my legions!”
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“PAX ROMANA”
• At the beginning of the 2nd century, a
series of 5 so-called good emperors led
Rome:
• They created a time of peace and
prosperity called the Pax Romana
(“Roman Peace”).
• It lasted for almost 100 years.
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THE “GOOD EMPERORS”
The good emperors stopped unnecessary and
wrongful executions, respected the ruling
class, and maintained peace.
They took more power from the Senate;
officials appointed and directed by the
emperor ran the government.
NERVA
TRAJAN
HADRIAN
ANTONINUS PIUS
MARCUS AURELIUS
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THE EMPERORS
• Some emperors adopted capable men
into their families as successors.
• Some instituted programs to help the
people, such as helping the poor educate
their children.
• They created widespread building
projects such as aqueducts, bridges,
roads and harbors.
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LIFE IN ROME
POPULATION:
• Rome had the largest population of any
city in the empire
• Rome was overcrowded and noisy.
• Wagons and carts were banned during
the day, but their noise at night made
sleeping difficult.
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PATERFAMILIAS
• The Roman family was headed by the
paterfamilias, the dominant male.
• The household also included his wife,
sons with their wives and children,
unmarried daughters and slaves.
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ROMAN MALES
• Roman boys learned reading and
writing, moral principles, family values,
law, and physical training.
• Roman males ended their childhood at
16 with a special ceremony.
• They exchanged their purple-edged togas
for the white toga of manhood.
• The legal minimum age for boys to marry
was 14.
30
ROMAN WOMEN
• Women increasingly were not required to have
a male guardian.
• Upper-class women could own, sell, and
inherit property.
• Unlike Greek wives, Roman wives were not
segregated from men in the home.
• Outside the home women could attend the
races, the theater, and events in the
amphitheater, where they had their own
seating section.
• Women couldn’t participate directly in
politics.
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ROMAN GIRLS:
• Some upper-class girls were educated
privately or in primary schools.
• Like the Greeks, Roman males believed the
weakness of women made it necessary for
them to have male guardians.
• The paterfamilias usually was the
guardian.
• He also arranged the marriages of his
daughters.
• The legal minimum age for girls to marry
was 12, though most married at 14.
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ROMAN CHILDREN
• Unlike the Greeks, the Romans raised
their children at home.
• All upper-class Roman children learned
to read.
• Teachers often were Greek slaves
because prospering in the empire
required knowing both Greek and Latin.
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SLAVES:
• No people relied on slavery as much as the
Romans.
• Before the 3rd century B.C.E., even a small
Roman farmer would have 1 or 2 slaves.
• The wealthy had many more.
• The most famous slave revolt in Italy was led
by the gladiator Spartacus in 73 B.C.E.
• 70,000 slaves joined up with Spartacus, and
they defeated several Roman armies before
being defeated in 71 B.C.E.
• Spartacus was killed and thousands of his
followers were crucified.
34
A DANGEROUS PLACE TO LIVE:
• Even though Augustus organized a police
force, Rome could be dangerous.
• One might be soaked by filth thrown from
the windows of one of Rome’s huge
apartment buildings.
• The poor lived in apartment blocks called
insulae.
• As tall as 6 stories, these badly constructed
buildings often collapsed.
• Fires were a constant threat and hard to
put out.
35
TENEMENTS
• High rents forced entire families to live
in one room.
• Apartments didn’t have plumbing or
central heating.
• Uncomfortable conditions made many
Romans spend most of their time in the
streets.
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ROMAN ACHIEVEMENT
** ideas & culture absorbed from Greece **
Roman art* & literature
Epic – Aeneid by Virgil
Latin Language
principles of law & justice
days/months of the calendar
Architecture:
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Concrete
The Romans created the 1st true concrete:
limestone, gravel, and water
Builders built structures not only for sport
or symbolic gesture, but they built them
to meet the needs of the Roman citizens
Humans have 4 basic needs:
– food
– shelter
– clothing
– water
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• aqueducts (and the use of concrete)
39
Greatest achievements in Architecture
Roman Roads
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The Colosseum (Gladiatorial Games)
44
Circus Maximus
46
• Hadrian’s Wall
47
•Pantheon
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PUBLIC BUILDINGS
Cleanliness is next to . . .
So the Romans created bath houses and
public restrooms with toilets ...
Rome was adorned with unequaled public
buildings, such as baths, temples,
theaters and markets.
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50
RISE OF CHRISTIANITY
What attitude did Rome take toward the
different religions in its empire?
Rome’s attitude toward different religions
in the empire:
• Tolerant of religious ideas
• Drove out the Jews; revolt of Jewish
reformers
• New religion emerges: Christianity
51
What was the basic message of Jesus?
Basic Message of Jesus
• Born in 3 b.c.e.; called himself the son of
God, or messiah
• Belief in ONE God: ten Commandments
• He claimed he would save human kind from
sin
• He was arrested, tried, and executed
Roman-style
• After his death, followers spread his
teachings
• Romans began persecution of Christians
52
Why did Christianity spread despite
persecution?
Rome’s tolerant attitude did NOT extend
to Christians
WHY?
* Christians refused to make sacrifices to
the emperor or honor the Roman Gods
* some suspected them of evil practices
* Christians were blamed for econ.
troubles
53
CHRISTIANIY SPREADS: TRIUMPH OF CHRISTIANITY
313 ad - Constantine
ends the
persecution (he
becomes 1st
Christian emperor)
Edict of Milan:
proclaimed official
tolerance of
Christianity
•80 yrs later,
Christianity
became the official
religion of Rome
under Theodosius
the Great
54
DECLINE OF ROME
Why did the Pax Romana end?
• Pax Romana Ends – 180 a.d.
• next 100 yrs: wars, weak leaders, econ
prob
• Diocletian: 284-304a.d.: divided the
empire into four units, each w/its own
ruler (his political/military reforms
strengthened the military & civil
service but drained public funds)
• New Capital: Constantinople
• 476 a.d. – official yr of the fall of ROME
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THE FALL OF ROME
What led to the fall of the Roman empire?
1. Military Causes
– Visigoths invade Rome
– Invasions of other Germanic
people
– lack of training/discipline
2. Economic Causes
– Heavy taxes, farmers leave land,
too much slave labor, middle
class disappears
57
3. Political Causes
– Gov’t too strict; people stop
supporting the gov’t; many corrupt
officials; divided empire becomes
weak
4. Social Issues
– population declines; disease, war,
selfishness, laziness
58
• *** Romans borrowed and adapted
cultural elements freely, especially
from the Greek and Hellenistic
cultures. Rome created a great
civilization whose art and
architecture, language and
literature, engineering, and law
became its legacy to the world.
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Roman Quiz #2 – Use complete sentences, your
grade will be better if you consider what the
question is asking.
1. What was the basic message of Jesus?
2. Why did the Roman authorities fear Jesus?
3. Give the 3 reasons why Christianity was able to
attract so many followers.
4. What was the Edict of Milan?
5. Compare and Contrast the historical origins, central
ideas, and the spread of Buddhism and Christianity.