Mapping the Expansion of
the Roman Empire
Rome’s Beginnings:
Romulus and Remus
Mythical Version:
•
Trojan Prince Aeneas discovers Latins while looking
for the promised land
•
Romulus and Remus, sons of Latin princess and god
Mars, abandoned
•
Romulus and Remus cared for by she-wolf, discovered
by shepherd and wife
•
Romulus kills Remus, becomes the first king of Rome.
Rome’s Beginnings:
Romulus and Remus Cont
Historical Version:
•
Latins settled on Palatine, a fertile area with pleasant
climate, around 1200 BC
•
Etruscans (“people of the sea”) of Etruia ruled Rome
(Latins) for 200 years
•
Romans overthrew Etruscan leaders and set up a
Republic in 509 BC
The Expansion of the Roman
Empire: The Battle of Zama
Romans conquered and controlled all of Italy by
275 BC
City-state Carthage ruled much of North Africa, Spain, and
Sicily
Roman conflict with Carthage started the Punic Wars
Romans fought Carthaginians for control of the
Mediterranean Sea
Hannibal defeated at Zama; Carthage lost all it territories to
Rome
By 146 BC Rome was the leading power of the
Mediterranean
The Final Years of the Roman
Republic: Julius Caesar
Rome’s Conquest caused changes in economy and government
•
Large estates replaced farms; cities become crowded
•
Gap grew between rich and poor
Attempts were made to improve conditions in Rome
•
Gracchi brothers gave land and wheat to poor
•
General Mariusa gave power to the army
•
General Sulla gave more power to the Senate
The Final Years of the Roman
Republic: Julius Caesar Cont.
Julius Caesar built up an army and took power
•
Conquered Britain, Libya, Egypt, Cyrenaica, Numidia,
Syria, Asia Minor
•
Caesar is assassinated by those who opposed his
dictatorship
The Roman Empire:
Cleopatra’s Death
After Caesar’s death, power shared by Marc Antony,
Lepidus, and Octavian
Civil war broke out between Antony and Cleopatra
and Octavian
Octavian won the naval victory at Actium in 31 BC
When Antony was defeated and Egypt was made a
Roman province, he and Cleopatra committed suicide
to avoid being paraded through Rome as captives
The Roman Empire:
Cleopatra’s Death Cont.
Octavian became absolute ruler of Rome; he was give
the title “Augustus” (honored)
As Rome’s “First Citizen” Augustus ended the
expansion of the empire at its defendable boundaries:
English Channel, Rhine, Danube, and Euphrates
Rivers; and Sahara desert
Augustus introduced the “Pax Romana”, a time of
peace and unity for the Empire
The Roman Empire:
Gladiatorial Games
Augustus’ successors accepted his defensive foreign
policies
Trajan, Rome’s last great conqueror, established ne
provinces in Dacia, Armenia, Assyria, and
Mesopotamia
Empire reached its greatest height under Trajan in
117 AD
Five Good Emperors ruled Rome between 96 AD and
186 AD
The Roman Empire:
Gladiatorial Games Cont.
After 186 AD, civil wars broke out in the Empire and
emperors lost control
Rome’s size was difficult to manage; Diocletian divided
it in two
Barbarians attacked the Empire from many sides
Internally, gladiatorial games were one sign of Rome’s
decline.