Ancient Rome: Roman Republic and Empire Overview

Ancient Rome

• Roman Republic existed from 509-27 BCE
• Roman Empire existed from 27 BCE-1453 CE
• Western Roman Empire existed from 27 BCE-476 CE and used Latin as the dominant language
• Eastern Roman Empire existed from 300-1453 CE and used Greek as the dominant language

Roman Republic

• The government was headed by two consuls who served a one-year term
• A dictator was appointed in times of severe crisis
• The senate advised the two consuls
• 10 tribunes were annually selected by commoners (plebeians) to protect their interests against the nobles (patricians)

Military Expansion

• Punic Wars (264-164 BCE) were a series of three wars against Carthage over control of trade in the Western Mediterranean Sea
• Rome won against Sicily in the first war
• Hannibal fought against Rome in the second war, but committed suicide
• Rome destroyed Carthage in the third war

Roman Identity

• The mos maiorum (code of elders) and the worship of ancestors were essential to Roman identity
• Paterfamilias (power of a father) was a key concept in Roman society

Destruction of the Republic

• The First Triumvirate consisted of Pompey, Crassus, and Julius Caesar
• Julius Caesar revised the Roman calendar and added the current calendar
• Julius Caesar was assassinated
• The Second Triumvirate was formed to take revenge on Julius Caesar's death
• Octavian (Julius Caesar's son), Anthony, and Lepidus formed an alliance
• Anthony and Cleopatra allied and eventually committed suicide
• Octavian defeated Cleopatra and Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire

Roman Empire

• Octavian (Augustus) united the fractured country and ruled from 63 BCE-14 CE
• Augustus didn't like being called Emperor and instead used the title "Princeps" (First Man)
• Pax Romana (Roman Peace) existed from 27 BCE-180 CE, a golden age of Roman Empire
• Emperors portrayed themselves as civil rulers, and there were no major wars during this period
• A hierarchy of magistrates and provincial governors administered the empire

Town and City Life

• Walled towns had a forum agora, similar to ancient Greece
• Rome was the largest urban center in the Western world at its time
• Constructions included amphitheaters, basilicas, aqueducts, and temples
• Citizens participated in public life, including games, theaters, and baths
• Honor of the dead was equal to the honor of the whole family, and the family was the unit of society and state