The Beginning of Rome

The Beginning of Rome

• Roman civilization adapted Greek culture, building a vast empire across Europe, Africa, and Asia.

• Italy's central Mediterranean location facilitated travel and trade between continents.

• Italy had a sunny, mild climate and fertile farmland, which supported a large population.

Rome's Location

• The Italian Peninsula is a long, thin peninsula that protrudes from central Europe into the Mediterranean Sea.
• Rome was founded 15 miles up the Tiber River, which was used for trade and defense against pirates.
• Rome's location across seven steep hills made it easy to defend against enemy attacks.

Roman Origins

• According to legend, Aeneas, a Trojan, united with Latin-speaking people, becoming the "father" of the Romans.
• Another legend tells of twin brothers, Romulus and Remus, raised by a wolf, who founded Rome. Romulus killed Remus and named the city after himself.
• Archeological evidence suggests Neolithic people settled in Italy as early as 5000 B.C.
• Latin-speaking people, the Latins, settled on the plain of Latium in central Italy. Their settlement between 800 B.C. and 700 B.C. marks the birth of Rome, and its inhabitants became known as Romans.

Influences of Greeks and Etruscans

• From 750 B.C. to 500 B.C., Greeks settled in southern Italy, introducing grape and olive farming and their alphabet.
• The Etruscans greatly influenced Roman civilization after settling north of Rome and taking control around 650 B.C.
• Etruscan artisans were known for their metalwork.
• The Etruscans influenced Roman architecture (brick, tiles), urban planning (streets, temples), religious rituals, clothing (togas), and army structure.

Becoming a Republic

• In 509 B.C., the Romans overthrew the Etruscan king Tarquin the Proud to establish a republic, where citizens elect their leaders.
• By 267 B.C., Rome controlled almost all of Italy due to its strong army.
• The Roman army initially fought like the Greeks, but then reorganized into smaller, more mobile legions of about 6,000 men each.
• Roman soldiers carried a gladius (short sword) and pilum (iron spear).
• Each legion had its own standard topped with a symbol to show soldiers where they needed to be on the battlefield.

Who Ruled Rome?

• The Romans built military outposts and roads in conquered regions for protection and efficient troop movement.
• The Roman Confederation gave conquered people full Roman citizenship, allowing them to vote and serve in government.
• Conquered people could become allies of Rome if they paid taxes and supplied soldiers.

Governing Rome

• Early Romans were divided into patricians (ruling class, wealthy landowners) and plebeians (artisans, shopkeepers, small farm owners).
• Patricians and plebeians were Roman citizens who could vote, pay taxes, and serve in the army, though plebeians had fewer rights.

Government of the Republic

• Rome's government was organized into three branches to make laws, run daily affairs, and act as judges, with a system of checks and balances.
• Two consuls headed the government, serving one-year terms that could be vetoed by the other consul.
• Praetors interpreted the law, served as judges, and led armies.
• The Senate was a legislature of 300 patrician men who served for life, advising consuls and eventually debating policy and approving laws.
• The Assembly of Centuries elected consuls and praetors and passed laws, and it was controlled by patricians.

Conflict Between Classes

• In 494 B.C., many plebeians went on strike, refusing to fight in the army, and the patricians agreed to share power.
• Plebeians formed the Council of the Plebs and elected tribunes to voice concerns and veto decisions.
• By 287 B.C. the Council of the Plebs could pass laws for all Romans, but wealthy patrician families still held most of the power.

Cincinnatus and Civic Duty

• A dictator was appointed by the senate to lead the republic during difficult times and was expected to give up power after the crisis.
• Cincinnatus, a respected Roman consul, was appointed dictator in 458 B.C. to defeat an enemy and resigned 16 days later.
• Civic duty is the idea that citizens have a responsibility to help their country.

Rome's System of Law

• Roman laws were written down in 451 B.C., creating the Twelve Tables, which were placed in Rome's marketplace.
• The Twelve Tables ensured all free citizens were treated equally in the Roman legal system.
• The Law of Nations applied to all people in Roman lands, not just citizens.
• Roman law influenced later civilizations, particularly the American legal system, with ideas like "innocent until proven guilty" and the right to defend oneself.
• The rule of law, which means laws apply to everyone equally, was extended to all Roman lands.

The Punic Wars

• Rome's power was threatened by Carthage, a powerful trading empire in North Africa.
• The Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage lasted nearly 120 years, beginning in 264 B.C.
• The First Punic War began when Rome sought control of Sicily.

The Punic Wars Begin

• Rome built its navy, modeling it after Carthage's ships, but added a moveable bridge for hand-to-hand combat.
• In 241 B.C., Rome defeated Carthage's navy, gaining control of Sicily.

Hannibal Attacks: The Second Punic War

• Carthage expanded into Spain after losing Sicily, leading to the Second Punic War in 218 B.C.
• Hannibal marched his army, including elephants, from Spain through Gaul and across the Alps into Italy.
• Hannibal defeated the Romans at the Battle of Cannae in 216 B.C.
• In 206 B.C., Roman forces led by Scipio captured Spain and attacked Carthage, leading to Scipio's defeat of Hannibal in 202 B.C. at the Battle of Zama.

The Third Punic War

• Rome destroyed Carthage in the Third Punic War (146 B.C.) and also gained control of Greece and its first province in Asia.

Problems in the Republic

• The gap between rich and poor widened, farmers faced ruin, and cities became overcrowded.
• Wealthy Romans owned latifundia, large farming estates using enslaved labor, causing small farms to shut down.
• Roman leaders offered cheap food and free entertainment to the poor, known as "bread and circuses".

Roman Reformers

• Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus wanted to redistribute land from the wealthy to the poor but were murdered.

Roman Politics and the Army

• General Marius recruited soldiers from the landless poor, paying them wages and promising land, transforming the army into a professional force.
• Soldiers became more loyal to their generals than to the republic.

Roman Politics and the Army

• General Sulla drove his enemies out of Rome in 82 B.C. and named himself dictator, marking the first time a Roman general led his army into the capital.

The Rise of Julius Caesar

• After Sulla, Roman leaders fought for power, including Crassus, Pompey, and Julius Caesar, who formed the First Triumvirate in 60 B.C.
• Caesar conquered Gaul, gaining popularity with the poor.

Caesar's Conquests

• In 49 B.C., Caesar refused the Senate's order to give up his army, crossed the Rubicon River, and marched on Rome.

Caesar Takes Power

• In 44 B.C., Caesar declared himself dictator for life and introduced reforms, including citizenship for people in Roman territories.
• Caesar created jobs, new settlements, and a new calendar, the Julian calendar.
• Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C. by senators Brutus and Cassius.

From Republic to Empire

• After Caesar's death, civil war broke out between Caesar's grandnephew Octavian, Mark Antony, and Marcus Lepidus.
• The Second Triumvirate was formed in 43 B.C.

Antony and Cleopatra

• Octavian defeated Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C., becoming the supreme ruler of Rome.
• The Roman Republic ended.

Octavian—a New Direction

• Octavian voiced support for a republic but believed Rome needed a strong leader.
• In 27 B.C., the senate declared Octavian consul, tribune, and commander-in-chief for life, and he took the title Augustus, becoming Rome's first emperor.

The Rule of Augustus

• The Pax Romana ( Roman Peace ) was a time of peace and prosperity until about 180 A.D.

What Reforms Did Augustus Make?

• Augustus created a permanent professional army and the Praetorian Guard to protect the emperor.
• Augustus established the empire's boundaries along natural physical features and rebuilt public buildings, fountains, and palaces.
• Augustus appointed proconsuls to oversee each of Rome's provinces and changed the tax system by making tax collectors permanent government officials.
• Augustus created a code of laws for non-Roman citizens in the provinces and imported grain from Africa to feed the poor.

Emperors After Augustus

• Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero, the Julio-Claudian emperors, ruled Rome after Augustus.
• Caligula and Nero were cruel rulers, while Tiberius and Claudius governed effectively.

The Roman Peace

• Vespasian became emperor in A.D. 69, restoring order but harshly suppressing opposition.
• Vespasian began construction of the Colosseum.

Five Good Emperors

• Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius were "good emperors" who ruled during economic growth and prosperity.
• The "good emperors" built arches, monuments, bridges, roads, harbors, and aqueducts.

A United Empire

• Emperor Trajan expanded the Roman Empire to its maximum size.
• Roman law, rule, and identity united diverse groups.
• By A.D. 212, every free person in the empire had Roman citizenship.

The Empire's Economy

• Roman economy was based on agriculture, industry, and trade.
• Northern Italy, Gaul, and Spain grew grapes and olives. Britain, Sicily, and Egypt supplied grain.
• Roads and naval forces allowed easy trade, travel, and communication.

A Troubled Empire

• After Marcus Aurelius, Rome's government weakened, the army became powerful, and civil wars broke out.
• Many Romans no longer honored traditional values, and government officials took bribes.
• Enslaved laborers became a large part of the population. There was less interest and support for education.

Economic Weaknesses

• Farm attacks and trade disruptions led to food shortages, high prices, and inflation.
• The government produced more coins with less precious metal, reducing their value.

Invasions

• Germanic tribes raided the western empire, and Persian armies invaded the east.

Who Was Diocletian?

• Diocletian became emperor in A.D. 284 and introduced reforms, including dividing the empire into four parts. Diocletian was the ultimate authority over all.
• Diocletian set maximum prices for wages and goods and ordered workers to remain in the same jobs until they died.

The Fall of Rome

• Constantine reinforced Diocletian's rules.

Constantine's Rule

• Constantine moved the capital from Rome to Constantinople in A.D. 330.
• Farmers, workers, and soldiers had to continue the work/role of their fathers.

Constantine's Rule

• In A.D. 395, Theodosius divided the empire into the Western Roman Empire (Rome) and the Eastern Roman Empire (Constantinople).

Germanic Invaders

• Germanic tribes migrated into Roman territory, fleeing the Huns.
• The Visigoths rebelled against Roman mistreatment, defeating the Roman legions at Adrianople in A.D. 378.

Germanic Invaders

• The Visigoths looted Rome in A.D. 410.
• The Vandals attacked Roman lands in Spain and North Africa and then sailed to Italy, seizing valuables and burning buildings in Rome in A.D 455.

Roman Emperor Forced Out

• In A.D. 476, Germanic general Odoacer overthrew Western Emperor Romulus Augustulus, marking the end of the Western Roman Empire.
• Odoacer was overthrown by Theodoric.

Roman Emperor Forced Out

• Germanic kingdoms arose, adopting Latin, Roman laws, and Christianity, while the Eastern Roman Empire became the Byzantine Empire.

Connections to TODAY

• Vandalism is the intentional destruction or damage to property.

Rome's Legacies

• Roman achievements influenced law and government, and Roman rule helped the spread of Christianity.

Rome's Influence on Law and Government

• American legal system derived from Roman ideas, such as equality under the law, being innocent until proven guilty, and fair judges.
• The United States is a democratic republic where citizens elect their leaders.

Rome's Cultural Impact

• Many Western countries use the Latin alphabet.
• Romance languages (Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian) are derived from Latin.
• Latin phrases are used by scientists, doctors, and lawyers. Roman writers are still admired.
• Roman architecture inspired government buildings.
• Concrete remains a building material.

Ancient Rome and Christianity

• Christianity began in the eastern part of the Roman Empire and was adopted by Rome's emperors.
• The Roman road system allowed the early Christians to spread Christian ideas.