Ancient Rome PDF

Ancient Rome J Y 3000 BC- 500 AD...

Ancient Rome J Y 3000 BC- 500 AD Illi 3000 BC 500 AD w In the previous chapter, you learned about ancient Greece, But at In this chapter the same time, there was a young city-state rising in Italy: Rome. 4.1 The dawn of Rome In this chapter, you will discover how Rome developed from a 4.2 Rome becomes an empire small local power into a huge empire. You will learn about the 4.3 Join the Romans peoplestheyfought. Why did some of these peoples want to be 4.4 Christian Rome like the Romans while others kept on fighting them? 4.5 End of the Roman Empire You will also learn about Christianity: how did it start, and how did it spread? Dive into this chapter and find out all about ancient Rome! In this chapter, you will learn: Britannica How Rome developed into an empire Belgica What role Romanisation played in the Germania spread ofthe Roman culture Superior How Christianity grew from a forbidden cult to a dominant religion Italia What caused the fall ofthe Roman Empire Armenia Graecia How land is used differently for farming Africa Mesopotamia and that the division of land can be a Judea cause for conflict Aegyptus Watching and listening strategies and summarising strategies source 4.5 A map ofthe Roman Empire in 117 AD.  Ancient Rome 3000 BC until 4.1 The dawn of Rome 500 AD Most people have heard of the Roman Empire. With its powerful army, it ruled large parts of Europe, Asia and North Africa for hundreds of years. But not so many people know how Rome started out: as a small city-state. How was the city founded and how was it ruled in the early days? In this section, you will learn the origin story of one of the greatest empires the world has ever seen. After studying this section, you will be able to: 4.1 Reproduce the Roman mythical origin story 4.2 Describe the position of Rome in Italy during the early days of its republic Understand different approaches to farming Use strategies that will help you understand an audio/video clip Founding of Rome: the myth of Romulus and Remus According to an ancient story, there once was a good king who ruled the city of Alba Longa. But his evil brother took the throne by force. The good king was imprisoned and his daughter Rea was forced to become a Vestal Virgin. These priestesses of the goddess Vesta were notallowed to marry or have children. Still, one day Rea was visited by the war god Mars and nine months Romulus and Remus later, she gave birth to twin boys. They were named Romulus and Remus. When the evil king heard about this, he ordered the babies to be drowned in the river. However, the boys luckily survived and were saved by a she-wolf.The animal nursed them until a shepherd found and raised them. When Romulus and Remus were adults, the shepherd told them their story. The young men immediately went to Alba Longa, killed their evil uncle and freed the king and their mother. They then founded their own city at the place where the wolf had found them. But not everything went well for the brothers: an argument between them led to a fight and Romulus killed Remus. From then on, Romulus ruled as the first king of the city that was named after him: Rome. source 4.6 A statue showing the young Romulus and his brother Remus being nursed by the she-wolf. Early Rome: the monarchy According to the myth, Rome was founded in 753 BC. It was built on an easily defended hilltop, close to the sea, trade routes and the river Tiber. Near the city was a place in the river where many traders crossed. Imagine that you were a traderand had to wait your turn to cross: wouldn't you start to trade while waiting? This is what happened with traders in Rome. Because of its favourable location, Rome grew to become a city-state, similar to those in ancient Greece. 74  Chapter 4 Ancient Rome source 4.7 Today, parts of Ancient Rome are still visible near the river Tiber. According to the founding story of Rome, the city was a monarchy, first governed by King Romulus. After him came six other kings between 753 BC and 509 BC.The Roman kings led the army, created laws and judged criminals. The king was advised by a group of wise old men, known as the senate. 'Senate' comes from the senate Latin word senex: old man. There were other advisory councils too. From monarchy to republic When the young kingdom of Rome wasn't doing so well, it was taken over by the Etruscans. The last king of Rome, named Tarquinius Superbus (the Proud), was Etruscan. He was a tyrant and the Romans hated him. That is why the people chased him away in 509 BC. A dictator worked closely with the magister equitum, or horsemaster. He was the second-in-command and leader of the cavalry. SOURCE 4.8 An Etruscan tomb. You can see some of the later Roman costums already (Tarquinia, 5th century BC). From that moment, Rome became a republic: a country without a monarch. The power was republic held by the senate and two consuls. Each year two men were elected as consuls. Together consuls they held the king's power, so they led the army, created laws and judged criminals. Wars were waged to bring wealth to the city by taking loot and conquering new lands. When there was a crisis, the Romans could still appoint a dictator to rule alone. The dictator dictator held all the power of the old kings, but just for six months or until a certain task was done. 75 Illi Rome becomes dominant in Italy The young Roman Republic was a place where all sorts of people gathered. Some came to trade, others came because they were not welcome anywhere else. This gave Rome a surplus of men, which had both advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, it allowed Rome to maintain a big army to fight neighbouring cities. In this way they expanded Roman rule over large parts of Italy. On the other hand, there wasn't enough farmland for everyone, so not all the men had a chance to create their own peaceful way of life. Carthaginians Each year the new consul led the army to fight Romans new battles because winning a war brought Celts Illyrians wealth and glory. Being consul was a once in a lifetime job, so they had to make the most of it. Each year they looked for conflicts that needed Ligurian to be settled with war. The soldiers received a Sea Rome share of the loot and many men came to Rome to get a part of the action and the money. By the end of the 4th century BC, Rome became the dominant force in central Italy. Italy was divided between the Celts in the north, Rome Mediterranean Sea Ionian Sea in the middle and Carthage in the south. Rome Talking point xïÈiJ and Carthage watched each other, knowing Pumpkins, beans and there would be a fight between them soon. Carthage corn are in no way genetically related to each other, so why SOURCE 4.9 A map of Italy in the 4th century BC. would the Native Americans call them the Three Sisters? And what do you think of Three Sisters Farming in North America their way of farming? Rome became powerful because there was a surplus of men, but these men had to eat as well. So the Romans, like the Greeks before them, tried to farm efficiently by creating big monoculture farms with one crop, such as vineyards. This is called a monoculture. They would also try to get a higher yield by putting extra nutrients, such as manure or compost, on to the fields. This practice survives up to this day. While Rome was just founded in Italy, another society was thriving in North America. The Native Americans of the Mississippi culture constructed huge mounts and built large settlements. We refer to this as the 'woodland period'. The people of the Mississippi culture were able to support many people by growing a lot of food on a small patch of land. It was done by using the Three Sisters Farming method. This is a natural way of having three crops, such as corn, beans and pumpkins to support each other. Using different crops to intercropping help each other is called 'intercropping'. Intercropping creates more intense farming, but without damaging the soil. Three Sisters Farming is still used to this day. Essence According to a myth, Rome was founded by the twin brothers Romulus and Remus. The city was built in a strategically good location and grew to become a small kingdom. Their king was supported by the senate, a council of wise old men. The Etruscans took over and installed the last kings. The last Etruscan king was chased away in 509 BC. From that moment, Rome became a republic, led by the senate and two consuls. Each year the army would fight against neighbouring cities. Throughout the centuries that followed, Rome was able to dominate large parts of Italy. 76  Ancient Rome 4.2 Rome becomes an empire As you discovered in the previous section, Rome was first ruled by kings. However, their last king was chased away. From that moment, Rome became a republic ruled by senators and consuls. Their armies were able to take over large parts of Italy in wars close to Rome. But as Rome grew more powerful, it came into conflict with the powerful city-state of Carthage and with itself. After studying this section, you will be able to: 4.3 Explain how Rome was able to expand around the Mediterranean through war and conquest 4.4 Explain how Caesar and Augustus turned Rome into an empire Explain how land division or land reform can be a cause of conflict Use strategies that will help you understand an audio/video clip The Punic Wars Carthage was founded in the 9th century BC by the Phoenicians (Punici as the Romans called them). Located in modern-day Tunisia, it became a dominant power. With their powerful army and fleet, the Carthaginians were able to conquer land along the North African coast, the south of Spain and in Italy. You could say that Carthage and Rome were expanding their territories towards each other. Both wanted to become the main power in the area and dominate trade on the Mediterranean Sea. Their rivalry led to three wars, known as the Punic Wars. Punic Wars SOURCE 4.10 Hannibal crossed the Alps in 218 BC. Engraving by Adrien Emmanuel Marie, 19th century. The First Punic War started in 264 BC. Both powers were evenly matched, but with a lot of effort Rome was able to defeat Carthage in 241 BC to end the First Punic War. However, the Carthaginians did not give up. In 218 BC,theirfamous general Hannibal surprised the Romans by leading his army, including elephants, across the Alps. 77 Illi During this Second Punic War, Hannibal almost brought the Romans to their knees, but in 201 BC Carthage was defeated once again. Fearing that Carthage would revive, the Romans started a third war. This time, in 146 BC, they utterly destroyed Carthage. Now Rome had defeated its For many centuries, biggest rival in the south, but to the north the Celts were a threat, as were the Germanic tribes the cry 'Hannibal further north. Ante portas' (Latin for: Hannibal stands at the gates) was heard to indicate that Rome was in danger. Talking point In the Roman Republic, Soldiering far from home the richest Romans During the Second Punic War, the Romans began to conquer Carthaginian lands in Spain. At the took advantage of the same time, they continued to take over Greece. Soldiers now had to travel further away from fact that the Roman Rome and therefore served in the army for more than a year. Because of this, they missed the soldiers were fighting harvest at home. Their families couldn't keep up the work by themselves, so they had to sell far from home: they their farms and move to the city. bought all their land. Forthose soldiers who did eventually come home, there was often no more land available: the Do you know any richest Romans had bought it all. These rich Romans, called patricians, hired cheap workers or other examples of rich bought enslaved people to work the fields. people getting richer at the expense of poor people? Land reform: the battle between Optimates and Populares So, buying land became impossibleforthe common people, including soldiers. This made them angry land reform and they called for land reform. The upper and the lower classes opposed each other more and more, and Optimates two political parties appeared. The Optimates were politicians who looked after the interests of the upper Populares class, and the Populares aimed to help the lower classes. The rich Roman Optimates were used to having most of the wealth and power in the senate, but this began to shift. Slowly, more powerful men joined the Populares, such as Caius Marius and Caius Julius Caesar. source 4.12 A bust of Caius Marius, made out of marble in the time of Augustus (1st century BC). 78  Chapter 4 Ancient Rome It was Marius who began to reward soldiers by giving them land in return for military service. He also gave them proper training and had a personal bond with them. The soldiers loved him for this: officially they fought for Rome, but in their hearts they fought for Marius. Civil War and Julius Caesar The conflict between the Optimates and Populates was fought out in many ways: through speeches in the senate but also through civil wars. A civil war is when people within a country civil wars or empire are fighting amongst themselves. From 91 BC, Rome went through a series of civil wars, but they also kept conquering other lands. In 58 BC, Julius Caesar was given command of the legions that fought in Gaul (modern-day France). He followed the example of his uncle Marius to gain political power: he used his success In 47 BC, Caesar on the battlefield to gain popularity with his soldiers and the people of Rome. Caesar even wrote travelled to Egypt to help a heroic book about his victories in Gaul and gave land to hisformer soldiers, just like Marius. Cleopatra in her fight against her brother. Caesar and Cleopatra won, and Cleopatra became the pharaoh of Egypt. They also had a relationship and even had a son: Caesarian. source 4.13 A bronze statue of Julius Caesar on the Forum Romanum in Rome. In his play 'Julius Caesar', But Caesar took it even further: he organised games for entertainment and gave away food. He Shakespeare made said: 'Give the people bread and games and they are happy'. The people of Rome loved him for Caesar's final words: it and cheered his name in the streets. 'Ettu, Brute.'(Latin for: In 49 BC, a civil war between Caesar and the senate broke out, in which Caesar used his army to ‘You too, Brutus.'). But march on Rome itself. Caesar won and declared himself dictator for life. He was so popular that according to the Roman people, including senators, thought that he could even become king soon. For this, Caesar was historian Suetonius, murdered in 44 BC by a group of senators; among this group was Caesar's friend, Marcus Junius Caesar spoke the Greek Brutus. words: 'Kai su, teknon.' (You too, my child) You see: the Roman upper class spoke Greek! Proverbs about the Romans There are many proverbs about the Romans, such as: 'Rome wasn't built in a day,' which means that sometimes things need time. It comes from the building processes that Rome went through in history. Another proverb is 'all roads lead to Rome,' which means that there are many different ways to reach the same outcome. In Roman days, all roads had markers that showed how far away Rome was, giving the impression that all roads led to Rome. 79 Illi Augustus, the first Roman emperor Before his death, Caesar had appointed his nephew Octavian as his successor and left his fortune to him. But Caesar's friend Mark Antony also claimed leadership. These two men first took revenge on Caesar's murderers together, but then faced each other. Another civil war broke out with Octavian on one side and Mark Antony on the other. Octavian eventually won in 31 BCand became the sole ruler. Octavian said that he wanted to restore the Roman Republic, but instead he came up with an ingenious plan: using this plan he took more power than Caesar ever had. He asked the senate to give him only a few minor political roles. He wanted to become consul, Jupiter's high priest, a princeps senatus people's tribune and princeps senatus, having the privilege of speaking first in the senate. The senate was so happy with the restoration of the Republic that they granted his wishes. They even renamed him Augustus (the majestic one). These 'minor roles' did not seem very important on their own, but combined they gave him supreme power. Augustus was not appointed king, but he became even more than that: he became an emperor. Octavian's official title became 'imperator Caesar Divi flil Augustus.' The English Living the rich Roman life word 'emperor'is A great deal of wealth, art and enslaved people came to Rome as a result of conquests by derived from the word Roman armies. Rich Romans especially enjoyed displaying Greek art, such as statues and 'imperator'. Caesar's columns. The Greek way of life was so popular that the Romans started to copy their art, name became a title religion, philosophy and language. At the end of the 1st century BC, upper-class people in and is still used in Rome spoke Greek. Dutch ('keizer'), German Emperor Augustus started to improve the city. He had temples, a forum and many other ('kaiser') and Russian monuments built, using marble where he could. It was a long-standing tradition in Rome ('czar'). that rich Romans showed their wealth by building for the common good. The Romans were great builders and also loved to show off. At the end of his reign, Emperor Augustus himself wrote that he had found a city made of stone, but he left a city made of marble. source 4.14 The ancient pool surrounded by Greek sculptures at Villa Hadriana (Hadrian's Villa), Tivoli, Italy (c. 130 AD) Essence Their victories over Carthage and the Greeks made it possible for the Romans to expand all around the Mediterranean Sea. It brought a great deal of wealth, but it also meant that soldiers stayed away from home longer. This made them lose their land to the rich. A division between Optimates and Populares about land reforms led to multiple civil wars. Populares, such as Marius and Caesar, gave land to soldiers, earning their loyalty. Caesar was eventually murdered by senators and his successor Augustus became the first emperor. 80  Ancient Rome 4.3 Join the Romans Because of Julius Caesar, the Romans were able to conquer Gaul. Most people in Gaul then accepted Roman rule. Well, all apart from Asterix and his friend Obelix of course! Why did the Gauls want to become part of the Roman Empire? What was the Roman way of life like? In this section, we will follow a Gallic girl called Gwynne to find out. After studying this section, you will be able to: 4.5 Explain how trade and wealth were used to stimulate Romanisation 4.6 Explain why 'new Romans', like the Gauls, chose to romanise their culture Understand why certain stories are not told and so remain hidden Use summarising strategies that will help you understand and remember From Bibracte to Augustodunum In 52 BC, Julius Caesar defeated the Gauls at Alesia. From that time on, all of Gaul (modern-day France) fell under Roman rule. The most powerful Gallic tribe, the Haedui, lived in what we now call Burgundy. Their main city was Bibracte. It was a hillfort: hillfort a fortified city on top of a hill. The Romans stimulated the process of source 4.15 Gwynne's trip from Bibracte to Augustodunum. Romanisation. This means that they wanted Romanisation the Gauls and other peoples to be more like them. Because of this, more Gauls learned Latin, used coins and dressed as the Romans did. It was also why Emperor Augustus ordered a new city to be built, just 25 kilometres from Bibracte. The city of Augustodunum was founded in 15 BC and caused the decay of Bibracte in only a few decades. Roman roads Early one morning in 2 BC, the guards of Bibracte open the city gates, allowing travellers to be on their way. Amongst them is Gwynne, a teenage Gallic girl. She is going to Augustodunum, where she will get a job. Her friend Caera needs a nanny. Caera is married to a Roman veteran and they just had their first child. She wants a nanny from Gaul: herfamily may be Roman citizens now, but they still feel Gallic too. source 4.16 A Roman road. Do you notice the milepost At first, the trip is on Gallic roads, which are on the right? (Present-day drawing.) not of good quality and often flood. There are trees close to these roads, so you never ki if robbers are hiding behind them. At the foot of the hill, the path splits. One road leads north. Gwynne thinks of how her grandfather walked up that road only fifty years ago with Vercingetorix, to fight the Romans at Alesia. The Gauls lost to the Romans at Alesia. 81 Illi Gwynne goes east, which brings her to the Roman road. Walking will be a lot easier from now on, because Roman roads are well paved, straight and cleared a bit on the sides. Gwynne can now look far ahead, and she sees how Roman soldiers patrol the roads, keeping the peace. The increase of trade Roads were important to the Romans. They made it possible for soldiers to travel fast across the lands. Patrolling the roads brought safety and respect for Roman laws. It was one of the good Pax Romana things about the Pax Romana: the Roman peace. denarius Soldiers kept the roads safe, and they also brought the denarius. A denarius was the silver coin made to pay soldiers in the Roman army. Everybody knew its worth. The safe roads and use of money eventually helped to increase trade. Gwynne passes a merchant riding an ox-drawn cart. There is a difference between Roman and Gallic merchants. The Romans always carry a lot of the same things, and they keep to their own routes. Gallic merchants bring everything they have and travel all around. The Roman cities have big markets where merchants can easily buy and sell. Sometimes, they even take orders for when they come back to the city. The Roman traders hate going up the hill to Bibracte and hardly any Roman traders go there anymore. They follow the safe and easy roads to Augustodunum. Roman friends and foes When Gwynne is about half way there she sees Cavarillus and his sister Onomaris eating something by the road. She knows them from Bibracte and goes to join them. She will enjoy a restand a bite to eat. Cavarillus is talking to two men, so Gwynne chats with Onomaris. The men talk about how being a Roman soldier gets you to see the world, pays well and, most importantly, will get you Roman citizenship. Cavarillus raises his voice to point out the Haedui deserve Roman citizenship already, seeing how loyal they have been to Rome. One of the men he is talking to, a Roman, says the Haedui were not loyal at all at Alesia. Gwynne and everybody else who hears them is quiet and afraid. Alesia... Talking about Alesia still causes fights and everybody feels the tension. Luckily the other man calms them down. He says that in the future, Romans and Gauls will fight side-by-side, not against each other but against the Germanic tribes, just like when Marius came to free Gaul from the Germanic Teutons and Cimbri. Romans are good to their friends, yes, source 4.18 A diploma ofa Batavian soldier, source 4.17 A Roman soldier (present-day drawing). proving he served time in the army. The diploma, dated 98 AD, was found in Elst. 82  Chapter 4 Ancient Rome Impressive builders Gwynne decides to walk the rest ofthe way with Cavarillus and Onomaris, as they are all going to Augustodunum. Onomaris says the city of Augustodunum is only fifteen years old but it has everything: a bathhouse, Roman temples, a city wall and a stone bridge across the river. They are even building a theatre. source 4.19 The Roman baths in Bath, in the south of present-day England, were constructed in the 2nd century AD. Gwynne has been in Augustodunum onceortwice but wonders about the new theatre. They come to talk about Rome itself. Gwynne heard that over a million people live there. The Romans have to bring in waterfrom kilometres away, using aqueducts. Cavarillus says this is nothing speciahthe Roman legion will build a fortress each night and then leave it in the morning, just like spiders building a new web. As Gwynne wants to say that this cannot be right, Augustodunum comes into view. It is nestled between the river and the hill to the east. It's an impressive sight: if the Romans can build all that in only a few years, maybe it is true about the fortresses as well! Talking point source 4.20 The Pont du Gard is a famous Roman aqueduct in the Imagine that you, just south of France, built between 38 and 52 AD. like Gwynn, had to adapt to a new culture: whatthings would you definitely want to Roman houses keep from your culture? As evening falls, Gwynne reaches What would be in your her new home. Caera greets her backpack? in the hallway, where the dog is asleep. They talk a little about the trip from Bibracte as Caera shows Gwynne the room where she will sleep. They pass an open 1 Hallway space where a little pond is 2 Shop located inside the house. Caera 3 Atrium says that it is called an atrium, 4 Pond but to Gwynne it's just a hole in 5 Study the roof. 6 Garden 7 Dining room 8 Wings SOURCE4.21 Overviewofa Roman house, (open rooms) or domus. 9 Bedroom 83 Illi After Gwynne put berthings away they go to say hello to Caera's husband, who is working in the study. Then they go to the dining room because Gwynne is quite hungry now. She notices To be a Roman or not all the decorations on the floors and walls. Compared to this, a Gallic home is just a rough be a Roman, that is the square barn. Most people she knows live in large family halls where everyone meets together, question. Gwynne's eating and sleeping in the same space. The Romans have made their houses into such luxurious tribe, the Haedui, homes. were the first Gauls As Gwynne waits for her food she wonders: do I want to be Roman too? who could become Roman senators. That happened c. 54 AD. Forgotten History: the Celts The Gauls were a collection of Celtic peoples that lived in modern-day France during Roman times. There were many more Celtic peoples who lived in places all the way from modern-day Scotland (the Picts) in the north to modern-day Turkey (the Galates) in the east. Celts shared a common religion and political system, but were not one nation. They fought alongside Alexanderthe Great as mercenaries and organised tribe meetings at places such as Stonehenge. Still, most of these things are not talked about today. Why do so few history books mention stories of the Celts? Forthat matter, why are there so many of these 'forgotten' histories? Not many books tell stories about Khazaria, the explorations of the Maori or People copied Roman the campaigns of the Sioux. culture, but the Romans There are many answers to these questions, but one of them is that history mostly comes also took things from from written sources. We learn about the Celts from Caesar's book De Bello Gallico (The other cultures. Like the Gallic Wars). He wrote it to promote himself to his fellow Romans so the story has a clear Egyptian calendar, some bias. Caesar only told recipes and games too! stories that promoted his own image. He did not write a truly objective account of events. As historians, it is importantto rememberthat a lot has been forgotten, and you can find a lot of misinformation! source 4.22 A map of the Celtic Empire, 700 - 100 BC. Essence After the Romans took over a region, a process of Romanisation started. Many conquered people copied Roman culture. Trade increased because of the Roman roads, peace and money. Cities were founded, with temples and aqueducts. People could earn Roman citizenship by serving in the army or by marrying a Roman if you were a woman. Over time, the Gauls became more Roman, which is one of the reasons that their history is partly forgotten. 84  Chapter 4 Ancient Rome MICROHISTORY The Gauls and the Germanic tribes Now that you have arrived at this point, it is useful to explain a bit more about the culture of the Gauls and the Germanic tribes. You will look at these cultures through the eyes of Julius Caesar. When Caesar arrived in Gaul, the Gauls were fighting each other in two groups: the Haedui, who were the leaders of one group, and the Sequani, who were the leaders of the other group. The Haedui were more powerful so the Sequani went to the Germanic tribes for help. After a few disastrous battles, most of the leaders of the Haedui were killed so the Haedui approached Rome for help. Caesar restored order amongst the Gauls. Read and listen to what Caesar wrote about the Gauls and the Germanic tribes. Dit bestand is uitsluitend bedoeld voor het gebruik met dyslexiesoftware en mag voor geen andere doeleinden worden gebruikt. Dit boek heeft een twee sterrenkwaliteit, d.w.z. dat de leesvolgorde door het softwareprogramma is bepaald, waardoor niet altijd de juiste leesvolgorde kan worden gegarandeerd en niet alle correct wordt voorgelezen. Verci n getorix throws down his arms at the feet of Julius Caesar. A painting by Lionel Noel Royer (1899). What are you going to do? You are going to get an idea of what Julius Caesar thought about the Gauls and the Germanic tribes. You are going to discuss why Caesar wrote a book about the Gallic Wars. You are going to research how the Romans saw the world. Read and listen to the story Now read and listen to the text of Julius Caesar about the Gauls and the Germanic tribes. Godigital Pickandchoose Microhistory4 Do you want to know more? You can visit the Alésia MuséoParc You can look at an overview ofall website and find out more about archaeological finds in the Roman the battle between the Romans and Empire on www.vici.org. the Gauls. 85  Ancient Rome 3000 BC until 4.4 Christian Rome 500 AD The Romans expanded their empire to the west and to the east. In the east, they took over Egypt, Asia Minor, Mesopotamia and more. These lands became provinces of their empire. Most of the inhabitants were polytheistic. They believed in many gods, just like the Romans. But the Jewish people had one of the first monotheistic religions in history: Judaism. Later, a new religion started in the same region: Christianity. In this section, you will learn about these religions and how they influenced the Roman Empire. After studying this section, you will be able to: 4.7 Explain the Jewish origin of Christianity 4.8 Explain how Christianity developed from a forbidden cult into the dominant religion Give examples of how people were persecuted for their religion Use summarising strategies that will help you understand and remember Judea in the Roman Empire In 63 BC, the Romans conquered Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish people. The Romans tried to find a way to keep the region peaceful. They did this by making Judea, roughly modern-day dient kingdom Israel, a client kingdom. It was not ruled directly from Rome, but by a king. This gave the people in Judea greater freedom of religion. This changed in the year 26 AD because the Romans lost faith in their client king. They decided to install a Roman governor named Pontius Pilate. He had to extract taxes and make the people of Judea worship the Roman emperor. The Jews refused to do this as they believed there was only one god they should worship. Roman politics led to Jewish rebellions. The last and biggest rebellion happened from 132 to 135 AD. Afterthis revolt, Emperor Hadrian announced an orderto end the religion of Judaism. The Romans killed over half a million Jews and destroyed nearly a thousand SOURCE 4.23 After the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, diaspora villages. It started the diaspora, or life away all that is left is the western wall of the from Israel. temple, also known as the Wailing Wall. Jesus of Nazareth Jesus of Nazareth travelled and preached in Roman Judea. He told people to care for each other and how to best please God. He also said that his followers would be rewarded with afterlife in the kingdom of heaven. This made the Romansfearthat Jesus wanted to create an actual kingdom and that he would lead another rebellion. Therefore he was arrested and brought to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, who ordered Jesus to be crucified. The Romans believed that this would end the movement, but instead Jesus'followers grew in number. They called him Jesus Christ Jesus Christ (the anointed one) and themselves Christians. Their movement, called Christianity, cult became a cult within Judaism. A cult is a small sub-religion, or a different form of a religion. 86  Chapter 4 Ancient Rome Persecution of Christians After the crucifixion of Jesus, his follower Peterwas made leader of the Christians. He opened the religion to non-Jewish, or gentile, people. He also travelled to Rome to spread Christianity gentile and to become bishop there. Today the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, the pope, is still pope bishop of Rome and is said to be the successor of Peter, later called Saint Peter. At that time, being Christian was dangerous. During the rule of Emperor Nero (54-68 AD) there was a big fire in Rome. Some Romans said that Nero had started the fire to make room for his new palace, so the emperor looked for someone else to blame. Nero blamed the Christians. Peter was publicly crucified, and other Christians were killed too. These were not the only persecutions of Christians in the Roman Empire. The Romans hated that the Christians didn't bring sacrifices to the Roman gods and the emperor. In the centuries that followed, many Christians were murdered. Some were crucified, others were thrown to the lions at the arena, and some were set on fire. Many Christians faced their death while stating that they were being true to their faith. This made them martyrs and martyrs earned them the admiration of others. A martyr is a person who dies for his faith. Some martyrs became saints after they did saints something special. Saints are holy members of Christianity and Christians believe that they source 4.24 Saint Peter, also known as Petrus, was the first pope. He is are close to God in heaven. said to be in charge of the keys to heaven. Vatican, c. 1840. Christianity grows in the empire Even with the Roman persecution of Christians, their religion became more popular. A reason for this was that Christians tried to care for the sick, the poorest and the weakest. Furthermore, they sent out messengers to spread the Christian faith. These did not just go to Europe. Matthew, for instance, went to Ethiopia. Ethiopia became one of the first Christian countries in the world. Others risked being persecuted by the Romans, although the Romans were often too busy with other problems: there were rebellions, like the one in Judea. And there was a lot of fighting amongst the Roman nobility. Nobles fought each otherforthe throne or chased rivals out of Rome. Helena, Constantine's mother, visited many Constantine the Great places connected to the Flavius Valerius Constantinus (or Constantine in English), life ofJesus. She brought was one of those nobles who had to leave Rome. He fled back holy artifacts to England in 305 AD, where Christianity was popular. (relics) such as Jesus' Within a year, his mostly Christian troops began to cal! clothes and parts of the him emperor. holy cross. In the Roman Empire, a civil war broke out about who should be emperor. There is a story that, before a battle in 312 AD, Constantine dreamt that God would give him victory if he put Christian symbols on the shields. So he ordered his troops to paint their shields. After Constantine won the battle, he took Rome and became Rome's first openly Christian emperor. SOURCE 4.25 A bust of Constantine the Great, from the 4th century AD. 87 Illi Constantine also felt that Rome was not a suitable capital anymore as the city had many temples to the old gods. So in 324 AD he wanted a new capital city. He expanded Byzantion, Originally, Constantine so that it became a new and wanted to call the new Christian city: Constantinople capital 'Roma Nova', (present-day Istanbul). By his new Rome. death in 337 AD, Constantine had united the Roman Empire and created a new capital. By then, persecution of Christians stopped and Christianity was accepted. That is why people Constantine the Great remember him as Constantine the Great. source 4.26 The main church in Constantinople, the Saint Sophia (Hagia Sophia). Later it became a mosque (finished c. 558 AD). Remnants of the Roman Empire in the Roman Chatholic Church Today, Christianity is the biggest religion in the world. The main Christian movement is the Roman Catholic Church. Many remnants of the Roman Empire can still be seen in the Catholic Church: the official language is Latin and most churches are built like a Roman market hall (basilica). The leader of the church, the pope, is also the bishop of Rome. Even the power structure in the church follows the Roman model of government. The empire was led by one emperor and the catholic church has one pope. In Rome, there were local rulers for each province: the consuls and proconsuls. The Catholic Church has leaders of church provinces and dioceses: archbishops and bishops. In the time of Constantine, the highest rank was bishop. There were many of them, but not all had the same power. There were five super-bishops, or patriarchs, in Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople and Talking point Jerusalem. They argued a lot about who was There are many right. It lasted until the 12th century before the religions in the world. bishop of Rome, as the successor of Saint Peter, Should everybody have was seen as the most senior. the right to practise any religion everywhere? source 4.27 Saint Nicholas is one of the most commonly known bishops in the Or should there be Netherlands. Stained Glass, church of San Nicolas, Valencia (13th Century). limits to that freedom? Essence When the Romans expanded their empire to the east, they also took over Judea in 63 BC. There, the Jewish people had their own religion. The Romans brutally stopped the rebellions that occurred there. In the first century AD, Jesus of Nazareth taught his ideas in Roman Judea. It became a new religion: Christianity. In the beginning it was a small Jewish cult, but it grew to have many more followers. For hundreds of years, the Romans executed many Christians. This changed when Constantine became emperor: he ended the persecutions, allowed Christianity and created a new capital city. 88  Ancient Rome 4.5 End of the Roman Empire 3000 BC until 500 AD In 753 BC, the Roman Empire started as a kingdom with a small population. The Roman Empire eventually came to dominate most of Europe, Northern Africa and the Near East. The empire was fuelled by war loot, but what happened when no more plunder came to Rome? Spoiler alert: the Western Roman Empire fell. In this section, you will learn how, when and why the Western Roman Empire came to an end. After studying this section, you will be able to: 4.9 Explain howthe end of expansion started the decline of the Roman Empire 4.10 Explain how confrontation with Germanic tribes led to conflicts and Romanisation Explain how Christianity is not just a European religion Use summarising strategies that will help you understand and remember End of expansion in the West In the previous section, you learned that Emperor Constantine moved his capital to the city of Constantinople. There were reasons why Constantine looked eastwards and not westwards. The word 'Limes'can For example, the Romans wanted to continue expanding their empire to bring home war loot, mean the border itself, but in the west this seemed no longer possible. The Romans had failed to conquer Scotland and or the whole border couldn't defeat the Germanic tribes. They had to accept the borders they reached in the west as region. You can still final. recognise the word In 122 AD, Hadrian ordered a great wall to be built in England to mark the northern border. 'Limes'in the English Hadrian's Wall was words 'limits’or 'limited'. I not just a wall; it also featured a series of fortresses. The northern border continued on the continent where the Romans established similar defences, called Limes. These Limes ran through modern- day Netherlands and Germany, and further east. source 4.28 Hadrian's Wall in present-day England, finished in 128 AD. The confrontation with the Germanic tribes Conflict between the Romans and the Germanic tribes started around 100 BC, when Marius had to defeat Germanic invaders in Gaul. The Germanic tribes were drawn to the riches and the fertile land in the Roman Empire. Some tribes, like the Batavians in the Netherlands, adopted Batavians Roman culture to share in the empire's wealth in a process of Romanisation, but most tribes did not follow this path. 89 Illi Rome tried to end the conflict by conquering the Germanic lands, but lost the famous Battle oftheTeutoburg Forest in 9 AD. After this defeat, the Romans stopped trying to conquer Germania, but the conflict between the Germanic tribes and the Romans continued. SOURCE 4.29 A Germanic warrior attacks a Roman legionary (present-day drawing). The decline and fall of Rome With the end of Roman expansion in the west, the huge income from war loot stopped. Soldiers could not be offered new land and a job in the army became less attractive. In the 4th and 5th centuries, Rome even paid off invaders, which cost a lot of money. Meanwhile, the bishop of Rome grew more important than the emperor in the West. The church could offer men powerful titles and many good jobs, so the best leaders often became church bishops ratherthan generals. Emperor Theodosius the Great was the last emperor to rule both parts of the Roman Empire. In 380 AD, he made Christianity the only official religion of the empire, but he failed to restore order to the empire. When Emperor Theodosius died in 395 AD, the Goths had set up a kingdom within the Roman Empire. Vandals In 410 AD, the Visigoths sacked Rome. Goths and Vandals roamed the empire lands and started to set up their own kingdoms. The Western Empire was now close to its end. The Western Empire finally collapsed in 476 AD, when the Germanic leader Flavius Odoacer deposed the last emperor (Romulus Augustulus) and became king of Italy. The Eastern Empire, which we call the Byzantine Empire, survived until 1453. source 4.30 A map of the Eastern Roman Empire (565 AD). 90  Chapter 4 Ancient Rome Teutons and Vandals Names of Germanic tribes are sometimes still part of modern languages. In English, 'Teutonic' (from the Teutons) means Germanic, while in Dutch, 'Vandals' means people that break things. Coins, trade and security When Roman wealth disappeared, the denarius changed too. Emperors minted lighter coins to save silver. These new coins were cheaper to make, but still worth the same (i.e. one denarius). So people started to meltdown the old coins for the silver and only used the lighter coins. This explains why people lost faith in the denarius. Without faith in the coins, trade almost stopped. The Roman armies also no longer patrolled the empire and travelling on Roman roads became more dangerous. People stopped travelling once the chance that they might lose their cargo or even their lives got too high. Without people travelling between towns and villages, trading stopped so people had to rely on their own resources once again. The heir of Rome The legions and the Romans did not vanish suddenly. Over the years, orders did no longer come from Rome, so people started to organise their own lives locally. Some generals held on to small 'Roman' kingdoms of their own, or began to accept orders from the local kings. The only thing that remained constant was the Church. People still went to Rome to see the graves of the saints, or to visit the pope. Monks still copied bibles and other religious texts in both Greek and Latin. Latin survives as the official language of the Roman Catholic Church to this very day. Christianity in the kingdom of Aksum Talking point The Persian prophet Mani once said there were four global powers in the world: Persia, You learn about the Rome, China and Ethiopia. Ethiopia, or the kingdom of Aksum as it was then called, shares first Christians via a lot of history with Rome. Aksum, like Rome, rose to dominance around the start of our Rome, but Armenia and calendar. It too was visited by Christian missionaries in the first century AD. By 330 AD, Ethiopia were the first King Ezana the Great declared Christianity the only official religion of Aksum. This did Christian regions. Why not happen in the Roman Empire for another fifty do we focus so much years. on Europe? Should we Ethiopia survived as an independent, Christian change that? country until 1935, when Italy invaded. Christianity remains the dominant religion in Ethiopia to this day. Ethiopia is the second-oldest Christian country in the world after Armenia, which became Christian in 301 AD. source 4.31 The Church of Saint George in Lalibela, Ethiopia (13th century AD). Essence After centuries of civil wars, the Roman Empire was divided into an Eastern and a Western part. As expansion in the west stopped, so did the money. This made life in the army less appealing and many of the best Roman leaders preferred a career in the Church. Germanic tribes set up kingdoms within the empire and by 476 AD, Odoacer deposed the last emperor. Many Roman ways, as well as the Latin language, survived through the Roman Catholic Church. The Eastern Roman Empire survived until 1453 and was also called the Byzantine Empire. 91 Illi 753 BC 241 BC 104 BC 58-50 BC 31 BC Rome is founded, End of First Punic War Marius expels Germanic Caesar conquers Augustus is left asa kingdom tribes from Gaul Gaul as sole ruler, start of empire 509 BC 146 BC 91 BC 44 BC Last king is chased End of Punic Wars, Start of civil Caesar is Start ofourCalen away, start of Carthage is destroyed unrestand civil murdered calculated f Roman Republic wars the year Jest Nazareth was t 4.1 The dawn of Rome 4.4 Christian Rome Romulus and Remus: twin brothers from the Client kingdom: a kingdom that was not ruled myth ofthe founding of Rome. directly from Rome, but by a king who did what Senate: group of wise old men who advised Rome wanted the king and made laws in the Republic Diaspora: living away from the homeland. For Republic: form of government without a king the Jewish people, living away from Israel or other monarch Jesus Christ: A name for Jesus of Nazareth, Consuls: two people (elected for one year) meaning literally 'Jesus the anointed one' ruled the Roman Republic together Cult: a small sub-religion, or a different form of Dictator: temporary return of a single ruler a religion with all powers ofthe old king Gentile: word for a non-Jewish people Monoculture: (big) farms that grow one crop, Pope: the leader ofthe Roman Catholic Church e.g. vineyards Martyrs: people that die for their faith or Intercropping: using different crops that help beliefs each other Saints: special persons for the Catholic Church Constantine the Great: emperor who had 4.2 Rome becomes an empire united the Roman Empire, first Christian Punic Wars: wars between Rome and Carthage emperor (three in total) Land reform: redistribution of (farm) land to 4.5 End ofthe Roman Empire make it more equal Limes: the northern border ofthe Roman Optimates: politicians who looked after the empire, with forts and defences interests ofthe upper class Batavians: Germanic tribe that was very loyal Populares: politicians who aimed to help the to Rome, living in the empire between the river lower classes Waal and the river Rhine Civil war: when people within a country or Vandals: name of Germanictribe that invaded empire fight each other. the Roman empire Princeps senatus: first senator, having the privilege of speaking first in the senate 4.3 Join the Romans Hillfort: a fortified city on top of a hill Romanisation: process that changed the Gauls and other peoples to be more like the Romans, adopting or copying the Roman way of life Pax Romana: the Roman peace Denarius: silver coin made to pay soldiers in the Roman army. Everybody knew its value 92  Chapter 4 Ancient Rome 135 AD Hadrian orders to 312 AD Constantine the 476 AD Rome falls. Objectives end the religion Great wins battle End of Western You should be able to: of Judaism of Milvan Bridge, Roman Empire 4.1 Reproduce the Roman mythical becomes emperor origin story 4.2 Describe the position of Rome in Italy during the early days of its republic 4.3 Explain how Rome was able to expand around the Mediterranean through war and conquest 301 AD 380 AD 4.4 Explain how Caesar and Augustus Armenia is the Theodosius the Great turned Rome into an empire first country to adopts Christianity 4.5 Explain howtrade and wealth were adopt Christianity as state religion for as state religion Roman Empire used to stimulate Romanisation 4.6 Explain why 'new Romans', like the Gauls, chose to romanise their culture 4.7 Explain the Jewish origin of Christianity Skills 4.8 Explain how Christianity developed Skill 2.1 Decide what is historically from a forbidden cult into the significant dominant religion Skill 2.2 Explain why historical 4.9 Explain how the end of expansion significance can vary over time and started the decline of the Roman between different groups of people Empire Skill 3.3 Explain whether a source is 4.10 Explain how confrontation with reliable or not Germanic tribes led to conflicts and Skill 3.4 Determine whether a source is Romanisation useful or not Skill 4.3 Distinguish the different Understand different approaches to domains in society that are impacted by farming causes and effects Explain how land division or land Skill 5 Empathise with people that lived reform can be a cause of conflict in the past Understand why certain stories are not told and so remain hidden Give examples of how people were persecuted fortheir religion Characteristic aspects Explain how Christianity is not just a 4 The spread of the Greco-Roman European religion culture and the confrontation with Germanic tribes Listening and summarising strategies 5 Christianity in the Roman Empire: that will help you understand and from forbidden to the only remember permitted religion Prepare for the test Go digital © Pick and choose Q Revision exercises Self test Key word trainer 93