Ancient Rome

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Rome: Importance  “successor” to Greece  “carrier” of Greek civilization  political model for later Europe  measure of success for nations and individuals

Importance, con’t  model for later monarchies  model for later, mixed constitutions –Great Britain, U.S., etc.  model for most European legal systems  model for the concept of citizenship

Roman History  The Regal Age: ca B.C.  The Republic: B.C.  The Empire: 27 B.C A.D. –Early Empire: 27 B.C.-325 A.D. –Later Empire: 325 A.D A.D.

LocationLocation  Italy  Tiber River  between Etruscan and Greek cities  part of the Latin League

Early history  Indo-European  entered Italy ca B.C.  settled south of the Tiber  primitive institutions

The Kings  Seven kings  Romulus  historical kings –the Etruscan kings –the last three

The Republic  revolution  patricians (2-4%) and plebeians (96-98%)  constitutional government –influenced by Athens? –the constitution of Cleisthenes?

OfficesOffices  2 consuls  2 praetors  aediles  quaestors  dictator

Important institutions  the assemblies  the elective offices  patron-client relationships  The Twelve Tables

Struggle of the Orders  struggle for political participation  plebeian institutions: the tribunes  the secessions  the compromises –no political violence until 133 B.C.

Roman Expansion  gradual expansion for a century  the Latin League –extension of citizenship –Romans, half-citizens, Latins, allies –continuous expansion  Celts, Samnites, etc.

Expansion, con’t  Etruscans  Greeks  Carthage –three Punic Wars –254, 220, 146 B.C.  control of Western Mediterranean

Expansion, con’t  the Hellenistic Monarchies  the Greek Federal Leagues  lots of wars, Romans are dragged in...a lot  Romans get tired of it  control of most of the Med. basin by 100 B.C.  but still essentially a city-state

Roman Religion  rustic Italian cults  overlay of Greek religion  Etruscan influences  Romans as “pack rats”

Roman architecture  great skill  engineers and architects  roads, cities  concrete

Roman Literature  copied from Greek models  interests in rhetoric, law, and satire  Stoic and Epicurean philosophy

The Late Republic: B.C.  introduction of violence into domestic politics  competition for status and recognition  civil war

Important Figures  Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus  Marius and Sulla  Pompey the Great, Marcus Crassus, Julius Caesar –First Triumvirate  Marc Antony, Marcus Lepidus, Octavian Caesar –Second Triumvirate

Gaius Marius

Gaius Julius Caesar

Pompey the Great

Cicero

Octavian Augustus

Octavian as pontifex maximus

Marc Antony

The Empire  unification of the Mediterranean basin and western Europe  extended citizenship  empire-wide commerce  Roman law  tolerance for local autonomy

ChangesChanges  reduction of political competition  end to expansion  reduction in the army  further extension of citizenship

The Flavians  Year of the Four Emperors (69 A.D.)  Vespasian  Titus  Domitian

The Antonines: the Good Emperors  Edward Gibbon  the height of the Empire  the culmination of the pax Romana  succession by adoption of the most competent

The Good Emperors  Nerva  Trajan –strong military leader  Hadrian –excellent administrator –Hellenophile  Antoninus Pius  Marcus Aurelius –the embodiment of the philosopher king

The Rise of Christianity  Jesus of Nazareth –teacher, prophet, revolutionary –the Jesus Movement  Paul of Tarsus –cultural mixture: Jewish and Greek –founder of Christianity

Rise of Christianity, con’t  disappearance of Jewish followers: 70 A.D.  growth of the Pauline church  the poor, women, children, slaves  no success among men, the educated, etc.  benefits of Roman infrastructure and the pax Romana

Roman suspicion  the First Jewish War  “eastern religion” –corrupted the mos maiorum –that is, “traditional family values”  rumors of orgies and cannibalism  Second Jewish War  Trajan’s Rescript

The Crisis of the Third Century  End of the practice of adoption  The Severian Emperors –the army as a social class –abandonment of the Augustan constitution –collapse of the senate and other organs of state –collapse of the civil adminstration

Crisis, con’t  collapse of society –breakdown of social classes  collapse of the economy –collapse of trade and coinage  barbarian invasions  civil wars –Thirty emperors –The Danubian emperors (soldiers)

Crisis, con’t  Aurelian - restituor orbis  Decius - persecutions of those who corrupt traditional family values  Diocletian

Diocletian and Reform  The Tetrarchy  The Annona  The Edict of Maximum Prices  The “new provinces”  The “eastern frontiers”  The “new capitals”  The “persecutions” –Edict of Toleration, 311

Constantine  The divided empire, united  The Battle of the Milvian Bridge  The “conversion of Constantine”  The Edict of Milan  The First Ecumenical Council  The New Capital –Constantinople

Questions  Where is Rome located?  Name ONE leader of Rome  Rome is most like what other major city?  What events lead to Rome’s rise of power and later its decline?