Egyptian
Hellenic
ROME Splendour and turmoil Rome was based on greek ‘democracy’, where the people (citizens) were the chief power
The Roman Empire lasted from 500BCE to 500CE It went from being a monarchy, to a republic, to an autocratic empire The Roman Empire’s greatest strengths were its army, its law, its architecture and engineering, and literature.
Roman politics could get messy - even at its peak, Roman politics was volatile The Death of Julius Caesar 44B.C.E.
To keep the Roman mob happy, Vespasian built one of the most famous buildings in the world.. 79C.E. The Colosseum
The Colosseum Defeated enemies would be humiliated and killed before the crowd Enemies of the state (like Christians and other ‘barbarians’) were fed to wild animals The centre stage could even be flooded for ship battles!
Gladiators
Gladiators Slaves Were from all over the empire Fought in the colosseum Fought men, beasts, and recreated great Roman battles Could win their freedom Became as popular as rock stars today
Gladiators
Gladiators
Roman Empire at its peak 117C.E.
Roman Britain
The Empire splits 324C.E.
The weakened Empire is invaded and carved up by ‘barbarians’.
Gemitus Britannorum: ‘The Groans of the Britons’ Roman Briton pleads for help against the Saxons 430C.E. “To Agitius, general, the groans of the Britons... the barbarians drive us to the sea, the sea drives us to the barbarians, between these two means of death we are either killed or drowned.”
Barbarian ways But, outside Rome, people believed in older, more clear-cut power structures Power belonged to the strongest As the Empire collapsed and the barbarians took Roman lands, they brought with them their own forms of government- kings
The Feudal system Feudal power triangle King Bishops & Barons Knights Merchants and Craftsmen Peasant Freemen & Serfs