Centrally located in the Mediterranean Vast plains in the North and West Apennine Mtns. not very rugged Easier to unite Italian peninsula

Latins first to move into Italy Settled in small villages Eventually villages came together as Rome Alphabet learned from Etruscans Also learned about the use of the arch in construction Religion was formed from Latins and Etruscans

1. Structure of Gov’t a. Senate -300 members -patricians b. Consuls (2) -supervised gov’t and commanded the army -one year term c. Tribunes -elected by plebeians -could veto laws

2. Twelve Tables - Roman Law written down - allowed plebeians to know the laws

1. Family - the basic unit of Roman society -male held absolute power 2. Role of women -could own property -ran businesses -most worked at home (raising family, spinning, weaving)

3. Education -boys and girls were educated -upper and lower classes -learned history and rhetoric

1. Polythestic 2. Similar to Greeks -Zeus = Jupiter -Neptune is god of the sea -Mars is god of war 3. Festivals throughout the year -brought sense of community

1. Rome conquered all of the Italian peninsula 2. Army was loyal and well-trained -paid by ‘spoils of victory’ 3. Rome allowed conquered to keep customs and local gov’t -some even received full citizenship 4. Latin language spread along with Roman customs

Carthage vs. Rome (x 3) 1. First Punic War -Carthage had advantages (gold, manpower, navy) -Rome built up quick and struck first -Rome wins; gains Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia

2. Second Punic war -Carthage wants revenge -Hannibal led Carthage army *military genius *used indirect tactics with smaller army *long trek to Italy; lost 1/3 of army and ½ of elephants -surprise attack on Rome (lasted 15 years) -Hannibal forced to retreat when Romans attack Carthage

3. Third Punic War -Rome invades Carthage -Rome destroys Carthage -salt is spread on the fields -all of the people are killed or enslaved

1. Emperor in charge Inherited power Ruled for life 2. Pax Romana “Roman Peace” Peace for 200 years People and ideas moved freely

3. Entertainment Chariot races and gladiator games ‘distracted’ the common folk Policy of “bread and circuses”

often imitated Greek writing styles Virgil wrote epic poem Aeneid about Roman like to Trojan War aimed to create patriotism Horace, Juvenal, and Martial wrote satires made fun of Roman society Historians: Livy: wrote of Rome’s heroic past Tacitus: critical of Roman society

1. Art sculpture stressed ‘realism’ used mosaics to decorate homes 2. Architecture the bigger, the better utilized arches, columns, and concrete famous structures: Pantheon, Colosseum

1. Engineering helped to create: roads bridges harbors aqueducts 2. believed the Earth was the center of the universe 3. used the research of the Greeks; did very little of their own

Roman citizens = civil law conquered people = law of nations fewer rights eventually two systems merge into one

Basic Principles of Law innocent until proven guilty guilt, beyond a reasonable doubt judges allowed to interpret law lower class was punished more harshly