Chapter 8 The Rise of Rome Section 1 Rome’s Beginnings

I. The Origins of Rome (pgs. 263-265) Italy is a boot-shaped country in the Mediterranean. The heel points toward Greece and the boot points toward the island of Sicily (sih*suh*lee)

The Alps are mountains at Italy’s northern border, and the Apennines (a-puh-nynz) is a mountain range that extends through Italy from north to south. Italy’s terrain was easier to farm than the terrain of Greece, so Italy could support more people. Among to first settle in Italy were a Latin-speaking people who built Rome on the plain of Latium (lay-shee*uhm).

Where Was Rome Located? Geography played an important role in the rise of the Roman civilization. Rome was located in central Italy on the Tiber (ty*buhr) River. Rome was built on 7 steep hills which allowed an easy defense of the city.

There are two legends that describe how Rome began. The first is a traditional story of two twin brothers, Remus and Romulus. They were abandoned as babies near the Tiber River, rescued by a wolf, and raised by a shepherd.

Remus and Romulus decided to build a city in 753 B. C Remus and Romulus decided to build a city in 753 B.C., but quarreled over the city’s boundaries. Romulus killed Remus and went on to become the first king of Rome and named the new city after himself.

The second story comes from the epic Aeneid written by the Roman poet Virgil. This is a story of a Trojan hero named Aeneas (ih*nee*uhs) who united the Trojans and some of the Latins. He became the “father” of the Romans.

Early Influences After about 800 B.C., two other groups joined the Romans in Italy: The Greeks The Etruscans (ih*truhs*kuhnz) The Greeks came to southern Italy and Sicily between 750 B.C. and 550 B.C. to establish colonies. From the Greeks, Romans learned: To grow grapes and olives Adopted the Greek alphabet Architecture Sculpture Literature

Rome’s early growth was influenced most by the Etruscans. The Etruscans were skilled metalworkers and became rich from mining and trade. The Etruscans: Changed Rome from a village to a city Laid out streets and buildings around a central square Introduced a new style of dress featuring short cloaks and togas Army served as a model for the mighty army the Romans would eventually assemble.

II. The Birth of a Republic (pgs. 265-267) The Tarquins (tahr*kwihnz) were leaders of the Etruscan-ruled Rome and were often cruel. In 509 B.C., after 100 years under the Tarquins, the Romans rebelled and overthrew them. The Romans established a Republic. In a Republic, the leader is not a king or queen, but someone who is voted into office by citizens with the right to vote.

Why Was Rome So Strong? Romans were able to conquer Italy because they were excellent soldiers. Every male citizen who owned land had to serve in the army. Discipline was harsh, and deserters were punished by death.

At first, the Romans fought like the Greeks. They soon reorganized into smaller groups called legions. Each legion had about 6,000 men and was further divided into groups of 60 – 120 soldiers.

Roman soldiers were called legionaries. They were armed with a short sword called a gladius and a spear called a pilum.

Shrewd Rulers The Romans were not only good fighters, but were also smart planners. As they expanded throughout Italy, they built permanent military settlements in conquered areas and built roads between these towns so that troops could travel swiftly. To rule their new conquests, the Romans created the Roman Confederation.

Under this system, Romans gave full citizenship to some peoples, especially other Latins. The Romans granted other peoples the status of allies. The Romans knew that conquered peoples would be more loyal to the government if they were well treated. As a result, the Republic grew stronger and more unified.