1. Rise of the Roman Empire 753 B.C. to 60 AD.

2. Today’s Questions How was Rome founded? What led to the formation of Rome’s republic? How was the Roman republic organized? What events led to imperialism in Rome? What problems arose with the Roman Empire?

3. Founding of the Roman Republic Legend says Romulus and Remus, twin sons of Mars, god of War, founded the city where they were rescued from the Tiber River and cared for by the she- wolf. (753 B.C.E.)

4. Etruria the Kingdom: Rome’s Early Days (700-500 B.C) For two and a half centuries, kings of the neighboring Etruria, the land to Rome’s north, ruled the city. The Romans learned about city building, art, religion, mythology, and even language from the Etruscans.

5. From Kingdom to Republic 509 BC 509 B.C : the powerful citizens of Rome, all veterans of military service, drove out the Etruscan kings. They declared Rome a republic ….

6. From Kingdom to Republic 509 B.C. 509 B.C : the powerful citizens of Rome, all veterans of military service, drove out the Etruscan kings. They declared Rome a republic, a government in which power resides in a body of citizens and consists of representatives elected by them. Only men with wealth and property could command and rise in the ranks. At the heart of the city, they built the Roman forum, a political and civic center with temples and public buildings where leading citizens tended to government business.

7. The Roman Republic Consuls (at the highest level) held power that extended over the lands Rome ruled. At the end of their one-year term, they entered the Senate of Rome, the highest legislative and consultative body of the government.

8. The Roman Republic Consuls (at the highest level) held power that extended over the lands Rome ruled. At the end of their one-year term, they entered the Senate of Rome, the highest legislative and consultative body of the government. Of course the consuls and Senate both represented the interests of the patricians (aristocratic, wealthy classes), there was always tension between the wealthy classes and the plebeians, or common people.

9. The Republic Expands (350 B.C.E. to 150 B.C.E) Romans secured peninsula because of military colonies and generous policy toward the people they conquered Free from taxation Govern their own internal affairs Participate in trade Take Roman spouses Must provide military support and alliance

10. The Republic Expands Carthage was the dominant political power in north Africa (excluding Egypt), the southern part of the Iberian peninsula, and the western region of Sicily. Meanwhile, Hellenistic empires dominated the eastern Mediterranean, Macedon, Egypt, Syria, and Anatolia. The Hellenes (Greeks) had a thriving network of maritime commerce in the Mediterranean.

11. The Republic Expands The Carthaginians controlled the north central coast of Africa and the western Mediterranean. One of their trade networks focused on the mineral wealth of Spain, especially its silver mines. Carthage developed ports and cities in Sicily and Sardinia to protect that route.

12. The Republic Expands Between 264 and 146 B.C., Rome fought Carthage in three conflicts known as the Punic Wars. (Recall: Syracuse, Archimedes’ hometown, was taken by the Romans during the second Punic war) – Romans burned Carthage to the ground and forced 50,000 survivors into slavery) –Rome seized Carthaginian possessions in north Africa and Iberia (grain, oil, wine, silver, and gold used to finance imperial expansion)

13. From Republic to Empire

14. Rome’s Imperial Expansion Creates Problems –Conquered lands fell into the hands of wealthy elites who organized plantations known as latifundia. –Owners of latifundia operated at lower costs than did owners of smaller holdings who often were forced to sell their land to wealthier neighbors. –Gracchus brothers,( two Roman senators), attempted to reform land distribution policies but were assassinated. –The constitution had worked for a small city-state but it would not work for a large empire.

15. The Civil War and military occupation (88-81 B.C.) Military commanders recruited landless farmers for an army and initiated a civil war. General Gaius Marius marched on Rome, placed the city under military occupation and hunted down political enemies. When Marius died, Sulla seized Rome in 83 B.C. and murdered some ten thousand individuals.

16. The Civil War and military occupation (88-81 B.C.) Sulla peacefully retired in 81 BC. By the time Sulla died in 78 B.C., he had imposed policies that weakened the influence of the lower classes and strengthened the wealthy in Roman politics. Poverty in the cities increased, while the price of grain rose. Social outbreaks were common. The urban poor joined the personal armies of ambitious generals.

17. The Roman Empire is Firmly Established Gaius Marius’s nephew, Julius Caesar, favored liberal policies. He was popular with Romans because he spent sums of money sponsoring battles between gladiators and wild animals. This kept him in the public eye and helped to publicize his interests in social reform. He led an army to Gaul, which he conquered and brought it into the Roman Empire. In 49 B.C.E., he named himself dictator of Rome.

18. Julius Caesar made much needed reforms: He relieved debts of the lower class. He used his wealth to promote building and entertainment in Rome which pacified his subjects. He confiscated land from his opponents and redistributed among his army’s veterans. He extended Roman citizenship to people in the conquered provinces.

19. Finally Peace and Prosperity in the Roman Empire Caesar’s nephew, Octavian (AKA Augustus) built a monarchy disguised as a republic. Augustus initiated the Pax Romana which lasted more than 200 years. This was a period of domestic peace and foreign expansion.

20. The Roman Empire (117 AD.)

21. The Empire Flourishes When Roman soldiers, diplomats, governors, and merchants arrived in newly conquered territories, they boosted the local economy They accessed local resources and encouraged inhabitants to cultivate wheat, olives, and grapes. Local ruling elites joined with Roman representatives and used wealth to control natural resources and stimulated the economical growth

22. Civil Development Around 450 BC, Roman jurists (judges, attorneys) adopted the Roman code as a basic law code for citizens of the early republic. During the late republic, jurists worked to create a body of law that would work for the diverse people of the Empire. They established the principle of “innocent until proven guilty” and defendants could challenge accusers before a judge in a court of law.

23. Roma and Greece Rome completed the conquer of Greece in 148 BC. The Romans became fascinated by the superior Greek culture and adopted many of the cultural aspects of Greek life (i.e. philosophy, mathematics, theatre, and even mythology!) Greek books were copied and translated, and studied, and that is how they came to us.

24. Technological Development Roman engineers prepared deep beds for roads, edged them with curbs, provided drainage and used large, flat paving stones. They developed wide roads for two lanes. They built temples, bath houses, public buildings, stadiums, and aqueducts in the territories that they conquered

25. Social Structure Families were ruled by the oldest male (Pater familia) Under the Empire, it was legal for women to own land, run businesses, free slaves, make wills, inherit wealth, and get a paid job. Slavery was an essential component of the Roman empire. By the 2 nd century C.E., more than 1/3 of the population were slaves. Slaves had the potential to lead economically successful lives, even gaining their freedom.

26. Trade Routes

27. Development of Religion As a result of interaction with the Etruscans and later the Greeks, the Romans developed a polytheistic culture. The Jews, who were monotheistic, rebelled. Some openly fought the Romans; others sought salvation through isolation. Christianity emerged in this context as some Jews sought to form a community around Jesus of Nazareth, a charismatic leader who taught peace, devotion to God, and love for fellow human beings. 1 st Century C.E. Paul of Tarsus spread the ideas of Christianity using the roads and communication system established by the Roman Empire.

28. But in the 1 st century AD, political problems mounted. The empire was too large for one emperor to control Emperors were weak and sometimes crazy. Citizens experienced a loss of confidence, patriotism, & loyalty to the Roman government

29. .. And economic problems Outside groups disrupted trade Poor harvests led to food shortages Rome had a trade imbalance (they bought more than they produced) The gov’t raised taxes & printed new coins which led to inflation The economic decline left many Romans poor

30. And military problems Germanic tribes outside Rome were gaining strength The Roman military was growing weak: generals were challenging the authority of the emperors To save money, Romans hired foreign soldiers but these “mercenaries” were not loyal to Rome

31. The fall of the Roman Empire happened in 3 major stages: –An era of decline due to internal problems within Rome –A brief period of revival due to reforms by Emperors Diocletian & Constantine –Continued decline, invasion by Germanic “barbarians”, & the conquest of Rome

32. In 284 A.D. Emperor Diocletian came to power & made a series of reforms that temporarily halted Rome’s decline –To fix the military, he doubled the size of the Roman army –To fix the economy, he fixed prices for goods –To fix the lack of loyalty, he presented himself as a “godlike” emperor

33. Diocletian’s most important reform was realizing Rome was too large and dividing the empire into the Western Eastern Roman Empires

34. Attempts to Reform the Empire After Diocletian, the emperor Constantine came to power & continued to reform Rome (~ 300 AD) –To help unify Rome, he ended persecutions and converted to Christianity –He moved the official capital from Rome to a new city in the East, called Constantinople. Constantinople was a major trade center & was easy to defend; The city was built in the Roman style but had a strong Greek & Christian influence

36. The Collapse of the Roman Empire By 370 A.D., “barbarian” groups outside Rome, led by the Huns, began to attack The weak Roman army in the West could do little to stop the invasions; By 476, Germanic barbarians conquered Western Rome

37. The Fall of Rome

38. After the Fall of Rome The East became the Byzantine Empire & flourished for another thousand years. The Byzantine Empire kept alive the cultural achievements of ancient Greece & Rome