1. Rome
Robert Gearhart
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2. Early Roman History Legendary founding of the city of Rome in 753 BC
Founders were the brothers Romulus and Remus
Site occupied as early as 800 BC?
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3. The Etruscans Dominated by the Etruscans Overthrown 509 BC
Occupied northern Italy
Created many of Rome’s cultural legacies
Overthrown 509 BC
Established a Republic
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4. The Roman Republic (509-31 BC)
Major tensions existed between the patricians (rich) and plebeians (poor)
Known as the Struggle of the Orders
Theme dominated Rome’s history
By 264 BC, plebeians had achieved equal rights with patricians
Major tensions existed for the rest of Roman history between rich and poor
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5. Structure of Roman Government
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6. Roman Expansion
From 509 BC on, Rome expanded throughout the Italian peninsula
By 264 BC, Rome was to expand beyond Italy
Tried to occupy the island of Sicily
Fought 3 wars for control of the Mediterranean with the North African city-state of Carthage
Known as the Punic Wars BC
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7. Roman Expansion
After 169 BC, Rome began to absorb the Greek city-states
Absorbed Greek Hellenistic culture
Also moved in Asia Minor and northern Europe
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8. The End of the Roman Republic
Roman expansion caused trouble within the government
Expansion caused the rich to get richer
Relied on landowners for military service
Landowners could not farm land while they were off fighting wars
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9. The End of the Roman Republic
Meant that farms went bankrupt and were absorbed by richer farmers
Meant that the small landowners were forced out of military service
Latifundia
By 100 BC, the problem was to maintain a minimum number of troops in the army
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10. Reformers: Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus
First attempt to reform the system
133 BC
123 BC
Tried to reform land ownership laws
Patricians
Murdered by Senate
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11. Civil Wars: 1st Stage
Between 91 BC and 31 BC, Rome fought 3 civil wars that ended the Republic
Marius
Reformed the army in 100 BC
Ended the connection between land ownership and military service
Generals paid the troops
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12. Sulla Aide to Marius Defeated Marius in 83 BC
Murdered all his opponents
Died in 79 BC
Reinforced privileges of the wealthy
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13. Civil Wars: 2nd Stage Julius Caesar 100 BC-44 BC Nephew of Marius
Formed 1st Triumvirate in 59 BC
Caesar
Pompey
Crassus
Caesar won in 48 BC
Tried to reform the system
Murdered in 44 BC
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14. Civil War: 3rd Stage 2nd Triumvirate formed after Caesar’s murder
Marc Antony
Lepidus
Octavian (Augustus)
Octavian won in 31 BC
Reformed the system
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15. The Roman Empire
Octavian established the Principate in 27 BC, ending the civil wars and started the empire
First Emperors were able to establish peace and prosperity, with a few minor interruptions
Pax Romana
Lasted until 180 AD
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16. Fall of the Empire After 180 AD Faced a series of barbarians invasions
Huns moved west from China and forced all other tribes to move west into the Empire
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17. Fall of the Roman Empire
Series of civil wars that lasted over 100 years
Destroyed the economy
Empire focus moved east after 330 AD
Capital moved to new city of Constantinople
Empire officially split into East and West in 395 AD
Christianity adopted as the official religion.
Western Empire fell in 476 AD
Eastern Empire remained until 1453 AD
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