1. Chapter 6
A New Social Order

2. A New Social Order
When war was declared on neighboring tribes, each man dutifully put down his plow and took up arms. But the Punic Wars were long fought, and when soldiers returned home, they were unable to return to their previous lives.
The first war was 23 years long
As a result many farms fell in disuse and disrepair
Wealthy landowners took advantage of the opportunity to expand their land
They took farm land and flat land for homes

3. A New Social Order, continued
Over the years, the number of small farms shrank drastically while the size of the estates of the wealthy grew and grew.

4. The Struggling Poor Roman society was divided into two divisions
Patricians - Small class of wealthy landowners
Plebeians - Large class of homeless and unemployed people

5. Slaves had an impact on the economy…
More slaves meant less jobs for poor Roman farmers. Slaves became the backbone of Roman society, doing all of the menial work.

6. The Gracchi
Two brothers, Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus were moved by the desperate state of the plebeians
The Gracchus’s came from a wealthy family
Father, consul twice
Grandfather was Scipio who defeated Hannibal at Zama.
Brothers became spokesmen
Both became tribunes

7. The Gracchi Tiberius was tribune from 133 B.C.E to 123 B.C.E.
He sought to break up the huge estates accumulated by wealthy patricians and redistribute the land so that the ordinary people could have some too.
A senator clubbed him to death with a footstool when he stood for re-election.
All of his supporters were also clubbed to death and thrown into the Tiber River

8. The Gracchi
When Gaius became tribune in 123 B.C.E he demanded many things.
Allowance to the poor
Grain to poor
New employment
Granting citizenship to all Italians
He, too, aroused the wrath of the Senate, and got kicked out of the office
He was about to be captured when he ordered his slaves to slit his throat

9. After the deaths of the Gracchi’s the Senate itself split in two
The Optimates were conservative men who wished to keep the government at the status quo (as it was)
The Populares on the other hand, were more liberal

10. The Reforms of Marius
Gaius Marius, a member of the Populares, was consul from 107 to 100 B.C.E
He was not only consul, he was a plebeian and then became a great hero.

11. Reforms of Marius, continued
He strengthened the army by recruiting unemployed men to be soldiers and promising them a reward after 20 years of service. They would get a piece of land and a pension.
He transformed the army into professional fighters who served their general.

12. The government responded to the need for housing in the overpopulated cities by building low-cost apartments
The city of Rome was divided in to blocks called insulae (also known as island).
The Tenements

13. The Tenements, continued
Houses were made out of timber and mud brick
Flimsy walls often collapsed and fire was a big danger
One who started a fire that killed at least one person was sentenced to life in prison or even death
Bottom Floor: Running water and shops
Top Floor: no plumbing, public lavatory, threw garbage out window, little furniture

15. Homes of the Wealthy Homes of the wealthy were next to apartments
Houses called domus might take up half a block or even a whole block
Large rooms, one floor, roof made of clay,
Atrium served as a reception area where rain collected in pool
Kitchen, living room, library
Statues in courtyard in back
Patterns on tile are called mosaics on floor; frescos on walls