1. Ancient Rome and Early Christianity
500 B.C.-A.D. 500
Ancient Rome and Early Christianity

3. Origins of Rome Greece in decline-Rome starting to rise
Legend-Romulus and Remus
Twins raised by a she-wolf-built city
Rolling hills and center of Italian peninsula
Midpoint of Mediterranean Sea
First Romans
Latins, Greeks, Etruscans
Latins-Palatine Hill-First Romans
Greeks- southern Italy and Sicily- prosperous and commercially active
Etruscans-Northern Italy-Alphabet and architecture

4. Early Republic 600-509 BC-kings
Tarquin the Proud-never again have a king
Republic-power with citizens who can vote
Same as Greece-only free-born male citizens
Patricians (wealthy landowners) vs. plebeians (commoners)
Patricians got most power (born into it)
Plebeians-get elected representatives (tribunes)-go against unfair acts of patricians

5. Another Legal Code Twelve Tables-new legal code in 451 BC
Before this, laws were unwritten-patricians altered the laws for their benefit
Laws carved on 12 tablets
Posted for everyone to see
Basis for Roman Law
Idea all free citizens protected under it

6. Government in Early Republic
Consuls (2)
Like Kings but limited to one year-could be vetoed by other one
Senate (300)
Great influence, aristocratic
Chosen from upper branches
Tribal Assembly-Plebeians- democratic
Made laws for common people
Dictator could be elected in time of crisis-only to serve for 6 months

8. Roman Army Great Emphasis on Military
All citizens who owned land required to serve
Organized into legions
Both infantry (on foot) and Calvary (on horseback)
Army as key to Rome’s rise to greatness

9. Rome Spreads Power Expand through trade and conquest
265 BC-nearly all Italy
Latins on Tiber-full citizens
Others-citizens without vote
Last group-allies-supplied troops for Roman army
Did not interfere with allies if they did this
Power moves beyond Italy

10. The Punic Wars
Rome’s empire relied on access to Mediterranean-Carthage interfering
264 BC-Rome and Carthage at War
3 Punic Wars 264 BC-146 BC
First Punic War-control of Sicily and Western Mediterranean
Defeat of Carthage
Second Punic War-rise of Hannibal
50,000 infantry, 9,000 cavalry, and 60 elephants to capture Rome
Marched his men up and down Mediterranean through the Alps
Worked originally-victory at Cannae-enormous loses on Romans

13. The Triumph
Romans regrouped after Cannae and prevented Hannibal from capturing Rome
General Scipio-plan forced Hannibal to return to Carthage
Defeat Hannibal at Zama
Third Punic War (shortest)-Rome laid siege to Carthage
City set afire and its inhabitants sold into slavery
Victory in Punic Wars=dominance over Western Mediterranean
Got eastern half shortly after