1. Unit 2 From Village to Empire
Ancient Rome
Unit 2
From Village to Empire

2. Origins of Rome
A. Romans claimed that their city was built
by two brothers, Romulus and Reamus
1. Legend said they were the sons of a
princess and the Roman god of war
Mars
a. Jealous king ordered them drowned
b. Gods protected them and sent she
wolf to save them

3. c. Saved by sheperd
d. Eventual kill the jealous king and
found city on seven hills that
overlook the Tiber River

4. Rome was founded as a Latin City
Romulus was likely a Latin who unified the people then settled on the Seven Hills
Aeneas and the Trojans join with them, borrowing a great deal of culture and identity
They then come to rule the Latins
The seven hills allowed for easy defense of the city

6. In addition to strategic hills, the Tiber provided rich soil, and gave them access to the Mediterranean, which allowed for trade
Rome centered around an island in the Tiber, which seems to be a likely place for a ford

7. The Latins in Rome were conquered by the Etruscans, a tribe from the North c. 600
The Etruscans developed the city and ruled until 509 B.C. when the Latins (mostly called Romans now) rebelled and formed a Republic

8. During the Etruscan period the people faced another people group called the Albans, who were another tribe with similar culture and structure to the Etruscans
In this war, the Horatii brothers fought with the Curiatii brothers as champions of the Etruscans

9. The Latins – eventually called themselves “Romans”
a. Gave Rome its language, Latin
The Greeks – controlled southern Italy and Sicily
Greek influence on Rome – art, architecture, literature, government, agriculture (grapes, olives and goats)

10. The Roman Republic – After the defeat of the Etruscans and their kings, the Romans created a republic (Republic = government in which the citizens rule through elected representatives)
A. The Roman Republic survived for
almost 500 years
1. By 264 B.C., the Romans had
conquered the entire Italian
Peninsula
a. Etruscans in North, Greeks in
South

11. I. Rome’s Contribution to Western Society
Many “Romance languages” (Italian,
Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Romanian) trace their origins to the language of the Romans (Latin)
1. English language adopted Latin
words
a. Examples: via, interim, item,
agenda, pro, con, a.m. (ante
meridiem, before noon), p.m.
(post meridiem, after noon)

12. America shares the form of government used
in Rome, republic
1. Many of our government terms and
symbols, (senate, veto, senator etc.) come
from Rome

13. Roman art and architecture
1. Still influential in the modern world

14. Roman inventions
1. Developed road construction techniques,
aqueducts, domes, and concrete

15. ROME SPREADS ITS POWER

16. The Roman Senate – The most powerful
part of the government of the Roman Republic
1. Originally made up of 300 upper-class
men called patricians
a. Patricians = member of wealthy
family
b. Ordinary people were called
plebians

17. i. In the early republic, plebeians
could not hold office or be
senators
The Roman Consuls – two consuls formed the executive power of the Roman Republic
1. Executive = part of government that
enforces laws and policies
2. Elected by the citizens
a. Before 367 B.C, Plebeians could not be
consuls

18. 3. Consuls ruled for one year and had equal
power
a. Both consuls had to agree before
government could act
i. One consul could declare “Veto” (I
forbid) and the matter had to be
dropped
C. Other Important Officials – because of the potential for a deadlock between Consuls, particularly in times of danger, a dictator could be appointed

19. 1. Dictator – could hold all the powers of a
king, but only for six months
2. Praetors – at first functioned as junior
consuls
a. Later became judges that settled
disputes in civil trials
i. civil trial = trials regarding money,
business matters, contracts, etc.

20. Patricians vs. Plebeians – conflicts
developed between the patricians, who grew rich as Rome expanded
1. Patricians used the money gained by
conquest to buy small farms
a. Farmers lost jobs as slaves worked on farms
i. soon Rome was filled with
unemployed plebeians

21. 2. Plebeians refused to serve in army
a. Demanded written code of law
b. Law of the Twelve Tablets
i. these tablets were placed in the
marketplace so they could be read
by all
aa. Plebeians never got equal right
with patricians, but citizens continued to have extensive rights.

22. Rome Conquers the Mediterranean – During the Republic Rome conquered the areas surrounding the Mediterranean
1. Punic Wars – Between 264 B.C. and
146 B.C. Rome fought three wars
against the armies of Carthage
a. longest war in history (118 years)
b. Punic war got its name from Rome’s
name for Carthage, Punics (from Phoenicia)
i. in the adjective form punic means
treachery

23. First Punic War : 264 to 241 B.C
After 23 year of fighting Rome defeated Carthage and imposed heavy conditions for peace
a. Rome became the dominant naval
power in the Mediterranean
b. Both states financially crushed
c. Terms of peace: Rome divided the
Mediterranean
i. Africa, Hispania, Corsica, Sardinia to
Carthage rest to Rome

24. Punic Wars

25. Second Punic War – Famous for Carthaginian general, Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps with war elephants
a. Carthage is ultimately defeated

26. Second Punic War

27. Third Punic War – After the Second Punic
War their was a lot of unemployment
a. Farmers were lost while men were
away fighting
i. Slaves were used to farm the land
ii. Unrest among the plebeians
b. Rome decided to start war with Greece,
who had helped Carthage in Second
Punic War
i. Would get rebellious men out of
Rome

28. c. Roman armies were victorious in east
d. Carthage was harassed by Roman allies
i. Due to terms of peace in Second
Punic War, could not fight back
ii. Called on Rome to help them Rome
refused
iii. Declared war on Rome
iv. Defeated after siege of Carthage
v. Cato, an older Senator who
remembered Second Punic war
called for Carthage to be destroyed

29. vi. "Carthage must be destroyed."
(in Latin, Carthago delenda
est).
vii. People of Carthage forced out of
city and the city was destroyed