1. Chapter 6
By: Michael Toth

2. A New Social Order
When war was declared on neighboring tribes, each man dutifully put down his plow and took up arms.
Punic Wars, however, claimed large segments of solders
The first war was 23 years long
As a result many farmers fell in disuse which left no food.
Italy, where 15 years of fierce fighting against Hannibal had destroyed over two million acres of land.
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.
Latifundia- estates of the wealthy
Conquered people were supposed to pay gold and other objects as tribute.
The government got such enormous quantities of treasure that the Senate abolished all taxes in Italy for a little.

4. The Struggling Poor Roman society was divided into two divisions
Small class of wealthy landowners
Large class of homeless and unemployed people
Transformed into huge amounts of slaves captured during Rome’s overseas conqured.
Rome and other large cities became over crowded with returning war hero’s
This led to polluted air and water.

5. The Gracchi
To 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, General who defeated Hannibal and Zama.
Brothers became spokesmen
Both became tribune
Tiberius was tribune from 133 B.C.E to 123 B.C.E
The Gracchi’s took advantage of vetoing.

6. The Gracchi’s, continued
The tribune could veto and or refuse to make things happen.
They tried to use this power to weaken the stranglehold of the Senate had on the Roman economy and government
A senator clubbed him with a footstool to put him to death because he redistributed the land of the wealthy
The senator also clubbed all of the Senate and threw the bodies in the Tiber River
When Gaius became tribune in 123 B.C.E he demanded many things.

7. The Gracchi’s, continued
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 by the Greeks when he ordered his slaves to slit his throat
They cut his head off and returned his head to the Senate, which had promised to pay it’s weight in gold.
Three thousand of Gracchi’s supporters were later slain

8. The Reforms of Marius
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
At the same time of the Populares another social class emerged that would influence the economy as well as the government
AS known as the equestrians or equites (“the knights”), they were successful Roman businessmen who were not members of the exclusive patrician class

9. The Reforms of Marius, continued
Most of equestrians were part of the political class
The equestrians then became the Senate which was mixed between patricians and equestrians
Gaius Marius, a member of the Populares, was consul from 107 to 100 B.C.E
He was not only consul, he was a plebian and then became a great was hero who is now supported by many.
At this time when he was consul he made all poor stronger and strengthened his defense

10. Reforms of Marius, continued
After the strengthening of his army they set out to a series of battles against some of the Italian cities
These wars were called the Social Wars
Socii means “allies” in Latin
After many battles and soldiers dead the Senate finally agreed to grant all Italians, Roman citizens

11. Sulla Takes Charge
Marius’ most formidable opponent was Lucius Cornelius Sulla, a general who was an Optimate
In 88 B.C.E Sulla became consul, and the next year led his regions to an eastern province to put down a revolt
Sulla marched back to Rome and forced his adversary to flee
Marius later took advantage of Sulla’s absence to march his own army back into Rome
After ordering the execution od Sulla Marius is elected consul for the seventh time

12. Sulla Takes Charge, continued
Marius died soon after (some say he went insane) and his follower Cinna took over
Sulla established peace in the east and returned to Rome
Cinna was killed just before Sulla arrived
Sulla was now a dictator, not for just six months. But for life
Sulla was rewarded 100,000 soldiers because he killed all of Marius’ followers

13. The Dole
The poor did not starve thanks to a social arrangement known as the client system
The patricians set themselves up as patron
Unemployed plebians as well as worker who came to Rome from different parts of Italy
Duties of patron include: working and distributing food to the poor

14. The Tenements
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)
Wanted to make houses touching
Bottom Floor: Running water and shops
Top Floor: no plumbing, public lavatory, threw garbage out window, little furniture

15. 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

16. Homes of the Wealthy Homes of the wealthy were next to apartments
Houses also called domus they might take up half a block or even a whole block
Design: large rooms, lots of furniture, one floor, roof made od clay, rain collected in pool, lararium stood in corner of a room, kitchen, living room, library
Statues in backyard
Patterns on tile are called mosaics and paintings

17. Vocab Words Latifundia- estates of the wealthy
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus- tribunes
The Gracchi – how the brothers were known
Status Quo- as it was
Optimates- “men of good birth;” conservative men who wished to keep the government at the status quo
Populares- “those of the people;” more liberal
Equites- “the knights;” successful Roman businessmen who were not members of the exclusive patrician class
Gaius Marius- a member of the Populares; plebeian who became a military hero in Africa; was a consul from 107 to 100 B.C.E.
Social Wars – fighting between Roman army and the soldiers of some of the Italian allied cities
Lucius Cornelius Sulla – general who was an Optimate; became consul in 88 B.C.E.
Patrons – protectors of groups of unemployed plebeians
Tenement – run down and often overcrowded apartment house
Domus – large and comfortable houses of the rich
Mosaics – colored pieces of stone, clay, or glass arranged in patterns
Villas – lavish mansions in the countryside on large tracts of land