1. Chapter 6: Ancient Rome 500 BCE-500 CE

2. Section 1: The Roman Republic

3. Legend: Romulus & Remus
The Origins of Rome
Legend: Romulus & Remus
Important location: Tiber River, center of Italian peninsula, center of Mediterranean
Greatly influenced by Greece

4. Legend of Romulus and Remus

6. The Early Republic 600 BCE: Rome has its first king
509 BCE: Tarquin the Proud has its last king (he was a jerk)
Kings replaced by a republic: a form of govt. in which power rests with the citizens who have the right to vote for their leaders
See page 157.
What are some similarities in the governments of the Roman Republic and the United States?
Which government seems more democratic? Why?

7. Early in the republic, patricians (wealthy landowners who had most of the power) and plebeians (common farmers, artisans, and merchants—majority of pop.) struggled for power
Plebeians were eventually allowed to form their own assembly and elect representatives called tribunes
The plebeians forced the creation of the first law code called the twelve tables

8. What government under the republic looked like:

9. In times of crisis, the republic could appoint a dictator (a leader who had absolute power to make laws and command the army)
All citizens who owned land were required to serve in the army
Roman soldiers were organized into large military units called legions

10. Rome Spreads its Power Rome conquers Italy by 265 BCE
Rome’s location gave it easy access to the Mediterranean Sea
264 BCE-146 BCE: Rome and Carthage fight the Punic Wars
Rome’s general Scipio wins war against Carthage’s general Hannibal

11. Section 2: The Roman Empire

12. The Republic Collapses
As Rome grew, the gap between the patricians and plebeians grew wider and this discontent led to a civil war in Rome
As the republic grew unstable, generals began taking power for themselves, recruiting the landless poor to become their soldiers in exchange for land and pay
60 BCE: Julius Caesar (a military leader) joins forces with Crassus (a wealthy Roman) and Pompey (a popular general) and is elected consul in 59 BCE; for 10 years these three men ruled Rome as a triumvirate (a group of three rulers)

13. Rome Under Caesar
44 BCE: Caesar named dictator for life; started reforms (more citizenship granted, expanded the senate, created jobs for poor)
Some nobles and senators were concerned about Caesar’s growing power, success, and popularity and feared losing their influence
March 15, 44 BCE: Caesar assassinated (stabbed to death) by a number of important senators

14. Beginning of the Empire
Civil war broke out again after Caesar’s death and destroyed what was left of the republic
43 BCE: Octavian (Caesar’s adopted son), Mark Antony (a general), and Lepidus (a powerful politician) take control of Rome and rule for 10 years as the Second Triumvirate
Octavian becomes the unchallenged ruler of Rome, taking the title Augustus (or “exalted one”); he’s also called emperor
(Octavian forces Lepidus to retire. Octavian & Mark Antony become rivals. Mark Antony meets Cleopatra, falls in love, & follows her to Egypt where Octavian accuses Antony of trying to rule Rome from Egypt causing another civil war to erupt. Octavian defeats Antony’s & Cleopatra’s forces at the Battle of Actium)

15. A Vast and Powerful Empire
Pax Romana: time of peace and prosperity; lasted 207 years
Augustus stabilized the frontier, glorified Rome with public buildings, and set up a civil service where he paid workers to manage the empire
Agriculture was the most important industry in the empire (90% of people engaged in farming!)
Rome’s vast trading network by land and sea brought additional food

17. The Roman World
Slavery was widespread and important (maybe 1/3 of total population)
There was a large gap between the rich and the poor
Many people are poor, homeless, and starving

18. Section 4: The Fall of the Roman Empire
Problems from within the empire and from outside the empire

19. A Century of Crisis Rome’s interior weakens due to:
tribes outside the boundaries of the empire and pirates on the Mediterranean disrupting trade
raising taxes
making more money (inflation—a drastic drop in the value of money along with a rise in prices)
food shortages and disease spreading (less people)
the military becoming less disciplined and loyal
hiring mercenaries (foreign soldiers who fought for money) who had little sense of loyalty to the empire
Average citizens losing their sense of patriotism

20. Emperors Attempt Reform
Diocletian:
divides the empire in two (Greek-speaking East and Latin-speaking West)
rules the east and appoints a co-ruler in the west
Constantine:
gains control of the western part of the empire then the eastern part, restoring the concept of a single ruler
Moves the capital from Rome to Byzantium (eventually renamed Constantinople)

22. The Western Empire Crumbles
Final collapse was due to:
worsening internal problems
the separation o the Western Empire from the wealthier Eastern Empire
outside invasions:
the Huns push Germanic tribes into Roman lands
Attila the Hun and his soldiers terrorized both halves of the empire
Last Roman emperor (14-yr old Romulus Augustus) was ousted by Germanic forces in 476
Eastern Empire continues to flourish until 1453

23. What group of invaders came the greatest distance?
What do these invasion routes have to do with the song “Roll Over?” (There were 10 in the bed and the little one said, roll over, roll over. There were 9 in the bed and the little one said…)

24. Section 5: Rome and the Roots of Western Civilization

25. The Legacy of Greco-Roman Civilization
Greco-Roman Culture: mixture of Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman culture
Sculptors create realistic portraits in stone
Much art was intended for public education
The poet Virgil wrote epics (like Homer)

26. The Legacy of Rome
Latin was adopted by different peoples and developed into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian (romance languages)
Aqueducts, the Colosseum, and the network of roads all show how the Romans were master builders
Romans were the first to believe that laws should be fair and apply equally to all people