1. The Rise of Ancient Rome
Chapter 8

2. Section 1: The Roman Republic

3. The mythical founders of Rome: twin brothers Romulus and Remus
The legend says that they were raised by a wolf!
They want to build a city - Romulus kills Remus in a fight over where to build their city, and Romulus builds Rome

4. Rome’s Geographical Advantages
The Tiber River flows through Rome from mountains in central Italy
Rome is at the center of a long, narrow peninsula called Italy
Italy is located on the Mediterranean Sea
The hills in the area made Rome easy to defend
The fertile soil made it easier to grow food

5. Here is a map of Italy and Greece
Here is a map of Italy and Greece. What similarities do you see in the geography of the two countries?

6. The Etruscans 900 B.C. – The first people settle Rome
600 B.C. – A group of people called the Etruscans held power in Rome
They spoke a different language than most other ancient Italian languages – they probably came from Turkey
An Etruscan king ruled, but the Romans did not like having an all-powerful king tell them what to do
509 B.C. – Romans defeated Etruscans and their harsh king, Tarquinius Superbus
The Romans borrowed ideas from Etruscan culture
Worshipped many of the same gods
Etruscans and Romans both used Greek alphabet
They both wore the toga – a long flowing garment, that almost looked like a sheet

7. Romans Form a Republic Republic government was established
Republic: Citizens who have the right to vote select their leaders
Romans spoke a language called Latin
264 B.C. – The Romans gain power of the entire Italian peninsula and the Republic rules over Italy

8. The Roman Senate
In the Roman Republic, the most powerful part of the government was the senate
At first, the senate was made up of 300 upper- class men
Patrician – a member of a wealthy family in the Roman Republic – only patricians could become Senators in the government
Plebeian – an ordinary citizen in Roman Republic
Early in the Roman Republic, plebeians could not be senators

9. The Roman Consuls
Consul – chief official of the government, similar to a U.S. President
2 consuls led the government
They were responsible for enforcing laws and policies
They ruled for one year
They usually did what senate wanted them to do – the senate was really more powerful than the consuls, even though the consuls had the highest title
The senate advised consuls on foreign affairs, laws, and finances
Power was divided equally, both consuls had to agree on any decision
If one made a veto, the matter was dropped
Veto – the rejection of any planned action by a person in power
Today, Presidents veto a proposed law if he doesn’t like it
Consuls were elected by citizens
367 B.C. – plebeians were allowed to become consuls

10. Other Important Officials
A dictator was appointed to handle emergency situations when consuls disagreed constantly
Dictator – A Roman official who had the powers of a king but could only hold office for six months
Praetors – Judges in Roman trials
Helped to develop rules for courts of law

11. Why do you think the Romans wanted to limit the dictator’s term of rule to only 6 months?

12. Patricians Versus Plebeians
Patricians and plebeians had different attitudes and interests
Patricians (the rich class)
They thought of themselves as leaders
They fought to keep control of the government
They grew wealthy from Roman war conquests
With this money, they bought farms, and slaves worked for them on the farms
Plebeians (the average people)
They just wanted to be respected and treated fairly
They believed the Senate was unfair for not allowing them to take part in it
They formed groups to protect their interests
They often were out of work

13. Since they believed they were being shown disrespect, the plebeians refused to fight in the Roman army as a protest
As a result, the patricians agreed to establish the Laws of the Twelve Tables
Twelve Tables – a set of laws that applied to all citizens, no matter who they were

14. Master of the Mediterranean
The Roman armies conquered new territory
Carthage – A North African city, located in modern day Tunisia
Carthage held power in surrounding territory and Spain
Rome took over Carthage’s territory
By 146 B.C., the Romans had destroyed Carthage and conquered Greece
Eventually, Rome took control of Spain and Gaul (modern day France)

15. The Decline of the Republic
120 B.C. – The patricians and plebeians fought over land
Private armies, led by powerful Roman politicians, also fought for power, resulting in civil war
Roman republic was breaking up, but a man named Julius Caesar emerged as a strong leader

16. The Rise of Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar stepped in to rule Rome
From 58 – 51 B.C., he led the army that conquered Gaul
He helped bring new territory and many people under Roman control
He was much like Alexander the Great – he inspired loyalty from his troops with his strong leadership
In 48 B.C., Caesar made himself dictator of Roman lands
Dictators were only supposed to rule for 6 months, but in 44 B.C., Caesar proclaimed himself dictator for life
Caesar ruled with great power
He took power that had belonged to the senate for himself

17. The Death of a Dictator
Caesar slowly took all the powers of government for himself
45 B.C. – Caesar became the only consul
44 B.C. – Became dictator for life
These actions made many enemies for Caesar
March 15, 44 B.C. – Caesar was killed by a group of senators at a senate meeting
The Romans felt Caesar had taken his power too far

18. From Republic to Empire
After Caesar died, the Romans fought in civil wars, or wars against people in their own country
The civil wars lasted 13 years
After the wars were over, Caesar’s adopted son, Octavian, held power
The senate gave Octavian the title “Augustus,” meaning “highly respected”
Augustus was the first emperor of Rome
This began the Roman Empire, which was led by an all- powerful emperor, and ended the Roman Republic
The republic had lasted 500 years, and Rome had grown

19. Section 2: The Roman Empire (Full Version)

20. Two Truths and a Lie
Before we proceed to 8.2, let’s review To do this, we are going to play “Two Truths and a Lie.” Each group will use their 8.1 Guided Notes to come up with three pieces of information about the Roman Republic. Two will be true, and one will be false. The other groups will have to guess which statement is fiction.

21. Refresh Your Memory
To refresh your memory on topics from 8.1, write the correct answers to these questions on your Do Now paper.
1. Which Roman leader made himself dictator for life in 44 B.C.?
2. Who was the first emperor of Rome?
3. How many members did the Roman senate have at a time?
4. In what year was Julius Caesar assassinated?

22. Ruling an Empire
When Augustus gained power, Roman control had spread far beyond Italy

23. The Power of Augustus Augustus gained power in 27 B.C.
He did not want to be an all-powerful emperor – instead, he wanted to restore the republic
Augustus respected the senate and wanted to share power with them
He was a good ruler; he did such a good job that the Roman people wanted to make him an all-powerful emperor

24. Think and Respond
Do you find it strange that the Roman people would want Augustus to be an all-powerful ruler, instead of sharing power? Why?

25. The rule of Augustus began the Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was ruled by a powerful emperor
The senate still existed to help the emperor make decisions, but they had very little power

26. Governing Conquered Peoples
The Romans expanded their empire by conquering a large amount of land
The Romans took some slaves after conquering lands, but most people remained free
Rome divided its empire into provinces in order to organize the government
Province: an area of the empire ruled by a Roman governor and supported by an army

27. The Romans allowed conquered people to follow their own religions and way of life; they did not force them to do everything the Romans did
As long as there was peace, Roman governors did not interfere, they only supervised the people
The Roman government’s one requirement: they did want people to pay taxes
Many people adopted Roman culture anyway, such as the Latin language and Roman religion

28. The Good and Bad Emperors
Augustus died in 14 A.D.
After Augustus’ death, Rome had several bad emperors
Caligula – He believed he was a god and was cruel and unfair
Nero – He murdered his half- brother, mother, and wife
Caligula and Nero were hated by Romans so much that they removed them from the official Roman records

29. In 96 A.D., Rome entered into a period of having “good emperors”
Hadrian
He built a strong government
He made laws to protect women, children, and slaves, which extended throughout the empire
He reorganized and improved the army, making them more disciplined

30. Exit Question
As you have learned, a republic is a government in which citizens elect leaders to make laws for them. An empire is a government in which an all-powerful emperor makes all the decisions for everyone – and you can’t argue with him.
If you are facing the windows, you will write 2 pros and 2 cons of a republic. If you are facing the door, you will write 2 pros and 2 cons of an empire with an all-powerful ruler.

31. Think-Pair-Share
Now, discuss the pros and cons of your type of government with the person next to you, who wrote about the same type of government.
Now, discuss both types of government with your whole group. As a group, decide which kind of government you would like to live under, and tell us why.

32. The Greek Influence on Rome - Religion
The Romans greatly admired the Greeks
Greek religion influenced Roman religion
Both practiced polytheism – belief in more than one god
Many Roman gods were similar or the same as Greek gods
Zeus = Jupiter
Poseidon = Neptune
The Romans also told stories using heroes from Greek mythology

33. Building on Ideas
The Romans studied Greek knowledge of mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy
They also wanted to understand the world through reason
The Romans developed new concepts in architecture and engineering
The Romans studied Greek styles of art and architecture, and used them to develop their own styles

34. In what ways did the Greeks and Romans value learning?

35. Architecture and Technology – The Roman Style
Romans used the arch – a curved structure used as a support over an open space
Romans began using concrete to build
Concrete – a mix of stone, sand, cement, and water

36. The Colosseum
Colosseum – a large amphitheater built in Rome; the site of combats and contests
The Colosseum held between 50,000 and 75,000 people, depending on its setup

37. Video Guide
Please answer the following questions as you watch Engineering an Empire: Colosseum.
When did construction on the Colosseum begin?
How long did it take to complete?
How many people could the Colosseum hold?
What are the two types of games played in the Colosseum?
How long did the Colosseum stay in use?

38. Roads and Aqueducts
Roman roads were built very well and spread throughout the empire
“All roads lead to Rome”
Aqueducts – structures that carried water over long distances
Aqueducts ran through mountains and valleys
Some are still used today

39. What are some characteristics of Roman buildings?

40. Roman Law Roman law spread throughout the empire
Roman system of justice influences American system of justice – it was created by Emperor Justinian and called Justinian’s Code
People accused of crimes would have the right to face their accusers
Accused person is innocent until proven guilty

41. What were two features of Justinian’s code? Explain their meaning.

42. Section 2: The Roman Empire (Short Version)

43. Refresh Your Memory Civil war in Rome, 44 – 27 B.C.
Julius Caesar assassinated, 44 B.C. End of the Roman Republic
Octavian (Augustus) becomes emperor. Rome is now an EMPIRE (rule by a single ruler) in 27 B.C.
Civil war in Rome, 44 – 27 B.C.

44. Ruling an Empire
When Augustus gained power, Roman control had spread far beyond Italy

45. The Power of Augustus Augustus gained power in 27 B.C.
He did not want to be an all-powerful emperor – instead, he wanted to restore the republic
Augustus respected the senate and wanted to share power with them
He was a good ruler; he did such a good job that the Roman people wanted to make him an all-powerful emperor

46. Think and Respond
Rome originally hated the idea of the Etruscans having an all-powerful king that ruled over the area. They overthrew the Etruscans and began a republic, a form of “rule by the people.” Now, they were back to where they started – an all-powerful ruler (Octavian Augustus).

47. The rule of Augustus began the Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was ruled by a powerful emperor
The senate still existed to help the emperor make decisions, but they had very little power
Rome entered “Pax Romana” (Roman Peace) – an era of 200 years with little war in Rome

48. The Romans allowed conquered people to follow their own religions and way of life; they did not force them to do everything the Romans did
As long as there was peace, Roman governors did not interfere, they only supervised the people
The Roman government’s one requirement: they did want people to pay taxes
Many people adopted Roman culture anyway, such as the Latin language and Roman religion

49. The Good and Bad Emperors
Problem with having an all-powerful emperor: some were very bad rulers!
Caligula and Nero are two examples – they were so cruel that the Romans removed them from the official history of Rome!

50. Governing Conquered Peoples
After Pax Romana (around 180 C.E.), Rome continued expanding their empire
The Romans took some slaves after conquering lands, but most people remained free
Emperor Hadrian expanded as far as Britain
Rome divided its empire into provinces in order to organize the government
Province: an area of the empire ruled by a Roman governor and supported by an army

51. Architecture and Technology – The Roman Style
Romans used the arch – a curved structure used as a support over an open space
Romans began using concrete to build
Concrete – a mix of stone, sand, cement, and water

52. The Colosseum
Colosseum – a large amphitheater built in Rome; the site of combats and contests
The Colosseum held between 50,000 and 75,000 people, depending on its setup

53. Video Guide
Please answer the following questions as you watch Engineering an Empire: Colosseum.
When did construction on the Colosseum begin?
How long did it take to complete?
How many people could the Colosseum hold?
How long did the Colosseum stay in use?
How many people visit the Colosseum every year?

54. Roads and Aqueducts
Roman roads were built very well and spread throughout the empire
“All roads lead to Rome”
Aqueducts – structures that carried water over long distances
Aqueducts ran through mountains and valleys
Some are still used today