Ancient World 7.1

Rome was originally ruled by kings, the Etruscans.

509 B.C. Romans overthrew the Etruscans and started a republic.• What is a republic?• Citizens pick leaders to rule in the name of the

people.• This is different than direct democracy because

the elected officials make decisions as opposed to citizens voting on every mater (like the Greeks) Is our government more like a republic or direct

democracy?

Two citizen classes• Patricians: Nobles who owned

large estates and where descended from the founders of the city. Were interested in staying rich and

staying in power.

• Plebeians: Ordinary peasants and craftsmen. Eventually grew frustrated that laws

were not equal. Refused to fight in the army, until

laws were made equal.

Citizens had the right to vote at assembly.• Slaves and women were not

originally citizens.

Laws of the Twelve Tables

The Senate gave advice to the Consuls. Eventually controlled Rome.

Consuls:• Always 2, had to agree on decisions.• Governed the city.• Elected for one year.• Almost always listened to the

senate.

Magistrates:• Judges.• Look after the money.• Retired to the senate.

Tribunes:• Protected ordinary people against

unfair treatment.

Believed people were innocent until proven guilty.

The system was inflexible, kept the rich aristocrats in power.• People were elected often by the

amount of bribes they gave ($).

Rich people essentially voted other rich people in.

The only way to fix the system, was to break the system.

Dispute over control of Sicily and trade routes in the western Mediterranean brought Rome

into conflict with the powerful

North African city-state of Carthage

Carthage

Carthage had been

founded as Phoenician colony 500

years earlier

Result was the three Punic Wars

264-146 BC

Mostly navy battles.• Rome is continually

defeated by the larger and more experienced Carthaginian navy.

Rome turns the tides by putting hooks on their ships, hooking the enemy ships and turning it to a land battle.• Rome was very good at

this and won the war.

Carthagian general Hannibal surprises the Romans by attacking from the North.

Defeats the Romans in many battles, but does not attack Rome.

Romans know they can’t beat Hannibal in Italy, so they travel to Carthage and battle there.

This forces Hannibal to go back to Africa, where he is defeated.

Hannibal leading his armyof elephants through Italy

Hannibal commits suicide.

Carthage looses all territory to Rome.

Some still worried that Carthage would rise again.• So Rome attacks Carthage.• Entire city’s population sold

into slavery.• Everything valuable taken to

Rome. • Everything else burned and

thrown into the sea.• City completely destroyed,

and then land sowed with salt.

Cato the ElderHannibal

Rome drawn into the affairs of the

successor kingdoms

Successor kingdom

increasingly called on

Roman aid in their incessant wars against each other

Rome always responded in

the belief that achieving a balance of

power in the east was better than having one

successor kingdom

become too powerful and

challenge Rome

Rome eventually became weary of

playing this endless refereeing role and realized

that the continued independence of

the successor kingdoms threaten

Roman interests

Took over Greece, Macedonia, some of Asia Minor, Syria, Aegean and eastern Mediterranean

islands by 133 BC

Later, the conquests of Gaius Marius, Lucius Cornelius Sulla,

Pompey Magnus, and Julius Caesar would add more

territory

Gaul, the rest of Asia Minor, Mesopotamian, Mediterranean

Middle East, Belgium

Caesar was the greatest general Rome had ever seen.

He wanted both power for himself, and power for the people.

He decided to “fix” the problems of the republic by offering “strong leadership”

Caesar brought his army to Rome battled (and beat) the Republic.

Caesar is assassinated in 44 BC, causing several years of civil war.