I. Structure of the Early Roman Republic• Government/family life/social and class structure

II. Roman Representative Government• After 509 BC – Government & Law

III.Building the Empire: Military ConquestsIV.How Rome was Built

• Technology/Engineering/Architecture• Contributions of the Emperors

V. Slavery in RomeVI.The Rise of Rome as an EmpireVII. The Caesars and the Eventual Decline of the

EmpireVIII. Rise of Christianity

Mountains and plains• Grains and crops grown on plains

Rome• 15 miles inland at base of 7 hills of the Apennine mountain

range• Hills provided good defense against attack• Inland = protection from sea-based attack or invasion• Natural crossing point for North/South traffic• Caught East/West trade from Mediterranean

Mare Nostrum = “our sea” = Roman view of the Mediterranean Sea

509 BCE Romans gained control from Etruscans Roman Republic formed

Two sons of Mars and local woman Abandoned and raised by she-wolf Romulus killed Remus Settled on banks of Tiber River and

seven hills Rome named for Romulus Legend says he chose 100 men to

advise him (precursor to Roman Republic)

Roman Republic founded 509 BCE – representational democracy (compared to Athenian Greek direct democracy)

• Elected representatives made laws and decisions, rather than all (male) citizens

Roman Senate• Aristocratic council - approved ruler, advisory council• Elected two consuls who administered the state for one-year

terms

Curiate Assembly (Centuriate Assembly)• All male citizens• Summoned to ratify ruler’s decrees• Voted in groups (like House of Representatives)• Voted on ruler and granted “imperium” (right to command)

Men = head/ruler Supervised daily religious rites of worshipping

ancestors Could execute children or sell them into slavery Less authority over wife (protected by family of

birth) Wife was administrator of household

2 forms of marriage

• transfer of “manus” (protection) from father to husband OR

• father retained “manus” (protection)

Conflict between two major classes

Patricians• Hereditary upper class• Wealthy landowners• Served as priests• Could sit on Senate and hold office • Led military units

Plebeians• Hereditary lower class (not necessarily poor)

2 Consuls – had Imperium (the right to command)• Led armies and oversaw state religion/judges• Office term = 1 year• Consuls could appoint Dictator in times of War (6 month

term)

Censors• Responsible for enrolling and keeping track of citizens• Had right to impeach consuls for bad behavior

Roman Senate• Prominent patricians (leaders of their class)• Controlled state finances and foreign policy

Centuriate Assembly (from the old Curiate Assembly)

Military assembly Elected consuls and magistrates Voted on bills from Senate Made decisions of war and peace Served as court of appeals for citizens Voted in centuries (groups of 100) Each man brought his own equipment – grouped by classes and

wealth

Fight for political, legal and social equality between Patricians and Plebeians

• Lasted over 200 years• Plebeians made up large part of military (led “strikes”)

1. Plebeians won the right to form political organizations of their own (Plebian trial assembly)

2. Elected Tribunes (officials with power to protect plebeians from abuse by patrician magistrate)

The Tribunes could VETO any action of a magistrate or any bill in a Roman assembly or Senate

Plebeians forced patricians to expand and include them in Republic and law

Rome’s laws were Codified (written down) – 450 BCE Twelve Tables

Equality under the law – 287 BCE – secured passage of a law that made the decision of the Plebeian assembly binding on ALL Romans

By 287 BCE, all Roman citizens were equal under the law and could “strive for political office”

Raised importance and status of Roman citizenship – “Civis Romanus Sum” – “I am a Roman citizen” – all male adults

1. Read the Tables

2. Choose 2 laws that interest you.

3. Do you think those laws are fair or just? – Briefly explain on sheet

4. Break up into groups of 2 or 3 and discuss each of your laws – fair or just?

What do they tell us about the Roman Republic?

Why was it progress for plebeians for the laws to be written down (codified)?

1. Conquest of Italy

2. Punic Wars and Western Mediterranean

3. Hellenistic Kingdom and Eastern Mediterranean

509 BCE – As Republic formed, Rome began to “pay” men for military service (helped poor and improved army)

387 BCE – Gallic InvasionBurned the city of Rome – Rome paid a ransom to get city back

340 BCE – Rome defeated the Latin League and began to expand1. not all conquered treated the same2. some given full citizenship3. some given municipal privileges (internal self-government, right to intermarry, but could not take part in Roman politics unless moved to Rome and applied for citizenship)4. all allies supplied troops for Roman army (did not pay taxes)5. planted colonies of veteran soldiers on annexed land6. If the citizens of a conquered nation cooperated, Rome made them a Province of Rome with all the rights of a Roman Citizen

Rome used Diplomacy and Force to separate enemies

280 BCE – Etruscans and Gauls – Rome was victorious

Rome turned to southern Italy Most of the territory held by Greeks War with Greek mercenary Pyrrhus, King of Epirus

• Pyrrhus defeated Rome 2 times, but suffered great casualties as a result

• PYRRHIC Victory (one not worth the cost) – withdrew and Greeks had to join Roman Confederation

• The Defeat of Pyrrhus won Rome recognition as a power in the Hellenistic (Greek) World

By 265 BCE Rome ruled southern Italy

Carthage – largest and richest country in Mediterranean

Conflict between Rome and Carthage known as PUNIC Wars:

First Punic War (264-241 BCE)• Target = Sicily• Became First Roman Province

Second Punic War (218-202 BCE)• Hannibal on the offensive – took battle to Roman backyard• Alps and the Elephants into Gaul/France – WON• Rome went to Hannibal's house … Spain• Peace treaty signed in 202 BCE• Spain became Second Roman Province

Map of Punic Wars

Rome vs.Carthage

Macedonian Conflicts• Phillip V of Macedonia and Rome at Thessaly• Romans helped Greek city-states to gain freedom from

Macedonia• 179 BCE Rome and the 3rd Macedonian War• Macedonia is divided into 4 parts – harsh Roman policy

Third Punic War (146 BCE)• Results over broken peace treaty• Romans defeated Carthage and it became 3rd Roman

Province

133 BCE Rome took Pergamum (coast of Asia Minor)

Accomplishments in Engineering and Architecture – many still visible today

Romans inherited Etruscan accomplishments – water movement, road building (Sacred Way) and wall building

Republican public spaces Each Roman Emperor wanted to add

something spectacular to Rome … some to build the city … others to build the empire

Rome Reborn – link to virtual tour of Ancient Rome

Sewer System

The Forum (ancient Rome’s “downtown” district)

Via Appia (Roman Way) – 312 BCE – 132 miles long (Video)

By time of Julius Ceasar (49-44 BCE) Rome controlled Western Europe and Eastern Africa … the road system was enormous and efficient

Theaters and amphitheaters – by 31 CE – London, Bonn, Paris

Roman Road System in Italy

© Jon Arnold Images (Walter Bibikow)/Alamy

Roman Road System in Italy

Under Emperor Claudius (41-54 CE)• Conquered Britannia• Built 2 major aqueduct systems (aqua Claudia)• Perfected the Arch• fountains/baths• Running water in wealthy homes

Under Vespasian 69-79 CE (former commander of Judea)• Coliseum• Financed by relics from Jewish Temple in Jerusalem• Built by 12,000 Jewish captives/slaves

Roman Bath at Bath, England

Modern bath built on Roman foundation

Aqueduct, Segovia, Spain – Still in use today

Roman Coliseum

Hadrian’s Walls of Britain – 117-138 CE – consolidated Romanpower in Britain, controlled movement

Trajan’s Marketplace (New Forum) – built by Emperor Trajan – 98-117 CE panoramic view

Also under Hadrian - Pantheon

Article on tours of Rome’s underground cellars Article on ancient Roman underground tunnel

in Syria Online tour of the Basilica of St. Clemente

with underground temple & early church Video on Coliseum & Basilica w/ Temple to

Mithras Article on pagan tomb under Vatican Video on ruins under Basilica St. Mary Major Underground ruins of Emperor Nero’s Golden

House palace Video 1; Video 2; Video 3

The Roman Empire and Emperors

Online article’s main points?:• Civil War – disagreements – • Class conflict – rising inequality, particularly

among farmers and urban poor• Individual conflicts – power hungry individuals• Relationship between people and rulers • Corruption – people doubted Senate’s power• Military/generals• Loyalty to generals or leaders • Rising faith in military or violent solutions

What effect did expanding empire have on the Roman Republic?• Conquering of new lands and peoples• Roman citizenship not granted to all conquered men

– had to earn it – exclusive• Creation of Roman provinces – not equal members of

empire – resentment • Expanded institution of slavery – great # of

conquered peoples became slaves• Increase in inequality• Threat of provincial and slave revolts

Slaves came from POWs and purchase Allowed to marry – but children became slaves

(permanent status) Domestic slaves allowed to earn $$ Transformed ethnic composition of population Many worked on latifundia (agricultural system) Slave Rebellions

• most famous … Spartacus – Gladiator• 70,000 fugitive slaves from Italian countryside• repeatedly defeated Roman Legions• Finally caught Spartacus – crucified him and 6,000

men Read more info on Roman slavery

Problems of expanding power – also expanding rights?

New wealth from conquered lands – tax monies New provinces – who would control them? New social classes in Rome• Disparity of wealth – growth in inequality• Wealthy landowners• New wage working class in cities (former farmers)• Social and economic inequality = conflict Military commanders gained more power by

appealing to poor – raised possibility of dictatorship

Tiberius Gracchus (133 BCE)• Proposed land reform – appealed for popular support• Wealthy senators would be hurt• Some worried about precedent of interfering with

property rights• Feared political gains – people would like the “drafter” of

this new law Took proposals directly to assembly – if assembly

could pass laws after they had been opposed by the Senate and vetoed by a Tribune, Rome would no longer be an oligarchic republic but a real democracy

Eventually Tiberius was murdered Link to BBC site - Rome’s pivotal Emperors

Growing conflict and violence – over power and inequality

Gaius Gracchus (123 BCE)• Brother of Tiberius• made alliances among voters• revived land distribution efforts• managed to stabilize price of grain

He was also murdered …

Gaius’ death taught the population that they would have to resort to violence to oppose the Senate

Marius (109 BCE)• Military General persuaded Rome to make changes in

recruitment – larger armies in fields• Convinced assembly to drop property qualifications

for military (paved way for citizen army)• Semi-professional army (clients) of Marius (loyal to

him) • Used army as a political tool

Sulla – military general – became dictator• General who led Rome in Italian civil war• Gained consulship and command of war against Asia• Turned his army on Rome• Wanted to restore traditional senate in government• Led to Civil War that destroyed Republic• Redistributed land

End of Republic – military dictators ignored elected bodies and Senate

Three Caesars came to power … First Triumvirate: Pompey, Crassus, and Julius Caesar

1st Triumvirate (able to control republic)

Power-sharing:

59 BCE Caesar = consulship50 BCE Pompey = consulship

Caesar Rebelled, defeated Pompey in battle, had him killed in Egypt

Julius Ceasar

Pompey

Crassus

47 BCE Caesar proclaimed himself DICTATOR

Appointed by Senate for 10 years; he extended it to LIFE• Increased size of Senate• Reformed Calendar (365 days to match Egyptian)• Held tightly to power• Combined military genius, political acumen, and

oratorical skills

HBO, “Rome,” Caesar Given Power by the Senate HBO, “Rome,” Gaius Julius Caesar Clips

44 BCE Caesar assassinated in the Roman Senate and civil war ensued

HBO, “Rome,” Assassination of Caesar

Conspirators defeated by Marcus Antonius, Lepidus, and Caesar’s nephew Octavian

Octavian defeated other 2 conspirators – came to power after struggle and battles

Octavian was sole Emperor by 27 BCE

Made himself 1st Roman Emperor• Senate proclaimed him “Augustus” – Revered One• Senate gave him Imperium• He assumed many roles of Republic – tried to keep image of Republic alive, while, in reality, he made most

decisions

• Created great army• New system of government (deputies to rule provinces)• Stabilized frontiers and economic expansion• Came against Germanic tribes of North – defeated

Augustus’s Absolute Rule:• Confiscation of Egypt’s treasury, so A had plenty of $$$$$$• Constitution – inaugurated Pax Romana (Roman Peace)• Monarchy (all civil and military power lay with ruler)• Blocked ambitious politicians• Founded the 1st Fire Department and Police Force• Organized Grain distribution and set up water systems (Vast

Public Works projects)• Resigned most offices except governorship of Spain, Gaul

and Syria (contained 20/26 legions)

Senate saw this as restoration of Republic …

Julio – Claudian Dynasty 14 – 68 CE

What would happen after Augustus died? He had created personal rule, not

institutional legacy Military loyal to him, not Republic Military had power to overthrow any new

ruler or Republic Empire too large – invaders Contact with other cultures –

monotheism threatened Roman polytheism and values

What happened to Roman Empire?• Division into 2 halves – western and eastern• Fall of Western Roman Empire

Germanic peoples• Migration, conquests

Development of Christianity• Beliefs• Divisions• Conflicts• Achievements

“Story of God” video link

Roman presence in Canaan since 63 BCE

Christianity in Roman Empire – link to BBC website on the Spread of Christianity and Rome.

Began as Jewish Sect around 30 CE

The Apostle Paul and others spread Gospel (Good News) about Jesus in the Mediterranean world

Christ (Christos) translates to “anointed one”

Spread of Christianity map

Relationship changed over time

From ignored small cult, to persecution, to acceptance, to institution of Christianity as imperial religion

Roman polytheism open to new gods, rituals, and cults – groundwork for acceptance