wh chapter 6 section 1 notes
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Chapter 6Section 1 Notes
Horatius---legendary Roman hero who supposedly single-handedly saved Rome from the invading Etruscan army
This legend helps us understand the virtues that the Romans admired
Courage, loyalty, and devotion to duty were the pillars on which the Romans would build a mighty empire
Geography and Peoples of Italy
Rome began as a small city-state in Italy that ended up ruling the entire Mediterranean world
The Italian peninsula is shaped like a boot!!! It juts into the Mediterranean Sea
The peninsula is centrally located in the Mediterranean and the city of Rome is in the center of Italy
This location helped the Romans expand first in Italy and then later into the lands around the Mediterranean
Geography and Peoples of Italy
Map of Italy
Because of its geography, Italy was much easier to unite than Greece
Unlike Greece, Italy is not broken up into small, isolated valleys
The Apennine Mountains are less rugged than the mountains of Greece
Italy has broad, fertile plains both in the north and under the shadow of the Alps and these plains helped to support a growing population
Geography and Peoples of Italy
Physical Map of Italy
The ancestors of the Romans, the Latins, migrated into Italy by about 800BC and settled along the Tiber River in small villages scattered over low-lying hills where they farmed and herded
These villages would in time grow into Rome, the city of seven hills
Geography and Peoples of Italy
The Romans shared the peninsula with Greek colonists and the Etruscans, who for a time ruled central Italy including Rome
The Romans learned a lot from the Etruscans They adapted the Etruscan alphabet Romans learned to use the arch in building
and adapted Etruscan engineering techniques to drain the marshy lands along the Tiber River
Etruscan gods and goddesses merged with Roman deities
Geography and Peoples of Italy
Tiber River
The Romans drove out their Etruscan ruler in 509BC; this date is considered to be the founding of the Roman state
The Romans set up a new government in which some officials were chosen by the people
Republic---”thing of the people” Romans thought that a republic form of
government would keep any individual from gaining too much power
The Roman Republic
In the early republic, the most powerful governing body was the senate---they made laws and served for life
Each of the 300 senate members were patricians
Patrician---member of the landholding upper class
The Roman Republic
Two consuls were elected every year by the senate
Their job was to supervise the business of government and command the armies; they were also expected to consult with the senate
They were only allowed to serve one term By limiting their time in office and making
the consuls responsible to the senate, Rome had a system of checks on the power of government
The Roman Republic
In the event of war, the senate chose a dictator, a ruler who had complete control over the government
Each Roman dictator was only allowed to rule for a period of six months
The model dictator was Cincinnatus Cincinnatus organized an army, led the
Romans to victory against the enemy, attended victory celebrations, and returned to his farmlands---all within 16 days!!!
The Roman Republic
Cincinnatus
At first, all government officials were patricians (landholding upper class)
Plebeians (farmers, merchants, artisans, and traders i.e. the bulk of the population) had little influence
The Laws of the 12 Tables helped the plebeians know what Roman laws were and they could now appeal judgments from patrician judges against them
The Roman Republic
In time, the plebeians gained the right to elect their own officials, called tribunes, to protect their interests
The tribunes could veto those laws that they felt were harmful to the plebeians
Plebeians eventually forced the senate to chose plebeians as consuls, appoint plebeians to high offices, and finally open up the senate itself to plebeians
The Roman Republic
Although the senate still dominated the Roman government, the common people gained access to power and won safeguards for their rights without having to resort to war or revolution
Connection to our history---more than 2,000 years later the framers of the U.S. Constitution would adapt such Roman ideas as the senate, the veto, and checks on political power
The Roman Republic
The basic unit of Roman society was the family
The father had absolute power of a household according to Roman law
He enforced strict discipline and demanded total respect for his authority
His wife was subject to his authority and was not allowed to administer her own affairs
Roman Society
Roman women played a larger role in society than Greek women did
Women ran businesses such as small shops or even major shipyards
Most women, though, worked at home raising their families, spinning, or weaving
Roman Society
Both girls and boys learned to read and write (including the lower classes)
By the late republic, wealthy Romans were hiring private tutors, often Greeks, to supervise the education of their children
Rhetoric was an important subject for boys who wanted to pursue political careers
Roman Society
Roman gods and goddesses resembled those of the Etruscans and Greeks
Jupiter---main Roman god ruled over all other gods (Zeus)
Juno---wife of Jupiter who protected marriage (Hera)
Neptune---god of the sea (Poseidon) Mars---god of war
Religion
Jupiter (Main Roman god)
Juno (Wife of Jupiter) protector of marriage
Neptune (god of the sea)
Mars (god of war)
The Roman calendar was full of feasts and other celebrations to honor the gods and ensure divine favor for the city
As loyal citizens, Romans joined in these festivals, which helped to inspire a sense of community
Dozens of temples with statues of the gods were located throughout Rome for Romans to worship and ask for divine assistance
Religion
Roman armies first conquered the Etruscans and then the Greek city-states in the south
By about 270 BC, Rome controlled most of the Italian peninsula
Rome’s success was due to skillful diplomacy and to its loyal, well-trained army
The basic military unit was the legion, made up of about 5,000 men
Expansion in Italy
Roman Legion
Roman armies consisted of citizen-soldiers who fought without pay and supplied their own weapons (like in Greece)
Roman citizens made good soldiers because they were brought up to value loyalty, courage, and respect for authority
To ensure success, Roman commanders mixed rewards with harsh punishments
Soldiers who showed courage in battle won praise and gifts---if a unit fled from battle, 1 out of every 10 men from the disgraced unit was put to death!!!
Expansion in Italy
Rome generally treated its defeated enemies with justice
Conquered peoples had to acknowledge Roman leadership, pay taxes, and supply soldiers for the Roman army
In return, Rome let them keep their own customs, money, and local government
Expansion in Italy
Rome gave the highly prized right of full citizenship to a few privileged groups among the conquered peoples
Others became partial citizens, who were allowed to marry Romans and carry out trade in Rome
Most conquered lands remained loyal to Rome even in bad times because of these policies
Expansion in Italy
To protect its conquests, Rome posted soldiers throughout the land
It also built a network of all-weather military roads to link distant territories to Rome
As trade and travel increased, local peoples incorporated Latin into their languages and adopted many Roman customs and beliefs (assimilation)
Italy began to slowly united under Roman rule
Expansion in Italy