Transcript Slide 1

Ancient Rome had enormous influence on the
development of Western civilization. Latin, the
language of the ancient Romans, became the basis
of French, Italian, Spanish, and the other Romance
languages. Roman law provided the foundation for
the legal systems of most of the countries in
Western Europe and Latin America. Roman roads,
bridges, and aqueducts are still modeled after
Roman architecture today.
Ancient Rome
Geography of Ancient Rome
• Italian Peninsula is
part of the European
continent.
• Island to the west of
the “toe” is called
Sicily.
• Sicily was a very
popular destination
for ancient colonists
due to its rich
farmland.
The ALPS are Europe’s highest mountain range.
The Alps separate the Italian Peninsula from the rest of
Europe
The APPENINE Mountains are the “spine” of the peninsula.
The Apennines are very high, making travel difficult and they
lack fertile soil so there is more sheep herding than
farming on the mountainsides.
• Along the west coast of central Italy is
one important plain called the Latium
Plain.
• The Tiber River runs through the center
of the Latium Plain.
Eventually, a great city called
Rome would arise on this
the plain along the Tiber River.
• As Rome developed. It expanded across 7 hills,
helping to protect the city from attack.
• The Tiber River made a good highway for travel
between the mountains and the Mediterranean
coast.
• Important crops were: wheat, beans, cabbage,
lettuce, figs and other fruits
•The most important were the
grapes they raised for the
wine they made. Grapevines
grow best in rocky soil, and
Italy had plenty of that. Wine
became one of the
peninsula’s most valued
trade good.
Romulus and Remus – Legend 1
• The origins of Rome are steeped in myth
and legend. Many ancient Romans believed
twin boys named Romulus and Remus
founded the city. A king feared the twins
would rob him of his throne, so he tossed
them into the frigid Tiber River. Soon after,
the brothers were rescued by a she-wolf
who nursed them back to health.
• Romulus and Remus decided to establish a
city on the Tiber River, but the brothers
could not agree on a location. Signs from
the heavens decreed that each brother
would build a city, but Romulus’ city would
be much larger. Romulus completed his city
on April 21, 753BC. Remus was upset that
Romulus had built his city, so he climbed
over the wall. The enraged Romulus killed
his brother with an ax. The city came to be
known as Rome, named for its legendary
founder.
Romulus and Remus – Legend 2
Rhea was married to Mars, the Roman god of war.
Rhea had twin sons. She loved her boys, but
there were plots afoot by other gods and
goddesses to harm her father, herself, her
husband, and her children. To protect the boys,
she set them adrift on the river, hoping someone
would find them. Who would not love such
beautiful boys?
Sure enough, first they were found by a she-wolf
who fed them. Then a shepherd and his wife
adopted the boys.
As the twins grew older, they decided they did not
want to take care of sheep. They wanted to be
kings. They decided to build a city on the shores
of the Tiber. They both wanted to be the only king.
They quarreled. In a fit of rage, Romulus picked
up a rock, killed his brother, and made himself
king.
A NEW GOVERNMENT
• After the plebians protested that the
patricians had too much power, both sides
agreed to work together to improve Rome’s
government. The new government was
called a republic.
• What is a republic?
The Roman Republic (509 B.C. – 27 B.C.)
• 509 B.C., Romans rejected Etruscan king
(monarchy) and established a republic.
– Power rests with the citizens who have the right
to vote for their leaders.
– In Rome, citizenship with voting rights was
granted only to free-born male citizens.
The Roman Republic
•
Society was divided into 2 parts
1.Those who were citizens
2.Those who were NOT
(Women and Slaves)
•
Citizens were divided into 2 groups
1. Patricians (2-4%)
2. Plebeians (96-98%)
The Roman Republic (509 B.C. – 27 B.C.)
STRUGGLE FOR POWER: CLASS CONFLICT
• Patricians- wealthy landowners who held
most of the power: inherited power and
social status
• Plebeians- (Plebs) common farmers,
artisans and merchants who made up the
majority of the population: can vote, but
can’t rule
• Tribunes- elected representatives who
protect plebeians’ political rights.
• The Roman Republic had 3 branches of
government
• The oldest and most powerful branch is
the Senate controlled by the patricians
• The Plebians formed the citizens assembly
who elected tribunes, they worked to gain
rights for the plebians of Rome.
• The third branch of government was the
consuls. The consuls were elected by the
citizens assembly. They were the city’s
most powerful judges.
A “Balanced” Government
• Rome elects two consuls– one to lead army,
one to direct government
• Senate- chosen from patricians (Roman upper
class), make foreign and domestic policy
• Popular assemblies elect tribunes, make laws
for plebeians (commoners)
• Dictators- leaders appointed briefly in times of
crisis (appt. by consuls and senate)
Twelve Tables
• Since the plebians protested the unfairness of
Rome’s unwritten laws, the patricians agreed to
write a collection of laws on twelve wooden
tablets, or tables. These became known as the
Twelve tables.
THE TWELVE TABLES
• 451 B.C., officials carve Roman laws on
twelve tablets and hung in Forum.
• Laws confirm right of all free citizens to
protection of the law
• Become the basis for later Roman law
The Forum was a clearing in Rome that was
the center of life-shopping, debate, & trials.
The Roman Army
• All citizens were required
to serve
• Army was powerful:
– Organization & fighting skill
• Legion- military unit of
5,000 infantry (foot
soldiers) supported by
cavalry (horseback)
Rome Spreads its Power
• Romans defeat
Etruscans in north
and Greek citystates in south
• Treatment of
Conquered:
– Forge alliances
– Offer citizenship
• By 265 B.C., Rome
controls Italian
peninsula
Punic Wars (264-146 B.C.)
• Three Wars between
Rome and Carthage
• 1st Punic War- Rome
gains control of Sicily &
western Mediterranean
Sea.
Punic Wars (264-146 B.C.)
• 2nd Punic WarCarthaginian General
Hannibal’s “surprise”
attack through Spain &
France
– 60,000 soldiers and 60
elephants
– Romans experience severe
losses, but eventually fought
off attacks & invade North
Africa
Hannibal's troops
crossing the Alps
on their way to
attack northern
Italy.
Hannibal's troops
crossing the Rhone
River on their way
to attack northern
Italy.
Punic Wars (264-146 B.C.)
• 3rd Punic War- Rome
seizes Carthage
– Scipio- Roman Strategist
– Conquered people sold into
slavery
Roman Legacies
Government
-Republic
Architecture
- great skill
- engineers and architects
- roads, cities
- Concrete
- Arch
- Aqueduct
Roman Arch
Roman Aqueduct
The Greek word for water was “aqua”
Roman Roads
“All roads led to Rome”
According to the Roman system, a gilded
pillar was placed by the Emperor Augustus in
the Forum Romanum to mark the beginning
point of the vast network of Roads that
extended out throughout the whole Empire.
Milestones were to mark every mile from the
Eternal City.
Roman
Milestone Marker
The Roman road system spanned 52,819 miles and
contained about 372 links.
The Romans became adept at constructing roads
which they called viae, for military, commercial, and
political reasons,. They were always intended
primarily as carriage roads, the means of carrying
material from one location to another. These long
highways were very important in maintaining both
the stability and expansion of the empire.
Cut away view of a Roman Road
Flavian Amphitheatre (Coliseum)
The Roman Forum
Roman Pantheon
Religion
In Ancient Rome religion was very important to the
people. As part of their daily routine they would honor
their gods and goddesses, sometimes with offerings
or sacrifices.
There were public temples to gods and goddesses all
over the Roman Empire and every home had a shrine
or room dedicated to the gods.
Christianity was first followed mostly by slaves and
the poor in Ancient Rome
Believers in Christ, were persecuted because they
refused to acknowledge any other God than their own.
Christians were persecuted until the time of the
Emperor Constantine, in the 4th Century, who himself
converted to Christianity.
Christianity
• Jesus of Nazareth
– teacher, prophet, revolutionary
– the Jesus Movement
• Paul of Tarsus
– cultural mixture: Jewish and Greek
– founder of Christianity
• the poor, women, children, slaves
• no success among men, the educated, etc.
• disappearance of Jewish followers: 70 A.D.
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