Transcript Document
THE WORLD’S HISTORY Fourth Edition Chapter 6 Rome and the Barbarians The Rise and Dismemberment of Empire The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Rome and the Barbarians • At height, 2nd century C.E., Roman Empire contained 70-100 million people in an empire reaching 2,700 miles east to west and 2,500 miles north to south • Rome enforced Pax Romana across empire • Contemporaries praised it for promoting peace and prosperity while critics claimed Pax Romana was brute military conquest The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Rome and the Barbarians • A Brief Introduction: Roman Empire #V The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. From Hill Town to Republic • The Founding of the Roman Republic – Founded in 753 B.C.E. [in legend] – Ruled for 250 years by Etrurians [Etruscans] – Republic created in 509 B.C.E. when upperclass Romans drove Etruscans out of city – New republican government had two consuls and a Senate using a system of checks and balances The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Romulus and Remus…so that happened. The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. From Hill Town to Republic • Struggle of the Orders 494–440 B.C.E. – Patrician v. plebeian – To settle the dispute, in 451 BCE the Patricians codified the law: The Law of the Twelve Tables – At first the Plebians were pleased, but later realized that they had been fooled. – Twelve tables favored rich. – Reforms came later – Tribunes. The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. From Hill Town to Republic • Roman Government: • Senate – elected legislative body – Magistrates to administer government, nominated by Senate, elected by Comitia Centuriata: 2 Consuls elected to yearly terms Dictator – 6 month emergency position The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. From Hill Town to Republic • Conquest of Italy 396–264 B.C.E. – Punic Wars Rivalry of Carthage First Punic War 264–241 B.C.E.; Roman conquest of Sicily Second Punic War 219–202 B.C.E - Hannibal (247–183 B.C.E.) Third Punic War 149–146 B.C.E.; destruction of Carthage – “The New Wisdom” – Conquests in Europe and Near East Gaul, Spain, Macedonia, Syria, Greece, Asia Minor The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. From Hill Town to Republic • Elephants Gone Wild The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Social World of the Late Republic • Social War (Assassination of Drusus) and extension of Roman citizenship to Italians • Patron/client relationship – Protection/dependence as social glue • Family – Power of paterfamilias – Position of women in Roman societysubordinate The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Social World of the Late Republic • The late Republican struggle between nobles and the poor (cont.) – Extremes of wealth and poverty in Rome – Great reform effort: the Gracchi (130s and 120s B.C.E.) New violence of Roman politics Support of poor as political strategy Noble/poor conflict paved way for end of Republic The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. • Latifundia and land redistribution The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Social World of the Late Republic • “Bread and circuses” – Gladiators – Ancient NASCAR • Slaves – Very widespread slavery – Three great slave revolts The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Military Might • A. Militarism = central to Roman ideology • Generals as politicians – Marian reform of army: recruitment of propertyless soldiers – New dependence of soldiers on their generals The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Military Might • First Triumvirate – Rise of G. Julius Caesar – Conquest of Gaul – Caesar as dictator – Caesar assassinated – Et To Brute? • Octavian - Antony civil war for sole control of Roman state The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. From Republic to Empire • Establishment of the Principate – Octavian (Augustus Caesar) as sole ruler 30 B.C.E.–14 C.E. Rule of Augustus as “golden age” – Augustus as imperator – Further conquests The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Augustus – leave some room for later! The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. From Republic to Empire • Economic life in the Empire – Exploitation of subject peoples – The problem of decadence – Flourishing of trade and administrative cities – Luxury trade and its profits The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Roman Culture • The deep influence of Greece • Virgil and the rhetoric of greatness • Stoicism The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Roman Culture • Roman religion – Greco-Roman polytheism – Addition of a cult of deified emperors Addition of mystery religions Mithraism Cybele, Isis – Tolerance of all religions that weren’t harmful to the state The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Roman Culture • Roman religion (cont.) – Triumph of Christianity Persecution Constantine and the Peace of the Church Outlawing of polytheism 394 C.E. – Edict of Milan The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Transformation of the Roman Empire • The problem of “barbarians” – Celts Arrival in Europe c. 2000 B.C.E. Expansion/threat to Mediterranean c. 400 B.C.E. on Defeats by Romans – Germans Many conflicts along long frontier Gradual settlement of Germanic tribes within western Empire The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Romans vs. Germans – Who is the barbarian? The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Transformation of the Roman Empire • The problem of “barbarians” – Steppe peoples, especially Huns Huns upset balance of borders c. 370 C.E. Move of Goths into imperial territory to escape Huns The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Transformation of the Roman Empire • Dismemberment of Empire – Plague – Third-century crisis: series of invasions – Division into eastern and western empires – Settlement of Germans within Empire as “federates” – 410 sack of Rome – 476 CE abdication of last western emperor The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Transformation of the Roman Empire • Causes for the “fall” – Military = too expensive for its economic base – No fixed system of imperial succession – Germans – Land Reform/Latifundia – Failure of Leadership – Christianity – Over-extension – Climate Change The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) • Survival of eastern empire until 1453 CE • Resurgence under Justinian I (r. 527–565 C.E.) – Justinian Code – Hagia Sophia – Reconquest of much of the West The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) • Religious Disputes (632 CE) – Monophysites – Iconoclasm • Build-up of strong Byzantine bureaucracy The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Legacy of the Roman Empire • • • • Linguistic Legal Urban Transformation of Roman administration by Christian church The World’s History, Fourth Edition Howard Spodek Copyright ©2010, ©2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.