Transcript Political Influences

U2LG2 –
Classical Civilizations: ROME
Learning Obj. 2: Describe the major political, religious/philosophical and cultural
influences of classical Greece and Rome. (3A, 19B, 21B,22B, 25B)
What is my goal?
How am I going to achieve this goal?
Political Influences
• Politically began as a republic in 509BC
• War and conquest led to huge territorial gains, first in North
Africa and the Mediterranean region and eventually into
northern Europe
• Growth in power of the military generals created political
power struggles and fall of the republic
• Republican rule was replaced by imperial rule with the victory
of Octavian over Mark Antony
Political Influences (Continued)
• Imperial Rome still maintained some political institutions from
republican rule, such as the Senate but real power was in the
emperor and a growing bureaucracy
• Under imperial rule Rome thrived economically and an
aristocratic class of large landed estate owners developed
• During the 2nd century a period of peace and prosperity – Pax
Romana resulted from strong rule
• Ideas of branches of government, republican and imperial
forms of government
451 B.C. Officials
begin writing the
Twelve Tables
4. What is the significance of
the Twelve Tables
in Roman law? Became
basis for all future Roman laws
and established the principle
that all citizens had a right to
protection under the law !
“Twelve Tables” -the earliest law code, drawn from
religious and secular custom.
It was published on tablets of bronze or wood and
placed in the Roman
forum – the marketplace, or main public center of
any Roman town.
Religious/ Philosophical Influences
• Religious/ Philosophical Influences
• Christianity developed in the eastern edge of the empire
originally as a Jewish sect
• Christianity adopted as official state religion in 313 AD by the
Edict of Milan after years of persecution of Christians
• Christianity remained the major political, intellectual and
cultural force in the region even after collapse of the empire
Cultural Influences
• Adopted Greek Hellenistic philosophy, literature, scientific
ideas
• Master builders –roads, aqueducts, fortifications, cities
• Military power
• Latin language
Classical Rome
• Distinctive division between citizens and noncitizens, those
with no civil rights
• Only male of the patrician (aristocratic class) could hold
political office
• Both patricians and plebeians (less wealthy class) could vote
• Plebeians served in the Roman army
How did the rule of law begin in
ancient times?
Classical Rome
Rome flourished because it strongly supported the “rule of law.”
Government officials were not above the law, nor could they act
outside the law. The Roman Republic issued the Twelve Tables to
protect the plebeians. These laws were placed in public meeting
placed and covered civil, criminal, and religious law and provided
a foundation for later Roman law codes. Under these laws, all
citizens were subject to the same rules and laws.
• Roman legal concepts such as, right to a "trial by a jury of your
peers", idea of “innocent until proven guilty" and a right to
“equality before the law" are reflected in later Western civilization
legal documents and traditions such as the Magna Carta, English Bill
of Rights and US Constitution.
•
•
•
•
Classical Rome
Origin
Idea that the earth revolved around the sun
advances in engineering, aqueducts (which carried water in to
the cities), roads, monumental buildings
• Diffusion
• Writings were preserved by the Muslims and restored to
European civilization with the Renaissance
Constantine- the 1st
Christian Emperor
• After his death, the apostles Peter and Paul traveled the Roman
empire spreading his teaching.
• Constantine- “under
This sign, you will
conquer”- 1st Roman emperor
313- Edict of Milan- tolerance of Christianity