Transcript Rome: Republic

Rome: Republic
SSWH3: THE STUDENT WILL EXAMINE THE POLITICAL,
PHILOSOPHICAL, AND CULTURAL INTERACTION OF
CLASSICAL MEDITERRANEAN SOCIETIES FROM 700BCE
TO 400 CE
A. COMPARE THE ORIGINS AND STRUCTURE OF THE
GREEK POLIS, THE ROMAN REPUBLIC, AND THE
ROMAN EMPIRE
C. ANALYZE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF HELLENISTIC AND
ROMAN CULTURE; INCLUDE LAW, GENDER, AND
SCIENCE
Rome Geography
 Italy
 Tiber River
The Alps
Mediterranean
Early Republic
 Latin & Etruscan
immigrants est. Rome in
1000 BCE
 Initially kings ruled
 Built Forum

Open air; center of public life
(gov’t, law, business)
 Citizens drive out last king
 Declare gov’t a democratic
republic
 Citizens vote for leaders
 Citizens were free-born men
Social Classes in Rome
 Patricians
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
Wealthy
Owned land
Made laws
 Plebeians

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Artisans, farmers,
commoners/everybody
else (majority)
Could vote
Could not hold office
Rebellion & Government Changes
 Plebeians rebel
 Patricians give them more power
Plebeian Accomplishments:
 Tribune – elected representative
who protect the rights of
plebeians from unfair patrician
officials
 Twelve Tables – written law
code (all free citizens had a right
to the protection of the law)
Government
 Consul – 2
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Rule army, directed gov’t
1 year term, veto power
 Senate – 300
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Legislative (made laws)
 Assemblies – Lots
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Voice of people
 Dictator – 1
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Absolute power
Consuls choose
6 month term during
times of crisis
Rise & Fall of the
Roman Empire
SSWH3 THE STUDENT WILL EXAMINE THE POLITICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL,
AND CULTURAL INTERACTION OF CLASSICAL MEDITERRANEAN SOCIETIES
FROM 700 BCE TO 400 CE.
A. COMPARE THE ORIGINS AND STRUCTURE OF THE GREEK POLIS, THE
ROMAN REPUBLIC, AND THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
B. IDENTIFY THE IDEAS AND IMPACT OF IMPORTANT INDIVIDUALS;
INCLUDE SOCRATES, PLATO, AND ARISTOTLE AND DESCRIBE THE
DIFFUSION OF GREEK CULTURE BY ARISTOTLE’S PUPIL ALEXANDER THE
GREAT AND THE IMPACT OF JULIUS AND AUGUSTUS CAESAR.
E. ANALYZE THE FACTORS THAT LED TO THE COLLAPSE OF THE WESTERN
ROMAN EMPIRE.
Collapse of the Republic
Why does the republic collapse?

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Large size of territory
Economic Turmoil
Gap between rich & poor
 Rich land owners lived on estates &
used slave labor
 Small farmers couldn’t compete 
sell land  homeless

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Military Upheaval
Generals take power & pay poor to
work as soldiers
 Soldiers loyal to generals instead of
Republic
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Julius Caesar
 Military genius
 Consul for 1 year
 Conquers Gaul (France)
 People & troops love him
 Pompey (political rival) jealous
 Caesar marches to Rome w/ his
army
 Pompey flees & is later defeated
 44 B.C.E. declares himself
dictator for life
Caesar’s Reforms
 Expanded Senate
 Increased pay for soldiers
 Started colonies
 Created jobs
 Citizenship
Photo: Brutus &
Cassius plot
Caesar’s
assassination in the
Roman Forum
After Julius Caesar’s Death…
 Civil war breaks out
 Triumvirate (rule of three):
 Octavian (Caesar’s grandson)
 Mark Antony (general)
 Lepidus (politician)
 Triumvirate fight with each other for power: Octavian
is victorious
Octavian & Empire
 Becomes “Augustus” – exalted one;
Rome’s first emperor
 27 B.C.E. – 180 C.E. “Pax Romana” =
Roman peace
 Set up a civil service –
paid workers to manage
gov’t affairs
“Pax Romana” Ends
 180 C.E. after Marcus
Aurelius
 Rulers cannot handle
Empire’s size
Century of Crisis
 Foreign invasion  trade
affected  inflation (rising
prices)
 Soil over-farmed  famine
 Military not loyal
Mercenaries (foreign
soldiers who were paid) 
no loyalty to Rome
Emperors Try Reform
Diocletian 248 C.E.
 Limits freedom
 Doubles military
 Controls inflation
 Divides the Empire:
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East – spoke Greek
West – spoke Latin
 Constantine 330 C.E.
 Moves capital to Byzantine
(East)
 Names capital after self –
Constantinople
 Ends persecution of
Christians in empire
Eastern & Western Roman Empire
West Collapses
Why?
 Invasions:
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Huns invade Germanic
homelands
Germanic tribes move
south
Sack and overtake
Rome
Last Roman emperor
ousted by the
Germanic tribes in 476
A.D.
Eastern Empire Survives
 Byzantine
(Byzantium)
 Preserves
Greek/Roman culture
 Lasts until 1453 when
Ottoman Turks take
over
The Spread of Christianity