Ancient Rome - Fort Bend ISD
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Transcript Ancient Rome - Fort Bend ISD
Ancient
Rome
Geography
First
“the
boot” in the
Mediterranean Sea
Rome
is in the
center of the
peninsula
Compared to Greece
Not
broken up into small
isolated valleys
Apennine Mountains not as
rugged as Greek
mountains
More fertile land on
which to farm
Early
People
In
Latins
Rome by 800’s BC
Settled along the
Tiber River
Herders
and farmers
Greeks
Greek
colonists
were settled along
the southern
coastline
Etruscans
Lived
north of Rome
At one time controlled
most of central Italy
(including Rome itself)
Brought
alphabet to Rome
from Greeks! Example of…
The
Roman
Republic
509 BC
Etruscan
ruler driven
out of Rome
Marks the
beginning of the
Roman Republic
New government is a Republic
Some
officials chosen by the
people
Literally means “thing of the
people”
Thought it would keep any
one person/group from
gaining too much power
Roman Society
Patricians
– Landholding upper class
– Held most power in the government
Plebeians
– Merchants, artisans, farmers – middle
and lower middle class
– Held no power initially, will gain power
as Republic grows
Government Organization
Senate
–Patricians
–Had 300 members
–Served for life
–Made the laws
Government Organization
Assembly
of Tribes
–Plebeians
–Looked out for rights
of plebeians
–Chose Ten Tribunes
Tribunes
Tribunes
could veto laws passed
by the Senate
Enough pressure on patricians to
gain access to the consul; hold
high offices and finally open
Senate itself to plebeians.
Consuls
Served
one year term
Chosen by Senate
expected to consult with Senate
Job was to supervise the
business of government and
command the armies
Could serve only one term –
WHY?
By
limiting time and
making them
responsible to Senate,
Rome establishes
system of checks on
government power
Veto – Consuls could
veto each other
Exceptions
During
war Senate
could choose a
dictator
But only for 6 months
and then he had to
give up power
Twelve Tables – 450 B.C.
Plebeians
force writing of 12
Tables
Displayed in the Forum (central
market place)
Made it possible for plebeians
to appeal judgment from
patrician judges
Lesson learned?
No
bloodshed; no
revolution; no deaths
to protect interests of
plebeians...........just
pressure!
Society
during the
Roman
Republic
Family
Patriarchical
with absolute
power
Enforced strict discipline and
total respect
Ideal Roman women was
loving, dutiful, dignified and
strong
Role of Women Changes
In
later Roman times she could own
and operate a business
Earned respect by paying for public
festivals or supporting the arts
Most still worked at home and took
care of the family
Some did become very important
and influential in Roman politics
Roman
Education
Girls
and boys learned
to read and write (even
lower class)
Wealthy families hired
tutors from Greece to
oversee the education of
their children (rhetoric
still important)
Roman
Religion
Polytheistic
Main
god is Jupiter
His wife is Juno who
protected marriage
Neptune god of the
sea
Mars god of war
Time to
Expand
By 270 BC
Rome
conquers
Etruscans and
Greeks and controls
most of the Italian
Peninsula
Roman Army
Skillful
and loyal
Basic military unit was a
legion of about 5,000
men
Fought without pay and
provided own weapons
Military leaders
Ensured
success by mixing
harsh punishment with
rewards
Soldiers show courage =
public praise
Soldiers show weakness = 1
of every 10 were put to death
Conquered Lands
Treated
with justice
Had to acknowledge
Roman leadership, pay
taxes and supply soldiers
In return they could keep
customs, money and local
government
A
chosen few
received full Roman
citizenship
Others received
partial citizenship
Also offered protection
Posted
soldiers in
conquered areas
Intricate system of roads
all of which lead to Rome.
Italy begins to unite under
one Roman rule.
Result.....
Most
conquered
people remained
loyal even in
troubled times.
ROMAN EXPANSION
(264
B.C. - 146 B.C.)
Rome fought three
conflicts:
THE PUNIC WARS
against Carthage.
The goal was to control
the western Mediterranean
Sea
st
1
Punic War
battle
over the
Strait of
Messina… Rome
won (hand to
hand combat)
Results
Won Sicily,
Corsica, and
Sardinia
nd
2
Punic War(218 BC)
Hannibal
(from
Carthage)
provoked new
battle
Used
elephants on long
march from north across
Pyrenees, through France
and over the Alps into Italy
Surprise to Italians
15 years of battle
Never captured Rome
itself!
Tactical Mistake.....Why?
Italy
attacks
Carthage
Hannibal must
hurry home to help
Romans defeat
Hannibal
Results
Carthage
gives
up all lands
except those in
Africa
rd
Punic
War
3
(Carthage’s
power rising)
Rome
destroyed
them!
Results
...sold
women/children
into slavery &
salted their fields
Rome now imperialist—
Committed
to
establishing
control over
foreign lands or
people
In Eastern Mediterranean
Rome
conquers Macedonia,
Greece and parts of Asia
Minor
They become provinces—
land under Roman rule
Control Med. Sea – “our sea”
Results of Imperialism
Incredible
riches
New class of Roman
wealthy that bought up
huge estates—
latifundia and forced
conquered people into
slavery
Forced
the small farmer
out of business
Farmers move to the
city for work
NO WORK!
Gap b/t rich and poor
broadens
Also
increased
corruption
Greed and selfinterest replace
simplicity, hard
work and devotion
to duty
Entertainment for the Poor
Bread
and Circuses
Free grain to the poor
Circuses – Entertainment –
Gladiators, Chariot Races
Attempts to Reform
Patrician
Tiberius
Gracchus (133 BC)
encouraged the state
to distribute land to
poor farmers
Patrician
Gaius
Gracchus (123 BC)
sought wider range
of reforms including
the use of public
funds to buy grain
to feed the poor.
Results?
Angered
Senate saw
Gracchus brothers as a
threat and in massive
street violence set off by
the Senate and their hired
thugs the brothers were
killed.
Rome
plunged into Civil
War
At issue was who
should rule?
1. The senate which had
governed in the past.
2. Popular political figures
who wanted to weaken the
senate and enact reforms.
So now.......
Slave
rebellions
(Spartacus 73-71BC)
Revolts
among
Roman allies
Meanwhile
The
old legions of citizensoldiers became professional
armies whose first loyalty was
to their commander (loyalty lies
where the money lies)
Rival generals march to Rome to
advance their ambitions.
The Rise
of Julius
Caesar
Ambitious
military
commander
Worked closely
with Pompey for a
while
59 BC
Set
out with his army to
make new conquests
After nine years of
fighting conquered Gaul
(present day France)
Fearful
of Caesar’s
popularity, Pompey
convinced the
Senate to order
Caesar’s army
disbanded and that
he return to Rome
Caesar
defies the
order and secretly led
his army across the
Rubicon River into
northern Italy and
then toward Rome
More Civil War
Caesar
CRUSHES
Pompey and suppresses
other rebellions in the
region
“Veni, vidi, vici”—”I
came, I saw, I
conquered
Caesar
forces the
Senate to make him
dictator
Kept the senate and
other democratic
features, but in reality
he had absolute
power.
Caesar’s Reforms
Public
works programs to employ
the jobless
Gave public land to the poor
Granted citizenship to more
people in the provinces
Julian calendar—used in western
Europe for over 1,600 years and
with minor adjustments the one
we use today
Caesar is Assassinated!
March
15, 44 BC (Ides of
March) because his enemies
thought he would make
himself king.
Who were his enemies? Why?
Claimed it was to save the
Republic
But the result was....
More
civil war
Marc Antony (Caesar’s
chief general) and
Octavian (Caesar’s
grand-nephew) join
forces to hunt down
murderers
But
they become bitter
rivals and Octavian defeats
Marc Antony and Cleopatra
(in Egypt at the Battle of
Actium) to become new
leader in Rome.
Marc Antony and Cleopatra
commit suicide in
Alexandria
The Rise of the
Roman Empire
Octavian’s Rule
Senate
gives him title of
Augustus
Exercised absolute
power
Ruled from 31BC to
14AD
Changes in government
1. Civil service created to
enforce laws (Senate
remains but has limited
power)
Talented men could work in
government under new
system regardless of social
status
2. Renewed
alliances with
provinces by
allowing them a
large measure of
self-government
3. Ordered a census to
make tax distribution more
fair
4. Set up postal system
5. Issued new coins to
make trade easier
6. Put jobless to work
building roads and
temples and sent
others out to farm.
Period
known as PAX
ROMANA