Transcript Rome: From Kingdom to Republic

Classical
Mediterranean
Mediterranean Traditions
 Persian
 Greek
/ Hellenistic
 Roman
Persian Empire (Achaemenid)
~550 BCE - ~330 BCE
Established by Cyrus the Great, great King Darius, capital at
Persepolis
 Modern day Iran/Afghanistan/Pakistan regions
 Neighbor and rival of Greek city states (Persian wars ~500-450
BCE)
 Political Styles
– Tolerance for other cultures
– Authoritarianism
– Infrastructure, especially roads
– Bureaucracy
 Advanced iron technology
 Unique artistic style
 Zoroastrianism
 Overthrown by Alexander the Great
 Later Sassanid Empire (227 CE – 600s CE) during Roman period
preserves Persian culture

The Persian Empire
Zoroastrianism
Monotheistic religion (the first? Judaism
~1200s BCE)
 Emerged as early as 1700 BCE, codified by
Zoroaster/Zarathustra (c. 630-550 BCE)
 Gathas – sacred literature
 Ahuramazda – creator and benevolent deity
 Angra Mainyu (evil spirit)
 Magi – religious priests
 Cosmic struggle between good and evil,
humanity punished or rewarded in afterlife for
their actions
 Religious justification for political rule
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Civilization in Mediterranean Region
 Greeks
began with city-states due to
geography (mountains & coast)
 Oceanic trade on Mediterranean Sea
connected the region
 Both Greece and Rome created
empires based on conquest..
 Phoenecian
Greece
cultural influences (alphabet,
seafaring)
 Mycenaen Kingdom (~1400 BCE)
– Culture preserved in Homer’s epics Iliad &
Odyssey
 Greek
city-states (polis) develop 800600 BCE
– Mountains & coastlines help fragment Greece
& prevent political unity
– Trade, commerce, and connections b/n citystates helps develop a common “Greek”
culture (similar language, alphabet, religion,
Sparta –vs- Athens
Sparta – military aristocracy conquers and
controls neighboring regions (slavery)
 Athens – commercial, diverse, also used
slaves, artistic and intellectual achievements,
limited democracy allowed adult male citizens
to select officials and pass laws (Pericles 400s
BCE)
 Persian wars (common enemy) ~500s-450
BCE
 Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BCE) b/n
Athens and Sparta
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Greece and Greek Colonies,
c. 431 B.C.E.
The Hellenistic Period
Phillip II of the northern kingdom of Macedon
conquered Athens and Sparta and gained
control of the Greek peninsula (330s BCE)
 His son Alexander (the Great) extended the
empire as far as the borders of India
 Alexander died young and his empire was
divided into several Hellenistic Kingdoms for
the next few centuries.
 Greek culture spread throughout the
Mediterranean world and Middle East during
this “Hellenistic” Era

Alexander’s Empire and the
Hellenistic World, c. 323 B.C.E.
Greek (Hellenistic) Civilization in
Mediterranean, 240 BCE
Patterns of Greek and
Roman History
Rome
– Roman Republic from 509 B.C.E.
 Military
emphasis
 Punic Wars, against Carthage (264-146
B.C.E.)
– Empire
 Julius
Caesar victory over rivals, 45 B.C.E.
 Augustus Caesar, rules from 27 B.C.E.
 Empire strong to about 180 C.E.
 Renewed vigor under Diocletian,
Constantine
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Greek and Roman Political
Institutions
Greece – The Polis
– Athens - direct democracy – the
assembly
 Lottery
for positions
 Citizen body a minority of the population
– Most city states were oligarchies
 Aristocratic
 Sparta
assemblies
Greek and Roman Political
Institutions
Rome
– Balance
– Senate – dominated by aristocrats
– Consuls
– Dictator
Greek and Roman Political
Institutions
Political Theory in Ancient Greece and
Rome
– Duties of citizens, political ethics,
oratory
– Participation stressed
– Comparison of the merits of different
forms
– Romans developed law code
 Twelve
Tables, by 450 B.C.E.
 Law comes to take the place of fathers
 Spread of code to empire, and citizenship
Greek and Roman Political
Institutions
Roles of Government
– Public works
 Help
to unite empire
– Maintaining law courts, police power
– Official religion
Religion and Culture
Religious Values
– Religion largely concerned with the here
and now
– Mystery religions offered a more
spiritual approach
– Division between elite and popular belief
Religion and Culture
Philosophy
– Provided a system of ethical behavior
– Aristotle, Cicero
 Stressed
balance
– Stoics stress inner life
Religion and Culture
Science and Philosophy
– Socrates – encouraged questioning
– Speculation on the physical world
 Theories
matter
about the universe, the nature of
– Mathematics, especially geometry
– Hellenistic period
 More
empirical work in physics
 Euclid, Galen
Religion and Culture
The Arts
– Drama: comedy and tragedy
 Balance
between virtue and emotions
 Sophocles Oedipus the King
– Epics, the Iliad, Odyssey
– Architecture
– Roman engineering
Economy and Society in the
Mediterranean
Agriculture and Trade
– Constant trend to market farming
 Led
to trade
 Grain from Egypt
– Merchants
 Officially,
legally respected
 Not socially esteemed
Economy and Society in the
Mediterranean
Slavery
– From conquest
– Becomes a motive for expansion
– Technological innovation in farming
lacking
 Unfavorable
trade balance with eastern Asia
Economy and Society in the
Mediterranean
Family
– Patriarchal
– Women have economic role
 Some
women active in commerce
 Women could own property
A Complex Legacy
What Survived?
–Enduring ideas
–No polities
–Direct and indirect
 Consciously
imitated, revived
 Mingled with Middle Eastern legacy
Global Connections: Persia,
Greece, Rome, and the World
 Persia
– Maintained contact between East and
West
 Greece
– Traders, expansionist
– Alexander the Great
 New
contacts between Mediterranean, Persia,
India
 Rome
– Variety of contacts
 Detailed
info on Roman politics
Roman Republic & Constitution
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Roman nobility established a republic in 509 BCE
Built Roman Forum = political and civic center
Republican constitution
Executive responsibilities in 2 Consuls
– Held civil & military power
– Consuls elected by assembly of aristocrats
(patricians)
– Senate of aristocrats advised Consuls & ratified
decision
 Most prominent political & military leaders
 Largely controlled Roman public affairs
 Mostly served interests of the wealthy
 Plebians (commoners) objected > class conflict
– Plebians given more rights in 5th & 4th BCE
– Patricians still dominated Rome
Dictator wielded absolute power for 6 months if
“military crisis”
Expansion of the Republic
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Rome surrounded by invaders
Rome first established a large regional state in Italy
Roman control of entire Italian peninsula (4th
century BCE)
– Established military colonies
– Generous policies toward conquered peoples
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Taxes, local rule, and trade were established
Conflict and conquest in larger Mediterranean
– Punic wars with Carthaginians (N. Africa)

Destroyed Carthage, took slaves, took “stuff”
– Conflict with Greeks

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5 major wars
Controlled most of the Med. By 2nd BCE
The Failure of the Republic
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Warfare and territorial expansion undermined the
foundations of the Roman Republic
Wealth and power were increasingly concentrated
in the hands of the upper classes, resulting in the
decline of the peasant farmer / soldier class.
The military became increasingly loyal to their
commanders, as opposed to the Senate.
Some of these generals used their armies to
increase their own personal power and wealth, at
the expense of the state.
The Formation of the Roman Empire
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By 31 BCE, Octavian (heir of Julius Caesar), had
eliminated all rivals and seized power.
Known as Augustus, he was the first of the
Roman Emperors.
Subtly concentrated power in his hands, while
maintaining the appearance of the Republic.
Allied himself with the Equities – the second most
powerful group below the Senatorial class.
Roman Civilization
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