Transcript The Roman Empire

The Roman Empire
750 B.C. - 500 A.D.
Geography
Etruscans Take Over Rome
• 616 BC
• Built Rome’s first city walls and sewer
• Introduced building techniques such as
arch
• Introduced alphabet and number system
• Introduced gladiator games and chariot
races
• Influenced styles of sculpture and painting
Rome Becomes a Republic
• Etruscans expelled 509 BC
• Rome became a Republic
– Elected officials governed
– Study graphic on p. 166
The Roman Forum
The Roman Forum
The Power of the Republic
Grows
• Builds a strong military
– All male property owners between 17 and 46
required to fight during wars
• Conquered the rest of Italy by 265 BC
• Conquered Carthage in North Africa to
become the leading Mediterranean power
• Allies with Greece to defeat Macedonia
and Persia, then conquers Greece itself
– Influenced by Greek culture and religion
Rome Becomes an Empire
• Social unrest leads to revolts
• Military commanders emerge as political
leaders, engage in civil war
• Julius Caesar, great military commander,
becomes dictator in 44 BC
– Ends republic
– Murdered in 43 BC
Roman Empire 44 BC
Roman Empire at its Height
Battles for Power
• After Julius Caesar’s death, civil wars
abound as leaders struggle for power
– Marc Antony and Cleopatra
• Octavian, a.k.a. Augustus, ruled from 27
BC to AD 14
– His reign was the beginning of 200 years of
relative peace and prosperity, known as the
Pax Romana
Pax Romana
Factors bringing unity to the empire
• Stable government and legal system
throughout empire
• 50,000 miles of roads built
• Trade flourishes
Roman Society and Culture
• Religion
– Many gods accepted
– Greek gods were most popular
• Education
– Rich males educated in their homes by tutors
• Entertainment
– Theater, chariot races, and gladiators
• Health
– People gathered at public baths
A Public Bath
It was very cheap to use a Roman bath. A visitor, after paying his entrance fee,
would strip naked and hand his clothes to an attendant. He could then do some
exercising to work up a sweat before moving into the tepidarium which would
prepare him for the caldarium which was more or less like a modern sauna. The
idea, as with a sauna, was for the sweat to get rid of the body's dirt. After this a
slave would rub olive oil into the visitor's skin and then scrap it off with a strigil.
The more luxurious establishments would have professional masseurs to do this.
After this, the visitor would return to the tepidarium and then to frigidarium to cool
down. Finally, he could use the main pool for a swim or to generally socialise.
Bathing was very important to the Ancient Romans as it served many functions.
The Rise of Christianity
• Background
– Judea is conquered by Rome in 63 BC
Background
• Jews refuse to accept Roman religion
• Romans allow Jews to practice their
religion as long as they pay tribute and
maintain order
• Some revolt, others wait patiently for the
promised Messiah, who was to reestablish the kingdom of Israel
Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus of Nazareth
• At around the age of 30, gained a large
following through his preaching and
performing of miracles
• Preached a message of humility, mercy,
love, and dependence on God
• Instructed people to repent and to become
a part of God’s kingdom
Jesus of Nazareth
• Many thought he was the promised
Messiah, or “King of the Jews”
• Leaders, both Jewish and Roman, felt
threatened by him
• Executed by crucifixion
The Main Event
• Many of Jesus’ followers claimed to have
seen him alive after he was crucified and
buried
• This was proof that he was the promised
Messiah
• Followers claimed that he had established
the Kingdom of God instead of a physical
kingdom
Christianity Spreads
• Apostles spread the word that Jesus
is the promised Messiah
• Small, close-knit communities
develop
Acts 2:42-47
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to
the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and
miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the
believers were together and had everything in common.
Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to
anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to
meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in
their homes and ate together with glad and sincere
hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the
people. And the Lord added to their number daily those
who were being saved.
Paul
• Jewish leader who persecuted Christians
• Claims to have encountered Jesus on the
road to Damascus
• Became a Christian apostle
• Took the Christian message to non-Jewish
people
Persecution
• Jews offended at the idea of Jesus as
Messiah and wish to prevent its spread
• Romans offended that Christians refuse to
pay tribute or homage to the emperor
• Martyrs: people who die for their faith and
thus inspire others to believe
Roman Acceptance
• In AD 313 Emperor Constantine becomes
a Christian and makes Christianity legal in
the empire
The Message of Christianity
• On going to heaven
– John 3:16
– Ephesians 2:8-10
• On repentance
– “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a]
The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who
reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry
of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself
in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.”
(2 Corinthians 5: 17-19)
• On material possessions and money
– Matthew 6:19-34
– 1 Timothy 6:6-10
The Fall of the Empire
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Weak leadership
Economic problems
Attila the Hun
Barbarian Germanic tribes
476: last emperor in Western Empire
overthrown