Transcript ROME - cloudfront.net

ROME
“Friends, Romans,
countrymen, lend me
your ears”
Geography
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Alps
Mediterranean Sea
Harbors, inland trade
Apennines Mts.
Economics
Rivers, swamps
Founding of Rome
• Legend of Romulus and
Remus
• The Latins, the Tiber
River and the seven hills
• Greek colonies
– Agriculture
• Grapes and olives
– Art
– Religion
– Architecture
– Government
The Etruscans
• Natives of northern
Italy
• Gifts from the
Etruscans:
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Roads
Swamps
Weapons
Arch
Alphabet
Triumph
• 600bce Etruscan
became king of Rome
• First temples and
public buildings
• Palatine hill and the
Forum
• 509bce – Romans
overthrow the last
Etruscan king
The Republic
• Republic – power rests with the citizens who
have the right to vote to select their leaders
• Power struggle:
– Patricians
– Plebeians
• Twelve Tables
– Written code of laws
– Basis of later laws
– All free citizens had a right to protection of
the law
Government under the Republic
• Consuls (2)
– Executive branch
– Commander-in-chief
• Praetors (8)
– Judicial branch
– Judges
– Civil and criminal
courts
Republic Government cont.
• Senate (300)
– Legislative branch
– Patricians
– $$$
• Centuriate Assembly
– Legislative branch
– Citizen soldiers
• Tribal Assembly (35 tribes)
– Legislative branch
– Plebeians
– Tribunes (10)
The Roman Army
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Landowners
10 year service
Legions – 5,000 men
Centuries – 80 men
Equipment
– Armor, helmet, shield,
sword, dagger, throwing
spear, cooking pot, and
clothing
• Self-sufficient
Punic Wars 264-146bce
• By 265bce Romans controlled the
Italian peninsula
• Carthage:
– Commercial empire on north
African coast
– Controlled Sicily
• Romans feared Carthage
• Carthage navy
• Roman land advantage
First Punic War, 264-241bce
• Rome lacked a navy
• Rome used land tactics at sea
• Carthage asked for peace
– Indemnity
– Sicily
Second Punic War, 218-202bce
• Hannibal’s army
– Infantry, cavalry, war
elephants
• Hannibal’s debacle
• Hannibal spent 15 years
living off the land, harassing
the countryside, attacking
Romans, but . . .
• Scipio
• Carthage asked for peace:
– Indemnity
– Spanish colonies
Third Punic War, 149-146bce
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Cato and the Senate
Senate’s decision
Roman conquest
Result: Rome
Controls the
Mediterranean Sea