Roman Empire and Han China

1. Roman Empire and Han China

2. How did Rome establish a Republic? I. Social Class • Patricians- aristocrats, landowners, senators, MOST POWER • Plebeians- common people/ had little say in gov’t II Republic • Landowners and aristocrats had the power, they made up the Senate III Law Code • Twelve Tables of Rome: system of laws created to organize prosecution for crimes and trials • innocent until proven guilty; defendants may confront accusers in court; judges can nullify unjust laws IVMilitary • Superior discipline, high values, courage • Roman Legion 3000-6000 men used phalanx

3. V.Rome’sExpansion • Between 509-264 conquered all of Italy • Legion 5000 soldiers did not get paid, supplied their own weapons • Hegemony: which is authority over or dominance of a group of people • Trade: extensive trade in Mediterranean and with the East along the Silk Roads in the Middle East VI. Causes for the Punic Wars • 264-146 BCE • Carthage was a trading outpost in North Africa • Rome and Carthage both wanted control of the Mediterranean • Result in Punic wars- Rome succeeds in all 3

4. How did Rome become an imperial power? I. Punic Wars, City of Corinth in Greece and • Siege of Jerusalem • 63 BCE Jerusalem becomes a Roman province • Zealots- Jews that Rebelled against Romans • Jews flee causing a Diaspora- the dispersion of Jews outside the land of Israel. II End of the Republic • Conquests brought money  corruption • Poor and farmers had no land • Gap between rich and poor • V Triumvirate- 3 seat govt. • VI Julius Caesar • beginning of transition from Republic to Empire • assassinatedin 44 B.C.E

5. What role did emperors play in Rome? • I. Augustus (son of Julius Caesar) • 27 BCE: becomes Emperor, beginning of PaxRomana • Massive public works bridges, roads, aqueducts • Increased work and developed army • New coinage system • Police and fire protection • Status of women rose • Entertainment- Coliseum gladiators and games • Bread and circuses to feed and entertain the people of Rome • Expanded his empire • Augustus worshipped as a god. • 14 CE dies and Rome had no laws of succession

6. II. PaxRomana • 200 years of peace • Government- ruled by an emperor • Laws- Twelve Tables governed the empire • Language (Latin)- The Roman alphabet (basis for western alphabet) • Engineering Technology: public works, aqueducts, roads, bridges; architecture such as the coliseum, roman arches • Literature- Literature- Virgil, Horace, Tactitus and Livy wrote poetry and histories of Rome • Religion- Jesus Christ founded a new religion called Christianity

7. III. Julian Emperors • Tiberius-introvert • Caligula-sexual deviant • Claudius-clumsy • Nero-Insane • IV. Third century crisis • 50 yrsof civil war • Empire is on the verge of collapsing

8. What brought the fall of Rome? • I. Politically • 235-284 CE there were 22 different emperors • Invasions, civil war and plague • The Germanic soldiers • dependence on slave labor led to a decline in trade • II. Economically • Trade declined • High taxes • Economy collapses • Coinage devalued • Labor shortage • Inflation • III. Socially • Town life declined, religiously divided • poverty gap, especially with regards to land ownership • People are lazy and unpatriotic • Learning declined

9. How did Christianity impact the Roman Empire? I. Jesus- 33 years old Crucified for his beliefs II. Paul aka Saul of Tarsus • Missionary after Jesus’ death • Converted Jews to Christianity • Spread Christianity • Laid the foundations for church and sacraments • Gospel- New Testament are accounts of his life teachings

10. III Appeal • 3rd century was the age of anxiety • Christianity offered hope, comfort and solace • Salvation for both men and women • IV Jews • 132 CE Jews rebelled again • They were dispersed, second Diaspora: exiling of Jews from Palestine in 136 AD by the Roman Empire • V Persecution • Nero 64 CE • Anti-Christian laws • Emperor Constantine made Christianity tolerable (Edict of Milan) • Theodosius made Christianity the empires religion

11. How were the Roman Empire and Han Dynasty in China similar? • I. Qin Dynasty • Replaced the Zhou Dynasty 221 BCE • reunited China • centralized gov’t with a bureaucracy • Became Legalists • Early stages of the Great Wall of China (1,400 Miles)

12. II. Han Dynasty • 206 BCE- 220 CE • Liu Bang founded the Han • Strong central government with bureaucracy • expanded territory south and west (central Asia, Korea, Indochina) • Allowed civil service exams: pick officials by merit • PaxSinica = Chinese period of peace • Shi: scholar class, promoted education • Han Wudi created an even larger empire • Technology increased, iron, paper, ships, acupuncture, canals, water power and compass • Confucianism became the basis for Han gov’t • civil service examinations: gov’t employees became more qualified • Confucianism preserved patriarchal social structures/gender roles

13. III. Silk Road • Linked Asia, Europe and India • Middlemen were the Greeks and the Jews • Religion spreads: Buddhism into China, Christianity to Europe • Disease spread along Silk Road • IV. Decline • Land unequally divided between rich and poor • Han surrounded by barbarians • Han dynasty paid them tribute • Weak economy • Trade declined • Peasant revolts • Invasions led to a collapse in 220 CE • Led to 400 years of turmoil and division of the empire