ROME

1. ROME and the rise of CHRISTIANITY

2. Geography • Italian Peninsula • Apennine Mountains • run north to south • Po River • Plains of Latium and Campania

3. Climate • Similar to southern California • Dry, warm summers • Mild, rainy winters • Grew grains, citrus fruits, grapes, and olives

4. Rome • on the Tiber River • seven hills • spoke Latin • Indo-European, like Greek • influenced by the Greeks and the Etruscans

5. Rome Origin Legend • Trojan War • Troy hero, Aeneas fled after the war • Story is told in the epic poem Aeneid by Virgil • Formed an alliance with the Latins • Married a daughter of the Latin king

6. Romulus and Remus • Descendants of Aeneas • twins • Were thrown into the Tiber River, but were rescued and raised by wolves until a shepherd adopted them

7. Built a city where the wolf rescued them, but Romulus killed Remus • That city was name Rome • Romulus was the first king of Rome-753BC • There were seven kings before the Etruscans took over

8. Etruscans • Spread into N. Italy • turned Rome from a village to a city • wore togas and short cloaks • Rome copied army tactics from the Etruscans • Built sewers and temples, gave the “Roman” alphabet and numerals to Rome

9. Early Rome’s Success • Diplomacy fair, but firm • Military was strong and accomplished • Brilliant strategy • fortified cities and roads • Laws were practical

10. Rome Rising • Rome was at war for the next 200 years • took over Latium then all of southern Italy • A cruel king was overthrown by a rebellion and they created a new government

11. Roman Republic • Republic, people elect leaders to govern them • Elected every year • Not all got to vote • Only wealthy and powerful

12. Wars broke out • Rome chose dictators to lead the city during the wars • Cincinnatus was a famous dictator • a farmer who was chosen to defeat an enemy • defeated the enemy and went immediately back to his farm

13. Roman Government • Early Rome was divided into two groups • Patricians • wealthy landowners and ruling class • Plebeians • poor landowners, craftsmen, farmers

14. Roman Government • only patricians could hold office • Officers • Consuls (2) and magistrates • elected every year • ran government and led armies • Acted as judges

15. Praetor • was in charge of civil law • Senate • 300 patricians • held the force and legislation of laws

16. Plebeian Councils • Assemblies • One elected magistrates and consuls • Tribunals • One made up of elected officials that could veto (“I forbid” in Latin) actions by other officials

17. Checks and Balances • Laws proposed by the Senate had to be approved by the magistrates • Then had to be ratified by the Plebeian Councils

18. Rome Divided • Patricians and Plebeians could not marry each other • Plebeians resented the Patrician class because they could hold office and were rich • wanted political and social equality • eventually Plebeians were able to become consuls

19. Rome as “One” • There was no democracy however • Some plebeians became part of the aristocracy • The aristocracy ruled the early republic

20. The Gift of Rome • codified law displayed in the Forum • first was the Twelve Tables • then the Law of Nations • established a standard of justice for everyone • innocent until proven guilty • looking at evidence before determination

21. Punic Wars • against Carthaginian Empire • The empire included the coast of N. Africa, S. Spain, Sardinia, Corsica, and W. Sicily • First Punic War • Rome attacked W. Sicily • Rome built a navy and won the war

22. Later, Rome persuaded a Carthaginian colony in Spain to revolt • Second Punic War • Hannibal, the greatest Carthaginian general, invaded Spain • headed toward Rome • 12 years later, Rome retook its lost land

23. Rome then decided to invade Carthage • Rome crushed Hannibal and gained Spain for its territory • Third Punic War • literally destroyed the city of Carthage • all men, women and children sold into slavery • Carthage territory became Africa

24. Other Wars • took Macedonia • then Greece • then Pergamum (in East Turkey/Asia Minor)

25. Crisis • Rich and poor did not trust each other; violent rebellion was feared • Tribunes named Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus worked to create farms for poor Romans • The rich and powerful didn’t like this and both were eventually killed

26. Marius • Got the poor to join the army when before they could not • This gave Marius a lot of power • Consul Lucius Sulla rebelled against Marius causing a civil war • Marius was defeated and Sulla made dictator

27. Spartacus • Thousands of slaves, led by Spartacus rose up, rebelled, and demanded freedom • He was killed in battle • The slaves were defeated and 6000 were executed