Who cares about Rome? successor to Greece carrier of Greek civilization political model for later Europe measure of success for nations and individuals model for later monarchies model for later, mixed constitutions Great Britain, U.S., etc. model for most European legal systems model for the concept of citizenship Model for city planning Model for architecture Model for sporting Model for roads Write 4
Geography Apennines Alps Sicily Tiber River
Romulus and Remus Origins
Origins Aeneas Virgil, The Aeneid
Origins Indo-Europeans migrated to Italy about 2000BC Contact with the Greeks around 800BC southern city-states on the peninsula (Syracuse) Etruscans Greek ideas began to spread, 510 BC, the Roman Aristocracy rebelled and created a Republic The Poor were allowed to vote for a Tribune
Borrowed from the Greeks Farming (grapes and olives) Alphabet Religion Entertainment Literature Schooling (often used Greek teachers) Military tactics
The Early Republic 510 BC Roman Republic Created Senate Patricians and Tribunes (voted by the Plebeians) Patricians (land owners) and Plebeians (common) Consuls (leaders) Divided the government into 3 branches Legislative Judicial Executive Dictator
Military Roman Legion of Citizen Soldiers 6000 men Divided into centuries Cavalry units Fighting with javelins Bow and arrows Turtle Short swords
An Enemy Emerges
The Punic Wars 264 BC Begin with disputes in Sicily Rome is concerned at the growing power of Carthage Rome wants to be masters of the Mediterranean Sea
FIRST PUNIC WAR Primarily a naval war Tactics: maneuver ship to ram and sink enemy Carthage: very good, experienced naval power Rome: small navy, little experience Defeated repeatedly by Carthaginian navy
ROME WINS THE FIRST ONE Rome would not surrender Finally turned tables on Carthage by changing rules of naval warfare Equipped ships with huge hooks and Stationed soldiers on ships Would hook enemy ship, pull nearby, board it with soldiers Converted naval warfare into mini-land battles Something Rome was very good at Won First Punic War as a result
Deadliest Warrior Project Hannibal - Carthage Scipio - Rome
Carthagian general Hannibal surprises Romans, leads army from Spain, through southern France and the Alps, Has to fight his way through against both Romans and tribes from the north. SECOND PUNIC WAR Losses massive amount of troops and most of his elephants crossing the Alps invades Italy from the north Defeats Roman armies sent to stop him several times but hesitates to attack Rome itself Too well fortified "Hannibal ad portas" ( Hannibal is at the Gates! ) Settles instead on war of attrition in hope of destroying Roman economic base
Hannibal s War Tactic Double Envelopment The Pincer Movement Forced massive casualties for the Romans
ROME WINS Unable to defeat Hannibal in Italy, a Roman army sailed across the Mediterranean, landed in North Africa, and headed for Carthage Led by patrician general Scipio Aemilius Africanus Hannibal forced to leave Italy to protect Carthage Defeated at the Battle of Zama, fought outside the walls of Carthage Scipio Hannibal
THIRD PUNIC WAR Carthage finished after Second Punic War Hannibal committed suicide Economy shattered Lost all territory to Rome But some Romans feared it might revive someday and challenge Rome again Notably Cato the Elder Pushed for another war that would wipe Carthage off the face of the map Cato the Elder
ROME WINS A THIRD TIME Due to Cato s persistent efforts, Rome declares war against defenseless Carthage Wins easily Entire population of city sold into slavery Everything of value carried back to Rome Everything else burned and dumped into the sea Site sown with salt so that nothing would ever grow there again Carthage completely disappeared
Took over Greece, Rome Successor Macedonia, Rome eventually always kingdom became some of Asia Minor, Syria, increasingly weary responded Aegean of playing and called the eastern this on Mediterranean belief endless Rome Roman islands that drawn refereeing aid achieving by into 133 their the BC role a affairs and balance incessant realized of the of power wars successor that the in continued against the east kingdoms each independence was other better of the than successor having kingdoms one threaten successor Roman kingdom interests become too powerful and challenge Rome
Julius Caesar
Early Life In Rome Julius Caesar was born to a poor Patrician family with little political influence. The family claimed to be related to the Romulus and Remus and to have Roman God bloodlines Caesar used marriage and the military to advance his name in Rome
Foreshadowing the Real Caesar Caesar was captured by pirates while on a political trip. He was very friendly with the pirates and pushed the pirates to ask for more money Once the ransom was paid, he gathered a navy and hunted the pirates down. In the end, he had them all crucified, but because they treated him well, he had their throats cut first to ease their pain.
Time in Gaul
Battle of Alesia
Caesar Crosses the Rubicon 49 BC Caesar marched on to face Pompey and to take control of the Senate 45 BC Caesar became Dictator of Rome 44 BC Caesar was murdered by those who feared him The die is cast
Octavian and the new Empire
The 5 Good Emperors 96 AD to 180 AD Rome prospered and was in relative peace Nerva Trajan Hadrian Antoninus Pius Marcus Aurelius
The Fall of the Roman Empire
The Roman Empire at its Height The Roman Empire became huge It covered most of Europe, North Africa, and some of Asia The Empire reached its height under Emperor Diocletian (284-305 CE)
Expansion: Good or Bad? What are some problems that an empire or country might have by being stretched out too far?
The Decline Begins Commodus from the movie Gladiator 180 CE Marcus Aurelius died His son, Commodus, took control of Rome Commodus was a poor leader, killed by his bodyguard Time of disarray follows
Political Problems Poor leaders weakened the government Frequent fights for power Many officials took bribes Talented people chose not to serve due to dangers of government life
Social Problems Taxes were too great, many rich people stopped paying People stopped attending school Large number of people enslaved Plague (disease) spread throughout Rome, killing 1 in 10 Famine: There was not enough food to feed people
Economic Problems Farmers lost land, unable to grow and sell crops, out of work (and famine) People bought fewer goods, shops closed Inflation occurred: Rapidly rising prices. Money lost value because fewer taxes paid. Coins lost value: Less gold put in, people found out (caused inflation) Bartering grew: sell goods without using money No taxes, no money
Military Problems Military only in it for money (mercenaries) No money to pay military = weak military Constant threat of invaders on empire s borders Weak military, unable to stop border invasions
Diocletian 284 CE, Diocletian became emperor Tried reforms (political changes) Set price limits (if a person went beyond limits, put to death) and ordered workers to stay in jobs to death
Dividing the Empire Diocletian felt that the only way to save the empire was to divide it in half Created two empires: Western and Eastern Western Empire: Europe/ North Africa and city of Rome Eastern Empire: Turkey/ Asia and city of Byzantium Two emperors, emperor in charge of Rome was senior
Constantine Diocletian retired and Constantine took his place as emperor Constantine (312 CE) united the empire again under one ruler First Christian emperor Edict of Milan? Attempted reforms Main reform: sons had to follow fathers trade
Constantinople Rome continued to decline Constantine moved the capital from Rome to city of Byzantium City name changed to Constantinople (today is Istanbul)
Current Day
Theodosius Constantine died in 337 CE, replaced by Theodosius Theodosius could not rule the empire, divided in two again Western Roman Empire with capital in Rome Eastern Rome Empire with capital in Constantinople
Rome invaded Western Empire unable to hold off German tribes on its borders Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Franks, Vandals, Saxons German tribes wanted warmer area, Roman riches, and to flee the Huns
Visigoths Rome agreed to allow the Visigoths to live inside of Roman boundaries Romans treated Visigoths badly Visigoths rebelled and defeated the Romans Visigoth leader, Alaric, captured Rome in 410 CE
Vandals Vandals followed Visigoths and spent 12 days stripping Rome of valuables (vandalism) Many more German invaders followed Finally, a German general named Odoacer defeated the western emperor Romulus Augustulus (14 years old, little Augustus)
The Fall Augustulus was defeated in 476 CE For this reason, this date is given as the fall of the Western Roman Empire Western Empire was divided into many kingdoms that adopted many of the customs of Rome
Odoacer
Eastern Roman Empire Although the Western Empire fell in 476 CE, the Eastern Roman Empire continued to prosper for 1,000 more years Became known as the Byzantine Empire