Ancient Rome

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Ancient Rome

• TSW summarize the worldwide influence of ideas
  the originated in the Roman Republic and Empire.

Response Question What is the significance of
the history, government, culture, and
advancements of Roman society on our world today?
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Geography

• Good farmland due to many river valleys
• Great climate
• Middle of Mediterranean
• Defensible protected by the Alps in the north,
  and the sea

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Italy in 750 BCE
Italy first settled by three groups Etruscans Lat
ins Greeks Rome settled on Tiber River, 15 miles
inland, surrounded by 7 hills. Most groups
organized into territories, towns and clans Most
were farmers or herdsmen.
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The Founding of Rome

• The city of Rome was founded by twin brothers
  Romulus and Remus in 753 B.C.E.
• According to legend they were from a wealthy
  family and were abandoned by their uncle.
• A She-wolf took them in and raised them.
• Romulus killed his brother Remus and took control
  as leader of Rome.

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Conquest of Italy took over 100 years and Rome
suffered some serious setbacks in the process
Rome would then move on and gradually take over
all the other people of Italy
Long, slow, difficult process and Roman success
was by no means guaranteed
But through hard work, perseverance, and luck,
Rome did it
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Social Groups of the Roman Republic

• Romans came in at 500bc(Rome settled)
• Patricians wealthy Latin nobles in the
  Senate.
• Plebeians merchants, landowners, small farmers
  and laborers
• Had the right to vote
• Could not hold political office
• Twelve Tables written law Hung in the Forum

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Social and Political Order

• In the later years of the Republic the Plebeians
  became more powerful.
• They created a new assembly (Council of Plebs) in
  471. New leaders called Tribunes protected the
  Plebeians. A new law allowed intermarriage.
• In 278 B.C.E. the Council received the right to
  pass laws for all Romans.

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Rome Spreads its Power

• By 265, they had all of Italy
• They challenge the other power in the
  Mediterranean, the Carthaginians located in North
  Africa.
• There were 3 separate Punic Wars
• Rome wins all three
• By 146bc, they are the undisputed Masters of the
  Mediterranean

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The Roman Republic

• Julius Caesar forms a triumvirate with Crassus
  and Pompey
• They come into conflict and Caesar wins and
  becomes sole ruler (dictator)
• Caesars Contributions
• Granted citizenship to people outside of Italy
• Reduced slave labor
• Invented our current calendar
• He made land reforms and gave land to the poor.
• Killed on the Senate floor by Crassus and Brutus
  in 44BC

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Public Amusements

• Free bread and free entertainment kept poor from
  revolting
• 130 celebrated holidays a year
• Circus Maximus was like the Texas Motor Speedway
  seating 130,000
• Gladiator duels, fighting animals, were popular
  events

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The Colosseum
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Public Improvements

• Built vast amounts of roads that are still in use
  today
• Aqueducts brought in all the water necessary
  for the cities and farms
• Temples for the gods- copied Greek style- massive
• Forum- public area of the city- center- oration
  etc.
• Theaters- for entertainment- drama
• Coliseums- more fun, fights, gladiators, animals
• Baths- public places- series of rooms dif temps

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Romes Early Road System
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The Roman EmpireThe First Emperor

• Octavian a.k.a. Augustus Caesar was Romes
  First emperor
• Given the name Augustus (means revered one by
  Senate)
• He was the absolute ruler of 70 to 100 million
  people
• The Pax Romana (Roman peace) lasted 200 years
• Rebuilt Rome
• Failed to develop a system for the selection of
  future emperors

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Bad Emperors 14 AD 68 AD

• Tiberius paranoid, he had many innocent people
  accused of treason
• Caligula became mentally disturbed and was
  killed by a palace guard
• Claudius could not focus well on the affairs of
  state
• Nero probably insane, had his pregnant wife and
  mother killed before he killed himself

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Good Emperors

• Nerva chosen by the Roman Army Introduced the
  practice of naming an heir/successor before his
  death.
• Trajan increased the empire to its greatest
  size
• Hadrian strengthened Romes frontiers
  (Hadrians Wall)
• Antonius Pius maintained empires prosperity
  He introduced laws that required humane treatment
  of slaves. He also introduces the legal
  principle of innocent until proven guilty.
• Marcus Aurelius brought empire its greatest
  economic prosperity

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The Pantheon 128 A.D.

• Commissioned by Emperor Hadrian
• Started in 118 A.D.
• It is a clock of sorts. It tells the time by
  rays of light hitting the sculptures inside.

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Family Life in the Roman Empire

• The family included parents, grandparents,
  unmarried children, and married sons and their
  families.
• Father of the family ruled the household (Called
  paterfamilias)
• Women had considerable power in their own
  families and many ran businesses and managed
  estates, but could not vote and were not
  considered citizens.
• Ancestor worship was extremely important to the
  family.

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Roman Culture

• Golden Age- literature Horace, Virgil, Ovid and
  Livy
• Religion- state religion, many Emperors expected
  to be worshipped as gods
• Roman gods (mythology) reflected Greek mythology

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• The Roman legacy- writing and the law
• alphabet- should look familiar to us
• Romans wrote down everything- very literate,
  passed on to use use every day, alma mater, alter
  ego, per capita, vice versa, a.m/, p.m., RIP
  ,list goes on ad infinitum
• some consider the statutes and case law most
  important legacy- took idea that a written law
  can protect one person from another- put it into
  practice- Because its the laws means something
  to us- not necessarily in other cultures.
• tried to appeal to people through argument- idea
  of people deciding
• magistrates important in Rome- e.g. of Apostle
  Paul

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Slavery

• Slaves made up 1/3 of the Roman population.
• Working conditions for slaves in the cities were
  somewhat better.
• Not related to ethnicity or skin color
• Greek slaves educated and highly prized
• Laborers would often be chained together while
  working in the fields.
• Spartacus uprising in 73 B.C.E. was the largest
  slave revolt, but not the only one.

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Christianity and Rome

• Helped Christianity spread- communication
• Appeal- unrest, questioning of polytheism
• explained spiritual aspects, Christs teachings
• emphasis of eternal life
• community exclusive (mystery religion)
• Persecution- under Nero, blamed for fire
• mostly tolerant, Christians refused to worship
  state
• Effect- spread slowly- letters formed NT
• officially tolerated 313 Edict of Milan