Transcript Chapter 6 Ancient Rome and Early Christianity

Chapter 6
Ancient Rome and Early
Christianity
Section 1: The Roman Republic
 The Italian Peninsula
 Centrally located in the Mediterranean.
 Mountains and highlands comprised ¾ of the terrain with much of the
remainder containing rich dark soil.
 Cut off from Europe by the Alps to the north.
 Gallia Cis-Alpina and Gallia Trans-Alpina.
 Early Peoples
 Probably inhabited early on by Neolithic peoples who were seminomadic.
 Indo-Europeans
 Multiple migrations of Indo-European peoples entered into Italy.
 Umbrians- north
 Latins-central plains called Latium
 Oscans- south
 The Etruscans
 Scholars are uncertain of the origins of the Etruscans who did not speak
an indo-European language.
 Borrowed the Greek alphabet but largely un-deciphered.
 Very expressive art and sculpture.
 Probably had a society with wealthy overlords, aristocratic priests,
peasant class, and a slave labor force.
 Developed what would become the gladiatorial games.
 The Rise of Rome
 Ab Urbe Condita – “From the founding of the city”
 Takes place around 753 B.C.
 Legend of Romulus and Remus
 Communities of the Seven Hills of Rome unite to form what
become the city.
 Etruscan Rule
 After a period of rule by Latin Kings, the Etruscans gain control of
the city.
 During the reign of the Tarquin Kings, the Latins learned to build
with brick and to use tile roofs.
 The swampy lowland was drained and city streets were built as
well as the center known as the Forum.
 Economic and political center of Rome.
 Under the rule of the Tarquin the Proud, the people revolted and
expelled the Tarquins from the city.
 Legend of the Rape of Lucretia
 Fasces: symbol of authority
 Social Groups
 Patricians – noble class that traditionally controlled the Senate.
 Plebeians – wealthy middle class, merchants, farmers, and workers.
 All had the right to vote ( at different degrees) and had to pay taxes
and serve in the military.
 Plebeians could not hold public office like the Patricians.
 The Roman Republic
 The Patricians organized a legislative and judicial branch.
 The Executive Branch consisted of the Consulship.
 Two consuls selected from the Senate, served for a one year
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term.
Each had the power to veto the other.
Responsible for overseeing other officials such as praetors and
censors.
Dictators: Temporarily elected during times of crisis.
Senate: 300 patricians elected for life.
Assembly of the Centuries: Elected from the plebian class but
less powerful than the Senate.
 Plebeians against Patricians
 494 B.C.- Plebeians succeed from the city in order to gain more political
power.
 Tribunes:chosen representatives elected by the Assembly of the
Tribes. Protected by the law and could veto government decisions.
 451 B.C.: The Twelve Tables/ written laws located in the Forum.
 By 287 B.C. plebeians could reach high public office and make laws
in the Assembly of the Tribes.
 Religion
 Fortune telling; augury, soothsayers
 Heavily influenced by the Greeks.
 Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Pluto, Saturn, Neptune…
 Ancestor worship. Vesta: hearth
 Family
 Large extended family.
 Pater Familias: head of the household/ absolute authority.
 Women generally had more freedoms than Greek women.
 Strict discipline of children and family members.
 Thrift, discipline, self-sacrifice, devotion to family, honor, and duty were
traditional Roman values.
Section 2 Expansion and Crisis
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Roman Legions
 Male citizens who owned land had to serve in the military.
 The Romans adapted the Greek phalanx formation.
 Legions: 6,000 men
 Smaller divisions of 60 – 120 soldiers.
 Strict discipline. (Decimate)
 Conquered peoples were treated well if they cooperated. Offered various
forms of citizenship.
 Coloniae: permanent military settlements/colonies
 Roads built to link colonies/trade routes.
 Roman against Carthage
 By 300 B.C. Carthage was the most powerful Mediterranean city. Known to
the Romans as Punici.
 The First Punic War
 Carthage threatened to seize the Strait of Messina.
 Carthage had naval superiority forcing the Romans to build a navy of their
own.
 Grappling hooks to board the enemy ships.
 Romans win forcing Carthage to pay a huge indemnity.
 The Second Punic War
 221B.C. Hannibal became the Carthaginian General in Spain. FatherHamilcar – Oath
 Captured a Roman allied city.
 Marched 40,000 soldiers and 40 elephants across Gaul, over the Alps and
into Italy.
 Lost half of his forces and most of his elephants.
 Defeated Roman legions at every turn nearly destroying the entire army at
Cannae.
 Romans regrouped under Scipio.
 Scipio attacked Carthage to protect Rome.
 Defeated Hannibal at Zama in 202 B.C.
 Scipio Africanus – Forced yet another indemnity and forced Carthage to
hand over most of their navy.
 The Third Punic War
 Carthage regained strength despite the indemnity.
 Rome wanted to eliminate Carthage once and for all.
 Started another war by convincing an ally to attack Carthage.
 146 B.C.: Carthage was burned, population sold into slavery, and fields
sowed with salt.
 Rome now controlled the Western Mediterranean.
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The Republic in Crisis
 Expansion caused problems in governing the provinces.
 Nearly all of the Mediterranean was under Roman rule or in friendly alliance with
Rome.
 Mare Nostrum – “Our Sea”
 Roman government designed to manage a city-state, not an empire.
 Exploiting the provinces
 Provinces paid tribute to Rome.
 Proconsuls were appointed by the Senate to govern the provinces.
 Often accepted bribes and stole from the treasuries.
 Tax collectors also took money from the provinces.
 Provinces often rebelled forcing the Romans to place standing garrisons and
legions in the area.
 Romans put down Jewish revolt and sacked Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
 Changing the Countryside
 Latifundia – plantations/ slave labor
 Produced grains at a cheaper price.
 Forced small farmers of the farms and into the cities.
 Latifundia captured the market in grains, olives, grapes, and livestock.
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 Crowding in the Cities
 Landless farmers enter the cities looking for jobs that were already taken
by slaves. Equites – “knights” wealthy merchants/ not nobility.
Reformers and Generals
 The Gracchi
 Tiberius Gracchus – grandson of Scipio – elected to the Tribunate in 133.
B.C.
 Passed agrarian legislation to give land to the poor despite opposition
from the Senate.
 Murdered along with 300 supporters by angry Patricians.
 Gaius Gracchus – brother – elected Tribune 10 yrs. later.
 Passed laws giving land to the poor and organized programs to sell
grain at cheaper prices.
 Also murdered in a riot organized by his opponents.
 Marius and Sulla
 Gaius Marius was elected Consul in 107 B.C.
 Provided jobs in the army.
 Paid soldiers and promised them land on retirement.
 Soldiers owed allegiance to the General not the State.
 Lucius Cornelius Sulla – Arguing over control of the eastern armies, used his
army to attack Rome and push Marius into exile.
 The First Triumvirate
 Gnaeus Pompey and Marcus Licinius Crassus elected consuls in
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70 B.C.
Gained support of Julius Caesar in 60 B.C. forming a Triumvirate.
Caesar took control of the legions in Gaul and soon conquered the
Celts as he pushed further north into Europe.
Crassus killed in battle in 53 B.C.
Pompey and the Senate recall Caesar and force him to leave his
legions north of the Rubicon river.
Caesar crosses the Rubicon with his soldiers and within two
months captured all of Italy and drove Pompey and his allies out
and finally defeated him.
 Julius Caesar
 45 B.C. – Caesar took the title of Dictator for Life.
 Gave jobs to the unemployed, public land to the poor, granted
citizenship to many people in the provinces.
 Julian calendar.
 Despite great popularity among the people, Senators led by Marcus
Brutus and Gaius Cassius assassinated Caesar on his way to the
Senate.
 End of the Republic
 Caesar’s grandnephew Octavian joined with Marc Antony and
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Marcus Lepidus and formed a Second Triumvirate and defeated
the armies of Caesar's assassins in 42 B.C..
Octavian took command of Italy, Antony ruled in Greece, and
Lepidus took control of North Africa.
Octavian forced Lepidus into retirement and convinced the
Romans that Antony wanted to invade Italy with his and
Cleopatra’s army.
Octavian soundly defeated Marc Antony’s navy at the battle of
Actium in Greece. A year later, Antony and Cleopatra both
committed suicide to avoid capture.
Octavian became the sole ruler of Rome.