Transcript Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome
Part one
Hypothetical reconstruction of Roman Forum in Imperial times.
Watercolor (18th century), Giuseppe Becchetti
The Roman Republic
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Colonized by Greece between 750
and 500BCE
– Brought olive trees
– Brought grapes
– Brought the alphabet
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Greeks used Italy as a trade center
Farm land was better then Greece
Isolated from north by the Alps
Early Peoples of Italy
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Neolithic period Slash and burn
farmers
2000 to 1000 BCE Indo-Europeans
arrived
– Umbrian's in north
– Latin's in central plain
– Oscan in south
Etruscan period
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900-500 BCE ruled north
Art was expressive
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Wall paintings
Sculpture
Wealthy overlords
Aristocratic priests
Slave labor
Overthrown by Latin's
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Rise of Rome
Legend
– Romulus and Remus
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Twins
Raised by wolves
Romulus kills his brother in a fit of rage while
building Rome
– 700-800 BCE villages joined forces and
became a city
Rome under the Etruscans
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600 BCE taken and ruled by the
Tarquin family
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Kings
Taught Latin's to build with brick and tile
Drained the marsh lands
Laid out the city in a square
Center called the Forum
Elevated Rome to wealthiest city in Italy
Etruscans in Rome II
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Tarquin the Proud 534 BCE
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Harsh
Mistreated the people
Romans revolted
Social order
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Nobles called patricians
After revolt established a Republic with
elected leaders
Most Plebeians – all non nobles could not
hold office
Citizens could vote
Pay taxes and serve in military
The Roman Republic
(509
B.C.
– 27
B.C.)
STRUGGLE FOR POWER: CLASS CONFLICT
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Patricians- wealthy landowners who held
most of the power: inherited power and
social status
Plebeians- (Plebs) common farmers, artisans
and merchants who made up the majority of
the population: can vote, but can’t rule
– Tribunes- elected representatives who
protect plebeians’ political rights.
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Plebeians
Went on strike for power 494BCE
Refused to serve in army
Left city to set up their own republic
Loss of military and work force brought
change
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Tribunes
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Elected representatives of plebeians
Given veto power
Could not be arrested
Assembly of Tribes
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Elected Tribunes
Plebeian power
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Cause law to be written down
12 Tables 451 BCE
– Basis of all future Roman law
– 287 Assembly of Tribes given power to
make law
The Roman Republic
A “Balanced” Government
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Rome elects two consuls– one to lead army, one to direct
government
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Senate- chosen from patricians (Roman upper class), make
foreign and domestic policy
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Popular assemblies elect tribunes, make laws for plebeians
(commoners)
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Dictators- leaders appointed briefly in times of crisis (appt. by
consuls and senate)
Religion
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Nature worship
Adopted Greek gods and goddesses
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Zeus – Jupiter
Ares- Mars
Aphrodite-Venus
Hades-Pluto
Poseidon-Neptune
Family
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Basic social unit
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All unmarried children
Sons and families
Slaves
Patriarchal-father head of the family
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Conducted religious ceremonies
Controlled property
Supervises education of sons
Power to sell or kill family members
Family II
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Women
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Few legal rights
More freedom than Greek
Hostesses for parties
Shopped and ran household
Could own property
Children
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Firmly disciplined
Reading, writing and morals
The Roman Army
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All citizens were
required to serve
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Army was powerful:
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Organization & fighting
skill
Legion- military unit
of 5,000 infantry (foot
soldiers) supported by
cavalry (horseback)
The Roman Army
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To ensure success, Roman commanders mixed
rewards with harsh punishment
Young soldiers who showed courage in action won
praise and gifts
If a unit fled from battle, however, 1 out of every 10
men from that unit was put to death
Punic Wars (264-146 B.C.)
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Three Wars
between Rome
and Carthage
War with Carthage(Punici)
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Trade war
Who was to control Mediterranean
The first Punic War
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Carthage had taken Sicily
264 tried to take Messina
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passage between Italy and Sicily
Rome stopped
War
Romans took Sicily
Carthage superior in navy but Romans built
larger fleet
1st Punic War
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Rome gains control of Sicily & western
Mediterranean Sea.
War lasted 23 years
2nd Punic War
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The Carthaginians sought
revenge in the Second Punic
War
29-year-old Carthaginian
General Hannibal’s “surprise”
attack through Spain & France
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60,000 soldiers and 60
elephants
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Romans experience severe
losses, but eventually ward
off attacks & invade North
Africa
2nd Punic War
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The Carthaginians failed to
capture Rome itself
In the end, the Romans
outflanked Hannibal by sending
an army to attack Carthage
The Roman General was named
Scipio Africanus
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Best known for defeating Hannibal
Hannibal returned to defend his
homeland, where the Romans
defeated him at last
Carthage gave up all its lands
except those in Africa
3rd Punic War
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Even though Carthage gave up most of its land, many Romans still
saw Carthage as a rival and wanted revenge for the terrible
destruction that Hannibal’s army had brought to Italy
A popular saying was, “Carthage must be destroyed”.
Finally, in the Third Punic War, Rome completely destroyed
Carthage
Survivors were killed or sold into slavery
The Romans even poured salt over the earth so that nothing would
grow in the city of Carthage again
The Romans were now the masters of the Western Mediterranean