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Geography

Location, Geographic Settings, Expansion, Trade and Travel

Location• Rome is located at center of

Italian peninsula.• The boot-shaped peninsula

stretches to Mediterranean sea and the northern border was separated by high mountain ranged called Alps.

• Rome was surrounded by Gual on North, Carthage on South, Adriatic Sea on East, and Atlantic Ocean on west.

• Etruscans from North and Greeks from South also surrounded Rome.

Geographic Settings

• Rome was built on seven hills.

• Rome’s climate had mild winters and warm, dry summers.

• Rome was good for trade and travel because it was surrounded by natural harbors.

• Rome had several large plains, so farming was major foundation of Roman economy.

Origins of Rome

• According to legend, Romulus and Remus were the founders of Rome.

• Romulus was the first king of Rome.

• Romulus created Roman Legions and Roman Senate.

Expansion• Rome gained Italian peninsula

by 264 B.C. Rome gained Carthage and other islands in Mediterranean sea by the Punic Wars.

• The three Punic Wars are the war between Rome and Carthage. Scipio and Hannibal are the major leaders from those countries.

• Other territories Rome gained are Spain, Greece, great Britain, Gual, and Syria.

Religion

Christianity, Judaism, Roman Beliefs, Relationship with Politics

Christianity• Romans and Jews had conflicts

of Jews’ migration around the Mediterranean sea, then Jews’ messiah called Jesus comes to Earth.

• Christians believed in one God and in the resurrection. Jesus told people to love your enemies like you love your neighbors.

• Enemies of Jesus arrested Jesus and Pontius Pilate sentenced him to die by crucifixion. Three days after Jesus’s death, he resurrected and ascended into heaven.

Judaism

• Jewish believed that there is only one God

• Jewish, however, did not believe Jesus to be God’s son, but just a preacher.

• Jews did not believe in sacrificing animals.

• Jews thought bodies shouldn’t be cremated, but buried.

Roman Beliefs• Romans believed in several

Gods, and prayed to certain Gods depending on the need.

• Roman gods were formation of Latin and Greek gods.

• Nerva is one example of goddess who you would pray to when you lost your love. You would pray to Neptune for a good day for fishing.

Relationship with Politics• Some historians believe Christianity

turned people into Pacifists, meaning people opposing war.

• This made it hard for Rome to expand its territory, and defend from barbarian attacks.

• Christianity was believed to attract many qualified leaders who were needed to work for Rome’s problems

• Christian churches and monasteries were believed to take away money from government that would have been used to maintain the empire.

Achievements

Republican Form of Government, Latin Language, Roman Arts and Engineering, System of Laws

Roman Engineering

• Romans developed aqueducts which supplied water to the city.

• The water was used for the Bath and public water fountains. Wealthy people had the water pipes connected straight to their houses.

• 50,000 of straight paved Roman roads made of concrete blocks crisscrossed the empire.

Latin Language

• Latin was the spoken and written language of Rome.

• Through the Roman expansion, Latin spread throughout Mediterranean and large part of Europe.

• Latin roots are found in English, French, Italian, and Spanish words.

Roman Arts and Engineering• The need for a water supply

in cities, such as farming and the Bath, led Romans to build aqueducts.

• Roman architecture designs held arches, columns, and domes

• To improve transportation and help unify distant ports of the empire, Romans built highways out of concrete blocks.

System of Laws• Romans wrote out the laws

in twelve tablets, called the Twelve Tables, and hung them at the Roman Forum for people to see.

• The Twelve Tables are the base of Roman constitution.

• Roman law became the basis for many codes of law developed in European Countries, and America today.

Economy

Roman Expansion, Pax Romana, Trade and Travel, Inflation

Roman Expansion

• Rome gained Italian Peninsula by 264 B.C. Rome gained Carthage and other islands in Mediterranean Sea by the Punic Wars.

• Other territories Rome gained are Spain, Greece, Great Britain, Gual, and Syria.

• This expansion and argument going on between the expansion.

Trade and Travel• Since Rome was surrounded by

cultural regions and oceans Rome was the center of trading.

• Crafts and construction industries were part of Roman economy.

• Rome was a huge market for grain, olive oil, and other farm products.

• Silver bowls and bronze ware were exported to Russia and northern Europe.

• Romans imported luxury goods, such as silk, from China.

Pax Romana• Pax Romana was the period of

time of economic growth for the empire. The long peace lasted from 27 B.C. to A.D. 180.

• The peaceful time started after Julius Caesar’s assassination and the rise of Octavion, or later called Augustus.

• Julius Caesar was a powerful dictator type of emperor, when Augustus was a humble emperor who called himself “the first citizen”

• During the peaceful time Rome developed in art and literature, trade and commerce.

Inflation• When Romans stopped

conquering lands, and amount of gold decreased, which meant less gold for use of coins.

• Coins became less valuable and merchants raised the price of goods

• This led to bartering.• Eventually, prices had to be

paid in clothing and food, and even taxes were paid in fruits and vegetables.

Social Structures

Patricians, Plebians, Women’s Rights, Gap Between Rich and Poor

Patricians

• Patricians were the upper Roman class

• All Roman senators were Patricians but later they elected Plebian senators. Still there were more Patrician senators than Plebian senators

• Patricians lived in nice houses with a grand gate, an indoor pool, flowers, and string music by slaves.

Plebians• Plebians were the lower

Roman class• Plebians couldn’t hold any

power in the government society

• Plebians lived in old and rugged floor apartments, where illness and fires were constant threats.

• Plebians grew crops on earth owned by wealthy people.

Women’s Rights

• Men held the highest power in Roman families

• Women couldn’t own a property like other men in Roman society (only wealthy women could)

• Wealthy women property owners had to pay more taxes than men and had to give 1/4 of their property to the government.

Gap Between Rich and Poor• During the expansion, rich

people became more wealthier.

• Poor farmers, became homeless. Slaves from the expansion took all the jobs in Rome. This led to job shortage.

• Politician Tiberius Gracchus suggested dividing wealthy people’s estates to balance out the gap, but was assassinated.

• Rich people got to the point when they can’t pay taxes anymore, then the Empire fell.

Politics

Republican Form of Government, Law and Order, System of Laws, Fall of Rome

Republican Form of Government

• Roman Republic elected an emperor that will rule for seven years.

• Roman Senate made laws. Laws were posted around the city.

• Rome’s government was a form of monarchy/oligarchy/democracy.

• United States government today is based on Roman Republic’s government system.

Law and Order• Murder, assault, theft,

mistreatment of slaves and defacing property in Roman Streets at night was dangerous.

• Anyone could accuse others of criminal behavior. Court was held at the Forum

• Roman Senate made laws. Laws were posted around the city. Roman Senators had body guards with axes or long knives.

Slavery• Slaves lived in wealthy

people’s houses cooking, playing music, and cleaning.

• Time to time, slaves organized revolts. Spartacus was one of famous leaders of slave troops.

• Population of slaves in Rome increased from expansion and slaves took all the jobs in Rome.

• This lead to job shortage and may have contributed to fall of Rome.

Fall of Rome• Excessive military spending

did help protect the boundaries but didn’t get to pay attention to other important issues.

• This led to political corruption, and when military got weaker barbarians invasion followed.

• Slaves from expansion took all the jobs there is in Rome, so this led to job shortage and people ma have created riot against the Empire.

Conclusion

• I think the republican form of government was one of the most important idea of Ancient Rome.

• Even though the Roman Republic had failed and became the Roman Empire, the system of tripartite including the Magistrates, Senate, and the assemblies are now roots of many countries’ government system today, like the United States.