Ancient rome

Ancient Rome

Republic to Empire600 BCE – 180 AD

Ancient Rome - GeographyItaly is a peninsula that is about 750 miles from north to south. It is also not very wide, averaging about 120 miles across.

The Apennine mountains form a ridge from north to south down the middle of Italy.

Italy was divided into three main regions: the Po River valley in the Alps in the north, Latium, where Rome is located, and Campania. All three areas had fertile farmland.

Ancient Rome - GeographyGeography played an important role in the development of Ancient Rome.

The Apennine mountains were not like the stark, rugged mountains of Greece – the Appenines did not divide the country into small areas.

Ancient Italy also had more land for farming than Ancient Greece, allowing the Romans to develop a much larger population.

Rome was also located in an easily defended area, with access by both land and water.

Ancient Rome - GeographyAncient Rome was located about 18 miles inland on the Tiber River.

Built on seven hills, Rome was easily defended. The Tiber River allowed access to the sea and the seven hills of Rome provided long-range views and advantageous military positions.

Rome was situated where the Tiber River was easily crossed, making Rome the central location for all of Italy.

The southern end of the peninsula was an important crossroads for the Mediterranean, giving Romans an advantage in sea trade.

Roman People• Roman legend attributed the founding of Rome to the twins

Romulus and Remus, who were raised by a she-wolf; when the twins grew, they traced the boundaries of Rome with a plow, marking its borders (733 BCE)

• In reality, the Romans were Indo-European people that moved into Italy in the period between 1000-1500 BCE

• They moved into Latium and were Latin speakers

• After 800 BCE, others began to move into Italy, specifically the Etruscans and Greeks. • The Greeks colonized southern Italy between 750 – 550 BCE• The Greeks grew olives, grapes• Passed on their alphabet • Provided model for arts

Etruscans

• Rome was developed by the Etruscans, from the Northeast part of Italy called Etruria

• After 650 BCE, they expanded into north-central Italy and came to control Rome and most of Latium

• Romans adopted Etruscan dress – the toga and cloak

• Roman armies were developed on Etruscan model

Rise of the Roman Republic

• In 509 BCE, the Romans overthrew the last Etruscan king and established a republic, a form of government in which the leader is not a monarch and citizens have the right to vote.

• For the first two hundred years of the Republic, Rome was in a constant state of war.

• In 338 BCE, the Romans crushed the state of Latium. They then went on the march to conquer the rest of italy

Roman Republic• By 264 BCE, the Romans conquered the Greeks

who had colonized southern Italy and Sicily• The Romans created a Confederation, a type of rule

that allowed some of the conquered people full Roman citizenship (the right to vote and hold office).

• The other communities remained allied states and were allowed to run their own affairs as long as they continued to provide soldiers and taxes (tithes) to Rome

Roman SuccessWhy was Rome successful?

• They believed in duty, courage, and discipline•They were good diplomats, who created loyalty in conquered peoples by allowing them the “privilege” of being Roman by granting them citizenship•Although their diplomats were effective, they could also be cruel when necessary, especially in crushing rebellion

Roman Military• The Roman military was a huge factor in Rome’s

successful takeover of the Italian peninsula • Large population allowed them to constantly

replenish the army– If defeated, the Romans sent another army rather

than give up– They built colonies throughout Italy and connected

towns with easy to traverse roads that allowed for fast military movement

Roman Government• The Government of Rome:• Patricians Plebeians

– Landowners craftspeople– Ruling class famers– Men could vote larger group than patricians– Elected officials men could vote

• Chief Executive Officers of Rome• Consuls Praetors

– 2 chosen every year In charge of civil law– ran government– led army into war

• Senate Centuriate Assembly• 300 Patricians elected chief officials • Served for life & passed laws• Advise government officials

Tribunes were elected and took care of different aspects of Rome’s public life, like roads, aqueducts, trade, etc.

Plebeians vs. Patricians

• Plebeians and Patricians were often in conflict– Plebeians and Patricians could not marry– Plebeians provide most soldiers for army– Plebeians wanted social equality with Patricians

Plebeian Assembly

• The conflict between Plebeians and Patricians was partially resolved in 471 BCE– Tribunes of the Plebeians were created– Were given power to protect Plebeians from

Patrician abuses– In the 4th century BCE, plebeians were allowed to

become consul– In 287 BCE the Council of Plebs was allowed to

create and pass laws that affected all Romans

Roman LawRome had an elaborate system of laws that was imitated throughout the Mediterranean.

Rome’s first code of laws was the Twelve Tables, adopted in 450 BCE. All the Roman laws were engraved on twelve tables.

As Rome grew, the Twelve Tables did not meet their needs. They developed a system of civil law that applied to all Roman citizens.

Laws were applied differently to non-Romans, which created conflict throughout Italy. A new set of laws, the Law of Nations, which contained standards of justice that could be applied to everyone.

Legacy of Roman Law

• Many of Rome’s laws and principles are still in use today:– People were assumed innocent unless proven

guilty– People accused of wrongdoing were allowed to

defend themselves before a judge– Judges were expected to make decisions based on

evidence presented in court

Punic WarsAfter Rome conquered all of Italy and the Greek colonies on Sicily, they faced a challenge from Carthage.

Carthage was established in Africa by the Phoenicians. They had a large trading empire throughout the Mediterranean. The Carthaginians had a colony on western Sicily, which made the Romans fearful of Carthaginian power.

In 264 BCE, Rome and Carthage battled for control of the Mediterranean. The wars were Carthage were called Punic wars, after the Latin word for the Phoenicians, punicus.

First and Second Punic Wars• First Punic War:

– Began 264 BCE, when Rome sent army to Sicily– Rome created a large naval fleet and defeated the Carthaginians in 241 BCE– Carthage gave up all rights to Sicily and paid a fine to the Romans

• Second Punic War:– Hannibal was major general for Carthage and vowed revenge– He attacked Rome in 218 BCE by moving through Spain and crossing the Alps with

his army (including elephants!) They struggled with the Alps crossing and many died– Rome went to meet Hannibal at Cannae in 216 BCE and were slaughtered. Rome

raised a second army to fight off Hannibal– Hannibal roamed Italy for nearly ten years but could not attack the major cities

because his army wasn’t large enough– In 206 BCE the Romans finally pushed the Carthaginians out of Spain– In 202 BCE, Rome invaded Carthage in order to draw Hannibal out of Italy, it

worked, and the Carthaginians were once again defeated

Third Punic War• After the Second Punic War, Italy became the

dominant power in the Mediterranean• Prominent Romans wanted the complete

destruction of Carthage so they could not rise to power again

• In 146 BCE, the Romans invaded Carthage and destroyed the city; the city was burned by soldiers and the entire population was sold into slavery

• Carthage became a Roman province called Africa