Chapter 4 “All Roads Lead to Rome.” The Roman Republic
Dec 24, 2015
Chapter 4
“All Roads Lead to Rome.”
The Roman Republic
Beginning of Roman Civilization
Read Daniel 2: 31-45
“Mare Nostrum”Italian PeninsulaApennine Mountains
– not so ruggedMediterranean Sea
Latins Phoenicians
Greeks Etruscans
Early Inhabitant
s
City of Rome – Tiber River“League of the Seven Hills” – LatinsLegend of Romulus and Remus
The Founding of Rome
Legend of Romulus & Remus
500—480 BC. In the Capitoline Museums, Rome, Italy
753 B.C.
Twins
Heirs, usurped
Raised by a she-wolf
Shepherd
Later established the city
Fight over boundaries
Romulus kills Remus.
Basic unit of early roman society was the family.
Early Society & Government
Tribe
Clan
Family -
Father
Two Social ClassesPatricians – aristocratic class, highest
positions, wealthy landowners, noble familiesPlebians – common people, traders, farmers,
craftsmen:
Early Society & Government
Early Society & GovernmentEarly government –
Monarchy, imperiumFasces – bundle of
rods with an axe, symbol of power
Kings were probably elected by the people.
Senate – a popular assembly representing the people (advised the king)
What is this?
The Early Roman Republic
Establishment
Etruscans invade the Latins 650
BC
Rome grows;
influence increases
Roman nobles
overthrew Etruscan monarch
Roman Republic
established in 509
B.C.
Senate
Consuls
Assemblies
Establishment
Supervised everyday governmentCommanded armySupreme judgesOne year termsReserved for patricians in early
republic
Two Consuls
Most important and most powerful bodyAn aristocratic body that guarded the powers
and privileges of the patrician class300 members, appointed for life by consuls
Senate
Wealth, birth, and place of residence determined membership and voting procedures in the assemblies
Assembly of Centuries – chief assembly of the early republicVoted on legislationDeclared warElected high-ranking government officials
Note: Senate had veto power over decisions of the assemblies.
Assemblies
Who were the Patricians?The wealthy and influential
Who were the Plebians?The common people
Quick Review
Struggle Within the RepublicPatricians
Held consulshipsDominated Senate &
assembliesMade most lawsControlled courts
PlebiansFew social privilegesVirtually no voice in
governmentExcluded from
holding public officeMarriage with
patricians was prohibited.
Could be sold into slavery for debts
Struggle Within the Republic200 years of struggle
for equalityExternal wars led to
plebian power (needed in the army)
Council of Plebians – plebiscites
Office of Tribune – veto power
Plebians forced patricians to put laws in writing.
Law of Twelve Tables posted in the Roman Forum.
Gained rightsTribal Assembly 287
B.C. pass binding laws
Law of TwelveTables
The Mediterranean – A Roman SeaRome: Master of Italy
Master of ItalyRomans attacked Greek
colonies on the Italian peninsula.
Pyrrhus led the Greeks with elephants to defeat the Romans twice.
Second time – great losses.
Pyrrhic victory – victory whose costs outweigh the advantage of winning
Then Rome conquered all of southern Italy.
Pyrrhus
Rome then controlled all the Italian peninsula.
She treated conquered people with mercy and fairness, unlike most conquerors who use force and oppression.
As long as the people didn’t rebel and cause trouble, they were allowed to live in peace.
Sometimes Rome granted citizenship to conquered people. (vote, hold office)
Allowed local independenceDemanded troops from conquered people to
fight more wars of conquest.
Master of Italy
RomeMaster of the Western Mediterranean
264-146 B.C. Punic Wars.Carthage had been a colony of the
Phoenicians and was inhabited by Phoenician descendants.
The Latin word for Phoenicians was Punici.Punici = > Punic Wars
Rome versus Carthage: The Punic Wars
Rome versus Carthage: The Punic WarsCarthage
SeamanshipHire soldiers
RomansStrong land armyRoman soldiers
fighting for home and family
Ultimately achieve victory even if at first defeated
Greek historian Polybius with some pro-Roman bias
The First Punic War (264-241 BC)
The Second Punic War (218-201 BC)
The Third Punic War (149-146 B.C.)
RomeMaster of the Eastern Mediterranean
Chapter 4
After the 2nd Punic War, Rome began to expand its empire to the east conqueringMacedoniaSyriaEgypt
And thus dominated the entire Mediterranean world.
Rome organized her conquered holdings into provinces administered by governors appointed by the Roman Senate.
The provinces were left alone somewhat if they did not rebel.
They had to send taxes as tribute to Rome.
Roman Administration
RomeDecline into Dictatorship
The citizen farmers bore the military burden of Rome and had to serve as soldiers.
When they returned home, their farms needed much effort to be ready to farm again.
Many lost their land because they could not pay the taxes on it.
They became landless & unemployed and sought work in the cities.
Internal Problems
They were unable to find jobs because some of the people they conquered were brought in to serve as slaves.
The former farmer-soldiers became dissatisfied and restless.
The war devastated the warriors economically.
However, the aristocratic senators and patricians profited from the farmers’ loss.
Internal Problems
Some governors in the provinces used their authority for personal gain.
They hired publicans to collect taxes. The rulers would get part and the publicans would get to keep whatever else they were able to coerce out of people.
The people despised the publicans.
Corruption
See inset on Publicans page 89.
Two men emerged seeking reform. They were grandsons of Scipio, the brothers
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus.Tiberius said of the farmer/soldiers, “They
fight and die to support others in wealth and luxury, and though they are styled masters of the world, they have not a single clod of earth that is their own.”
Failure of Reform
The Gracchi worked to have public lands given to the poor to cultivate for food.
They also tried to have the government sell grain to the poor at reduced prices.
They were both killed by senators: one directly, the other in a staged “riot.”
Failure of Reform
The Senate abandoned peaceful attempts to solve the discord within Rome and resorted to violence to maintain their power.
Civil War
Roman Senate vs. The Tribal AssemblySulla vs. Marius (appx. 88 B.C.)
Sulla and the Senate won this round.Sulla had himself declared dictator.
The First Civil War
Crassus – commander in Sulla’s army & very rich.
Pompey – another of Sulla’s commanders who gained the support of the powerful Senate.
Julius Caesar – general, politician, very popular with the common people.
Formed a triumvirate (rule of three).
The Second Civil War
Julius CaesarGovernor of Gaul (modern France)Led a powerful & loyal armyMilitary campaigns through Gaul & BritainSent written reports of his accomplishments to
Rome (Commentaries on the Gallic Wars).
The Second Civil War
Crassus was killed in battle in Asia.Pompey sought to take control with the
support of the Senate which ordered Caesar to return to Rome and disband his army.
Caesar returned to Rome, crossed the Rubicon River, and by marching his army to Rome declared war on Pompey and the Roman Senate.
The Second Civil War
The phrase “crossing the Rubicon” means making a fateful decision from which there is no turning back.
Pompey and many senators fled to Greece and then to Egypt where he was killed.
Julius Caesar declared himself dictator for life.
The Second Civil War
Curbed corruption in the provincial governments.
Established colonies for the landless army vets.
Granted citizenship to many non-Italians living in Rome’s new colonies.
Initiated public works projects.Established the Julian calendar.
Caesarean Reforms
Evidence suggests that Caesar planned to make himself king.
Romans prided themselves on their republic and would not tolerate a king.
Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March (March 15) 44 B.C.
Et tu Brute?
Assassination
Mark Antony and Octavian joined forces to avenge Caesar’s death.
First, they divided the empire: Octavian ruled the west; Mark Antony the east.
They soon turned on each other and fought a decisive naval battle at the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. with Octavian the victor.
The Third Civil War
31 B.C. to the Fall of Rome (AD 476) is known as the period of the Roman Empire.
Empire really began long before with expansion and conquest under the Republic.
Now the Republic is gone, and Rome is ruled by an imperator, the title of the commander of a victorious army.
Republic to Empire