The Ancient Romans & Democracy - Rocklin Unified School District

The Ancient Romans

The Pantheon

Supportive Essential

Question:

What is meant by “a government

of laws, not men”?

Rome

Founded

Rome

Republic

Established

Julius

Caesar

Republic is

DEAD

Roman

Empire

Began as Greece Fell

753 BC it began!

Ruled by Etruscan Kings

Romans kicked out kings

509 BC Republic was established

44 BC Caesar seizes power!

Rules as dictator

Was assassinated

Octavian (Caesar’s heir)

defeats all rivals – seizes power

27 BC Senate proclaims him

Augustus (holy one)

Republic is dead – never to be

revived!!

Establishes Monarchy

Endures for 500 years until

476AD

The Roman

TimelineWhat are the stages of Ancient Rome?

Left Page Table

Romans were famous for…

– Roads

– Bridges

– Aqueducts

– Fast curing cement

– Reinforced concrete

– Holiday Travel

– Gladiator games

– Calendar

– Locks and keys for doors

– Census for population

– Apartment blocks

– First circulated newspaper

– Public toilets

– Crucifixion and torture

– Candles - sticks of animal fat which the legionaries could even eat in times of starvation.

– Scissors

– Magnifying glass

– shoe soles made of cork

– Different shoe shapes for left and right foot.

– Bikinis

– Showers

– Public buildings

• spas and heated pools

• gymnasiums

• public libraries

– Postal system

– Street lighting

– Hooliganism at the stadiums

– Brides dressed in white being carried over the threshold of their new home.

Founding of Rome 753 BC

• 2 legends

– Romulus and Remus

– Aeneas

• Settlers:

– Greeks were in S. Italy

– Etruscans in N. Italy

– Latins around Rome 1000BC

• 650-600 BC

– Etruscans unite surrounding

settlements w/ Palestine Hill

– Most influenced by Greeks (ex.

Religion: Jupiter is Zeus, Mars is

Ares, Venus is Aphrodite)

Early Roman RepublicSummarize how the republic came to power.

• 510 BC began w/ revolt against

Etruscan King Tarquin

– Son of king raped a wife of

nobleman

– Lead by Lucius Brutus

– King escaped

– Republic formed 509 BC (Brutus in

charge)

• Late 509 BC

– Tarquin came back to reclaim

throne

– Fails

– Republic stands!

Friendly reminder….

A Republic• Officials are chosen by

the people

• Officials represent the people who vote

• **Legal system –contributed to unity and stability of Rome

Rome Republic Video10:38

Roman Republic

12 Tables:• Ancient legislation that was the foundation of Roman

Law (Centerpiece of Roman Republic constitution)

• In 450 BCE citizens grew tired of no voice in gov’t.

– Leaders wrote down old laws (that’s a big deal!!)

– Laws organized into 12 sections = 12 tables

– Dealt with property, crime, family, theft, marriage and

inheritance.

• Engraved on metal and put on display at the Forum in

the city of Rome (so that everyone could see)

– Each law applied to every Roman citizen, be he rich or poor.

The Roman

Republic

The Senate (Patricians)•The aristocracy

The Assembly (Plebeians)•Were voted on by the people

•Represented the people

•Called Tribunes

Why is having

both the senate

& the assembly

a good idea?

How is this system similar

To that of the United States?

2nd left page table

Patricians

• Patricians (aristocrats)

dominated the

Republic:

– Senate was the main

body that set foreign

policy, and was in

charge of the treasury.

– Senators served by

virtue of their class

How was the Roman Republic divided?

Plebeians

Plebeians (lower class):

• Included everyone in ancient Rome (except the patricians)

– Well-to-do tradesmen to very poor.

• Membership to Senate denied to them

• Were totally unrepresented in the Republican institutions of government.

• 287 BC = Laws passed giving PLEBIANS FULL LEGAL EQUALITY W/ PATRICIANS.

Common People Video12:13

Collapse of

Republic 49 BC

Senate orders Caesar to hand over his army to their control (Refuses).

Instead Caesar advances on Italy (stops at border with Gaul (France) and Italy) Roman law said that a governor was not allowed to leave his province. Caesar ignored this law, crossed the

Rubicon and advanced to confront his enemies in Rome.

Senate considered this to be a treasonable offense (couldn’t do anything).

Caesar had a powerful army and for the next 3 years he picked off his enemies one by one, whether they were in North Africa, the Middle East or Europe.

45 BC

Caesar returned to Rome as a dictator.

Allowed the Senate to continue working Replaced disloyal senators with his own loyal men.

Kicked out senators plotted against him.

44 BC

Caesar was murdered

Rome was divided Good thing or Bad?

What lead to the collapse of the republic?

Roman Empire

After 10 years of civil war:

36 BC: Octavius appointed, by senate, tribune for life

27 BC: Octavius appoints himself "Augustus" (the first emperor)

Republic dead Roman

Empire born

Senātus Populusque

Rōmānus ("The

Senate and People of

Rome“)

Augustus Octavian• Augustus reigned

from 27 BC to 14 AD

– Ruled with absolute

power (monarchy).

– He reestablished

political and social

stability

– Launched 2 centuries

of prosperity called

the Roman Peace

(Pax Romana)

Collapse of the Roman Republic21:56

Roman EmpireHow was the Empire so successful?

• The Roman Empire covered a huge amount of territory allowed people of different cultures to retain their heritage.

– The empire carried on the art, literature, and philosophy of the Greeks

– The religious and ethical system of the Jews,

– The new religion of the Christians,

– Babylonian astronomy and astrology,

– Cultural elements from Persia, Egypt, and other eastern civilizations.

Religious Tolerance!!!

Transition of Roman Empire

• Constantine legalized Christianity approx 300 AD

• Then splits empire in two, moved the new “Rome” to Constantinople (Istanbul)

– protect the Christian "West" from the barbaric and Muslim threats from the East

– Didn’t work…

– Empire is becoming weaker

How did Rome become the

powerful Holy Roman Empire?• The Church was the only

stable structure of order in Rome (Kings/Emperors, not so much)

• Pope Leo launched a coup for Papal authority took it upon himself to crown Charlemagne (Charles the great) "Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire" on Christmas day of the year 800, at St. Peter's

– Rome before that, but was in turmoil. Charlemagne, restored Rome to it’s glory!

Vatican City

St. Peters Basilica

Charlemagne dies…

• Dies 814“From the lands where the sun rises to western shores, People are crying and wailing...the Franks,

the Romans, all Christians, are stung with mourning and great worry...the young and old,

glorious nobles, all lament the loss of their Caesar...the world laments the death of

Charles...O Christ, you who govern the heavenly host, grant a peaceful place to Charles in your

kingdom. Alas for miserable me.”

• He was succeeded by his surviving son, Louis (was crowned 813).

• His empire lasted only another generation in its entirety

• Empire divided by 3 between Louis's own sons (after father's death) laid foundation for the modern states of France and Germany.

What happens to the HRE?

What’s in a name…?

• Becomes known as a political entity in western Europe from 800 to 1806.

– It was initially known as the Empire in the West.

– In the 11th century it was called the Roman Empire and in the 12th century the Holy Empire.

– The title Holy Roman Empire was adopted in the 13th century.

– Destroyed by Napoleon 1806

Legacy/Influence of Roman LawDescribe the legacy of Roman Law

• All citizens treated equally

– Religious tolerance for all religions

• Innocent until proven guilty

• Person is punishable for actions,

not thoughts

• Burden of proof lies with accuser

Code of Justinian• Byzantine emperor Justinian

from 529 to 565 AD

• Emperor Justinian wanted to

save in writing all the laws that

began in ancient Rome.

– Twelve Tables.

• He collected up all the old laws,

& added new ones that gave his

people even more rights.

• “a govt. of laws, not men”

Impact of Rome Justinian Code would influence

European law for the next 1,000 years

New and existing governments still refer to his laws as guides when creating laws for their own countries today!

Rome had a…(What was Rome’s influence on the US?)

• Rome had been ruled by a monarchy,

– Expanded greatly during its republican period

that lasted until Caesar became emperor

• Members of the Roman Senate held the

greatest amount of power

• The Romans used a Republican form of

Government - Representative Democracy.

What is meant by “a government of laws, not men”?

Summarize

Gladiator (17:23)

Mt. Vesuvius

POMPEII 79AD