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Ancient Rome Mrs. Bernier and Mrs. Hart

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Geography of Italy Present-day Italy is a peninsula, often called a boot because of its shape, that juts out into the Mediterranean Sea. The city of Rome is located on the west coast of Italy in the middle of the country.

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Geography of Italy The geography of Italy made it much easier to unify than Greece. The Apennine Mountains, which run down the length of the peninsula, are not rugged, and easy to pass through. Italy also has broad fertile plains good for farming, which enabled the population of the early empire to grow.

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Origins of Rome Rome was founded in the 8 th Century B.C. and was originally a small city-state ruled by a single king. Late in the 6 th Century B.C., the citys aristocrats got rid of the king, ended the monarchy, and started a new government. Over the next ten centuries, the government of Rome would evolve, changing from one form to another.

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Forms of Government in Rome- Monarchy Monarchy a form of government in which power is in the hands of a king or queen. Characteristics of a monarchy include: a. Rule is by one person. b. Once in power, a person stays in power for life. c. Power is passed onto children or another family member. d. Complete control over people in a country. e. Belief in divine right right to rule comes from God.

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Forms of Government in Rome: Oligarchy/Aristocracy Oligarchy a form of government in which most of the power to rule is in the hands of a few people who are usually wealthy and privileged. Characteristics of an oligarchy include: a. The interests of the small ruling group are considered the most important. b. Children of the powerful ruling families are raised and mentored to one day inherit the power from their families. c. The needs, rights, and interests of the general population of people are less important.

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Forms of Government in Rome: Oligarchy d.Laws are made by the small ruling group, and if a crime is committed, they may appoint a judge (usually a noble). e. The general population of people have few opportunities for advancement or change.

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Forms of Government in Rome: Republic/Democracy Republic a form of government in which power to rule comes from the people. Characteristics of a republic include: a. The head of the government is not a monarch and is elected by the people. b. The head of the government may share power with at least one other branch, such as a senate. c. Meetings are held to openly discuss issues that are of importance to the government and the people, and then voted on.

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Forms of Government in Rome: Republic/Democracy d.When a crime is committed, a hearing is held in front of a jury of ones peers. e.Members of the republic have certain natural rights.

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Forms of Government in Rome: Dictatorship Dictatorship a form of government in which one person has complete control over the government. Characteristics of a dictatorship include: a. One party rule no competition from other political parties is allowed. b. Use of military to enforce the wishes of the ruler in power.

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Forms of Government in Rome: Dictatorship c.Arrest and punishment of individuals, without a trial or with a mock trial, for political offenses. d.Censorship of the press (media). e.Use of extreme nationalism to make people believe what the ruler says to be true.

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The Roman Republic As a republic, the most powerful ruling group was the Senate, which was made up of 300 patricians, members of the landowning upper class. The Senate elected two consuls to supervise the government and lead the armies. Consuls served one term so they could not become too powerful. In the event of war, the Senate chose a dictator who ruled for six months.

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The Roman Republic The lower class of Roman society, the plebeians, had little say in government and they gained more power in 450 B.C. with creation of the Laws of the Twelve Tables. The plebeians gained the right to elect their own officials called tribunes. They could block laws they felt were unfair to the plebeians.

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Roman Expansion The Romans expanded their control across the Italian peninsula. They were able to do this because of their strong armies. Their legions were well trained to be loyal, courageous, and respectful. Soldiers were rewarded when appropriate, and punished harshly at other times. One form of punishment was decimation; one out of every ten men from a disgraced legion was put to death.

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Roman Imperialism As the Romans expanded, they followed a policy of imperialism, or establishing control over foreign land and people. They fought against Carthage in the West, took over Macedonia, Greece, and Asia Minor in the East, Egypt to the South, and much of Europe to the North.

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The Roman Empire By 133 B.C., Romes empire was huge. Their conquests gave them control of busy trade routes, which brought them great riches. They also gained great fortunes from loot and taxes.

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Slave Labor As they conquered more and more areas, the Romans enslaved people captured in war. They forced the slaved to work on their plantations. Slave labor hurt the small farmers who couldnt grow and sell food as cheaply as larger farms.

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Peasant Riots As small farmers fell into debt, they were forced to sell their land and move to the cities to find work. In the cities they joined groups of other unemployed people. Hungry and tired, they started riots. Unable to solve their problems, Rome became involved in civil war. The Senate wanted to rule as it always had, but others wanted to reform the government. In addition, Roman legions became professional armies, loyal only to their commanders.

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Julius Caesars Rule Julius Caesar came to power in 48 B.C. after defeating Pompey, another ambitious Roman general. He forced the Senate to make him dictator, and he became the absolute ruler of Rome. He was later assassinated by his enemies as he arrived in the Senate, in 44 B.C.

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Caesars Reforms Public works program to employ the jobless. Poor people were given land. Reorganization of the government. Roman citizenship was granted to more people. Introduced a new calendar based on Egypts.

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The End of the Roman Republic After Caesar was killed, Rome was plunged once more into a series of civil wars. In 31 B.C., a new ruler came to power in Rome and was given the title of Augustus by the Senate. He ruled for 17 years, and the republic came to an end. In its place emerged the Roman Empire, and a series of political and economic reforms were made.

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The Pax Romana The two hundred year period that started with Augustus and ended with Marcus Aurelius is known as the Pax Romana. It was a golden age for the Roman Empire. Peace, order, stability, and prosperity developed throughout the empire. Trade prospered and new goods flowed into Rome from different parts of its empire. As a result of cultural diffusion, new ideas and technology also spread.

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Difficulties for the Empire After the Pax Romana, on the surface everything appeared to be going great for the Romans. However, beneath the surface problems began to develop. Taxes were high, many people didnt have jobs, power struggles developed in government, and the military became less effective.

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Bread and Circuses To keep the mobs of restless people in the cities happy, the emperor offered gladiator games and chariot races to entertain them. He also fed them. This became known as bread and circuses. They covered up the political, social, and economic problems that were brewing throughout the empire.