Ancient Rome

Rome was founded in 753BC

Early Rome

What advantages did Rome’s location give it?

on the Tiber River.

In 616, the Etruscans conquered central Italy.

The Etruscans ruled Rome for 100 years.

Influenced Roman development

System of writing – alphabet

Architecture – the arch

Around 509 BC, the Romans drove out the Etruscans and set up a republican

government.

Republican means

A political unit that is not ruled by a monarch and in which citizens with the right to vote choose their leaders.

Is the United States a republic?

Consul

The Republic was headed by 2 consuls.A consul means

Consuls served for

One year

Directed the government and the military (like the US President), head of the executive branch of the government

Could not be elected again for 10 years

Could veto each other’s decisions

Veto

A veto is

Who has the power in US government to veto?

To block a decision or vote

The President

Senate

•The consuls were advised by the Senate.

•How long did Senators serve?

How many Senators were there?

For Life

300

How many Senators does the US have?

How long do US Senators serve?

100/ 2 per state

6 years

All Senators were Patricians.

A patrician is?

The noble class or aristocracy

Plebeians were?

Plebeians had few rights and Could not vote. They were allowed to become members of the Roman assembly which had no real power. Senators could veto the assembly.

The common man

Plebeians later forced Patricians to give them more power. They refused to serve in the army until patricians

agreed to reforms.Enslavement for debt was ended.Marriage between patricians and

plebeians was allowed

Roman Values

• Gravitas – discipline, strength, and loyalty honored strength more than beauty, power more than grace, usefulness more than elegance

• Slavery – mostly conquered people, gladiators• Religion – myths, same as Greeks (but gave gods

different names)

Worship of emperor became part of the official religion

Twelve Tables

In 451BC, Roman law

was carved on 12 great

tablets known as the Twelve

Tables

Roman Law• All persons had the right to equal treatment under the law.• A person was considered innocent until proven guilty.• No person could be judged guilty of a crime until after the

facts of the case were examined.• The burden of proof rested with the accuser rather than the

accused.• All persons accused of crimes had a right to face their

accusers and defend themselves before a judge.• If there was any doubt about a person’s guilt, he or she should

be judged innocent.• Any law that seemed unreasonable or grossly unfair could be

set aside.

What legal systems did Roman law influence?

ForumThe Forum

The Twelve Tablets were hung in the Forum, the public meeting area in the center of Rome.

All free citizens had a right to the protection of the law.

In 509 BC, Rome was only 19 square miles.

All male citizens were required to serve in the army.

Romans could not hold public office until they had first served for 10 years

as a soldier.So what type of society did Rome have?

Roman LegionThe Roman army was made up of legions.

A legion was A unit of the Roman army made up of 4000-6000 men

Cavalry

Each legion had a unit of cavalry. What is cavalry?

Roman legions were superior to Greek phalanxes because they were more

flexible.

A consul led the army.

In times of emergency, a dictator was appointed by the Senate.

A dictator in Rome is

How long could a dictator serve?

Why did the Romans limit a dictator’s term?

A political leader elected for a limited time and given absolute power to make laws and command the army

6 months

What is the definition of a dictator today?

Any political leader who takes on absolute power and command of the army usually without legal basis

Can you name any modern dictators?

The Roman

army had catapults

which could throw

stones or flaming missiles.

The Roman

army also had Siege Towers

Rome is located on the Italian Peninsula.From 509 – 265 BC, Rome conquered the

Italian Peninsula

Define peninsula:

A peninsula is

Land surrounded on 3 sides by water

Can you name another peninsula?

In 390 BC, Rome was

sacked by the Gauls.

What does “sack” mean?

Destroy

Romans were forced to pay a bribe to make the Guals leave.

What is a Bribe?To pay money to make some one do something. It is usually considered illegal.

Citizenship rights

•Latin neighbors on the Tiber River had full citizenship rights – could marry other Romans, vote in Assemblies, and appeal for justice in Roman courts.

•Other people on the Italian peninsula were given the status of half-citizens – enjoyed all privileges except voting

•Allies, conquered people, had to contribute troops to the Roman army, forbidden to make treaties but were free to govern its own people without interference from Rome

This was different than in Greece. People outside of Rome shared in the power of government.

Jews

Under citizenship rights, Jews qualified as allies.

•Allies, conquered people, had to contribute troops to the Roman army, forbidden to make treaties but were free to govern its own people without interference from Rome

However Jews refused to worship or respect Roman gods. Romans were polytheistic. Jews were monotheistic. The First Commandment said “I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” This difference caused problems and made the Romans single out the Jews for punishment.

Punic Wars

The 3 Punic Wars were fought between Rome and Carthage. Carthage was located on the continent of Africa, on the coast in the middle of the Mediterranean. It was a rival for control of trade on the Mediterranean Sea.

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Carthage was founded by Phoenicians and controlled colonies in Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, Spain, and North Africa.

The First Punic War started in 246 BC

Rome and Carthage fought for control over the colonies and for control of the trade on

the Mediterranean Sea.

Carthage was 3 times as large as Rome and had a navy of 500 ships.

It collected in tribute of 1 million pounds of gold a year.

What is a tribute?

Carthage used the money to employ mercenaries.

What is a mercenary?

A soldier who fights for money, not loyalty

Roman Advantages

1. Rome could draw on more than 500,000 troops through its conquered territory.

2. Citizen troops were more loyal and reliable than mercenaries.

3. Warfare was a Roman specialty while Carthage was more interested in trying to collect more wealth.

Roman Disadvantage: Rome had no navy.

The First Punic War lasted 23 years, It ended when Rome defeated Carthage’s

navy.

This ended Carthage’s sea power. Rome took over Sicily.

The Second Punic War

Began in 218 BC when Hannibal, a general from Carthage planned an invasion.

Hannibal assembled an invasion force of 50,000 infantry, 9,000 cavalry, and 60

elephants. His army occupied parts of Italy for 13 years. Why did his invasion fail?

Battle of Zama

The Roman general, Scipio

sailed to Carthage to attack and

forced Hannibal to

return to defend the city.

Third Punic War: Carthage was destroyed in 146BC

What did Rome gain by defeating Carthage?

What 2 civilizations combined to form “classical civilization”?

Greece and Rome

What was Roman language called?

Latin

What modern languages developed from Latin?

Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian

Collesium

Gladiator

Arch

Pantheon

queduct

Aqueduct

Circus

Maximus

Myrtar

Roman Roadsall roads lead to Rome continues to invoke the picture of Roman cultural and military dominance.

Appian Way

Rubicon River

Julius Caesar

Assassination