RomeRome

From Republic to EmpireFrom Republic to Empire

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Key EventsKey Events

o Romans overthrew the last Etruscan king and established a republic.

o Romans crushed Hannibal and won the Second Punic War.

o Augustus became the first emperor, signifying the beginning of the Roman Empire.

o Constantine proclaimed official tolerance of Christianity.

o Germanic tribes defeated the Romans, and the empire fell.

VocabularyVocabularyo Republic

o a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch.

o Patriciano an aristocrat or nobleman.

o Plebeiano of or belonging to the commoners of ancient Rome.

o Consulo one of the two annually elected chief magistrates who jointly

ruled the republic.

o Praetoro each of two ancient Roman magistrates ranking below consul.

The People of ItalyThe People of Italyo Indo-European peoples moved into Italy from

about 1500 to 1000 B.C.

o One group was the Latins in the region of Latium.

o Herders and farmers who lived on Rome’s hills, they spoke Latin, an Indo-European language.

o After 800 B.C., Greeks and Etruscans moved into Italy.

The EtruscansThe Etruscanso They were a people located in the north of Rome

in Etruria.

o They were a city dwelling people who established their towns in commanding positions and fortified them with walls.

o They had an impact on Roman civilization in numerous ways-both small and large.o Etruscan dress- short cloak and toga- was adopted by

the Romans. o Fasces: an axe surrounded by a bundle of rods used as a

symbol for the power to scourge and execute, hence to rule.

The Struggle of The Struggle of OrdersOrders

o Twelve Tables of Lawo Legal procedures for going to court; provisions on family,

women, and divorce; regulations concerning private property; rules governing relationships and injuries to others; and a provision prohibiting intermarriage between plebs and patricians.

o lex Hortensiao Henceforth, all plebiscita* passed by a pleb assembly had the

force of law and were binding on the entire community, both pleb and patrician. Moreover, unlike the laws passed by the centuriate assembly, these plebiscita did not need the approval of the senate.

✴ Plebiscita: it is the opinion of the plebs.

The Punic WarsThe Punic Warso Three wars between Rome and Carthage that led

to the undisputed dominance of Rome in the western Mediterranean.

o In the first Punic War (264–241 bce), Rome secured Sicily from Carthage and established itself as a naval power; in the second (218–201 bce), the defeat of Hannibal (largely through the generalship of Fabius Cunctator and Scipio Africanus) put an end to Carthage's position as a Mediterranean power; the third (149–146 bce) ended in the total destruction of the city of Carthage.

AugustusAugustuso (63 bce– ce 14), the first Roman emperor; born

Gaius Octavianus; also called Octavian. He was adopted in the will of his great-uncle Julius Caesar and gained supreme power by his defeat of Antony in 31 bc. In 27 bc he was given the title Augustus ("venerable”) and became in effect emperor.o Was given the title of Imperator by the Senate.o Maintained a standing army of 28 legions or about

150,000 men.o He set up a praetorian guard of about 9,000 men who had the

important task of guarding the emperor.

The Early EmpireThe Early Empireo During the reigns of Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius,

and Nero, these emperors took over more and more of the responsibilities that Augusts had given to the Senate.

o At the same time, as the emperors grew more powerful, they became more corrupt.o ex. Nero had ppl killed if he wanted them out of the way-

including his own mother.

Pax RomanaPax Romanao the peace that existed between nationalities

within the Roman Empire.o Age of five so-called good emperors: Nerva, Trajan,

Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius.

Decline and FallDecline and Fallo Marcus Aurelius, the last of the five good

emperors, died in 180 ce. A period of conflict and confusion followed.o Between 235 to 284, the Roman throne was occupied by

whoever had military strength to seize it. It was during this period that there were 22 emperors, some meeting a violent death.

o Factors leading to the fall of Rome:1.Christianity weakened Rome2.Roman values declined as non-Italians took over3.Lead poisoning4.Plague5.Slavery prevented Rome from technological advancemento Ineffective political system.