Rome’s Rise to Power

Rome’s Mythical Beginnings: Romulus and Remus

• Romulus and Remus were believed to be the sons of a Latin princess and the god Mars.

• The brothers taken from their mother as punishment and left to die on the Tiber river.

• They were found by a she-wolf who fed them.

• A shepherd killed the she-wolf and raised the brothers as his own.

• When the brothers grew older, they built a city on the Tiber river.

• They argued over who would rule the city, and so Romulus killed Remus and named the city ROME.

Rome’s Historical Beginnings

• A group of people called the Latins settled on Palatine about 1200 BC and developed a city called Rome.

• Around 800 BC, a people called the Etruscans settle north of the Latins in a city called Etruria.

• The Etruscans were more culturally advanced than the Latins and ruled Rome for over 200 years.

• In 509 BC, the Romans overthrew the Etruscans and set up a republic.

The Expansion of the Roman Republic

• Romans conquered & controlled all of Italy by 275 BC

• Carthage ruled much of N. Africa, Spain, & Sicily

• Rome felt threatened by Carthage because they controlled the Mediterranean Sea.

• Conflict between Rome and Carthage leads to the PUNIC WARS: fighting for control of the Mediterranean Sea.

• There were 3 Punic Wars and Carthage lost.

• By 146 BC Rome controlled land around the Mediterranean SeaBattle of Zama

The Final Years of the Roman Republic: Julius Caesar

• Because of the wealth the Punic Wars brought Rome, a gap between the rich and poor grew.

• The Gracchi brothers, Gaius Marius, and Lucius Cornelius Sulla attempted to improve conditions in Rome. They:– Gave land & wheat to poor

– Gave power to the army

– Gave power to the senate

The Final Years of the Roman Republic: Julius Caesar cont.

• Julius Caesar, a Roman general, believed Rome needed a strong leader.

• He conquered Northern France, Belgium, and Britain. He then marched on Rome.

• Caesar defeated Pompey and became dictator of Rome in 46 BC.

• Roman Senators feared that Caesar was going to make himself king so they plotted to kill him.

• Julius Caesar was assassinated on March 15, 44 BC.

The Roman Empire: Cleopatra’s Death

• Octavian (Caesar’s grand-nephew) and Marc Antony (Caesar’s general) gained control of Rome and shared leadership: Octavian controlling the west and Antony controlling the east.

• Antony wanted to make the East independent and rule it with the queen of Egypt: Cleopatra.

• Octavian invaded Egypt and Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide.

• Octavian becomes the absolute ruler of Rome takes the new name, Augustus. He is seen as the first Emperor of Rome.

• Augustus introduced “PAX ROMANA,” an extended time of peace.

The Roman Empire• Augustus’s successors

continued to expand the empire by conquering Britain, Armenia, Assyria, and Mesopotamia.

• The 5 emperors between A.D. 96 and A.D. 186 did many things to improve the empire. They:

– Introduced economic programs

– Created programs to support poor children

– Made it illegal to kill a slave

The Roman Empire• After the reign of the Five Good

Emperors, civil war breaks out in A.D. 186. The ruling emperors lost control.

• In A.D. 284, Diocletian became emperor of Rome and realized its size made it too difficult to govern.

• Diocletian divides the empire into two.

• Eventually, Constantine emerged as Rome’s leader in A.D. 312. He moved the capital to the east and converted to Christianity.

• Internally, gladiatorial games were one sign of Rome’s decline.