Rome and the Rise of Christianity 750 B.C. – A.D. 500

Rome and the Rise of Christianity

750 B.C. – A.D. 500

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• Italy

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The Rise of Rome

• Italy is a peninsula• Apennine Mountains and the

Tiber River• Rome built in central location• Latins moved in around 1500 –

1000 B.C.

Etruscans

• Advanced civilization in Northern Italy

• Lived in Etruria • No written records, but they

were advanced• Women were very important

to them

750BC Italy

The Rise of Rome

• Influenced by the Greeks• Etruscans influenced Rome’s

development the most• Influenced writing, religion,

art, etc

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Founding the City

• 753BC- traditional date as founding of Rome

• Initially ruled by monarchy • Mythical story of Remus and

Romulus

Monarchies

• 7 kings of Rome- 753-509BCE• Tarquin the Proud (Tarquinius

Superbus)- last King of Rome – Tyrannical, evil ruler who was

exiled – Rape of Lucretia

• Revolution by Brutus (son) and Collatinus

• Rape of Lucretia

http://www.historywiz.com/tarquin.htm

Revolt

• In 509, Romans overthrew the Etruscan king and developed a republic

• Republic – a form of government where the people are represented by another person. – May be chosen by the people or

appointed

• "res publica" - a public thing for the people

The Roman Republic

• Two consuls chosen every year• First two were Brutus and Collatinus

• Roman Senate• 300 patricians who served for life

• Tribal Assembly • Council of plebeians was created to

create political equality

S.P.Q.R

• Senatus PopulusQue Romanus

• Senate and People of Rome

Roman Law

• Twelve Tables• Adopted in

450BC• Provide political

and social rights for Plebs

• Later became inadequate

• Led the way for Law of Nations

The Roman Republic

• Rome expanded their empire• Allowed conquered areas to

remain free• Good diplomats• Excelled in military affairs

First Punic War

• Carthage was founded by Phoenicians (punicus) around 800 B.C.

• Carthage and Rome wanted Sicily

• War broke out in 264 B.C. • Romans built large naval fleet

to win

Carthage

Second Punic War

• Hannibal – greatest Carthaginian general

• Bring the War to Rome- didn’t really work

• Scipio, of Rome, then attacked Carthage- success!!

• By 129 Rome controlled Macedonia, Greece, and Pergamum

Hannibal

Second Punic War

Assignment

• Using your computers, notes, books, encyclopedias, etc, write an alternate ending to the Punic Wars.

• What if Hannibal had been successful and conquered Rome? What would be different? What would we have? What wouldn’t we have?

• To do this, you will need to research what they wanted, how they lived, government, etc.

• Write a one page story, and be creative!

• Chief Phoenician colony• Founded in 813BC

• Rapid growth in fame and wealth• Inhabited by Queen Tyre and aristocrats• Battle Greeks for Sicily in 480

Roman Expansion

• Led to separation of social classes• Need for a permanent army• Call for Reform– Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus urged for

land reform– Each killed for the way the ruled

• As the Republic grew more unstable, generals began seizing power for themselves

Rise of the Armies

• Gaius Marius vs. Lucius Sulla• Both Consuls of Rome by

different measures• Marius by election from Plebs• Sulla by appointment from

Senate

Marius Sulla

• Marius– Free Roman

Army- pledge allegiance to him, not S.P.Q.R.

– Uses military to conquer other lands- elects proconsul to rule in his place

• Sulla • Uses army

to capture and kill enemies in Rome

• Takes over as dictator with the military

A Nation in Trouble

• Rome is no longer a nation of laws, but becoming a nation of men–Generals building up armies• Loyalty to men, not loyalty to the state

• We are seeing the beginnings of an Empire

The First Triumvirate• Triumvirate – govt. by three

people with equal power• After 50 years of civil war, three

men gained power• Crassus- Richest man in Rome• Pompey – military hero from

Spain• Julius Caesar- military

commander

Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar

• Julius Caesar leads army in Gaul in Great Campaign

• Pompey tries to bring Caesar home without his army

• Caesar responds by bringing loyal army home into Rome

• Pompey flees and Caesar made Consul for Life – Dictator- 47BC

Caesar’s Rome•Absolute Ruler•Reforms– Granted Roman citizenship to provinces– Land Reforms– Increased pay for his soldiers

•Senate planned/ Assassinated Caesar• March 15, 44 BC – Beware the Ides of March – Shakespeare

Beware the Ides of March- 44BC

Second Triumvirate

• New leaders emerge• Octavian- 18yrs old, grandnephew of Caesar• Marc Antony- Experienced Military Leader• Lepidus- Powerful politician

• Fight between Octavian and Antony– Antony and Cleopatra were defeated at

Actium, Greece in 31BC

• Period from 31 B.C. – 14 A.D. – Age of Augustus

Octavian

Age of Augustus

• Augustus – the Sacred one• Senate gave Augustus

imperium for life- complete rule

• Wanted to fix Rome, finish what Caesar Started

• Expands empire • Roads to provinces, beautifies Rome

• Ever expanding empire, but defeat to barbarians in Germany helped realize that Rome was not invincible

• Period after death of Augustus is called the Early Empire

The Early Empire

• New political system – Allowed the emperor to select successor– Augustus chooses family• Gaius Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero

• Slowly took control of everything• After Nero, Rome realized they

needed to change the system

Nero

The Good Emperors

• Beginning with the 2nd century, there were five “good” emperors• Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antonius Pius,

Marcus Aurelius

• Led Pax Romana• Time of peace and prosperity

• Senate’s power declined• Taken by Emperors

The Good EmperorsTrajan Marcus Aurelius

Hadrian

Wall built to protect N. border of Britain

Roman Empire

• Empire continued to expand until it was too big to defend

• In 212 citizenship was given to every free person in the empire

• Latin in the West, Greek in East– Create Greco-Roman world

• Economy boomed- farming, trade, commerce, slave labor

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Roman Empire

• Romans adopted Greek art• Excelled in architecture- many

building projects• Literature was at its height

during the Age of Augustus• Family was at the heart of

Roman life

Roman Architecture

Roman Architecture

Slave revolts

• Spartacus– Gladiator– Led Slave revolt– 70,000 followers– Captured and

killed– 6000 followers

were crucified

Roman Empire

• Rome was a true capital city with close to a million residents

• Overcrowded and noisy• Insulae – apartment blocks, up to

six stories high• Entertainment– Gladiators, Circus Maximus, Dramas

Insulae

Roman Baths

Roman Baths

Roman Religion• Officially a polytheistic state – Some emperors were officially made

gods

• Romans were tolerant of other religions

• Eastern religions began to threaten Rome

Roman Religion

• Kingdom of Judea became a Roman province, but still followed own laws/ religion– Revolt in 66 BC

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• Rise of Jesus- teachings led to Christianity; Jewish man, stirred controversy

Issues w/ Christianity

• At first, Christians were persecuted and thought to be a threat to the Roman society–Many were killed regularly

• Christianity gained popularity and by 3rd century, Christianity was widespread

Rise of Christianity • Why did it grow so fast?– Personal religion with a meaning to life– Familiar– Fulfilled human need to belong

• In the 4th century, Constantine became the first Christian emperor– Edict of Milan- Constantine– Adopted as official religion in 378 under

Theodosius the Great

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Constantine's_conversion.jpg

After Pax Romana

• Period of instability after the Five Good Emperors: 3rd century A.D.

• Plague , invasions bombarded empire• Economic hardships• Decline in trade and small industry

Late Roman Empire

• Diocletian- 284- 305– New governmental structure, economy and

religion– Divided kingdom into 4 units for control

• Constantine – Built a new capital at Constantinople- East– Enlarged Army and civil service w/ reform– Inflation used to pay off

Diocletian Constantine

Decline of Rome• Rome became split into the

Eastern and Western Roman Empires

• Inflation rapid increase in prices

Decline of Rome

• Pressure from the Huns and the Visigoths

• In 476 Romulus Augustus out as the Germanic head of state, ending the Western Roman Empire

Why Rome Failed?????

• Emphasis on Christianity weakened the military

• Traditional values declined as non-Italians gained prominence

• Lead in the water led to a mental decline• Plague • Failed to advance technologically due to

slavery• No workable political system

Pompeii

• What happened?• What can we learn?• What was pompeii like?• Pictures. Pictures. Pictures.• Internet site?