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Chapter 5 Notes: Ancient Rome
A. The Roman Republic
• 509 BCE, the Roman aristocracy overthrew the last Etruscan monarch and established a republic.
• Republic: gov’t where
voters elect officials
to make the laws.
• Only males allowed
to vote
• Senate: most
powerful governing
body
Who really had the power?
• Patricians: Aristocracy,
the only ones who
could be elected to
office
• Patronage-you support
me, I support you and
whatever you do, do
not let those plebeians
get a piece of the pie
• Plebeians - everybody
else
• Paid taxes, owed
military service, could
vote.
• Made demands
and held strikes
• Gradually got more of the
pie
• Wealthy plebeians could
become patrician nobles
B. Rome Expands,
tries to become an empire • Rome dominates the Italian
peninsula which costs MONEY
• Carthage (North Africa) is near enough, rich, and probably a threat
• Result: The Punic Wars (3 in all) between Rome and Carthage.
• Hannibal of Carthage almost takes Rome
• Rome destroys Carthage and makes slaves of it’s people. Sowed land with salt.
• Empire: one ruler controls other countries and people.
Hannibal (50,000 troops and 60 elephants) traveled thousands of miles, crossed the Alps and
almost conquered Rome.
1. Spartacus 73 BCE
• First known slave
revolt
• 70,000 slaves tried
to take over Rome
• Rome crushed them
but it took 2-3 years
Crucifixion nails
Crucifixion: Roman death penalty
2. From Republic to Empire
a) Council of Plebs created, Gracchus brothers attempt reforms, are killed. This leads to more violence and instability.
b) Military leaders began to take control, leads to civil wars.
c) The First Triumvirate formed in 60 BCE – 3 people, equal power.
1. Crassus – richest man in Rome
2. Pompey and Julius Caesar – military heroes.
**Caesar was most popular among the people.
d) Crassus killed in battle, Senate chose Pompey
to rule but Caesar refused to obey.
3. Civil War: end of the republic e) Julius Caesar
• Had a huge following.
• Gathered his army and attempted a rebellion.
• “crossed the Rubicon” with his army in 49 BCE, civil war
began between he and Pompey.
• “Veni, Vidi, Vici”: “I came, I saw, I conquered.”
• Conquered Egypt by defeating mistress Cleopatra’s
husband (pharaoh Ptolemy XIII drowned in battle)
• Caesar defeated Pompey, declared himself “dictator for
life”. Many senators turned against him.
• Assassinated by 60 of his “friends”, democratic-minded
Senators in 44 B.C., including his protégé Brutus,
fearful of Caesar dominating power. Stabbed 35 times
on Senate floor on the Ides of March (15th)
• Caesar’s rule marked the end of Roman Republic.
Julius Caesar Cleopatra Marc Antony Octavian
- After Julius Caesar was killed, there was civil war between Marc Antony (top general) and Octavian (Caesar’s nephew and adopted son). Antony wouldn’t relinquish power to Caesar’s heir. - Antony fell in love with Cleopatra, Julius Caesar’s mistress/appointed ruler of Egypt. He joined her in Egypt. Octavian declared war on them, killed Cleopatra and Julius’s son, Caesarion .They eventually chose to commit suicide instead of being defeated.
4. The Roman Empire
• Octavian’s name changed to “Augustus” Caesar
• He became The First Emperor of Rome.
• Beginning with Augustus, the Roman Republic became the Roman Empire – 31 BCE
• There were 267 total emperors in the Roman Empire.
• Augustus reorganized the gov’t, expanded the empire, was hugely popular like his uncle, reigned for over 50 years.
• Pax Romana or Roman Peace under Augustus– unity, peace, stability, strong army, good economy.
The Roman Empire
at its height
C. Roman Accomplishments
1. Law - The Foundation of
Western law
• Twelve Tables – laws written
down and placed in Forum for
all to see.
a. All citizens have the right to equal
treatment.
b. A person is considered innocent
until proven guilty.
c. Burden of proof rests with accuser,
not accused.
• Twelve Tables laws applied to
everyone
• New laws were passed as
needed
2. Religion
• Polytheistic
• Jupiter- father of the gods
• First known State religion
• Caesar or ruler viewed
as a god and to be
worshiped along with
one’s personal gods.
3. Amusements
• Circus Maximus - held 250,000
• Colosseum
• Gladiators
• “Bread and
Circuses”-
Kept the poor
happy
with free
entertainment
and bread
Sub Floor of the Colosseum
4. Science
• Galen - books on medical knowledge
• Ptolemy-earth is center of universe?
• Concrete - put to practical use
• Sewer systems, roads, arches, domes
• Aqueducts - bridges that carry water to a city
Arch of Titus
5. Language
• Romans learned alphabet from Greeks, originally from Phoenicians.
• Our alphabet includes the 23 Roman letters (plus J,V,W)
• Half of all English words have Latin origins.
• Latin was official language and used in most of Europe for centuries.
• Catholic church used until 1960’s.
• Latin is parent language of Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian.
D. A New Religion - Christianity
• Rome conquers Judea (Israel today)
• The Agrippa family put in charge of Judea with a Roman governor to keep order
• Jews yearn for freedom
• Frequent revolts
• Hope for a Messiah or savior ( to free or save them from Rome)
• Jesus Christ is born and viewed as the savior
1. Jesus'
teachings:
• There is one God
• God’s kingdom is not of this world
• God wants a relationship with you
• God is personal, loving, perfect, and forgiving
• Love one another as I have loved you
• Be just, moral and righteous
2. Jesus’ death and the Rise of Christianity
• Jesus is crucified in Judea, he is called Messiah
• Christianity begins with his resurrection.
• As Roman Empire declines and things get worse there are more and more converts to Christianity
• Emperor Nero - blames Christians for his poor leadership and insanity, kills thousands.
• officially regarded as a religio prava, an evil or depraved religion.
• Christians Become Martyrs and live in Catacombs
• Emperor Constantine - accepts Christianity and makes it Rome’s official religion in 300 CE. When Christians begin to outnumber Pagans, a change must take place.
• Roman acceptance of Christianity allows the religion to spread throughout the world.
3. The Early Christian
Church • Early believers met in
homes; churches appeared in 200s
• No denominations
• Pope - leader of Christian Church; 1st Pope was Peter
• Council of Nicaea -organized the basic Christian beliefs and required them as a standard for Christian faith (the Trinity). This helped Christianity become the official religion of Rome.
Pope Francis, 1st papal “selfie” 2014
Pope Benedict resigned in 2013, 1st since 1400s
3. The Early Christian Church con’t. 1. Monotheistic faith based on
the Trinity (3 in 1) (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
2. Bible becomes holy text • 66 books, 40 authors
• Old Testament = Hebrew authors
• New Testament = authors who knew Jesus or taught by those who did
• Comes from Greek word for “the books”
3. Belief in afterlife in heaven or hell
• based on faith in God and Christ's resurrection, good works, participation in sacraments
NOTE: Christianity is the largest religion in the world today with over 2
billion followers.
(Islam is a close 2nd)
Catacombs or Sewers of Rome
E. Rome begins to collapse
1. Poor leaders (19 of 20 die violent
deaths, civil war)
2. Empire grew too fast and too big.
3. Economic problems (High taxes,
inflation, more imports than export,
decline in trade.)
4. Public services too costly.
5. Disease and natural disaster lower
population.
6. Invasions by barbaric tribes.
1. The Invaders
• Germanic tribes from
Northern Europe –
Goths, Franks, Angles,
Saxons, Vandals
(vandalism)
• Huns (Asia) – Attila
• 476 A.D. – fall of Roman
Empire, last Roman
emperor is overthrown
Result: Anarchy and Chaos http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/
ca/books/bkf3/imaps/AC_15_503_in
vasions/AC_15_503_invasions.html
• Emperor Constantine changes the capital of the
Roman Empire to Byzantium and renames it
Constantinople to avoid the invaders. 330 CE • http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/ca/books/bkf3/imaps/AC_15_491
_division/AC_15_491_division.html
2. The Fall of Western Rome
The Roman Empire (though much reduced)
continues in the East as
the Byzantine Empire
Western Rome falls.… The End