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Lecture 6Rome: Introduction
Rome: the empire to which all of other empires and governments are compared
So what made Rome great? Not the extent of the empire—
others before had done that The success of the Romans
was in incorporating conquered peoples into the Roman system
Much more than the Hellenistic Greeks they were able to transplant their language, religion, and customs to conquered peoples
Their influence survives them to the present day
Roman Empire at its zenith inthe 2nd Century CE
Lecture 6Rome: Origins
Rome as a conqueror was blessed by geography Its position halfway up the Italian
peninsula put it in a good position to dominate Italy
Italy was well situated to dominate the Mediterranean
Actual Roman origins shrouded in myth Archeological evidence suggests
the Romans heavily influenced by Greeks and the mysterious Etruscans
Romans apparently a subject people of the Etruscans who broke free, but not all scholars agree on this idea
Etruscan territoryand artifacts
Lecture 6Roman Republic (509-45 BCE)
Documentable Roman history begins about 509 BCE with the rise of the republic
This period notable for its gradual codification of law and the law’s growing fairness Demonstrated the Roman
interest in practical government Divisions of Roman society
Patricians: wealthy, land-owning class that dominated the Senate and Consulship
Plebians: ordinary folk, who during the Republic forced the patricians to increasing share power Tribunes
RomanPatricians
RomanPlebians
Lecture 6Roman Conquests (1) The later centuries of the
republic saw the spread of Roman rule beyond Italy
The Romans do not seem to have deliberately set out to conquer an empire, at least not at first Instead, the conquests initially
came through wars with rival states in the Mediterranean, particularly Carthage
Carthage A wealthy and powerful
Phoenician city-state on the coast of North Africa
Became Rome’s main rival for dominance in the Mediterranean world
Based its military power on its large navy
CarthaginianEmpire and itsmilitary genius
Hannibal
Lecture 6Roman Conquests (2) The Punic Wars
Rome’s wars with Carthage for dominance 1st Punic War began in 264 BCE,
last ended in 146 BCE Since Rome dominated on land,
and Carthage at sea, who triumphed eventually boiled down to who could beat the other at what was good at.
After nearly losing the 2nd Punic War to Hannibal’s land campaign, Rome built a navy that defeated Carthage in the 3rd Punic War
Carthaginian Empire wiped out and its territories incorporated into Roman domains
Successful Roman conquerorsgiven the honor of a “triumph” or
victory parade through Rome
Lecture 6Decline of the Roman Republic (1) Republican government proved
unsuitable for ruling an empire made up of foreign peoples
The wars also created military leaders too mighty for the Roman state to control
The large army weakened the Roman agricultural economy
Agriculture production dropped It became easier for ambitious men
to squeeze out small-holders in rural areas and amass large estates using slave labor
Dispossessed often moved to Rome, where there was not enough employment
Situation ripe for strongmen who could feed and entertain the idle Roman mob “Bread and Circuses”
Part of providing bread andcircuses was arranging
gladiatorial battles
Lecture 6Decline of the Roman Republic (2) Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE)
Rose to power as a politician and general Conqueror of Gaul (France)
Pragmatic, ruthless politician Formed the First Triumvirate with
Pompey and Crassus, abandoned it when it was no longer useful to his ambition
He engaged in useful reforms His undoing was to make himself a
dictator Assassinated in 44 BCE
Augustus Caesar (44 BCE-10 CE) Julius Caesar’s grandnephew,
adopted as his heir Initially forced to share power with
Lepidus and Marc Anthony Later emerges as “princeps civitatis”
and later “imperator,” ushers in the Pax Romana
AugustusCaesar
(Octavian)
JuliusCaesar
Lecture 6Roman Society (1) Rome: city of contrasts
Population: about 1 million at its peak in ancient times
State palaces and lavish residences for the elite, but average Roman resident lived in squalor
Government forced to feed unemployed with imported grain paid for by tribute levied on conquered peoples—”tithe”
Family Basic unit of Roman society Headed by “paterfamilias”
Oldest male in the extended family Women held no formal power, but
sometimes influential behind the scenes Ideal Roman matron was faithful,
chaste, modest, and single-mindedly dedicated to her family
Like all humans, the Roman family did not always live up to its ideals
Lecture 6Roman Society (2) Roman slavery
Slaves generated by Rome’s foreign conquests
Came from Europe, Africa, and the Hellenistic East Quite diverse in their backgrounds
Slavery hereditary, but slaves often freed
Slavery a fact of life for the Romans, as all ancient people
Roman religion Romans Gods closely paralleled
Greek deities Worship of these gods became a
form of civic religion Helps explain the deification of Roman
emperors, starting with Caesar Augustus
Helps explain the persecution of groups like the Christians who refused to worship Roman Gods
The need for religion with more excitement explains the appeal of Eastern mystery religions
Roman slavestend their
owner
Roman depiction ofApollo, 6th century BCE
Lecture 6Christianity (1) Christianity emerges from the
teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Scholars know little of him outside of
the Gospels, written decades after his death, whose provenance and authorship remains uncertain
Jesus’ Palestine Much more is known of the Palestine
of Jesus’ time A province of Rome since 65 BCE At time of Jesus’ birth ruled through a
Roman client king, Herod the Great After Herod’s death, the Jews
revolted, prompting the Romans to send a governor to rule the province
Jews heavily factionalized Sadducees Pharisees Zealots
Images of Jesus of NazarethFrom the 6th and 7th centuries CE
Lecture 6Christianity (2) Paul (Saul) of Tarsus
Christianity might have died but for the efforts of Paul of Tarsus
Paul initially persecuted the early Christians, but then converted to the religion
As Jewish Roman citizen, he was able to bridge the divide and turn a Jewish sect into a religion for non-Jews Asserted Christians not bound by
Jewish law, especially its dietary restrictions
Also asserted that Christ’s teaching were universal
Pax Romana and Roman roads made possible his evangelical activities
Lecture 6Christianity (3)
Appeal of Christianity Unlike the mystery religions, its
message freely available, not just to initiates, and easily understood
Attractive message: forgiveness for sin, God’s unconditional love, and the promise of eternal life
Christianity and Rome Nero blamed Christians for the fire
that burned Rome in 64 CE, and ordered their persecution
Persecution peaked during the reign of Diocletian (284-305 CE)
Diocletian’s successor, Constantine (306-337 CE) sanctioned Christianity
Christianity made the state religion of Rome in 380 CE
Nero
Diocletian
Constantine
Lecture 6Empire’s Fall in the West
Rome never actually “fell” The center of the empire shifted to
the east, and the Romans, unable to defend the western part of the empire, gradually abandoned it to barbarian invaders
Germanic tribes, pressed by Asiatic invaders, pressed against Roman frontiers in the 4th century and gradually swallowed it up
After Justinian in the mid-500s, the eastern Roman Empire stopped trying to reclaim the west
The eastern part of the empire, being wealthier and more defensible, remained intact gradually becoming the Byzantine Empire (which lasts until 1453)
Justinian: last Romanemperor to try to reclaim
the western part ofthe empire frombarbarian tribes