Mapping the Expansion of the Roman Empire

A quick review of the Roman Republic and the transition to an Empire

Accompanied by video contained in the series, Rome: Power & Glory (Questar)

see notes on the slides for chapters to view on the video

This activity is adapted from the TCI unit Europe after the Fall of the Roman Empire

This presentation is intended to supplement classroom instruction, and should not be disseminated for any other purpose.

Rome’s Beginning

s: Romulus

and Remus

Rome’s Beginnings: Romulus and Remus

•How many people do you see in this slide?•Do you see any other life-forms?•What is “unusual” about the slide?•Is this a realistic scene?•What terms do we use to describe stories that are fictional?

Rome’s Beginnings: Romulus and Remus

•Troy •Tiber River•Palatine•Rome•Etruria

Rome’s Beginnings: Romulus and Remus (notes)

•Mythical Version:Trojan prince Aeneas discovers Latins

while looking for promised landRomulus and Remus, sons of Latin

princess and the god Mars, abandoned

Romulus and Remus cared for by she-wolf, discovered by shepherd and wife

Romulus kills Remus; becomes first king of Rome

Rome’s Beginnings: Romulus and Remus (notes)

•Historical Version:Latins settled on Palatine, a fertile

area with pleasant climate, around 1200 B.C.

Etruscans (“people of the sea”) of Etruria ruled Rome (Latins) for 200 years

Romans overthrew the Etruscan leaders and set up a Republic in 509 B.C.

The Expansion of the Roman Republic: The Battle of Zama

The Expansion of the Roman Republic: The Battle of Zama

•What is happening in this slide?•How might elephants help an army in battle?•Where would these elephants have come from?•If you were an African military leader, how would you get these elephants to the Italian peninsula?

The Expansion of the Roman Republic: The Battle of Zama

•Carthage•Spain•Sicily•Alps•Gaul•Corinth•Macedonia•Syria

The Expansion of the Roman Republic: The Battle of Zama (notes)

•Romans conquered and controlled all of Italy by 275 B.C•City-state Carthage ruled much of North Africa, Spain, and Sicily•Roman conflict with Carthage started the Punic Wars•Hannibal defeated at Zama; Carthage lost all its territories to Rome•By 146 B.C. Rome was the leading power of the Mediterranean

The Final Years of the Roman Republic: Julius Caesar

•What crime is about to take place here?•Does everyone in this picture want the man dead?•Is the victim an important man?•What is the location of this crime?•Why would government officials want to kill their own leader?

The Final Years of the Roman Republic: Julius Caesar

•Britain•Rubicon River•Egypt?•Libya, Cyrenaica, Numidia, Syria and Asia Minor

The Final Years of the Roman Republic: Julius Caesar

•Rome’s conquests caused changes in economy and government - large estates replaced small farms; cities became crowded with people out of work - gap grew between rich and poor•Attempts were made to improve conditions in Rome - Gracchi brothers gave land and wheat to poor•Caesar, Pompey and Crassus form ruling group called the First Triumvirate•Armies became loyal to their generals, not Rome•Julius Caesar “crossed the Rubicon” and marched on Rome - start of a civil war• Pompey and Crassus are killed, Caesar becomes dictator of Rome• Senators fear Caesar’s power, kill him March 15, 44B.C.

The Final Years of the Roman Republic: Julius Caesar (notes)

The Roman Empire: Cleopatra’s Death

The Roman Empire: Cleopatra’s Death

•What is happening here?•What are the various emotional responses of the people?•What do you think happened to the woman on the bed?•Who might the soldiers be?•What are their emotions?•How are their emotions different from everyone else’s?•What are they looking for?

The Roman Empire: Cleopatra’s Death

•Egypt•English Channel•Rhine River•Danube River•Euphrates River•Sahara Desert•Dacia•Carpathian Mountains•Armenia, Assyria, and Mesopotamia

The Roman Empire: Cleopatra’s Death (notes)

•After Caesar’s death, power shared by Marc Antony, Lepidus, and Octavian - called the Second Triumvirate•Civil war broke out between Antony and Cleopatra, and Octavian•Octavian won naval victory at Actium in 31 B.C and defeated Antony•Egypt was made a Roman province, Cleopatra lost her power as queen•Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide to avoid being paraded through Rome as captives•Octavian proclaimed himself Augustus

The Roman Empire: Cleopatra’s Death (notes)

•Octavian became the absolute ruler of Rome; he was given the title “Augustus” (honored)•As Rome’s “First Citizen” Augustus ended the expansion of the Empire at its defensible boundaries: English Channel, Rhine, Danube and Euphrates Rivers, and the Sahara desert•Augustus introduced the “Pax Romana”, a time of peace and unity for the empire

The Roman Empire: Gladiatorial Games

The Roman Empire: Gladiatorial Games

•What is happening in this slide?•Is this a battle or a sporting event?•Describe the types of people in the crowd.•Why is the gladiator looking to the crowd?•What sign are they giving him?•What kinds of people do you think became gladiators?•Why would people want to watch something as brutal as these gladiatorial matches?

The Roman Empire: Gladiatorial Games (notes)

•Gladiator games were popular as a show of military strength and as a way to gain political capital•Earliest gladiator games recorded in 264 BC•Caesar presented lavish games to gain popularity with the Romans•Gladiators were often slaves, soldier-prisoners from war or Romans voluntarily seeking a profession•Gladiators typically fought ‘to the death’ of one of the combatants•By the time of Augustus’ reign, spectators would decide if the gladiator should be spared from death or not

Pollice Verso ("With a Turned Thumb"), an 1872 painting by Jean-Léon Gérôme, is a well known historical painter's researched conception of a gladiatorial combat.

Pierre Mignard - The Death of Cleopatra

Vincenzo Camuccini, Death of Caesar (detail), 1798

The Battle of Zama by Henri-Paul Motte, 1890

Faustulus (to the right of picture) discovers Romulus and Remus with the she-wolf and woodpecker. Their mother Rhea Silvia and the river-god Tiberinus witness the moment. Painting by Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1616 (Capitoline Museums).

Invasions and rebellions in the Roman Empire, A.D. 250 – 271.