THE ROMANS

1. Explain the origins of the Roman Empire, considering the Latins, the Etruscans, the Greek and the Phoenicians.2. Describe the main characteristics of the period known as the Republic, considering political organization and social life.3. Analyze the consequences of the Punic Wars. Josephus. 4. Describe the period in Roman history known as Empire, considering the ascent to power and the main achievements of Julius Caesar and Augustus.

Roman’s originsTribes of the Iron Age called Latins

Influences of different Mediterranean people

1. Etruscans:• Sophisticated Hellenized people• Experts in the art of metallurgy, town building and city planning• Chariot racing• The arch: ingenious structural principle of Mesopotamian architecture

2. The Greeks:• Masters of philosophy and the arts• Pantheon of gods and goddesses• Linguistic and literary principles• The aesthetics of the Classical style

3. The Phoenicians

• Alphabet• Commercial and maritime skills

QUICK COMPARISONThe ancient Romans were very different from the ancient Greeks.

The ancient Romans were realists, not idealists. You can see this in their statues. The Greeks made statues of perfect people. The Romans created real life statues.

The ancient Greeks would never have done this!

The Romans built roads all over the empire, and all roads led to Rome. The ancient Greeks had roads, but they were not built nearly as well, and the Greek's roads did not connect in any particular order. Connect to what? Each Greek city-state was its own unit. In ancient Rome, Rome was the heart of the empire!

THE KINGDOM (800 – 500 BCE)

• Etruscan kings ruled the Latin population• Interest in authority and stability (not so much in liberty or democracy)• However, monarchy slowly gave way to a government “of the people” (res publica). • The Romans were a proud and progressive people with a rapidly growing population.

THE ROMAN REPUBLIC (509 – 133 BCE)Roman population: powerful class of large landowner, the aristocracy (patricians) and a more populous class of farmers and small landowners (the plebeians)-

The patricians monopolized the seats in the Senate and the offices of magistracy.

The grievances of the plebeians were numerous: • compelled to pay heavy taxes, • forced to serve in the army in time of war, • were excluded from all part in the government except membership in the assembly, • Discriminatory decisions in judicial trials (laws were unwritten), • Sold for debt

HOWEVER… Step by step they gained increasing political influence

Laws were codified and about a generation later they won eligibility to positions as lesser magistrates

PUNIC WARSBy 256 bCe, Rome had conquered and annexed the whole of Italy (not Sicily yet).

Carthage: Phoenicia’s commercial stronghold in Africa

Causes: • Jealousy over Phoenician expansion in Sicily• Threat to the Roman Empire First Punic War: 23 years of fighting brought victory to

Roman generalsSecond Punic War: Arrogance and greed. Romans interpreted the Phoenician attempt to rebuild their empire as a threat to their interests and responded with a declaration of war. Phoenicia was more completely humbled than beforeThird Punic War: Carthage had recovered some of its prosperity: enough to the envy and fear of their conquerors: Seldom has this world witness a more desperate and barbarous struggle. Carthage was destroyed.

Momentous consequences:

1. Virtually the entire Mediterranean area had been brought under Roman dominion.Conquest of the Hellenistic East

2. Social and economic revolution: a. A marked increase in slaveryb. the appearance of a middle class c. Comprising merchants, d. an increase in luxury

• The Romans proved to be efficient administrators. • Demanded from their foreign provinces taxes, soldiers to serve, tribute and slaves. • Unmodified local government• Latin language and Roman law. • Backbone of the Empire: Rome’s highly disciplined army.

Book page 140

THE COLLAPSE OF THE REPUBLIC (133 – 30 BCE)

Roman imperialism changed the Republic itself.

The Senate The army VERY POWERFUL

CORRUPTION

Latifundia: large-scale plantations Economic advantages to landowners

Small farmersForced to sell their farms to neighbouring patricians

Move to the city to join a growing unemployed population

Rome’s rich people were richer and its poor citizens poorer

Patricians resisted efforts to redistribute wealth more equally

Rome fell victim to the ambitions of army generals

As bloody confrontations replaces reasoned compromises, the Republic crumbled.

In 46 BCE Julius Caesar

dictatorship

• Took strong measures to revitalize Rome: • he codified the laws,• regulated taxation, • reduced debts, • inaugurated public work projects• Reformed the western calendar to to comprise 365 days and 12 months

Threatened by his populist reforms, a group of senators assassinated him