1. Rome & The Rise of Christianity Chapter 6

2. Early Rome Location! Location! Location!
Great Climate—mild/damp  perfect for farming
Supported large population
Natural barriers
Alps in North
Waterways
Rivers (Tiber River)
Center of Mediterranean Sea
Boot shaped peninsula
Italy is a peninsula about 750 miles long north to south.
The Apennine Mountains run down the middle.
Three important fertile plains ideal for farming:
Along the Po River
Plain of Latium
Plain of Campania, south of Latium.
Italy’s extensive farmland allowed it to support a large population.

3. Early Rome 18 miles inland Easy access to sea Protected by hills
Major traffic route – both Rome & Italy
Rome was located 18 miles inland on Tiber River.
Had easy access to sea but safe from pirates.
Easily defended because it was built on 7 hills
Rome built on a north-south traffic route in Italy.
Because the peninsula juts out into Mediterranean, it was a stopping point for east-west trade and travel. This helped Rome maintain its Mediterranean empire.

4. First Romans Legend = Romulus & Remus Reality Latins
Twins of Mars god & Latin princess
Reality
Latins
Founded original city in Rome “First Romans”
Greeks
Southern Italy & Sicily
Sculpture, architecture, literature
Etruscans
Skilled metalworkers & engineers

5. Founder of the Republic
First Romans
Etruscans conquered Rome & became rulers - Monarchy
Contributed alphabet (got it from the Greeks) & the arch (critical support for buildings
Toga, military structure, harsh rulers
509 B.C. Romans revolt, overthrow king & Etruscans
Vow to never be dominated
Establish a republic
Republic:
Form of government – vote for representatives
Power is with citizens
Free-born male citizens have right to vote
Lucius Junius Brutus
Founder of the Republic
1st Consul
Etruscans had more impact on early Rome’s development.
After 650 B.C. they controlled most of Rome and Latium.
Etruscans turned Rome from village to city and gave the Romans their mode of dress: toga and short cloak.
The organization of the Roman army was modeled on the Etruscan army.

7. Timeline B.C. = Before Christ  BCE—Before Common Era
1-99.
500 B.C.
100 A.D.
500 A.D.
B.C. = Before Christ
 BCE—Before Common Era
A.D. = Anno Domini “After Death”
CE—Common Era
NO YEAR 0!!

8. Early Republic - Government
Patricians- 10%
Wealthy landowners
Aristocrats
Privileged
Plebeians - 90%
Townspeople, merchants, shopkeepers, farmers
Class struggles
Council of Plebs, Tribunes – protect them
By 4th Century BC, they can become Consuls
By 3rd Century, they make laws
It was organized by classes based on wealth, so the wealthiest citizens held the majority of power, even they were a smaller group
Many conflicts between the plebeians and patricians.
The plebeians wanted political and social equality, especially because they fought in the army to protect Rome.
Finally in 471 B.C. a popular assembly called the council of the plebs was created.
“Tribunes” – officials from among the plebs, were empowered to protect the plebeians.
By the fourth century B.C., plebeians could be consuls. In 287 B.C. , the council of the plebs received the right to pass laws for all Rome.
Despite these gains, a wealthy ruling class dominated political life.

9. Early Republic - Government
Consuls (Executive Branch)
2 consuls (1 lead army & 1 lead government)
Power of veto
Senate (Legislative Branch)
300 members
Mostly Patricians
Dictator
Leader given absolute power for limited time – 6 months
Forum—center for public life
Built by Etruscans

10. Early Republic - Roman Law
Twelve Tables:
Roman law written on bronze tablets
All Roman citizens “treated equally”
Presumes innocence
Allows defense
Judges must weigh evidence
Law of Nations
Universal law – applies to all
One of Rome’s most important contributions was its system of law.
Romes first code of law, the Twelve Tables, was adopted in 450 B.C.
Later Romans adopted a more sophisticated system of civil law, which applied to Roman citizens only.
As Rome expanded, legal questions arose that involved Romans and non-Romans.
A body of law known as the Law of Nations arose to handle some of these cases.
Romans identified the law of nations with natural, or universal, law. Its standards of justice applied to all: a person is innocent until proven otherwise, the accused has a right to a defense before a judge, and judges should decide cases based on evidence.

11. The Early Republic Roman Army Great value placed on army
Very disciplined & organized
Land owners required to serve
Legions = Military unit of about 5,000
Century = Legions divided into groups of 80
Infantry = foot soldiers
Cavalry = horseback, supports Legions

12. Roman Expansion - Punic Wars
Battles with Carthage – North Africa
1st = Sea battle over Sicily – Rome wins
2nd = Hannibal’s success, but ultimate failure
50,000 men, 60 war elephants, horses cross the Alps
Battle of Cannae – Romans lose 40,000 men, but still fight
Battle of Zama – Romans crush Hannibal in Carthage
Carthage- founded by the Phoenicians around 800 B.C. on the coast of North Africa, Carthage had a large trading empire in the western Mediterranean. Carthaginians in Sicily and Romans began a long struggle in 264 B.C. for control of the Mediterranean area. First Punic War between Rome in Carthage began when Rome sent troops to Sicily. 241 B.C. Carthage gave up its rights to Sicily and paid money to Rome. Sicily became Rome's first province.
Hannibal, the greatest Carthaginian general, began the Second Punic War: 218 to 201 B.C.
Battle of Cannae: Rome almost lost forty thousand men. 
Battle of Zama: Rome crushed Hannibals forces, Spain became Roman province, Rome controlled western Mediterranean.
50 years later, Romans fought the Thrid Punic War. 146 B.C. Roman soldiers sacked Carthage. Fifty thousand were sold to slavery. Carthage became Roman province called Africa.
Rome conquered Macedonia and Greece, became master of Mediterranean.

13. Hannibal’s Route

14. General Hannibal
Crossing Alps

15. Romans take Hannibal – 2nd Punic War
3rd Punic War – Romans sack Carthage
Burn, destroy and sell people into slavery

16. Romans believed : duty, courage, discipline Good diplomats
Why so successful?
Romans believed : duty, courage, discipline
Good diplomats
Gained loyalty, obedience, respect
Practical – law & politics
Military excelled
Built roads & towns – troop mobility, trade, connected towns
Romans believed that their success was due to three virtues: duty, courage, and discipline.
Examples like that of Cincinnatus, found in the writings of Roman historian Livy, provided models of these virtues for the Romans.
The Romans were successful as well because they were good diplomats who were shred in extending Roman citizenship and allowing states to run their own internal affairs.
They were also skilled, persistent soldiers and brilliant strategists. For example, they built towns throughout conquered Italy and connected them with roads, allowing soldiers to be deployed quickly.
Finally, in law and politics the Romans were practical and created institutions that responded effectively to problems.

17. 2nd Century: 3.5 million sq miles Over 50 million people
By second century, Roman Empire covered about three and a half million square miles. Population was over fifty million. Imperial government helped unify the empire by acknowledging local customs and granting Roman citizenship. In A.D. 212, the emperor Caracalla gave Roman citizenship to all free people in the empire

18. Roman Empire Around 2nd Century B.C. republic begins to collapse
Gap between rich & poor widens
Enslaved people 1/3rd of population
Small farmers can’t compete with wealthy estate owners – become poor
Poor made up 1/4th of free population
Very high unemployment

19. From Republic to Empire
2nd Century BC – wealthy govern Rome – Senate
Many farmers lose land to rich
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus – rich men suggest giving land back to poor – senators kill them
By the second century B.C. the Senate governed Rome (small group of wealthy, powerful families) Many lost their lands to large, wealthy landowners, and Rome suffered growing economic and social unrest. Brothers Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, reform minded aristocrats, believed that the problem was the decline of the small farmer. They called for laws giving the public land of the aristocrats back to the landless poor. 133 B.C. group of senators killed Tiberius. Later Gaius. 

20. Generals Take Control
Roman Generals promise land to volunteers to join their armies
Soldiers & people place loyalty with generals instead of Roman city-state
Soldiers fight for pay, not country

21. Civil Wars Form 1st Triumvirate – 60 BC 3 Rulers with equal power
Julius Caesar
Crassus
Pompey

22. 1st Triumvirate Senate splits the Consulate into 3 parts
Pompey = Roman General, ran Italy & North Africa
Crassus = Roman Politician, ran East Roman Republic
Julius Caesar = Roman General, ran Spain, and Gaul (France)

23. Civil Wars Crassus dies fighting in the Parthians in the east
Senate wants Pompey to rule alone
Senate orders Caesar to give up his command in Gaul, leave his military there, & return to Rome
Instead, Caesar marches army to Rome, crosses the Rubicon River illegally – which starts civil war with Pompey – Caesar wins
By 44 BC Caesar is a dictator with absolute power
82 to 31 B.C. civil wars broke out. Crassus, Pompey, Julius Caesar combined their power to form the First Triumvirate in 60 B.C. (government by three people with equal power). When Crassus was killed, Senate decided that rule by Pompey alone would be best, and ordered Julius Caesar to give up his command. He refused and kept his loyal army and moved into Italy illegally by crossing the Rubicon River. Caesar defeated Pompey and became dictator in 45 B.C. ( an absolute leader). He gave land to the poor and expanded the Senate to 900 members. He filled the Senate with supporters, weakening power. But leading Senators assassinated him in 44 B.C.

24. Caesar’s Reforms
Created jobs, extended citizenship to more people, increased soldier pay, increased senate to 900 members.
Popular with the masses, unpopular with the original senate. They assassinated him in 44 BC
Now what do
They do?
Another
Triumvirate!

25. “Beware the Ides of March”
Leading senators, led by Marcus Brutus, kill him in the senate
Stabbed 23 times by 60 men
Legends:
His wife begged him not to go to Senate that day – dreamtof his death
Soothsayer warned: “Beware the Ides of March (the 15th), which was the day he was killed

26. 2nd Triumvirate Ruled for 10 yrs
Octavian – grand nephew, heir of Caesar
Mark Antony – one of Caesar’s most trusted friends
Lepidus – another of Caesar’s strong supporters – retires
Octavian & Antony divide Roman world in half
Mark Antony & Cleopatra
Antony goes to Egypt – falls in love w/Cleopatra
Civil War – again!
Who wins?
Octavian at Actium
Octavian, Mark Antony, and Lepidus formed the Second Triumvirate after Caesar's death. Octavian and Antony divided the Roman world between themselves. Antony took the east, Octavian took the west. Antony allied and fell in love with Egypt's queen Cleopatra VII Octavian defeated them at the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. Both fled to Egypt and committed suicide a year later. Civil Wars and Roman Republic ended. New period known as the Age of Augustus began in 31 B.C. 

27. Age of Augustus
Octavian proclaimed "restoration of the Republic" in 27 B.C.
Gave some power to Senate
Became Rome's first emperor
Senate awarded him title of Augustus, or "the revered one" & imperator, or commander in chief
He began a 200-year period of “Pax Romana”
Roman peace
Developed a bureaucracy to run the country
Supported coins, roads, and a navy to promote trade

28. From Wikipedia re: statue: On the other hand, Augustus's barefootedness and the inclusion of Cupid riding a dolphin as structural support for the statue reveals his mythical connection to the goddess Venus (Cupid's mother) by way of his adopted father Julius Caesar. The clear Greek inspiration in style and symbol for official sculptural portraits, which under the Roman emperors became instruments of governmental propaganda, is a central part of the Augustan ideological campaign, a shift from the Roman Republican era iconography where old and wise features were seen as symbols of solemn character. Therefore the Primaporta statue marks a conscious reversal of iconography to the Greek classical and Hellenistic period, in which youth and strength were valued as signs of leadership, emulating heroes and culminating in Alexander the Great himself. Such a statue's political function was very obvious - to show Rome that the emperor Augustus was an exceptional figure, comparable to the heroes worthy of being raised to divine status on Olympus, and the best man to govern Rome.

29. Pax Romana
Growth of cities spread Roman culture, law, & Latin language in western part of empire
Mixture of Roman and Greek culture called the Greco-Roman civilization
Early empire was prosperous
Internal peace helped trade grow & went beyond empire's frontiers, even including silk goods from China
Large amounts of grain were imported to feed poor, and luxury items came in for the rich

30. Pax Romana Roman world grew Hadrian built defenses along border
Hadrian’s Wall built in Northern Britain to keep out Picts & Scots
More & more difficult to defend borders of Roman empire
Under Trajan, Roman rule went into Dacia (Romania), Mesopotamia, and the Sinai Peninsula. Hadrian realized the empire was getting too large to rule and withdrew troops from Mesopotamia and became defensive along Rome's frontiers. He strengthened fortifications between the Rhine and Danube Rivers. Also build a wall (Hadrian's Wall) in northern Britain to keep out the Picts and the Scots. Defending the empire became increasingly difficult.

31. The Rise of Christianity
Origins of Christianity
Roots = Jewish beliefs
one God (monotheism)
Covenant between man and God (contract)
Messiah would save the faithful from peril
Abraham, Noah, Moses

32. (Old Testament is Jewish Tradition)
Jesus of Nazareth
Born around 4 BC, most information is in the New Testament of the Bible
(Old Testament is Jewish Tradition)
By 30, he has started his own following:
Belief in one God
Personal relationship with that God
10 Commandments
Love your neighbor, enemy, and God
Repent for sins, and you will be forgiven

33. 12 key followers called Apostles, spread the religion after his death
Jesus of Nazareth
12 key followers called Apostles, spread the religion after his death
Roman Government didn’t like his popularity & large crowds
Jewish leaders felt threatened by his teachings
Referring to him as “King” challenged Roman government
Governor arrested him and crucified him, the traditional punishment for treason
The cross will be come to be the main symbol of Christianity
Jesus was buried, 3 days later, body was gone, apostles believed he had gone to heaven, proving he was the Messiah

34. Christianity and the Empire
Apostles spread Christianity among Jews and non-Jews
Appealing alternative to Roman Religion, especially to the poor:
All classes are welcome
Better life after death
God was personal

35. Christians and Jews were problems for Rome
70 AD Rome destroyed the Jewish temple
132 AD Rome spreads the Jews out across the Empire. (the Diaspora)
Christians refused to worship Roman gods or the emperor, or serve in the military. (killing is forbidden)
Emperors ranged from ignoring them, to persecuting them

36. Rise of Christianity

37. Constantine converted to Christianity in 313 AD, made Christianity legal in the Empire
Theodosius made it the official religion in 380 AD

38. Roman Culture Slaves1/3rd total population Important to economy
Property of owners
Harsh, cruel life
Some males made into gladiators
>million died trying to gain freedom
No rebellions successful – Spartacus

39. Roman Culture Gods & Goddesses Society & Culture
Jupiter, Juno, Minerva
Honored them through rituals to gain favor & avoid bad things from happening
Gov’t & religion linked
Romans were expected to worship them privately & publicly
Must also worship emperor
Society & Culture
Classes wide apart
Rich live in luxury
Most people could barely survive
Little food & poor living conditions
Distracted people so they wouldn’t rebel
Free grain
Games, gladiator battles, animals at Colosseum
Lots of holidays

40. Roman Legacy-Western Civilization
Greco-Roman culture
Mixture of Greek, Roman and Hellenistic cultures
Romans admired Greek art, architecture, literature, philosophy, language
Referred to as “Classical civilization”
Romans copied, but added their own ideas also to create new style
Learned to create sculptures, bas-relief, mosaics, painting, frescoes
Philosophy – stoicism = virtue, duty, moderation endurance
Wrote poems & epic novels

41. Roman Legacy-Western Civilization
Roman influence is greatest in Europe & U.S.
Government, Philosophy, Literature
Latin Language
Romance languages come from Latin – French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian
Over half English words have Latin base
Architecture
Arch – critical for building structures
Domes, aqueducts, bridges, Colosseum
Many buildings in US include Roman features
Government & Law
Laws eventually applied to everyone
Many countries base their legal systems on Roman law

42. The Roman Colosseum

43. The Colosseum Interior

44. The Roman Forum – Center of Roman Life

45. Roman Aqueducts

46. Circus Maximus

47. Fall of the Empire
Political upheaval – 28 emperors in 90 years = 22 murdered
Economic & Military problems – inflation, invasions, civil wars, & plagues cause economic collapse
Germanic tribes over-run western borders
1st Visigoths, then Vandals, Huns, etc.
Military in disarray
Less discipline, loyalty
Gov’t recruits mercenaries

48. Reform Attempts Diocletian splits empire into 2 halves – east & west
2 co-rulers
When he retires, civil war breaks out
Constantine wins – moves capital from Rome to Byzantium (Turkey)
Constantinople - strategic location for trade, defense, beautiful buildings
1st Christian emperor – stops persecution of Christians
Western empire falls
Eastern thrives
Byzantine Empire
Fell in 1453