1. World History REVIEW SESSION Roman Empire
Middle Creek High School

2. The Roman Empire - Overview
Roman Empire lasted 1,000 years!!
From 500 B.C. to 500 A.D.
Roman Republic established in 509 B.C.
Influence can still
be seen today.

3. Founding of Rome
Rome was built by real people who chose the site for the strategic location and the fertile soil.

4. Founding of Rome Rome Geography: Built on 7 rolling hills
On curve of Tiber River
Near the center of the
Italian Peninsula
Between Alps and Sicily
Midpoint of Med…

5. Founding of Rome Earliest settlers arrived in prehistoric times.
From 1000 – 500 B.C. 3 groups inhabited the region:
LATINS
GREEKS
ETRUSCANS

6. Founding of Rome The Etruscans were native to northern Italy.
Skilled metalworkers and engineers.
System of writing.
Romans adopted their
alphabet.
Influenced architecture,
especially the arch and
road building…

7. The Early Republic
Roman people declared an end to rule by kings and establish a REPUBLIC.
Republic = Latin phrase res publica meaning “public affairs.”
Republic = A form of government where power is held by CITIZENS who have the right to VOTE for their leaders.
Vote = Only Free Born Male
Citizens.

8. The Early Republic
In the early republic, different groups of Romans struggled for power.
Patricians – Wealthy Landowners held most of the power.
Plebeians – Common farmers, artisans, and merchants who represented the mass population.

9. The Early Republic Patricians – Inherited power and social status.
They claimed ancestry authorized their power.
Plebeians – Were Roman citizens and could vote.
However, they could not hold the most important government positions.

10. The Early Republic
Roman Forum = The political center of the Roman Empire.
Central area where ancient Roman civilization developed.

11. Rome Spreading Its Powers
PUNIC WARS
Between 264 to 146 B.C. Rome and Carthage fought 3 wars.
The first, for control of Sicily and the Western Mediterranean, lasted 23 years ( B.C.)
Carthage lost…

12. Rome Spreading Its Powers
Carthaginian Empire

13. Rome Spreading Its Powers
Second Punic War began in 218 B.C.
Hannibal mastermind of war.
29 Year Old General.
50,000 troops, 9,000 cavalry
60 Elephants!
Hannibal Video:
e=related

14. Rome Spreading Its Powers
Second Punic War (218 – 202 B.C.)
Hannibal eventually met his match!!
Rome General called SCIPIO…
Battle of Zama (202 B.C)

15. Rome Spreading Its Powers
1st and 2nd PUNIC WARS

16. Rome Spreading Its Powers
The Third Punic War (149 – 146 B.C.)
Rome laid siege to the city of Carthage.
In 146 B.C. the city burned to the ground and all 50,000 inhabitants were sold into slavery.

17. The Republic Collapses
Growing divide between rich and poor.
Rich were getting very wealthy!

18. The Republic Collapses
As the Roman Republic expanded discontent grew among the lower classes of society.
A new political system emerged.

19. The Republic Collapses
By 100 B.C enslaved people formed around one third of Rome’s population!!

20. The Republic Collapses
Two brothers, Tiberius and Gaius attempted to help Rome’s poor.
Proposing radical land reform.
Unfortunately numerous senators became powerful enemies of the brothers…
Leading to death…
Tiberius in 133 B.C.
Gaius in 121 B.C.

21. The Republic Collapses
A period of Civil War started after the
deaths of T&G.
Loyalty within the military was also
weakening.
Military leaders became the focus
for a soldiers loyalty and fighting spirit.

22. The Republic Collapses
In 60 B.C. a military leader called Julius Caesar – joined forces with Crassus - a wealthy Roman – and Pompey – a popular general.
With their help Caesar was
elected Consul in 59 B.C.
3 men dominated Rome for
10 years as a triumvirate.
T = a group of 3 rulers.

23. The Republic Collapses
Caesar served for one year and then appointed himself governor of Gaul.
During B.C. Caesar led his legions on many successful campaigns to conquer all of Gaul.
He commanded great
loyalty from his soldiers.

24. The Republic Collapses

25. The Republic Collapses
JC refused to disband his army!!
On the night of January 10th 49 B.C. he took his army across the Rubicon River in Italy.

26. The Republic Collapses
By crossing JC became guilty of committing high treason.
“The die is cast.”

27. The Republic Collapses
Pompey fled Rome to raise an army.
JC’s troops defeated Pompey’s armies in Greece, Asia, Spain, and Egypt.
In 46 B.C. Caesar returned to Rome.
The senate appointed him dictator.
In 44 B.C. JC was named dictator for life!

28. The Republic Collapses
In 44 B.C. JC was stabbed to death – 23 times…in the senate chamber.
Planned by Marcus Brutus and Gaius Crassus.

29. The Beginning of the Empire
Civil War breaks out again…
Roman Republic destroyed.
3 of Caesar’s supporters joined forces to defeat the assassins.
JC’s 18 year old grandnephew and adopted son Octavian joined with an experienced general Mark Antony and a powerful politician named Lepidus. Together they ruled for 10 years as the Second Triumvirate.

30. The Beginning of the Empire
OCTAVIAN

31. The Beginning of the Empire
MARK ANTONY

32. The Beginning of the Empire
This alliance ended in jealousy and violence.
Octavian forced Lepidus to retire.
He and MA became rivals.
While leading troops in Anatolia
(Turkey)…MA met
QUEEN CLEOPATRA OF EGYPT.
MA fell in love with QC!!
Followed her to Egypt.

33. The Beginning of the Empire
Octavian accused MA of plotting to rule Rome from Egypt – starting another Civil War.
Octavian defeated the combined forces of MA and QC at the naval BATTLE OF ACTIUM IN 31 B.C.

34. The Beginning of the Empire
Octavian restored some aspects of the republic…
But he became the unchallenged ruler of Rome.
Eventually he accepted the title of AUGUSTUS or “exalted one.”
He also kept the title Imperator or “supreme commander.”
A term from which Emperor is derived.
Rome was now an empire ruled by one man!!!

35. PAX ROMANA
From the rule of Augustus in 27 B.C. to A.D. 180 the Roman Empire was at its peak!
207 years of peace and stability.
This period is called the Pax Romana – Roman Peace…
3 Million Square miles.
Population = Million.
1 Million people lived in Rome!!

36. PAX ROMANA Under Augustus…Rome had:
Effective government held empire together.
Stabilized frontier.
Made Rome truly glorious with grand public buildings.
Paid workers to manage the affairs
of government.

37. Pax Romana
After Augustus died in A.D. 14 the system of government survived for centuries.
By the 2nd Century the empire reached from Spain to Mesopotamia…
From North Africa
to Britain.

38. Pax Romana Rome had a vast trading network.
Trade by sea and land – Roman Roads!!
Review map
on p163.