1. Rise and Fall of Rome

3. Early Rome
From Latin decent, Latin villages grew together to make Rome
Legend has it that Romulus and Remus settled Rome (raised by wolves!). Said to be the sons of the war god Mars. Romans now have a divine origin
Geography of the modern country Italy is perfect for civilizational growth
Fertile land
Large plains
Isolated valleys
Low lying mountains
Protection from the North (Alps)
Peninsula (water on three sides)
Rome on Tiber River (fresh water)

4. Take Over
Romans take over Italian Peninsula by defeating the Etruscans
509 B.C. is the beginning of the Roman Republic
Republic – People choose SOME of the government officials
The Romans adopted traditions from other cultures
Copied Etruscan alphabet
Greek gods
Etruscan engineering (arches)
Etruscan draining systems to create more farm lands

5. Structuring the Republic
Rome starts a senate of 300 made of the PATRICIANS wealthy land owners
Made the laws and controlled government
Senators elected CONSULS, two of them, each year to run the business of government and command the army
Consuls only served one term and had to approve each other’s decision (checks and balances)
A DICTATOR is elected ruler who has complete control over government in a time of war (for 6 months)
Cincinnatus was elected, won a war, then was back to his farm in 15 days

6. Republic and Lifestyle
PLEBEIANS, the farmers, merchants and artisans, demand power
They make up most of the population
Plebeians then elected TRIBUNES to support their interest (just like representatives here)
Tribunes can VETO or block laws
Plebeians were later elected to the Consul
450 B.C., Plebeians fought to have laws written down (THIS WAS HUGE!)
Plebeians could now appeal a judgment handed down on them

7. Society and Religion
Women are typically powerless in old society, but the Romans allowed women to own property and, later on, run businesses
Roman women had influence in their society
Romans also had an education system, for the rich of course
Romans followed Greek Mythology and had numerous gods and goddesses
They built enormous temples to worship these gods and activities and feast on their calendars
Neptune – Sea
Mars – War
Jupiter – Supreme God
June - Marriage

8. The Republic By 270 B.C., the Romans controlled Italy
Citizen-soldiers make up the vast Roman army
LEGIONS were ranks of 5,000 men and they had many legions
Adopted the citizen-soldiers from Greece
Honored and believed in courage, loyalty and RESPECT
Rome honored the conquered people
Able to keep customs, money and government
Soldiers sent out to control new lands
Built many roads for easy travel and maintain control

9. The Mediterranean Rome spreads
Carthage, in North Africa, was the first major target
Carthage controlled all of Northern Africa, parts of Spain and the Western Mediterranean
The Punic Wars: 264 B.C. – 146 B.C.
First war, defeated Carthage: won Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia
Second war, Hannibal leads an army through France and over the Alps (war elephants!)
Loses a third of his men, but surprises the Romans
Wins battles for 15 years!
Finally loses, Carthage gives up NON-AFRICAN lands

10. Carthage Falls The Third War spelled the end of Carthage
Senator Cato, “Carthage must be destroyed!”
Survivors killed or sent into slavery
Poured salt over the earth do nothing would grow
IMPERIALISM, establishing control over foreign land and its peoples
Romans fought on the eastern Mediterranean as well, defeating Hellenistic rulers
Defeated Egypt, Macedonia, Greece, Asia Minor
Mediterranean, “Mare Nostrum” --- “OUR SEA!”

11. Home and Reform Wealthy families owned huge farms called LATIFUNDIA
Slaves hurt small farmers, forcing them to cities
Many riches flowing into Rome
Two brothers elected to the tribune sought reform, help for poor
They were killed, and thousands of others
Slowly the Roman republic was beginning to decline

12. Problems
Romans were having many problems based on control and fairness
Civil (within a country) wars began to break out
Soldiers first loyalty was to their… commanders
Commanders gave the soldiers more money and land
Commanders now had armies to force their own ambitions
Julius Caesar emerged out of the mayhem
Was a commander and intelligent politician
Alongside his was Pompey, another general

13. “Veni, vidi, vici”
Caesar won the conquest of Gaul (modern day France and Belgium) in a series of battles
Pompey grew scared and ordered the senate to disband Caesar’s army
Caesar led a civil war against Pompey and won
Caesar was now the absolute ruler of Rome
Reform started
Jobs to jobless
Land to the poor
More citizenship
New calendar (which is still our calendar today)

14. Caesar and the Republic Fall
People feared Caesar would make himself king
The Senate plotted and stabbed him to death
Civil War broke out
Octavian gains control and is called AUGUSTUS, or the exalted one
He will go on to name a successor and the 500 year old Republic was dead
Augustus kept most things in place
Ordered a CENSUS, population count, to see who should be paying tax
We have a census today
One BIG problem, who would rule next? Especially if a ruler died

15. Many Emperors Some emperors were horrible Some were good
Caligula named his horse to consul
Nero persecuted Christians, killed his mother and destroyed Rome
Some were good
Hadrian brought Roman Law (laws posted) to all provinces
Marcus Aurelius studied philosophy and was a deep thinker, sympathized with the human spirit
Pax Romana (Roman Peace) took place for 200 years
Romans also used entertainment for a distraction
Gladiator fights
Chariot races
Plays

16. Downfall Political violence becomes too common
Foreign Invasion hard to resist
Economy failing
Decline in values

17. Politics and Economics
Many emperors are being overthrown and killed
50 years, 26 emperors
High taxes to support army and government
Fertile land losing fertility
Not allowed to leave land
Emperor DICOLETIAN shares power with Maximian
Split Rome in two
Tried to stop INFLATION, rise in prices, by fixing prices of goods

18. Constantine and Invaders
312, Constantine gave toleration for Christians (HUGE) and established a new capital, CONSTANTINOPLE in Byzantium
Reforms still couldn’t stop the eventual decline
Invaders begin sacking Rome
HUNS, nomadic people from Central Asia rode on horses to conquer lands and people
Forced Germanics, Visgoths, Ostrogoths into Rome
Attila the Hun raped and pillaged many people and some said it was the wrath of God for the sins of the world
476, Odoacer (Germanic) took the throne
Downfall of Rome

19. Downfall Military Politics Economy Society
Rome army lacked discipline
Not enough men to fight, hired MERCENARIES
Politics
More oppressive and authoritarian
Corrupt officials, civil war
Economy
Heavy taxes, abandoning lands
Inflation and slave labor
Society
No patriotism, loyalty
Bad leaders with own agendas
Did Rome fall? Culture lost more than anything