1. Ancient World 7.1

2.  Rome was originally ruled by kings, the Etruscans.  509 B.C. Romans overthrew the Etruscans and started a republic. What is a republic? Citizens pick leaders to rule in the name of the people. This is different than direct democracy because the elected officials make decisions as opposed to citizens voting on every mater (like the Greeks)  Is our government more like a republic or direct democracy?

3.  Two citizen classes Patricians: Nobles who owned large estates and where descended from the founders of the city.  Were interested in staying rich and staying in power. Plebeians: Ordinary peasants and craftsmen.  Eventually grew frustrated that laws were not equal.  Refused to fight in the army, until laws were made equal.  Citizens had the right to vote at assembly. Slaves and women were not originally citizens. Laws of the Twelve Tables

4.  The Senate gave advice to the Consuls. Eventually controlled Rome.  Consuls: Always 2, had to agree on decisions. Governed the city. Elected for one year. Almost always listened to the senate.  Magistrates: Judges. Look after the money. Retired to the senate.  Tribunes: Protected ordinary people against unfair treatment.

5.  Believed people were innocent until proven guilty.  The system was inflexible, kept the rich aristocrats in power. People were elected often by the amount of bribes they gave ($).  Rich people essentially voted other rich people in.  The only way to fix the system, was to break the system.

6. Dispute over control of Sicily and trade routes in the western Mediterranean brought Rome into conflict with the powerful North African city-state of Carthage Carthage Carthage had been founded as Phoenician colony 500 years earlier Result was the three Punic Wars 264-146 BC

7.  Mostly navy battles. Rome is continually defeated by the larger and more experienced Carthaginian navy.  Rome turns the tides by putting hooks on their ships, hooking the enemy ships and turning it to a land battle. Rome was very good at this and won the war.

9.  Carthagian general Hannibal surprises the Romans by attacking from the North.  Defeats the Romans in many battles, but does not attack Rome.  Romans know they can’t beat Hannibal in Italy, so they travel to Carthage and battle there.  This forces Hannibal to go back to Africa, where he is defeated. Hannibal leading his army of elephants through Italy

10.  Hannibal commits suicide.  Carthage looses all territory to Rome.  Some still worried that Carthage would rise again. So Rome attacks Carthage. Entire city’s population sold into slavery. Everything valuable taken to Rome. Everything else burned and thrown into the sea. City completely destroyed, and then land sowed with salt. Cato the ElderHannibal

11. Rome drawn into the affairs of the successor kingdoms Successor kingdom increasingly called on Roman aid in their incessant wars against each other Rome always responded in the belief that achieving a balance of power in the east was better than having one successor kingdom become too powerful and challenge Rome Rome eventually became weary of playing this endless refereeing role and realized that the continued independence of the successor kingdoms threaten Roman interests Took over Greece, Macedonia, some of Asia Minor, Syria, Aegean and eastern Mediterranean islands by 133 BC

12. Later, the conquests of Gaius Marius, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Pompey Magnus, and Julius Caesar would add more territory Gaul, the rest of Asia Minor, Mesopotamian, Mediterranean Middle East, Belgium

13.  Caesar was the greatest general Rome had ever seen.  He wanted both power for himself, and power for the people.  He decided to “fix” the problems of the republic by offering “strong leadership”  Caesar brought his army to Rome battled (and beat) the Republic.  Caesar is assassinated in 44 BC, causing several years of civil war.