Chapter 6: Ancient Rome and Early Christianity, 500 BC-AD 500

  1. The RomanRepublic
  1. The Origins of Rome
  1. Rome’s Geography
  2. Site of Rome chosen for its fertile soil and strategic location
  3. Located on Italian peninsula in center of Mediterranean Sea
  4. Built on seven hills on Tiber River-according to legend it was founded in 753 BC by twin brothers—Romulus and Remus
  5. The First Romans
  1. Latins, Greeks, and Etruscans compete for control of region
  2. Latins found original settlement of Rome between 1000 BC and 500 BC
  1. Early Rulers
  1. Around 600 BC-Etruscan kings begin to rule Rome
  2. Kings build Rome’s first temples and public centers
  3. Romans overthrow cruel Etruscan king-509 BC
  4. Romans found a republic-gov’t. in which citizens elect leaders
  1. Patricians and Plebeians

a. different groups struggle for power in early RomanRepublic

b. Patricians-wealthy landowning class that holds most of the power

c. Plebeians-artisans, merchants, and farmers; can vote, can’t rule

d. Tribunes-elected representatives protect plebeians’ political rights

5. Twelve Tables

a. 451 BC-officials carve Roman laws on twelve tables

b. Twelve Tables-become basis for later Roman law

c. Laws confirm right of all free citizens to protection under the law

d. citizenship is limited to adult male landowners

e. Twelve Tables are hung in the Forum

6. Government under the Republic

a. Rome elects two consuls-one to lead army, one to direct government

b. Senate-chosen from Roman upper class; makes foreign, domestic policy

c. Democratic assemblies elect tribunes, make laws for common people

d. dictators are leaders appointed briefly in times of crisis

B. Rome Spreads Its Power

1. Rome Conquers Italy

a. Romans defeat Etruscans in north and Greek city-states in south

b. by 265 BC-Rome controls Italian peninsula

c. Conquered peoples treated justly; this enables Rome to grow

2. Rome’s Commercial Network

a. Rome establishes large trading network

b. access to Mediterranean provides many trade routes

c. Carthage (powerful city-state in N. Africa) soon rivals Rome

3. War with Carthage

a. Rome and Carthage begin Punic Wars-three wars between 264-146 BC

b. Rome defeats Carthage, wins Sicily, in first 23-year war

c. Hannibal-Carthaginian general avenges defeat in Second Punic War by

attacking Italy through Spain and France, doesn’t take Rome (he even

took elephants over the Swiss Alps trying to capture Rome)

4. Rome Triumphs

a. Roman general Scipio defeats Hannibal in 202 BC

b. Rome destroys Carthage, enslaves people in last war (149-146 BC)

II. The Roman Empire

  1. The Republic Collapses

1. Economic Turmoil

a. gap between rich and poor widens asRomanRepublic grows

b. farmers, former soldiers, lose to largeestates; become homeless

c. two tribunes-Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus try to help poor but are murdered

d. civil war-conflict between two groupswithin same country—begins

2. Military Upheaval

a. military becomes less disciplined anddisloyal

b. soldiers recruited from poor; show loyalty only to their generals

3. Julius Caesar Takes Control

a. military leader Julius Caesar electedconsul in 59 BC

b. First Triumvirate-formed by Caesar,Crassus, and Pompey (group of 3 rulers)

c. military victories give Caesar increasing popularity and power

d. Pompey fears Caesar’s growing power and challenges him

e. Caesar defeats Pompey’s armies inGreece, Asia, Spain and Egypt

f. Caesar named dictator for life in 44 BC

4. Caesar’s Reforms

a. makes reforms: grants wider citizenship, creates jobs for poor

b. group of senators oppose Caesar;

c. Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassius kill him on March 15, 44 BC (Ides of March)

5. Beginning of the Empire

a. 43 BC-Caesar’s supporters take control; become Second Triumvirate

b. Second Triumvirate-Octavian, Mark Antony and Lepidus-alliance ends in jealousy, violence

c. 31 BC-Mark Antony and Cleopatra’s forces are defeated at Actium

d. Octavian accepts title of Augustus, “exalted one,” and rules Rome

B. A Vast and Powerful Empire

1. Pax Romana

a. under Augustus, Rome moves from a republic to an empire

b. power no longer resides with citizens, but a single ruler

c. Rome enjoys 200 years of peace and prosperity known as Pax Romana

2. A Sound Government-Augustus-Rome’s ablest ruler, creates lasting system of government

a. glorifies Rome with beautiful public buildings

b. sets up a civil service to administer the empire

3. Agriculture and Trade

a. agriculture most important industry in empire-90% of Romans farm

b. common coin, denarius, makes trade within empire easier

c. Rome has vast trading network includes China and India

d. network of Roman roads links empire to Persia and Russia

C. The Roman World

1. Slaves and Captivity

a. slavery is significant part of Roman life in both cities and farms

b. some slaves become gladiators; forced to fight to death

2. Gods and Goddesses

a. early Romans honor guardian spirits and gods, Jupiter, Juno Minerva

b. worship of emperor becomes part of official religion of Rome

3. Society and Culture

a. rich live well; most people are poor, receive grain from government

b. 150 holidays and Colosseum events created to control the masses

III. Rise of Christianity

  1. Romans conquer Judea--home of Jews; makes it part of empire AD 6
  2. Christianity Spreads through Empire

1. followers of Christianity help it spread—common languages of Latin and Greek help to spread message

2. Jewish Rebellion

a. Jews rebel against Rome; Romans storm Jerusalem, destroy Temple

b. rebellions in AD 66, 70, 132 fail; Jews driven from homeland

c. Jews leaving create Diaspora—centuries of Jewish exile

3. Persecution of the Christians

a. Christians won’t worship Roman gods; become enemies of Roman rule

b. Roman rulers use Christians as scapegoats for hard times

c. as Pax Romana crumbles, Christianscrucified, burned and killed in the arena

C. A World Religion

1. Christianity’s Expansion Christianity=powerful force; reasons for widespread appeal

a. embraces all people

b. gives hope to the powerless

c. appeals to those repelled by extravagance of Roman life

d. offers personal relationship with a loving God

e. promises eternal life after death

2. Constantine Accepts Christianity

a. Constantine—Roman emperor battles for control of Rome in AD 312

b. has vision of cross (Christian symbol); places on soldiers’ shields

c. believes Christian God helped him win; legalizes Christianity

d. AD 380-Emperor Theodosius makes Christianity religion of empire

3. Early Christian Church

a. priests direct a single church; bishops supervise many churches

b. Apostle Peter—first bishop of Rome; clergy trace their authority to him

c. Pope-the father, or head, of Christian Church; Rome-center of Church

IV. Fall of the Roman Empire

  1. A Century of Crisis

1. The Empire Declines

a. Pax Romana ends in AD 180 with death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius

b. subsequent emperors unable to govern giant empire

2. Rome’s economy weakens

a. hostile tribes outside the empire disrupt trade

b. inflation-drop in value of money and rise in prices-weakens trade

c. overworked soil, war-torn farmland leads to food shortages

3. Military and Political Turmoil

a. by 3rd Century AD-Roman military inturmoil

b. soldiers loyal to commanders, not Rome; commanders fighting for throne

c. government enlists mercenaries-foreign soldiers they pay to fight

d. average citizen lose interest in the affairs of Rome

B. Emperors attempt Reform

1. Diocletian Reforms the Empire

a. AD 284-Emperor Diocletian restores order, divides empire in two

b. two emperors-East—Greek speaking; West—Latin speaking

c. AD 305-Diocletian retires, rivals compete for power

2. Constantine moves the Capital

a. Constantine-emperor of Western Empire AD 312

b. seizes Eastern Empire in AD 324; moves Roman capital to Byzantium

c. Byzantium eventually renamed Constantinople—city of Constantine

C. Western Empire Crumbles

1. Germanic Invasions

a. Mongol nomads from Asia, the Huns, invade northern borders of empire

b. Germanic tribes flee Huns, enter Roman lands and sack Rome AD 410

2. Attila the Hun

a. Attila-unites the Huns in AD 444; plunders 70 cities in East

b. attacks Rome in 452; famine and disease prevent victory

3. An Empire No More

a. last Roman emperor falls to Germans in 476; end of Western Empire

b. East thrives for another thousand years as Byzantine Empire

V. Rome and the Roots of Western Civilization

A. Legacy of Greco-Roman Civilization

1. A New Culture Emerges

a. Romans adopt aspects of Greek and Hellenistic culture

b. results in Greco-Roman culture, or classical civilization

2. Roman Fine Arts

a. developed bas-relief sculptures to tell stories

b. artists skilled in creating mosaics, painting frescoes

c. Pompeii—Roman town; ash from volcano eruption 79 AD preserves buildings and art

3. Learning and Literature

a. Romans borrowed from Greek philosophy and literature

b. Poet Virgil writes epic Aeneid modeled after Homer’s Greek epics

c. Roman historian Tacitus excels in writing factually accurate history

d. Tacitus wrote Annals and Histories-provide comprehensive look at Roman life

B. Legacy of Rome

1. Latin Language

a. Latin-official language of Roman Catholic Church until 1900s

b. develops into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian

c. more than half the words in English stem from Latin

2. Master Builders

a. Romans pioneer use of arch; also used domes and concrete

b. create aqueducts—structures to bring water into cities, towns