The Mythical Founding of Rome: Romulus & Remus

1. The Mythical Founding of Rome:Romulus & Remus

2. ROMAN REPUBLIC • Was not a static institution but rather a continually evolving structure • Twelve Tables • Political participation and eligibility to run for office widened over time • But it also became increasingly corrupt

3. PATRICIANS • Original aristocracy of Rome • Had been distinguished citizens who advised Latin kings • Played leading role in overthrowing Etruscans • Control strengthened by institution of clientage • Client was a free man who pledged himself to a patrician (called patron) • Honor-bound to serve interests and obey wishes of patron • In return the client received favors • Originally used to create political bases for patricians • Wealth based primarily on ownershipof farmland and/or urban real estate

4. PLEBEIANS • Free men who could not trace their ancestry back to advisors of Latin kings • Did not become clients • Number swollen by immigrants who moved to Rome during Etruscan period • Many were well-off and served in the army under Etruscans • Etruscans had promoted their interests and protected their civil status • With overthrow of Etruscans they lost protector • Patricians would not let them share in government

5. POLITICAL AND SOCIAL EVOLUTION • Result was long-term power struggle within Rome as patricians attempted to preserve their exalted status and monopoly of political power and plebeians tried to gain a share of power that corresponded to the contribution they made to Rome’s success and prosperity • Result was a blurring and mixing of original social distinctions and gradual emergence of a new hierarchy based on wealth • Parallel political evolution in which the patrician monopoly on government gave way to the domination of the wealthy (whether patrician or plebeian)

6. ROMAN CITIZENSHIP • Entitled a man to vote in elections • Could not be flogged as punishment • Entitled to the Roman trial process and had right of appeal • Originally, both parents had to be citizens for that person to be considered a citizen • Later, only a person’s father had to be a citizen to qualify his offspring as citizens

7. SENATE • Most powerful governmental institution in Rome during the Republic • Made up of 300 members • Descended from the ancient advisory body to Septimontium kings

8. LIMITS AND STRENGTHS • Senate did reign supreme in certain areas • Controlled treasury • Declared war and appointed military commanders • Appointed provincial governors and regulated affairs • Had right, in times of civil emergency, to override all other bodies of government and establish martial law “Senatus consultum de republica defenda”

9. Carthage 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 had been founded as Phoenician colony 500 years earlier Result was the three Punic Wars 264-146 BC

10. FIRST PUNIC WAR • Primarily a naval war • Carthage very good at this because of long experience as naval power (Phoenicians) • Rome had small navy and little experience in naval warfare

11. ROME WINS THE FIRST ONE • Rome would not surrender • Finally turned the tables on Carthage by changing rules of naval warfare • Won First Punic War as a result

12. 5.But finally Scipio succeeded in taking over Spain. Then Scipio took his army to Africa and attacked Carthage itself. The Carthaginian Senate got frightened and told Hannibal to come home and help them. There was a big battle at Zama, near Carthage, in 202 BC, and the Carthaginians lost. 2. At the same time, the Romans were taking over some of northern Spain, where there were gold mines. The Romans and the Carthaginians made a treaty to stay out of each other's territory in Spain. 1.Following its defeat in the First Punic War, the Carthaginian Empire looked to rebuild its power base by controlling Spain were there were silver mines, so they could pay back Roman reparations. 3. Hannibal took a huge army and a lot of elephants and horses and crossed over the Alps to Italy. Hannibal thought that when he got to Italy all the cities would be glad to help him and get free of Rome. 4. When the Romans heard that Hannibal was coming, they kept one half of their big army in Italy to fight Hannibal, and they sent the other half of their army to Spain SECOND PUNIC WAR

13. THIRD PUNIC WAR • After the Second Punic War, in 202 BC, Italy was a wreck. • Victorious army syndrome • Cato the Elder • Greece to W. Asia to Carthage • Carthage is finished and Rome is the undisputed superpower of the West. Cato the Elder "Carthage must be destroyed."

14. 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

15. BIG PROBLEM • Ambitious politicians (who were also always military commanders) all tried, and eventually succeeded, in subverting republican institutions in order to achieve personal dictatorial power over the empire and its wealth • Marius, Sulla, Publius Clodius, Pompey, Marcus Crassus, Julius Caesar, Marc Antony, and Octavian/Augustus Lucius Cornelius Sulla Julius Caesar

16. FALL OF THE REPUBLIC • Civil wars racked the empire during the last century BC • Marius vs Sulla; Pompey vs Caesar; Octavian vs Marc Antony • Together they ultimately destroyed the Republic • Accompanied by increased level of political violence within Rome, the murder of political opponents, the destruction of property, physical intimidation, riots, armed clashes • All became part of everyday politics and contributed to decay and death of the Republic

18. Imperial Roman Road System

19. Administrative Structure Peter the Apostle • Church expanded, developed administrative structure • Bishop oversaw church affairs, had authority over other priests • 300s, heads of oldest congregations, patriarchs, had authority over other bishops • Many believed Peter founded Roman Church, was first bishop • Later bishops of Rome, popes, Peter’s spiritual heirs • Gospel of Matthew: Jesus gives Peter keys to kingdom of heaven • Therefore future popes inherit keys Expansion of the Church By about 100, priests who were trained in these ceremonies became prominent within Christianity. The authority of the priests was based on the authority Jesus gave the Apostles. This spiritual authority distinguished the priests from the general congregation of the church. Patriarchs did not recognize the popes’ supremacy claims at first, but over time popes gained more influence within the Christian Church.

20. Diocletian Splits the Empire in Two: 294 CE

21. 5 The Decline and Fall of Rome