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Rome From Republic to Empire 509BC to 476 AD. The Beginnings of Rome. Earliest settlers of the Italian peninsula arrived between 1000 BC and 500 BC. - Latins , Greeks, and Etruscans They were farmers, shepherds, metalworkers, and engineers Greek culture heavily influenced Roman culture
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The Beginnings of Rome Earliest settlers of the Italian peninsula arrived between 1000 BC and 500 BC. -Latins, Greeks, and Etruscans They were farmers, shepherds, metalworkers, and engineers Greek culture heavily influenced Roman culture -growing grapes and olives -gods and religion Greek god Zeus became Roman god Jupiter. Greek god Hera became Roman god Juno In 600 BC, Etruscan kings began ruling over Rome. -Romans did not like being ruled by a monarch and overthrew the king, leading to the development of republic.
Consuls were officials who ruled Rome in place of a king. They (1)commanded the army and (2)directed the government. In Rome, there were two who ruled together. However, the consuls powers were limited. 1.A consul only served a one year term, and they could not be elected again for ten years. 2.One consul could always overrule, or veto, the other’s decisions. The Consuls
The Senate was the aristocratic branch of government. By tradition, there were 300 members chosen from the upper class of Roman society. Membership was for life. The Senate heavily influenced domestic policy, (how government treated its own country), and foreign policy, (how government deals with other nations). The Senate
The Centuriate Assembly Made up of citizen-soldiers Appointed consuls and made laws for the Republic Had less power than the Senate The Tribal Assembly Elected the Tribunes and made laws for the common people Roman Assemblies
The Punic Wars • Punic Wars (264-164 BC) • 1st- 23 years Rome won Sicily • 2nd- Carthage’s great general Hannibal avenges the defeat • 50,000 men, 9000 cavalry, 60 elephants • Traveled north through Alps • Tormented Rome • Roman Scipio attacked Carthage directly • Hannibal force to defend, defeated • 3rd- Rome sent army to destroy Carthage and enslave her citizens
Rome would appoint a dictator in times of crisis. He would have absolute power to make laws and command the army. Power would last about six months Dictators were chosen by the consuls and elected by the Senate. Julius Caesar was the last Dictator. The Roman Dictator
End of the Republic Generals held power greater than governors --Caesar- hero of wars in Gaul returned to take power as dictator. --triumvirate with Crassus, wealthy, and Pompey, a popular general. -Caesar took over, gained more power. • Gave citizenship to regions • Jobs and helped the poor • Expanded the Senate • Increased pay of soldiers -FEAR by nobles, senators stabbed him to death Civil war followed
Beginning of the Empire • Civil War to avenge Caesar’s murders • Octavian, nephew of Caesar, brought civil conflict to an end • The Senate bestowed upon him the title IMPERATOR in 27 B.C.E. • Changed his name to Augustus Caesar • Augustus's administration • A monarchy disguised as a republic • Preserved traditional republican forms of government • Took all the power into his own hands • Created a new standing army under his control • The imperial institutions began to take root • His rule began a period of prosperity called the PAX ROMANA
THE PAX ROMANA • The PaxRomana • Meant "Roman peace," lasted for two and half centuries • Facilitated trade and communication • World linked from Mesopotamia to Atlantic Ocean • Roman roads • Roman engineers as outstanding road builders • Roads and postal system linked all parts of the empire • Roman law • Tradition: Twelve Tables enacted in 450 B.C.E. • Principle: innocent until proven guilty • Judges enjoyed great discretion • Roman expansion had effects in Gaul, Germany, Britain, Spain • Romans sought access to resources • Cities emerged, roads built, common currency, laws • Allowed locals to retain customs, traditions if paid their taxes
ROMAN FAMILY, SOCIETY • The paterfamilias • Roman family: all household members living together • Pater familias or "father of the family" ruled • Women wielded influence within their families, businesses • Wealth and social change • Rich classes built palatial houses, lavish banquets • Cultivators, urban masses lived at subsistence level • Poor classes became a serious problem in Rome • No urban policy, only "bread and circuses“ • Merchants tolerated but not given much social recognition • Slavery • Slaves - 1/3 of Roman population • Chained together in teams, worked on latifundia • Working conditions for city slaves were better • The gladiator or a slave trained to fight in the arena was popular
ROMAN WORLD VIEW • Veritas and Gravitas • Honesty and Seriousness • Symbolized Roman cultural values • Roman Polytheism • Borrowed, co-opted foreign deities into pantheon • Religion was agricultural, state oriented, important to family • Very little emotional attachment to gods • Greek influence represented by Philosophy • Stoicism appealed to Roman intellectuals • Valued discipline and self-restraint • Religions of Salvation and Cults • Roman roads served as highways for religious spread • Mithraism, Persian religion popular with Roman soldiers • Christianity seen as a cult by Romans when it was still new.
JUDAISM & CHRISTIANITY • The Jews and the empire • Jews considered state cults to be blasphemy • Romans ruled through Jewish elites, tolerant of Judaism • Constant rivalry between Jewish sects • Roman Jewish provinces ruled by client kings such as Herod • The Jewish War (66-70 C.E.) Roman forces defeated the Jewish rebels • Jesus of Nazareth • Charismatic Jewish teacher, taught devotion to God, love for human beings • The teaching "the kingdom of God is at hand" alarmed the Romans • Crucifixion in early 30s C.E.; Became "Christ," or "the anointed one" • New Testament and the Old Testament became the holy book of Christianity • Paul of Tarsus • A Jew from Anatolia, zealously preached his faith beyond Jewish communities • Was Roman citizen by birth in a Greek city; from Pharisee family • Paul who spread the faith in Mediterranean through missions • Was finally executed by Roman officials
EARLY CHRISTIANITY • Roman repression • Peter and Paul both executed in Rome by Nero in 67 CE • Romans followed very tolerant policy: pay taxes, do not revolt • Christians refused to worship emperor, state gods = treason • Romans worried that Christians were anti-social • Some emperors persecuted Christians to increase patriotism • Christianity grew rapidly in the empire • Strong appeal to lower classes, urban population, and women • Accorded honor and dignity to lower standing individuals • Provided a sense of spiritual freedom • Taught the spiritual equality of the sexes • Promised future glory for true believers • All converts were equal • Most influential faith in Mediterranean by 200AD • Egypt, Asia Minor, Greece heavily Christian including many aristocrats • Influence in west limited to cities, especially Africa • Armenia, Ethiopia, Egypt were first truly Christian countries • Legalized by Emperor Constantine in 313AD, official religion in 380AD.
