Chapter 4

“All Roads Lead to Rome.”

The Roman Republic

Beginning of Roman Civilization

Read Daniel 2: 31-45

“Mare Nostrum”Italian PeninsulaApennine Mountains

– not so ruggedMediterranean Sea

Latins Phoenicians

Greeks Etruscans

Early Inhabitant

s

City of Rome – Tiber River“League of the Seven Hills” – LatinsLegend of Romulus and Remus

The Founding of Rome

Legend of Romulus & Remus

500—480 BC. In the Capitoline Museums, Rome, Italy

753 B.C.

Twins

Heirs, usurped

Raised by a she-wolf

Shepherd

Later established the city

Fight over boundaries

Romulus kills Remus.

Basic unit of early roman society was the family.

Early Society & Government

Tribe

Clan

Family -

Father

Two Social ClassesPatricians – aristocratic class, highest

positions, wealthy landowners, noble familiesPlebians – common people, traders, farmers,

craftsmen:

Early Society & Government

Early Society & GovernmentEarly government –

Monarchy, imperiumFasces – bundle of

rods with an axe, symbol of power

Kings were probably elected by the people.

Senate – a popular assembly representing the people (advised the king)

What is this?

The Early Roman Republic

Establishment

Etruscans invade the Latins 650

BC

Rome grows;

influence increases

Roman nobles

overthrew Etruscan monarch

Roman Republic

established in 509

B.C.

Senate

Consuls

Assemblies

Establishment

Supervised everyday governmentCommanded armySupreme judgesOne year termsReserved for patricians in early

republic

Two Consuls

Most important and most powerful bodyAn aristocratic body that guarded the powers

and privileges of the patrician class300 members, appointed for life by consuls

Senate

Wealth, birth, and place of residence determined membership and voting procedures in the assemblies

Assembly of Centuries – chief assembly of the early republicVoted on legislationDeclared warElected high-ranking government officials

Note: Senate had veto power over decisions of the assemblies.

Assemblies

Who were the Patricians?The wealthy and influential

Who were the Plebians?The common people

Quick Review

Struggle Within the RepublicPatricians

Held consulshipsDominated Senate &

assembliesMade most lawsControlled courts

PlebiansFew social privilegesVirtually no voice in

governmentExcluded from

holding public officeMarriage with

patricians was prohibited.

Could be sold into slavery for debts

Struggle Within the Republic200 years of struggle

for equalityExternal wars led to

plebian power (needed in the army)

Council of Plebians – plebiscites

Office of Tribune – veto power

Plebians forced patricians to put laws in writing.

Law of Twelve Tables posted in the Roman Forum.

Gained rightsTribal Assembly 287

B.C. pass binding laws

Law of TwelveTables

The Mediterranean – A Roman SeaRome: Master of Italy

Master of ItalyRomans attacked Greek

colonies on the Italian peninsula.

Pyrrhus led the Greeks with elephants to defeat the Romans twice.

Second time – great losses.

Pyrrhic victory – victory whose costs outweigh the advantage of winning

Then Rome conquered all of southern Italy.

Pyrrhus

Rome then controlled all the Italian peninsula.

She treated conquered people with mercy and fairness, unlike most conquerors who use force and oppression.

As long as the people didn’t rebel and cause trouble, they were allowed to live in peace.

Sometimes Rome granted citizenship to conquered people. (vote, hold office)

Allowed local independenceDemanded troops from conquered people to

fight more wars of conquest.

Master of Italy

RomeMaster of the Western Mediterranean

264-146 B.C. Punic Wars.Carthage had been a colony of the

Phoenicians and was inhabited by Phoenician descendants.

The Latin word for Phoenicians was Punici.Punici = > Punic Wars

Rome versus Carthage: The Punic Wars

Rome versus Carthage: The Punic WarsCarthage

SeamanshipHire soldiers

RomansStrong land armyRoman soldiers

fighting for home and family

Ultimately achieve victory even if at first defeated

Greek historian Polybius with some pro-Roman bias

The First Punic War (264-241 BC)

The Second Punic War (218-201 BC)

The Third Punic War (149-146 B.C.)

RomeMaster of the Eastern Mediterranean

Chapter 4

After the 2nd Punic War, Rome began to expand its empire to the east conqueringMacedoniaSyriaEgypt

And thus dominated the entire Mediterranean world.

Rome organized her conquered holdings into provinces administered by governors appointed by the Roman Senate.

The provinces were left alone somewhat if they did not rebel.

They had to send taxes as tribute to Rome.

Roman Administration

RomeDecline into Dictatorship

The citizen farmers bore the military burden of Rome and had to serve as soldiers.

When they returned home, their farms needed much effort to be ready to farm again.

Many lost their land because they could not pay the taxes on it.

They became landless & unemployed and sought work in the cities.

Internal Problems

They were unable to find jobs because some of the people they conquered were brought in to serve as slaves.

The former farmer-soldiers became dissatisfied and restless.

The war devastated the warriors economically.

However, the aristocratic senators and patricians profited from the farmers’ loss.

Internal Problems

Some governors in the provinces used their authority for personal gain.

They hired publicans to collect taxes. The rulers would get part and the publicans would get to keep whatever else they were able to coerce out of people.

The people despised the publicans.

Corruption

See inset on Publicans page 89.

Two men emerged seeking reform. They were grandsons of Scipio, the brothers

Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus.Tiberius said of the farmer/soldiers, “They

fight and die to support others in wealth and luxury, and though they are styled masters of the world, they have not a single clod of earth that is their own.”

Failure of Reform

The Gracchi worked to have public lands given to the poor to cultivate for food.

They also tried to have the government sell grain to the poor at reduced prices.

They were both killed by senators: one directly, the other in a staged “riot.”

Failure of Reform

The Senate abandoned peaceful attempts to solve the discord within Rome and resorted to violence to maintain their power.

Civil War

Roman Senate vs. The Tribal AssemblySulla vs. Marius (appx. 88 B.C.)

Sulla and the Senate won this round.Sulla had himself declared dictator.

The First Civil War

Crassus – commander in Sulla’s army & very rich.

Pompey – another of Sulla’s commanders who gained the support of the powerful Senate.

Julius Caesar – general, politician, very popular with the common people.

Formed a triumvirate (rule of three).

The Second Civil War

Julius CaesarGovernor of Gaul (modern France)Led a powerful & loyal armyMilitary campaigns through Gaul & BritainSent written reports of his accomplishments to

Rome (Commentaries on the Gallic Wars).

The Second Civil War

Crassus was killed in battle in Asia.Pompey sought to take control with the

support of the Senate which ordered Caesar to return to Rome and disband his army.

Caesar returned to Rome, crossed the Rubicon River, and by marching his army to Rome declared war on Pompey and the Roman Senate.

The Second Civil War

The phrase “crossing the Rubicon” means making a fateful decision from which there is no turning back.

Pompey and many senators fled to Greece and then to Egypt where he was killed.

Julius Caesar declared himself dictator for life.

The Second Civil War

Curbed corruption in the provincial governments.

Established colonies for the landless army vets.

Granted citizenship to many non-Italians living in Rome’s new colonies.

Initiated public works projects.Established the Julian calendar.

Caesarean Reforms

Evidence suggests that Caesar planned to make himself king.

Romans prided themselves on their republic and would not tolerate a king.

Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March (March 15) 44 B.C.

Et tu Brute?

Assassination

Mark Antony and Octavian joined forces to avenge Caesar’s death.

First, they divided the empire: Octavian ruled the west; Mark Antony the east.

They soon turned on each other and fought a decisive naval battle at the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. with Octavian the victor.

The Third Civil War

31 B.C. to the Fall of Rome (AD 476) is known as the period of the Roman Empire.

Empire really began long before with expansion and conquest under the Republic.

Now the Republic is gone, and Rome is ruled by an imperator, the title of the commander of a victorious army.

Republic to Empire