ROME-END OF THE REPUBLIC

ROMULUS AND REMUS

Sons of god Uranus and Rhea Silvia- vestal virgin

Twins were thrown into the Tiber river- floated down stream – were found by a she-wolf and woodpecker

Eventually returned to kill their father

Founded a new city-Rome

ROME’S BEGINNINGS

Central location & Geography – Is it a Benefit?

~800 B.C. – Latins migrate to Italy, settle in villages along Tiber River on 7 hills

Legend – Romulus & Remus

Share Italy w/ Etruscans

ROMAN REPUBLIC

509 B.C. – throw out the Etruscans

Establish a republic – to prevent any individual from too much power

Structure – p. 152 300 patricians

2 consuls (1 term) Dictator

Ex: Cincinnatus

PLEBEIANS

Farmers, merchants, & artisans Citizens w/ little influence

Gain right to elect tribunes to protect them

Tribunes could veto, or block laws

More involved in Senate over time

450 B.C. – Laws of the 12 Tables inscribed, placed in the Forum Ability to appeal

ROMAN SOCIETY

Family – Basic Unit Male = absolute power Women

Own property, run businesses, & support the arts & festivals

Attend public events w/ husbands

Livia & Agrippina Children

Girls & Boys, rich & poor learn to read & write

Rich Romans hire Greek tutors

RELIGION

Developed/Borrowed from Greeks Jupiter = Zeus Juno = Hera Neptune = Poseidon Mars = Ares

Calendar Feasts & Celebrations Inspire a sense of community

Dozens of Temples Ex: Pantheon

GROWTH OF THE STATE

~270 B.C. – Control most of Italy

Success = diplomacy & well-trained army Legion – 5,000 men each Stressed loyalty & courage Rewards & punishments

Just to conquered peoples, maintain customs for loyalty

Outposts, roads link the empire, increase trade

PUNIC WARS

3 separate wars-over 100 years total

1st Punic War-Carthage had awesome navy & many more citizens than Rome

Rome wins-How? Used planks on ships

to board Carthaginian ships

Lasted 23 years

2ND PUNIC WAR

218 BCE-Hannibal, great Carthaginian warrior, took 60,000 soldiers, 38 elephants, and horses

Went into Spain, across the Pyrenees, and snuck in behind the Roman soldiers for a sneak attack

½ his men & most of elephants died (snow covered mountains & bitter cold)

2ND PUNIC WAR CONT. Hannibal enters the Roman plains

& defeats the surprised Romans; 2 yrs later-defeated 3 more Roman armies

Romans retreat to Rome-Hannibal can’t knock walls down

Picked up Gallic soldiers in France (hated Roman empire)

15 yrs Hannibal destroys Italian peninsula-farms, villages destroyed

Surprise move-Rome takes armies across Mediterranean and attacks Carthage

Hannibal rushes home to defend his home territory

General Scipio defeats Hannibal-forces Carthage to destroy most of its navy & took control of Spain

3RD PUNIC WAR

149 BCE-Carthage attacked Rome’s ally

Rome attacked Carthage cut off food supplies,

many starve to death Burned it to ground,

sold people into slavery Legend says they

poured salt on ground to prevent future crops

Carthage was gone

GAP BETWEEN RICH & POOR

Rich become richer-poor become poorer HOW???

Soldiers important-citizen-soldiers also farmers, laborers

Gone for long periods of time, farms often taken for lack of taxes paid

Soldiers returned home to nothing

Very few jobs available-slaves did most of the work

No land & no jobs-many sold votes to politicians

TIBERIUS & GAIUS GRACCHUS

Brothers, both were tribunes Both tried to help the poor Tiberius said the soldiers fought

to protect the wealthy & received nothing in return

Senators started a riot-Tiberius killed

Gaius accomplished more-lowered grain prices & got offices for plebeians

Patricians stopped the reforms-Gaius & several thousand of his supporters were killed

Plebeians loved them, patricians hated them

MILITARY LEADERS GAIN POWER Plebeians & tribunes want

reform-patricians don’t-What happens? Generals take control

110 BCE-General Marius forms army of poor people Promises share of wealth of

conquered territories More loyal to him than the

republic 88 BCE-General Sulla

challenges him 1000’s die in war between the 2 Sulla wins Throws out 6 month dictator

law Military generals rule until 27

BCE

1ST TRIUMVIRATE

60 BCE-3 men agree to rule Rome together Crassus-wealthy

politician Pompey the Great-

general Julius Caesar-general Julius-elected consul

Called the 1st triumvirate

Lasts only 10 years

JULIUS CAESAR

Feared by Pompey-got Senate to limit his power, forced him to return to Rome w/o army

Caesar refused-marched his army back to Rome, defeating Pompey’s armies along the way-Pompey fled

Caesar broke Roman law-but had won power-more power than the Senate

JULIUS CAESAR’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Jobs to poor Told rich to stop wearing

jewelry & displays of wealth Tougher crime laws Forgave enemies-gave gov’t

jobs to them Fixed calendar-used for next

1,500 years Senate made him dictator for

life-face on Roman coins Some Senate members feared

this Assassinated March 15th, 44

BCE Friends who killed him did it for

the “good” of the Republic

2ND TRIUMVERATE

Fighting broke out after his death

2 of his supporters, Marc Antony & Marcus Lepidus (later Octavian)-2nd triumvirate

Octavian(West) Antony (East) both fight for power

Anthony allies with Cleopatra-Egypt

EGYPT & ROME

Octavian gets Senate to take away Antony’s power

War broke out between Egypt & Rome

31 BCE-Battle of Actium, Rome defeats Egypt

Antony & Cleopatra commit suicide

27 BCE-Republic dies-Octavian named emperor for life

Next 500 years, emperors will rule Rome