4 the Rise of Rome

8/9/2019 4 the Rise of Rome

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The Rise of Rome


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What is Romes Geographic Setting?

Peninsula- land surrounded by water on three sides Rivers, hills, and fertile soil

Italy was in the center of the Mediterranean Sea

Rome was in central Italy, near the Tiber River Rome was the main, central city of the Western

World


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Roman Empire 110 AD


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Roman Empire 117 AD


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The Origin of Rome

The foundation of Roma goes back to 753 BC.But this date comes from a myth, so it represents

tradition rather than the truth.

But in the first 200 years, it was a relatively small andunimportant monarchy.

There was no defined urban core.

There were autonomous communities.

There were extreme ethnic, political, religious, social,economic and linguistic diversity.


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Etruscans

There were Etruscans on the north, in Tuscany.Rome developed under the influence of Etruscans.

Etruscans spoke a foreign language and they were

kings of Rome.In late sixth century BC the Romans established their

independence from Etruscans.

But the Romans borrowed ideas from the Greeks and

the Etruscans.


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EtruscansExpansion


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Political Evolution of Rome

The Romans have had almost everytype ofgovernment.

They had a kingdom, a republic, a dictatorship, andan empire.

Their democracy would be the basis for most moderndemocracies.

Monarchy (753 509 BC)

Republic (509 29 BC)Empire (29 BC 476 and 1453 )


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Roman Expansion

Roman expansion was particularly rapid under thelater Republic and early Empire.

It established itself in north-west Europe, and in theDanube Basin.

It established control over Spain, Greece andCarthaginian North Africa in (509 218 BC).

The expansion of Rome slowed during the 1th and2nd centuries AD.

The only significant gains had been the annexation oflowland Britain, Armenia and Kurdistan on theBlack Sea.


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Society

The population of Roman Italy reached to 5 million by100 AD.

Roman society had militaristic nature.

The big population with militaristic character ledRomans to political expansion, conquest andcolonization.

But the result of rapid expansion was the losses of

manpower during wars.


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The Romans Society

The Roman population was divided into two groups: Patriciansand plebeians.

The patricians were the descendants of the most ancient andpowerful families (nobles), they were landowners, lived inlarge houses, and they had political power in the senate.

The plebeians were mainly artisans or peasants who worked thepatricians' land; they lived in apartments and they had verylimited political rights.

The two classes were quite divided: the patricians married anddid business only with the people of their class.

Senate was made up of 300 upper class men, patricians.


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Political Domination

Both Patricians and plebeians had the right to vote.But only patricians had the right to hold anypolitical, military or religious offices.

Basically all the power was in the hands of thepatricians.

Although the plebeians had fewer rights than thepatricians they still had to serve in the army and paytaxes to the people that were oppressing them.


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A comparison of two classes

Slaves: If they could gain it, both classes had slaves to dothe work.

Citizenship: The citizens of Rome were adult freemenfrom both classes - plebs and patricians. Women,

children, and slaves were not citizens. People from allclasses considered themselves as Romans.Religion: Both classes worshiped the same gods and

attended religious festivals.Language: Both classes spoke the same language, Latin.Forum: Both classes enjoyed the activities in the Forum,

including the many free activities such as jugglers.


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Slavery

Slavery in the ancient world and in Rome was vital toboth the economy and even the social fabric of thesociety.

The Romans established their hegemony on Italy and

Sicily. And they transported millions of slaves toRome, the Italian countryside and Latin colonies allover Europe.

They borrowed this tradition of slavery from Hellenic

world.For Marxist historians, the big reliance on slavery was

the main reason of the Roman decline.


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More Territory, More Slaves

In each war, the Republic acquired additionalterritory and slave.

According to Marxist historians, to gain slave was soimportant like to gain territory.

Romes slave population was not self-reproducing.

In each conquest, Rome gained new territories.

To exploit new territories, it demanded more slaves.


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Roman Slavery


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Roman Settlement

In about 200 BC, the Eastern Mediterranean wasunder Greek domination.

This region possessed the best institutions such as;assembly, gymnasium, theaters and agoras.

But there was despotism and enlightenment at thesame time.


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Roman Economy

Roman economy remained predominantly based onagriculture.

Roman towns and cities remained as the centers ofconsumption rather than production.

The estimated number of Roman towns and cities inthe 2nd Century AD.

Over 600 in Greece and Italy150 in Iberia

50 in Mediterranean France and60 in Dalmatia


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Roman Urbanism: Rome

Rome was the focus of urbanism.It provided political leadership.It inspired morality and religious belief.It established conceptions of taste and fashion.Rome as a city was imitated by other provincial cities

throughout the Republic and Empire.There were different cultural traditions like

Hellenistic, Near Eastern, Eastern and European.And these different cultures were fusing under the

leadership of Rome.


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Rome as Megapolis

Rome was the chief-city in a federation of city states.In the 1st Century AD, it had become a megapolis.

Its population was about 5 million.

There was no other city like Rome both in terms ofsize and importance.

Alexandrias population was around 300,000 and

Carthages was about 20,000


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Romes Trade Network

Rome was dependent on a wide range of economies,efficient communications and transport technologies forthe resources required for its growing population.

Grain trade is a good case point.

Corn was the single most important food item for thepopulation.Rome required 200,000 tonnes of corn for a year.This huge amount was coming from Campania, Etruria,

Umbria and later from Sardinia, Sicily and North Africa.The corn was sent from these regions as payment in kind

for imperial taxation.


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Life in Rome

The citizens of Rome lived in a congested andstressful urban environment like 21 the centuryurban man.

Like Athens before it, it had complex topography and

irregular city plan.Roman urbanism developed on the basis of

Hellenistic and Carthaginian cultures of the Easternand Southern Mediterranean.

In these cultures, urbanism was more ancient.


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The Differences Between Roman and Greek Cities

Roman and Greek cities were quite similar.The difference was the scale and elaboration of cities.

Hellenistic cities were refurbished by the Romans.

For example, agora was enlarged as a Roman forum.At Ephesus, an Ancient Hellenistic city, all the major

buildings were constructed or rebuilt during the firstand second centuries AD.


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THE PEAK OF ROMANS

The 2nd Century AD was the peak of Roman imperialachievement.

The Romans became the master of theMediterranean.

Roman expansion led to the conquering of NorthernAfrica.

They conquered Carthage, Spain, Greece, and Gaul

(France).


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Roman Republic


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THE END OF EMPIRE

The reasons of decline:For Marxists, slave trade, decline in slave trade.Political fragmentation between big geography. It had

expanded behind its capacity.

The long distance for trade, difficulty in the transportation ofresources.Big migrations of different tribes.In 395 AD, the Empire was divided as Eastern and Western

Empires.

The Western Empire was collapsed shortly after in 476 AD.The Eastern Empire became more successful and continued

until the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople.

4 the Rise of Rome

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