G.R.A.P.E.S.

Geography

Location

• Rome was built on seven hills

• Rome is located on the west coast of mainland Italy

• Rome is located by the Tiber River

Expansion

• Rome started off as a small city in Italy

• Rome had a rival called Carthage who they conquered at the end of the 3rd Punic War

• By 180 A.D. Rome was as big as the U.S.

Landscape

• Rome had plenty of land that was perfect for farming

• Some areas in Rome were very dry

• Rome had a very rugged landscape because of the many mountains it has

Weather/Climate

• Rome’s winters were mild while the summers were very dry and hot

• Ash was usually in the air which caused some pollution that irritated people

• The winds are extremely strong near the coast

G.R.A.P.E.S.

Religion

Paul and His Journeys

• Paul created many Christian churches in Rome and Greece

• Paul was arrested many times but didn’t lose faith in his work

• Paul wrote epistles, letters in the Bible, while he was in jail

Spread of Christianity

• The Pax Romana helped Christians travel safely from place to place

• People liked the idea that God thinks everyone is equal

• People thought it was better to have a monotheistic religion rather than a polytheistic

Christianity

• Christians were persecuted but eventually Romans accepted their beliefs

• Paul built Christian churches everywhere in Rome

• Christianity became highly popular in Rome

Jesus

• Jesus is the son of God that came to Earth

• He had many followers that spread his beliefs

• He was crucified by Pontius Pilate

G.R.A.P.E.S.

Achievements

Science

• Ptolemy had theories that the Earth was the center of the universe

• Ptolemy’s theory was thought to be true for over 1200 years

• Hypatia was a mathematician who was murdered by Christians

Concrete

• Concrete was used for many sculptures

• Concrete was used for flooring in wealthy Roman homes

• Romans used concrete for large structures

Medicine/Healthcare

• Galen dissected animals and recorded their anatomies

• Galen discovered that arteries carried blood, not air

• Using medicine and tools, doctors healed many gladiators

Roads

• Key roads always led to Rome

• More than 50,000 miles of road went through the Empire

• Roads helped the military move quicker

G.R.A.P.E.S.

Politics

Republic

• Rome went from a monarchy to an oligarchy

• The Consuls were the head of the Republic, with Senators and Tribunes in the middle, and the Assembly near the bottom

• The Republic was a tripartite government

Empire

• The Romans combined military strength with diplomacy to create the Empire

• Rome offered its conquered people peace, as long as some of them offered to fight for Rome in return

• Rome was a rival of Carthage when it became an Empire

Pax Romana

• The Pax Romana was a period of peace that Augustus had brought to Rome

• During the Pax Romana merchants could trade safely because they didn’t have to worry about enemy vessels

• Julius Caesar risked another Civil war by crossing the Rubicon River

Choosing Leaders

• The Republic chose leaders by voting

• The Empire had the praetorian Guard choose the emperor

• The emperor usually used bribes to become the emperor

G.R.A.P.E.S.

Economy

Trade

• Rome had many sea routes that merchants could travel and trade with other merchants

• Many goods were traded all across Rome

• Most sea routes took 10-30 days to travel because Rome was so large

Inflation

• Rome suffered rising prices after Marcus Aurelius became emperor

• Gold became scarce so less was used in coins which caused merchants to increase prices

• People started to barter for goods because of prices

Unemployment

• Latifundias put small farmers out of business

• Slave labor put farmers in the lower class because of job loss

• Because of unemployment most people had no choice but to live on the streets

Excessive Military Spending

• The military left none of the budget for education

• Rome could not maintain most of its cities

• The government raised taxes because they needed more money for their cities

G.R.A.P.E.S.

Social Structure

Urban Decay

• Wealthy Romans lived in a Domus

• Poor Romans lived in dark, smelly rooms

• Anyone who could not pay rent lived on the streets

Classes

• Patricians made up the upper class

• Plebeians made up the lower class

• The military and emperor made up the very top class

Family Values

• Roman family was centered around men

• The father of a baby chose to keep the baby or let it die if it was sick

• Women raised children and cooked for their families

Family History

• A man’s name reflected what clan he belonged to

• A woman’s name represented if she was older or younger than her siblings

• A woman added her husband’s name to hers when they got married

My Opinion

• The most important thing I learned about Rome is their form of government. Their Republican form of government influenced the U.S. and other countries in the world to have a Republican form of government. I think it is important to have the citizens elect their leaders instead of a leader bribing or assassinating the current leader to become the nation’s ruler. Rome’s Republican form of government has had big impact on today’s countries.