Advantages of Roman Geography

• Rome’s Location• Rome is located on the center of

the Latium plain in the Middle of the Italian peninsula which is also in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea

Latium Plain

• Summer is hot and dry• Winter is wet and mild• Etruscans city-states were

located in the north • Greek colonies were located in

the South

Advantages of the Latium • Rome was built on seven hills which

made it hard to attack• It was located on the Tiber river which gave it

easy access to trade• It was located in the center of Italy, which gave it

protection from naval attack• It was located in the center of the Mediterranean

Sea which allowed it to become a trading center

• Also, it was located on rich farmland

The Rise of the Republic

• Republic

Consuls

• Rome’s form of government was a republic

• In a republic citizens elect their leaders to run their government

citizens elected consuls and they were advised by the Senate

Roman Social Classes

• Roman culture was divided into two classes• Patricians were the wealthy land owning

families• Plebeians were the artisans, shopkeepers,

and peasants• Classes were determined by birth

Struggle for Rights

• Plebeians had fewer rights but still served in the military and paid taxes

• In 494 B.C. the plebeians withdrew from Rome and formed their own assembly

• Patricians allowed the plebeians to keep their tribunes who protected their rights

• Plebeians demanded that the Roman laws needed to be written down

Twelve Tables

• This wrote down the Roman laws• Plebeians were allowed to be in

the priesthood• Debt bondage was outlawed• Plebeian assembly laws only

applied to the Plebeians• Laws passed by the patrician

senate applied to everybody

Equality for Plebeians

1. In 287 B.C. the Plebeians protested and now laws passed by the assembly applied to everybody

2. Roman Government• Plebeians gained more power • Rome became more democratic

Consuls

• There were 2 consuls • One consuls was a patrician and the

other consul was a plebian• They were elected for a 1 year term• Each consul could veto the other

consul’s decisions• They carried out the daily business of

the government

Senate

The Senate had 300 membersThey controlled the treasury and Roman

foreign policyThey were chosen for lifeThey were mostly patricians

Citizen Assemblies • Citizen Assemblies could approve or veto

any laws made

The Roman Genius

1. Romans mastered the skills for building and governing the empire

Military Organization 1. Rome won by the determination and

discipline of its army2. Rome had a full time army3. The army was very organized with a strict

chain of command

4. The army was good at adapting

Engineering Skill

• The Romans built 50,000 miles of roads to unified the empire

• Romans perfected the arch• They invented concrete• They built aqueducts to carry water to the

cities

Legal Administration1. Rome started a legal system with courts, judges and

lawyers2. The Roman legal system is a starting point for the

modern day legal system

Overseas Expansion

• Reasons for Rome being able to conquer a large amount land so quickly

1. Rome took great pride in their Republic and fiercely defended it

2. They treated the conquer people as allies

3. The army was highly disciplined

4. Romans greatly value military success

5. Wars were a great source of wealth for Rome

Trouble at Home and the Fall of the Roman RepublicChanges in Warfare1. Now wars are fought farther away from

Rome and for longer periods of time 2. Rome developed a professional army

with fulltime soldiers 3. Soldiers fought for money not for Rome4. Soldiers are more loyal to their

generals than to Rome

Changes in the society

1. Wealthy Romans bought up all of the land and made large farming plantations run by slaves

2. Conflicts broke out between the rich and poor

3. The gap between the rich and the poor increased

4. The slave population dramatically increased

5. The slaves rebelled against their Roman masters

•Spartacus started a slave rebellion in 73BC

Changes in the Economy 1. After the wars farmers did not have

the money needed to begin farming again

2. Slaves captured in Rome’s many wars, provided cheap labor putting many poor Romans out of work

3. Many poor Romans moved to the cities to find work; however, they often stayed unemployed

Changes in the Government1. Roman leaders feared that the mobs

would demand solutions for their troubles

2. Wealth from the wars made Roman leaders greedy

3. The poor felt no loyalty to the government

4. Conflicts broke out between the rich and poor

Causes for the Fall of the Roman Republic1. Rapid expansion in the size of Rome brought great

changes in Rome2. The gap between the Rich and Poor grew3. The slave population greatly increased4. Wealth had made Roman leaders greedy5. The poor felt no loyalty to government6. Conflicts broke out between the rich and poor7. Soldiers fought for money not for Rome8. Soldiers were loyal to their generals not to Rome9. Generals were fighting each other for the control of

the government

• Causes for the Fall1. Generals were fighting each other for control of

the government2. The slave population greatly increased and they

fought a rebellion against the republic3. Rapid expansion of the republic brought great

changes in Rome4. The gap between the Rich and the Poor

increased5. Wealth made the Roman leaders greedy6. The poor felt no loyalty to the government7. Conflicts broke out between the rich and poor in

Rome8. Soldiers now fought for money rather than for

Rome9. Soldiers were loyal to generals not Rome

•Empire of Augustus

• Octavian brought peace and was given the title Augustus

• Augustus claimed to be restoring the Republic

• Augustus controlled the military and appointed most of the important officials

• Was considered the 1st emperor; however, he referred to himself as the 1st tribune

Order in the City

3 reforms of Augustus•1. Established a police force•2. Established a fire brigade•3. Established a department to supply food in Rome

The Pax Romana•200 year period of peace in the Roman empire

Ruling the empire• Tiberius became the emperor

when Augustus died• The Emperor chose his successor

from his family or adopted someone he thought would make a good emperor

• Each dynasty ended with the overthrow of the unpopular or unfit emperor

The Dynasties

• Nero• Domitian

Trajan

Hadrian

Marcus Aurelius

• Nero ended Augustus’ line with disgrace

• The second dynasty ended with the assassination of Domitian who was ruthless ruler

• Trajan was a great ruler from Spain who expanded Rome to its largest size

• Hadrian gave Rome fixed borders and started cities like London and Paris

• He protected the borders and his death ended the Pax Romana

Policies for the Provinces

3 Ways Rome united the empire1. Built cities modeled after Rome2. Gradually granted citizenship to

people in the provinces3 Allowed officials to govern

themselves

Political Unrest1 After the rule of Severus Alexander there were 25 rulers

in 50 years and all but one leader was killed in office2 When the emperors died there were problems with

succession Economic Problems1. Prices were rising out of control2. The price of wheat went from 20 drachmas to 120,000

in 80 yearsMilitary Problems1. Borders were under constant attack2. The Romans raised taxes to protect the empire and the

government Consequences of these problems1. Trade was disrupted because of the attacks 2. There was not enough food to go around3. Poverty and unemployment increased4. Romans started to believe that the empire was too big

Fact or Fiction•“The remedy is worse than the disease."

•— Francis Bacon

Edict on PricesPositive Result: It told farmers and

merchants what they could charge for their goods

Negative Result: The edict failed to control prices. Prices continued to increase and the price controls actually caused them to rise faster

Conclusion:Increase the size of the military

Positive Result: Size of the military and government grew

Negative Result: The government became very costly

Conclusion:

Created a new tax systemPositive Result: The Government could now

collect more money to pay for the large government.

Negative Result: The people were now forced to work and could not leave or change their jobs. It required them to do the same job as their parents.

Conclusion:

Diocletian reestablished orderPositive Result: Diocletian established order in

the empire again.Negative Result: Rome is now ruled by a

harsher form of rule.Conclusion:

Fact or Fiction

•“The remedy is worse than the disease."

•— Francis Bacon

American Debt

• The federal budget is on an unsustainable path — meaning that federal debt will continue to grow much faster than the economy over the long run. . . . Rising costs for health care and the aging of the U.S. population will cause federal spending to increase rapidly. . . . 

• Congressional Budget Office

Test Outline

• Test Sections• Multiple Choice

24 points• Short Answer

questions with pictures 25 points

• What to study• Rome Notes pages 3-14, &

the History frames

• The short answer questions are open notes; however, be sure to understand the material from the Ancient Rome note pages.