Ancient Rome

Italian Geography

• Different than Greece

• Not made up of islands or isolated valleys

• Much easier to unify

• Broad, fertile plains

• Plains supported growing population

Roman Government• Republic- Thing of the

people. • Government in which

officials are elected by the people.

• Thought it would keep any one person from gaining too much power

• Patrician- Members of landowning class.

• Senators who served for life.

• Consuls- Elected by senators (2 yearly).

• Supervise the business of government, command armies.

• Serve only 1 term, also patrician- created checks and balances.

• Dictator- Elected in time of war. Had complete control of government for 6 months.

• Plebeians- Merchants, farmers, traders made up bulk of population. Had little influence.

• 450 BC- laws on 12 tablets placed in marketplace so public knew the laws, made it possible for plebeians to appeal judgment.

• Tribunes- Officials elected by plebeians to protect their interests. Tribunes could veto unfair laws.

Roman Conquest

• Punic Wars- Carthage, a city-state on the northern coast of Africa. Between 264 – 146 BC Rome fought 3 wars against Carthage. Rome won all 3.

• Hannibal- Carthaginian General 218 BC In Second Punic war- never able to capture Rome and had to return to Carthage (Africa) to defend against Roman invaders.

Roman Conquest

• Rome fought Carthage in west

• Expanding in East: Macedonia, Greece and parts of Asia Minor

• Egypt allied with Rome

• By 133 bc Roman power extended from Spain to Egypt

• New class of landowners emerged from new trade routes

• Bought huge estates and used forced labor

• Latifundia- Large estates worked by slaves. Hurt small farmers who could not produce food as cheaply.

Gracchus Brothers• Tiberius and Gaius hoped to improve the

lives of the plebeians with reforms – Distributing land to poor farmers– Using public funds to buy grain to feed the

poor– Senators did not like these reforms

*Brothers along with thousands of their followers were killed by street violence set off by senators

Augustus Caesar• Augustus- Republic

came to an end and Roman empire dawned.

• Reforms: Kept senate• created an efficient civil

service charged with law enforcement

• made tax system more fair with census

• created postal service

Roman Law

• Two systems:

• 12 Tablets led to civil law (for citizens)

• Law of Nations: suited Roman sense of justice for new conquered lands and peoples– Came from Stoic philosophy and concept

of natural law

Roman Law•Common principles-

•1) People of same status equal before law

•2) innocent until proven guilty

•3) accused shall face accuser

•4) guilt must be clearer than daylight

•5) decisions based of fairness allowing judges to interpret the law

Justinian’s Code

• Ruled from 527 – 565 in east (Byzantine empire)

• Revised all laws of Rome

• “Body of Civil Law” or Justinian’s Code

• Code reached Western Europe in 1100’s

Greco-Roman Civilization• Culture- Rome borrowed from Greek.

– Greek art, literature, philosopher and scientific genius seen as height of cultural achievement

• Philosophy- Hellenistic philosophy of Stoicism impressed Roman thinkers, importance of duty

• Christian church, Byzantine empire and Muslims preserved culture after empire collapsed

Causes of the Fall of the Roman Empire

• Military) Germanic invasions weakened Roman empire, hired disloyal mercenaries, or soldiers for hire.

• Political/economic) Government was increasingly oppressive, people less supportive of corrupt officials, heavier taxes, wealth dwindled, population declined with war and disease.

• Social) Decline in values, upper class devoted to luxury and self interest.