Ch.5 An Age of Empires: Rome & Han China

753 B.C.E.-600 C.E.

Italy

Environment

• Italy-crossroads of Mediterranean• Rome-crossroads of Italy

Rome’s in 753 B.C.E.

Origins

• The legend: Romulus & Remus-grown by a she-wolf, founded the city

• Rome –founded in 753 B.C. on 7 hills

Social structure

• Basis of society: family, multiple generations + slaves

• Paterfamilias: absolute power • Patricians-rich• Plebeians-poor• Fights among them: “Conflict of the Order”

On what depended social status, political privileges, fundamental

values?

Economy

• Agricultural society• Basis of wealth: land• Trade • Territory rich in metals (iron): N-W Etruria

Political organization

• 1) Monarchy 753 -507 B.C.E. ( Romulus-Tarquinius Superbus)

• 2) Roman Republic 507 -31 B.C.E.• Rulers: Senate, Council of Elders, several

assemblies• All male citizens able to attend

Was the Roman Republic a democracy?

Who had the real power?

Answers

• Votes of wealthy counted more than the ones of the poor

• Senate

Political org.

• 450 B.C.E. Conflict of the Order:plebeians refused to work

• The laws: on 12 stone tablets• New officials: tribunes ( lower classes)

What was the purpose of the 12 stone tablets?

Was the new structure efficient?

Political org.

• Tribunes- power to block any action of the Assembly that was against the interests of the lower classes

• Patricians: brought the tribunes into their class.

• Patron-client relationship:• Patron-wealthy, offered protection• Clients: poor, political, military support, agric.

work

Religion

• Polytheistic• Small sacrifices: cakes, wine• Jupiter-Zeus, Mars-Ares, Venus-Aphrodita• Numina• Pax Deorum( Peace of the gods)-covenant

between the gods & the Roman state• People: sacrifices, gods: protection, success

Women

• No property• Under male authority the whole life• Less constrained than Greek women• In time they got more rights• influence

Expansion

• a) in Italy• b) in the Mediterranean

Why did the Romans expand so much?

• 1) aggressiveness• 2) insecurity-buffer states-further expansion• Well organized army; set up camps• A) expanded in Italy: conflicts among pastoral

tribes & agric. population• B) 264-202-conquered Phoenicians• expanded in Mediterranean: Sicily, Sardinia,

Spain

• 200-146 wars against Hellenistic kingdoms• 59-51 Caesar conquered Gaul (S France)• New provinces: local administration & tax

collection• A senator sent to administer it• Romans accorded citizenship to conquered

people

Why did the Romans accord citizenship to conquered peoples?

The failure of the Republic

• Political causes• 1) civil wars( 88-31 B.C.E.)• 2)armies were more loyal to their leader than

to the state

The failure of the Republic

• Economical causes• 1) the appearance of the latifundia (herds , wine

instead of grains)• 2) Roman cities became dependent of imported

grains• 3)peasants-difficulty in finding a job because of

the slaves• 4) poverty• 5) lower no. of eligible soldiers

Octavianus Princeps Augustus

The Roman Principate (31 B.C.E.-330 C.E.)

• Octavian (31 B.C.-14 C.E.)• Maintained the forms of the Republic• Founded the Principate• Military dictator• Expanded the empire: Egypt, parts of Middle

East, Central Europe• After him, the empire was ruled by emperors

from different families

The greatest expansion of the Roman Empire

Questions

• 1 )Why did he never call himself emperor?• 2) How was the throne transmitted into the

Roman Empire?

Caesar’s death

• 3) Why wasn’t the throne transmitted hereditary?

• 4) How was the emperor chosen?• 5) Why did a cult of worship of the living

emperor develop?• 6) What was the source of law in the Roman

Empire?

Way of life

• 80 % of population lived in villages• 20 % in cities; Rome, Alexandria, Carthage• Rome• Forum, government buildings• Temples, gardens• Public baths, theaters• Rich: town-houses• Poor: slums

Roman Forum

Way of life

• Cities organized based on Rome’s model• led by a town council +2 elected officials• Pax Romana –period of peace, stability &

prosperity during the first 2 centuries C.E. guaranteed by the Roman power

The Colosseum

What was the most enduring consequence of the Roman Empire?

Romanization

• spread of Latin language and Roman way of life into the conquered territories

• Factors of Romanization?

Factors of Romanization

• Language• Administration• Cities-built on Rome’s model• Veterans• School• Christianity

Third-Century Crisis (235-284)

• Political causes:• 1) frequent changes of emperors-civil wars-

instability• 2)attacks from Germanic tribes

• Economical causes:• Inflation• Declined of trade• Drained treasury• Demand of higher taxes-barter economy

• Social causes• Population moved from cities to villages• People find protection in local landowners

How was the crisis solved?

Diocletian( 284-305)

• Reforms• 1) controlled market prices• 2) frozed professional mobility• Stopped only temporary the collapse of the

Roman Empire

Constantine( 306-337)

• 312, battle of Milvian Bridge , victory( cross)• 313, Edict of Milan (freedom of worship to

Christians)• Unified the empire under a single religion• Moved the capital from Rome to

Constantinople

Why did Constantine stop the Christians ’persecution?

The decline of the Roman Empire

• 392, emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official & unique religion of the Roman Empire

• 395 the Roman Empire was divided in 2:• Western part-decline• Eastern part-flourished, the Byzantine Empire• The Western part-attacked by migrating

peoples: Germanic tribes( Visigoths, Ostrogoths)

The end of the Roman Empire

• 476,the Western part collapsed• W-divided into many Germanic kingdoms• The Eastern part will survive for 1,000 more

years under the name the Byzantine Empire

Technology

• Roads• Arches• Concrete• Ballistic weapons• Aqueducts• System of writing: alphabet

Roman road (Appian Way)

Roman Aqueduct