CLASSICAL ROME – RISE AND FALL

RISE AND FALL OF ROME NOTES

Rome Gains Power Power = ProblemsAttempts at Reform

Fall of Rome Legacy of Rome

Rome Spreads Its Power and Influence

Rome Conquers Italy Roman power continued to grow, they

controlled central Italy and eventually they defeated the Etruscans and controlled nearly all of Italy

Roman power eventually spread far beyond Italy

Rome’s Commercial Network Rome’s Commercial Network

Location allowed for land and sea trade One city in Carthage (Northern Africa)

interfered with Roman access to the Mediterranean

Punic Wars

War with Carthage Punic Wars – Rome vs. Carthage First War – lasted 23 years for control over Sicily

and the Mediterranean ended in a Roman victory Second War – led by Carthaginian General,

Hannibal – marched army and elephants through Spain, over the Alps and down through Italy, Hannibal won

Third War – Rome laid siege on Carthage, burned the city to the ground and sold its residents into slavery

Rome Triumphs Rome dominated the western

Mediterranean

BOX ONE – WRITE THIS

Trade and war made Rome powerful and they dominated the Mediterranean

Growth of Power Leads to Problems Rome faced many problems with its

expanding borders What problems might the empire face?

Rome’s Economy Weakens Hostile tribes and piracy on the seas

interrupted trade Stopped spreading empire and lacked

new resources Inflation Agricultural problems – overworked the

land, food shortages and disease spread, population declined

Military and Political Turmoil Roman soldiers were becoming less loyal

and weren’t disciplined Soldiers fought for commanders, not for

Rome Government had to hire mercenaries to

protect the empire, felt no loyalty to Rome

People were no longer willing to sacrifice their lives for the greater good of Rome, loss of patriotism

BOX TWO – WRITE THIS

Economic Turmoil – trade interrupted, inflation, agricultural problems, lack of new resources

Military Turmoil – soldiers lost loyalty

Attempts at Reform

Diocletian Reforms the Empire Restored order to the Roman Empire,

was ruthless, limited personal freedoms Divided empire into two parts Greek speaking in the East (Greece,

Anatolia, Syria and Egypt) Latin speaking in the West (Italy, Gaul,

Britain and Spain)

Constantine Moves the Capital Constantine gained control over the

West in 312 and gained control over the East in 324

Moved the capital to the East to a city called Byzantium, power shifted from West to East, the city was renamed Constantinople

Empire divided again, the East survived, the West crumbled

BOX THREE – WRITE THIS

Diocletian divided the empire into East and West, limited personal freedoms

Constantine moved the capital to the East, capital city Constantinople, West fell, East survived

The Fall of Rome – Western Empire Crumbles

Germanic Invasions Germanic people had always settled on the

outskirts of the Roman empire and they got along well

A group of Mongol nomads, the Huns, began to push their way into the region

Germanic people fled into the Roman empire and were called “barbarians” (any non-Roman)

The Germanic people continued to flee into all of the Eastern Roman Empire and once they reached the Western Empire, they destroyed it

Attila the Hun Huns were indirectly responsible for the

plundering of Western Rome by the Germans and became a threat

United under Attila, 100,000 troops terrorized both sides of the empire but failed to take Constantinople

Attila moved forward to the Western half of the empire and tried to take Rome, but his army faced famine and disease and were unsuccessful

An Empire No More Last Roman emperor was Romulus

Augustulus was taken out by Germanic forces

Roman power in the West had completely disappeared

Eastern Roman Empire became known as the Byzantine Empire

BOX FOUR – WRITE THIS

Mongol tribes (Huns) were moving into northern Europe, forcing Germanic tribes (Vandals & Visigoths) to move south, into Rome

Western Roman Empire fell and the East survived, eventually became Byzantine Empire

Legacy of Rome – Roots of Western Civilization

The Latin Language Latin language dominated Language was later adopted by

neighboring people and transformed into the romance languages: French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian

Many English words have Latin roots

Master Builders Arch, dome, concrete allowed for

spectacular buildings Aqueducts carried water Many American buildings borrow this

architecture Vast network of roads – some still used

today

Roman System of Law Greatest legacy

All persons deserve equal protection under the law

Innocent until proven guilty Burden of proof rested on the accuser, not

the accused Punished for actions, not thoughts Any unfair law could be abolished

Rome’s Enduring Influence Rome is the foundation for modern

Western civilization

BOX FIVE – WRITE THIS

Language, buildings, law, Christianity, foundation for Western Civilization