"The Senate and People of Rome"1

The Legend• Aeneas was a great Trojan warrior and

relative of Hector and Paris’ father King Priam. The gods told him to flee and he did fleeing to the Italian Peninsula where Aeneas is linked as one of the progenitors of Romulus and Remus.

• Amulius deposed Numitor, king of Alba Longa and forced his sister Rhea into a priestesshood.

• Rhea conceived Romulus and Remus by either the god Mars or the demi-god Hercules.

• When the twins were born, Amulius who could not have legitimate heirs to the throne alive, left them to die but they were saved by a series of miraculous interventions.

• A she-wolf found them and suckled them, sustained them, and they would eventually reclaim their titles and power, yea I know... 2

The Legend Cont…

• A shepherd and his wife then fostered them and raised them to manhood as shepherds.

• The twins proved to be natural leaders and acquired many followers.

• When told their true identities, they killed Amulius, restored Numitor to the throne of Alba Longa and decided to found a new city for themselves.

Romulus Jackin’ Loot from Jupiter’s Temple

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Italian Region – 500 B.C.E.

• The region of “Latium” was occupied by the Latins a group of people who spoke, you guessed it Latin and were mainly herders and farmers that lived in huts atop the seven hills.

• Rome started as a series of hovels on the Italian peninsula.

• The town itself would be built upon seven hills located on the plain of Latium 18 miles inland upon the Tiber River.

• Close to Rome there was a ford which allowed north and south traffic to cross and giving Rome additional commercial and regional importance.

• This location gave Rome access to the sea and critical protection from marauding fleets of pirates and protection from invading foreign powers.

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Italian Region – 500 B.C.E. cont…

• The lands north of the Tiber river and the central part of the peninsula were occupied by Etruscans in Etruria.

• They had twelve city states that were joined in a loose confederation.

• They mined iron, copper, and tin.• They had impressive architecture,

elaborate drainage, and irrigation systems.

• The Etruscans would move into the Latium region and begin a massive building project at the location of Rome. It was most likely chosen because of its geographic advantages.

• The power that would be Rome borrowed heavily from the Etruscans in terms of their dress (toga) and their military organization.

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Italian Region – 500 B.C.E. cont…

• The Greeks had settlements to the south of Rome in a region called Campania.

• They established these colonies between 750-550 B.C.E.

• They diffused there alphabet, architecture, and other Greek ideas to the village of Rome.

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Italian Region – 500 B.C.E. cont…

• The Carthaginians from North Africa were a prominent force in the region as they were a force in all of northwest Africa, the Iberian peninsula and completely controlled the islands of Corsica and Sardinia as well as half of Sicily with the Greeks.

• Romans called people from Carthage “Punici”, their version of the name Phoenicians.

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Mediterranean Region Circa 500 BCE

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Toga

Seven Hills of Rome

CarthageTiber Ford – Pons Sublicius

Because the ford was an important means of brining business into the city a bridge was eventually built over the river because of intermittent floods and as a way to tax incoming goods as well as a point of city security.

The river today has been heavily modified and ancient Romans would have difficulty recognizing it.

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Early Roman Expansion

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Roman State - Organization

• Early Rome was under the rule of seven kings and two of the last three were Etruscan.

• In 509 B.C.E. the Romans overthrew the last Etruscan kings and started a republic in which some people had the right to vote.

• One factor that aided the republic was that it was now surrounded by enemies; Rome had to grow or die.

• From 509 - 267 B.C.E. the Romans were continuously at war which ended with Rome triumphant and virtually all of the Italian Peninsula under the control of Rome.– Rome had two main influences on how to organize their state and

territories; the city-state model of Greece, Etruscia, and the Phoenicians or the loose confederation found between Latin villages.

– They chose, both.– A confederation of city-states where control was exercised by

trustworthy Roman officials of traditionally non Roman populations.

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Roman Republic

• 12 Tables – Establish law for the Romans after a long struggles between Patricians and Plebeians.

• Stated all Romans should be protected by law.• Accuser must provide evidence of crime, not

the accused disprove it.• Actions punished, no thoughts.• Unreasonable laws and punishments could be

ignored.Examples:

• "Whoever is convicted of speaking false witness shall be flung from the Tarpeian Rock.“

• "Marriage shall not take place between a patrician and a plebeian.“

• "There are eight kinds of punishment: fine, fetters, flogging, retaliation in kind, civil disgrace, banishment, slavery, death."

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Rome 279 B.C.E.

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New Territories = New Problems

• Once the regions of Latium, Etruria, and Campania were won in military campaigns the reality of how to rule came into question.

• Different cultures, former enemies, and newly conquered groups made management of the region a potential problem.

• The solution of the republic was the “Roman Confederation”.

• In this confederation most Latins were made full Roman citizens while the other conquered communities were made allies and were left to freely do business as they saw fit, for the most part.

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The Punic Wars

• After the Romans had unified the Italian Peninsula they came into intense competition with the Phoenicians from the Empire of Carthage.

• Carthage was a colony of Semitic people from the Fertile Crescent.

• There would be three of these wars and in the end the majority of Cathage’s territory would fall into the control of the Romans.

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First Punic War 264 B.C.E.

• A disagreement arose in the city of Messina on the isle of Sicily over trade.

• One party asks for Carthaginian intervention, the other for Roman help.

• Both Rome and Carthage sent its navy as a show of force, then troops.

• Having armies in close proximity to one another is a recipe for, WAR!

• Rome wins easy victories and occupies the isle of Sicily, it is now Roman territory and controls land beyond the Italian Peninsula for the first time.

• They do not make the people in the territories citizens. Instead they install Roman governors and troops to back up their decrees and decisions.

• The Roman governors become very powerful as they control local trade.

• They do realize however they must have a stronger navy to further confront Carthage.

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Second Punic War 218 B.C.E.

• At the end of the first war Carthage was forced to sign a treaty with Rome. The terms were of course very good for Rome.

• At the same time a hero of Carthage was rising on the Iberian Peninsula. He acquired gold and silver, cavalry, and foot soldiers from the region.

• His name was Hamilcar and he hated Rome and wished to avenge the loses of the first Punic War.

• He would not get the opportunity, but his son Hannibal would.

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Second Punic War Cont…

• In 218 B.C.E. Hannibal launched an attack on Rome from the Iberian Peninsula in which his armies, including war elephants, would make a daring crossing of both the Pyrenees and the snowy Alps to attack Rome from within its territory.

• He lead a defensive campaign that last 14 years in which time he won many victories.

• Rome was off balance for that period however they eventually went on the offensive.

• In 202 B.C.E. Hannibal suffered his only loss when he was forced to surrender to Rome.

• Carthage lost many land holdings including those on the Iberian Peninsula which is modern day Spain.

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Pictorials of the Second Punic War

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Battle of Zama, Southeast of Carthage

Hannibal

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Battle of Zama, Southeast of Carthage

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Importance of the Second Punic War Cont…

• After Hannibal and his elephants had trampled around northern Italy for years, several changes occurred.

• If Hannibal “encouraged” a Roman village to give his armies food and shelter, the persistent Romans would show up and burn that “traitor” village down.

• Because of the extended period of conflict in the area many farmers left to join the legions and their land was abandoned.– They would usually never return as a chance for wealth and glory was

higher in the Legions than as a farmer.

• The wealthy patricians would seize on this opportunity by acquiring the land, using slaves to work the land, and to enrich themselves while acquiring and developing huge plots of agricultural land.

• These events would lead to the call for land reform in the favor of the poor later in Roman history.

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Third Punic War 149 B.C.E.

• Rome still feared Carthage because after each of the wars it rebuilt its strength and still threatened Rome.– Senator Cato at the end of every speech gave during this period whether it

be on roads, water delivery, or sanitation ended with “…and furthermore, Carthage much be destroyed!”

• Rome decided to end the threat once and for all after a Roman visitor learned that Carthage once again was a thriving center of trade.

• Invading in 149 B.C.E. the Romans after a furious battle burned the great city of Carthage to the ground, sold all of its people into slavery, and plowed the soil with salt rending it infertile.

• The territory surrounding the ruins became were eventually consolidated into Roman provinces and gave all of the Western Mediterranean to the Romans. 23

Rome 279 B.C.E.

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Rome 133 B.C.E.

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Roman Trade

• Silk Road – Long distance trade route from China to Rome.– Spices and silk move west.– Middle men and king along the trade route grow rich,

particularly Muslims along the route. This would inspire the age of exploration in 1,000 years.

– Cultural diffusion is rampant.

• African Gold-Salt trade – Salt taken from the Sahara to West Africa in exchange for gold. Salt was critical for food preservation and thus civilization.– Weapons and cloth are taken from the Mediterranean for trade

of salt.– Timbuktu was a large salt and slave market.– Africans would often trade a pound of gold for a pound of salt.

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Roman Society

How the Romans arranged and managed their city and empire…

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Early Roman Society• In early Rome there were three main social classes:

– Patricians – Wealthy citizens that owned and operated vast quantities of land.

– Plebeians – Citizens that owned skilled and non skilled workers.

– Slaves – Taken from Roman military campaigns these people numbered in the tens and later hundreds of thousand to complete the daily labor needs of the empire.• Should sound familiar to the Greek version – Citizens, Free people,

and non-citizens.

• Women were nearly the equal of men in most respects; they could have authority, own property, testify in court, but no voting however.

• Family was the center of Roman society. The man was in charge, the “Paterfamilias”.

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Greek Stoicism

• The ideas of duty, honor, virtue, and moderation were Greek stoic ideas that the Romans used as a primary part of their society.

• These would provide for a stable, well behaved society of Romans.

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Struggle for Power

• The major internal struggle was over power and was waged between the powerful Patricians and those that wanted more, the Plebeians.

• In 287 virtual equality through democracy was achieved and over the next 150 years there was time of peace, equality, and prosperity for Rome.

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Early Roman Government

• Two consuls

• A senate

• Council of assemblies

• Judicial, legislative, and executive branches.

– Chart follows

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The senate’s job is to advise the

Consuls, without this structure and

tradition the consuls would

become a “Tyrants”

Veto –developed to protect the plebes from patrician power.

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Early Roman Constitution

• Three assemblies with overlapping jurisdiction:– Comitia Curiata – Organized by tribes and votes on

prospective laws.

– Comitia Centuriata – Citizen soldier military array. Those with better equipment had more votes than those with less or poorer equipment.

– Concilium Plebis – Plebeians that could veto any action undertaken by any magistrate.

• Then there was the Senate…

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Roman Democracy

• Rome had two legislative bodies that had the power to over-rule the other.

• The Senate had 300 patricians that served for life each of which were elected by The Assembly of Centuries which was controlled by the Patricians.

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Roman Democracy Cont…

• The Assembly of Tribes was controlled by plebeians who had the power to veto the rulings of the senate and visa versa.

• They were known as Tribunes.

• This ability to overrule the other was a system of checks and balances that are common in most modern democracies.

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From Republic to Empire

• By 133 B.C.E. Roman was bursting at the seams with riches and the slaves that were brought in from conquering the entirety of the northern Mediterranean.

• Those with wealth were able to acquire more slaves and land which made them even more wealthy.

• More slaves meant that poor free Romans were out of work.

• The price of Patricians consolidating all of the wealth with a small number of people is that many of the plebeians lost their land and now were living in the city of Rome seeking food, jobs, shelter, and charity.

• By the time this situation became critical, power of the Senate was located in the hands of small few powerful land owning families thus creating an oligarchy.

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The Oligarchy Divides

• Soon members of the oligarchy divide into two groups: the Optimates and Populares– The Optimates wanted to keep Rome as it was and

wanted help from the senate.

– The Populares wanted reform and sought support from the Tribunes.

– To mark further issues, governors in provincial territories (Sicily for instance) gradually assumed more and more control over their area as Rome’s government grew weak.

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Divided Oligarchy

Optimates (Good Men)• Supported by the Patricians and the

Roman Senate• Wanted to limit the power of the

Popular Assemblies and the Tribunes and extend that power to the Senate

• Represented the “old way” of doing things

• Wanted to keep power where it had traditionally been

• Pro slavery as cheapest labor source

• Pompey was a leader of this group and favored the cause as a way to support the noble families of Rome

Populares (For the People)• Supported by the Plebeians,

Popular Assembly's and Tribunes.• Wanted reforms in the way Rome

administer its territories.• Worked for reforms especially in

the area of land reform where former Plebeians would regain their lost land

• Supported a new way of sharing power

• Wanted to limit slavery as is took jobs from poor working free Romans.

• Julius Caesar as a member

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Century of Conflict

• Tiberius Gracchus of who supported by the Tribunes supported the idea of dividing huge land holdings and giving them to farmers that had lost their land.

• Gracchus’ brother Gaius also sought similar reform.

• In 133 B.C.E. Gracchus along with several hundred Populares were murdered by Optimates.

• Twelve years later, Gaius was also murdered.

• This disruption crippled the Roman government and left only the military commanders with any real power.

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Spartacus

• A slave gladiator named Spartacus managed to grain freedom and raised an army of several thousand.– Florus said of Spartacus “…who from Thracian mercenary, had

become a Roman soldier, of a soldier a deserter and robber, and afterward, from consideration of his strength, a gladiator“

• At the Gladiator academy Spartacus plotted his escape and was successful in taking 70 gladiators and recruited many slaves to his cause as he plundered the Roman country side..

• Spartacus was defeated two Roman generals, Crassus and Pompey, who after defeating the rebellion persuaded the senate to make them consuls.

• Consul – The rank of Roman civil and military leader.

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First Triumvirate

• Julius Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey all wanted to rule Rome.

• Caesar and Pompey were both respected generals; Pompey had brought the majority of Asia Minor under his control while Caesar had fought a bloody campaign to claim lands to the Rhine River in Europe even invading Britain for a time while Crassus was a financier and politician.

• They all were from wealthy and powerful families and spent money to gain support.

• Caesar was famous for lavish and brutal games to entertain people.

• In 60 B.C.E. they agree to share power and form an alliance.

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Caesar’s Bid for Power

• Caesar was an accomplished general and was given the duty to incorporate Gaul into the Roman Empire.

• A victory over the resistant Gaul’s would aid Caesar is his quest for power.

• After nine year of battle (58-49 B.C.E.) he is able to conquer Gaul at Alesia and return a champion of Rome.

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Battles B.C. – Caesar's Siege of Alesia

• Vercingetorix – Leader of the Gaul resistance and former Roman soldier.• Battle for Alesia – Caesar’s legions laid siege to the town of Alesia to eliminate the

Gaul rebellion.• Scorched Earth – Destruction/burning of the land and its resources (Typically food

and shelter) so that your enemy will have a difficult time waging war against you.• Foraging – Looking for and gathering food and other resources to sustain yourself

or your army. Made particularly difficult if the enemy is engaging in a scorched earth campaign.

• Circumvallation – To build a fortified wall around a target so no enemies can escape.

• Contravallation – To build a fortified wall around your army so an enemy will have a difficult time attacking you.

• Political General – Selected to lead based mainly of off political connections, no military prowess or experience.

• Militia – Citizens who are selected or volunteer to serve in an army. Usually not experienced.

• Professional Army – Well paid and well equipped experienced troops that will usually defeat militia or poorly lead troops.

• Legion – Usually 5,000 to 6,000 soldiers

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Triumvirate No Longer

• Crassus had died while Caesar was campaigning against the Gauls.

• Pompey had attempted to take control of Rome and ordered Caesar to disband his army and return to Rome.

• Caesar did return to Rome, with his legions and fought a civil war against Pompey eventually winning the war and taking control of Rome.

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The Reformer

• Caesar granted citizenship to many of people the people living in the Empire.

• Reformed Roman provincial (like Sicily) government.

• Divided lands that had been taken by wealthy Patricians and distributed them among the poor.

• He reduced the power of the senate.

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ASS-ASS-ination

• Because of all the reforms Caesar instituted the Patricians and Optimates within the aristocracy became so fearful of losing power they assassinated Caesar.

• The deed was done on the steps of the Senate no less.

• This was done to maintain power and to send a message that even the Emperor must answer the established powerful of Rome.

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Second Triumvirate

• After Caesars death a new group of three emerged to manage Rome.– Octavian, Caesar's adopted son– Marc Antony, a supporter of Caesar– Marcus Lepidus, second in command to Caesar.

• Octavian controlled the western part of the Roman Empire while Antony controlled the eastern portion.

• They planned to take the others territory to unify Rome.• Antony would lose his final act was to die with his love Cleopatra in

Egypt.• Octavian received the title of “Princeps”, first citizen.• He also received the title of “Augustus” meaning “Great and Holy

One”. This signaled the end of the republic.

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Pax Romana

• The reasons for this period of peace and prosperity include:

• Augustus re-organized the empire• He stationed his armies mainly in the provinces where

disruption and invasion occurred.• This stationing of troops kept the peace among new

Roman peoples and encouraged economic stability.• He built a network of highways and roads based on the

“hub” model.• This allowed for better/cheaper trade and

communication.

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Roman Empire: 116 C.E.

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Decline

• After the death of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Empire was divided into two halves, the Eastern and Western portions.

• Constantine the Great would come to power and do two important things.

• Move the capital of Rome to the Greek city of Byzantium, later called Constantinople. This is the modern day city of Istanbul Turkey.

• Second, he legalized Christianity as a legitimate religion.• In a side note, he converted to Christianity in an attempt to win a

war and it WORKED! – He thought he saw a cross of light in the sky before a decisive battle.– He painted white crosses on the shields of his men and carried the

day.

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Eastern and Western Roman Empires 395 C.E.

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Barbarian Invasions of the Western Roman Empire

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Roman Empire Over Time

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Boarder Issues

• Various European tribes began to move and settle on boarders and in some cases inside the Roman empire.

• This relaxing of borders would lead to a decline in “Roman” attitudes among the people of the Roman empire.

• They were no longer “Roman”, but Germans and Gauls that lived in and reaped the rewards of the Roman Empire.

• Patriotism declined as they felt ore loyalty to their tribe than Rome.

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Roman Legacies

Stuff that is enduring about Rome, was diffused and all that jazz…

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Christianity

• Legalized under Constantine the Great in 313 C.E., which ended persecution, this would become a world wide religion.

• Saul of Tarsus later known as Saint Paul who traveled throughout the empire spreading this new religion.

• The main reasons that the religion spread is because:– The empire was unified and the infrastructure of roads allowed

for quick and easy travel by missionaries over great distances.– The religion accepted people no matter their station in life.– It promised eternal happiness to all people if they convert and

follow the religion.– Theodosius made the religion the official religion of the Roman

Empire.

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Language

• Latin, the language of the Romans.

• Most European languages are “Romance Languages”, related to the Roman language of Latin.

• The Aeneid was the story of the founding of Rome written by Vergil.

• Two great writers were Horace and Ovid. Horace wrote of the beauty of everyday Rome will Ovid’s Metamorphoses was a version of Greek and Roman Gods and their stories.

• Livy wrote of the history of Rome but some of the facts do not add up.

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Roman Art

• They invented concrete which gave them a huge advantage in using the inventions of other cultures like the arch and column.

• Roman sculptures were renown as were painters of the Empire.

• What follows are some examples…

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Dying Gaul – Marble sculpture

Roman Boxer –Bronze statue

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Pantheon – Temple built to all of the Roman Gods

Coliseum

Aqueduct in Spain

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Technology

• Concrete

• Hospitals

• Aqueducts – Moved 300 million gallons of water from the mountains to the city per day.

• Roman sewer drained into the marshes and maintained a clean city.

• Roman roads

• Roman calendar established a twelve month year and the start of the year to January 1st.

Roman Sewer

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Roman road marker – Told of how far to a location.

Pompeii –Well preserved Roman road.

Roman road technology

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