Ancient Rome

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Roman Civilization Arises in Italy • The Italian

peninsula is centrally located in the Mediterranean Sea, and the city of Rome sits toward the center of Italy.

• This location would benefit the Romans as they expanded—first within Italy and then into the lands bordering the Mediterranean

Unifying the Lands of Italy • Because of its geography,

Italy proved much easier to unify than Greece.

• Unlike Greece: • Italy is not broken up into small,

isolated valleys. • The Apennine Mountains, which

run down the length of the Italian peninsula, are less rugged than the mountains of Greece. • Italy has broad, fertile plains in

the north and the west. These plains supported the growing population.

The Legend of Romulus and Remus• The ancestors of the Romans, the Latins migrated into Italy

about 800 B.C.• The Latins settled along the Tiber River in small scattered

villages• Greek colonists to the south and Etruscans in the north

shared the peninsula and contributed engineering and religious ideas to Roman civilization.

• Legend held Rome was founded by twin brothers, Romulus and Remus, the sons of a Latin woman and

the god Mars, giving Romans divine origins.

The Roman Republic (509 – 27 B.C.) • 509 B.C., Romans

rejected Etruscan king (monarchy) and established a republic. • Power rests with the citizens who have the right to vote for their leaders.• In Rome, citizenship with voting rights was granted only to free-born male citizens.

The Romans felt a republic would prevent too much power from going to any one individual.

A republic: from the Latin res publica, “that which belongs to the people,”

where people chose some of the officials.

In 509 B.C., the Romans drove out the Etruscan rulers and established a republic.

Laws were made by 300 land-holding, upper-class

patricians who made up the Senate.

The Roman Republic (509 – 27 B.C.) • Struggle For Power:

Class Conflict.• Patricians – Wealthy

landowners who held most of the power: inherited power and social status.• Plebeians (Plebs) –

common farmers, artisans and merchants who made up the majority of the population: can vote, but can’t rule.• Tribunes – elected

representatives who protect plebeians’ political rights.

The Roman Republic (509 – 27 B.C.)

• The Roman Republic – A “Balanced” Government.

• Rome elected two consuls – one to lead army, one to direct government.

• Senate – chosen from patricians (Roman upper class), make foreign and domestic policy.

• Popular assemblies elect tribunes, make laws for plebeians (commoners).

• Dictators – leaders appointed briefly in times of crisis (appt. by consuls and senate).

Structuring the Republic • In the early republic, the most powerful governing

body was the senate. Originally, its 300 members were all patricians, or members of the landholding upper class. Senators, who served for life, strongly influenced the republic’s laws

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Rome elected two consuls

• Each year, the senators nominated two consuls from the patrician class.

• Their job was to supervise the business of government and command the armies.

• Consuls, however, could serve only one term. They were also expected to approve each other’s decisions.

• By limiting their time in office and making them responsible to each other, Rome had a system of checks on the power of government

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The Dictator• In the event of war,

the senate might choose a dictator, or ruler who has complete control over a government. Each Roman dictator was granted power to rule for six months. After that time, he had to give up power.

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Cincinnatus• Romans particularly

admired Cincinnatus as a model dictator.

• Cincinnatus organized an army, led the Romans to victory over the attacking enemy, attended victory celebrations, and returned to his farmlands—all within 15 days.

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Plebeians Fight for Their Rights • At first, all government officials were

patricians. Plebeians (plih bee unz), the farmers, merchants, artisans, and traders who made up the bulk of the population, had little influence. The efforts of the plebeians to gain power shaped politics in the early republic

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Plebeians Fight for Their Rights • In time, the plebeians gained the right to elect their

own officials, called tribunes, to protect their interests.

• The tribunes could veto, or block, those laws that they felt were harmful to plebeians.

• Little by little, plebeians forced the senate to choose plebeians as consuls, appoint plebeians to other high offices, and finally to open the senate itself to plebeians.

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Plebeians Fight for Their Rights

• Another breakthrough for the plebeians came in 450 B.C., when the government oversaw the inscription of the laws of Rome on 12 tablets, which were set up in the Forum, Rome’s marketplace. Plebeians had protested that citizens could not know what the laws were because they were not written down

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The Twelve Tables

• The Laws of the Twelve Tables made it possible for the first time for plebeians to appeal a judgment handed down by a patrician judge.

Characterizing Roman Society • The family was the basic unit of Roman society. • Under Roman law, the male head of the household had

absolute authority. • Women could own property and run businesses, but most

worked at home.• Children were educated. The wealthy often hired Greek

tutors.

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The Role of Women Changes Over Time

• Roman women played a larger role in society than did Greek women. • They could own property, and, in later

Roman times, women from all classes ran a variety of businesses, from small shops to major shipyards.

• Those who made their fortunes earned respect by supporting the arts or paying for public festivals.

• However, most women worked at home, raising their families, spinning, and weaving

• Over the centuries, Roman women gained greater freedom and influence. • Patrician women went to the public

baths, dined out, and attended the theater or other forms of public entertainment with their husbands.

Romans Educate all Children • Both girls and boys from the upper and lower classes, all

learned to read and write. • By the later years of the republic, many wealthy Romans

would hire private tutors, often Greeks, to supervise the education of their children.

• Under their guidance, children memorized major events and developments in Roman history. Rhetoric was an important subject for boys who wanted to pursue political careers.

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Roman Religious Practices • Roman religion develops out of Greek and

Etruscan religions• The Romans believed in numerous gods and

goddesses, many of whom they adapted from Greek Mythology and Religion.

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Roman Religion

• Throughout Rome, dozens of temples housed statues of the gods.

• In front of these temples, Romans took part in ritual activities such as worshipping the gods and asking for divine assistance.

Roman Festivals• The Roman calendar was full of feasts and other

celebrations to honor the gods and goddesses and to ensure divine favor for the city. As loyal citizens, most Romans joined in these festivals, which inspired a sense of community

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The Roman Republic Grows • As Rome’s political and social systems evolved at

home, its armies expanded Roman power across Italy. • Roman armies conquered first the Etruscans and then

the Greek city-states in the south. • By about 270 B.C., Rome controlled most of the Italian

peninsula

Citizen-Soldiers Make Up the Roman Army • Rome’s success was due to

skillful diplomacy and to its loyal, well-trained army.

• All citizens were required to serve

• The basic military unit was the legion, each of which included about 5,000 men.

• As in Greece, Roman armies consisted of citizen-soldiers who originally fought without being paid and had to supply their own weapons

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Roman soldiers

• Eventually, they received a small stipend, or payment, but their main compensation was always a share of the spoils of victory. Roman citizens often made good soldiers because they were brought up to value loyalty, courage, and respect for authority.

Roman Military• To ensure success, Roman commanders mixed

rewards with harsh punishment. Young soldiers who showed courage in action won praise and gifts. If a unit fled from battle, however, one out of every ten men from the disgraced unit was put to death.

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Rome Is Just With Conquered Lands

• Rome generally treated its defeated enemies with justice. Conquered peoples had to acknowledge Roman leadership, pay taxes, and supply soldiers for the Roman army. In return, Rome let them keep their own customs, money, and local government. 27

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Rome Is Just With Conquered Lands

• To a few privileged groups among the conquered people, Rome gave the highly prized right of full citizenship.

• Others became partial citizens, who were allowed to marry Romans and carry on trade in Rome.

• As a result of such generous policies, most conquered lands remained loyal to Rome even in troubled times.

Maintaining the State

• To protect its conquests, Rome posted soldiers throughout the land.

• It also built a network of all-weather military roads to link distant territories to Rome.

• As trade and travel increased, local peoples incorporated Latin into their languages and adopted many Roman customs and beliefs. Slowly, Italy began to unite under Roman rule. 29

From Republic to Empire

• When Octavian came to power in 31 B.C., he ended the Roman republic and made Rome an empire

• Rome added many conquered lands to the republic and gained control of important trade routes

The Roman Achievement• Roman civilization spread

to faraway lands• Romans also borrowed ideas

from other cultures• The blending of Greek,

Hellenistic, and Roman cultures is called Greco-Roman civilization

• Roman artists, architects, and writers borrowed ideas from these different cultures• The Romans used Greek

statues in their homes and public buildings

• Romans adapted the realistic Hellenistic style• Statues should every detail of a

subject, even warts and veins

Section 3: The Roman Achievement

• Roman builders used Greek columns• However Roman buildings

were mighty and grand rather than simple and elegant

• Many Romans spoke Greek and used Greek writing styles• Still, the greatest Roman

writers such as Virgil, Horace, and Livy used the Roman language of Latin for literature

The Roman Achievement• Romans were practical• They built excellent roads,

bridges, harbors, and aqueducts, or bridge-like stone structures that brought water from the hills to the cities

• The Romans did little scientific investigation

• They did, however, put science to practical use

• The used geography to make maps and medical knowledge to improve public health

Section 3: The Roman Achievement

• The Romans also developed an important system of law•Under this system, people were innocent until proved guilty• Decisions were based on fairness• Roman law influenced the modern legal systems of the Americas and Europe