Why was Rome considered to be in a strategic spot?
Rome was built on seven rolling hills at a curve on the Tiber River, near the center of the Italian peninsula. It was midway between the Alps and Italy's southern tip. Rome also was near the midpoint of the Mediterranean Sea, and had fertile soil.
How did the Etruscans from Italy strongly influence the development of Roman civilization?
They were skilled metalworkers and engineers.They boasted a system of writing, for example, and the Romans adopted their alphabet. They also influenced Rome's architecture, especially the use of the arch.
What is a republic?
A form of government in which power rests with citizens who have the right to vote for their leaders. In Rome, citizenship with voting rights was granted only to free-born male citizens
Who were the patricians?
Wealthy landowners who held most of the power, and who had helped defend Rome from invaders.The patricians inherited their power and social status. They claimed that their ancestry gave them the authority to make laws for Rome.
Who were the plebeians?
The common farmers, artisans, and merchants who made up the majority of the population.
The plebeians were citizens of Rome with the right to vote. However, they were barred by law from holding most important government positions. In time, Rome's leaders
What were the Twelve Tables?
In 451 B.C., a group of ten officials began writing down Rome's laws. The laws were carved on twelve tablets, or tables, and hung in the Forum. They became the basis for later Roman law. The Twelve Tables established the idea that all free citizens had a
Who were the consuls in Roman government?
Like kings, they commanded the army and directed the government. However, their power was limited. A consul's term was only one year long. The same person could not be elected consul again for ten years. Also, one consul could always overrule, or veto, th
What was the Senate in Roman government?
The senate was the aristocratic branch of Rome's government. It had both legislative and administrative functions in the republic. Its 300 members were chosen from the upper class of Roman society. The senate exercised great influence over both foreign an
What were the assemblies?
The assemblies represented the more democratic side of the government. For example, an assembly organized by the plebeians, the Tribal Assembly, elected the tribunes and made laws for the common people-and later for the republic itself.
What is a dictator?
In times of crisis, the republic could appoint a leader who had absolute power to make laws and command the army. A dictator's power lasted for only six months. Dictators were chosen by the consuls and then elected by the senate.
What were the legions?
In addition to their government, the Romans placed great value on their military. All citizens who owned land were required to serve in the army. Seekers of certain public offices had to perform ten years of military service. Roman soldiers were organized
How did the Romans treat the people of conquered lands?
Allowed them to maintain their own local customs and government, as long as they acknowledged to Roman leadership. They had to pay taxes to the Roman empire, and supply soldiers to the Roman army.
What was Carthage?
A Phoenician city in N. Africa that competed with Rome for trade routes along the western Meditteranean.
What was the first Punic War?
A fight for control of Sicily and the western Mediterranean, lasted 23 years (264-241 B.C.). It ended in the defeat of Carthage.
What was the second Punic War?
The Second Punic War began in 218 B.C. The mastermind behind the war was a 29-year-old Carthaginian general named Hannibal . Hannibal was a brilliant military strategist who wanted to avenge Carthage's earlier defeat.
Hannibal assembled an army of 50,000
What was the Third Punic War?
A general named Scipio (SIHP�ee�oh) devised a plan to attack Carthage. This strategy forced Hannibal to return to defend his native city. In 202 B.C., at Zama near Carthage, the Romans finally defeated Hannibal.
During the Third Punic War (149-146 B.C.),
Why were the Punic Wars important?
Rome's victories in the Punic Wars gave it dominance over the western Mediterranean. The Romans then went on to conquer the eastern half. By about 70 B.C., Rome's Mediterranean empire stretched from Anatolia in the east to Spain in the west.
What caused economic turmoil in Rome as the empire expended?
As Rome grew, the gap between rich and poor grew wider. Many of Rome's rich landowners lived on huge estates. Thousands of enslaved persons-many of whom had been captured peoples in various wars-were forced to work on these estates. By 100 B.C., enslaved
Who was Julius Caesar?
In 60 B.C., a military leader named Julius Caesar joined forces with Crassus, a wealthy Roman, and Pompey, a popular general. With their help, Caesar was elected consul in 59 B.C. For the next ten years, these men dominated Rome as a triumvirate , a group
What is a triumvirate?
a group of three rulers.
What were Julius Caesar's reforms?
He granted Roman citizenship to many people in the provinces. He expanded the senate, adding friends and supporters from Italy and other regions. Caesar also helped the poor by creating jobs, especially through the construction of new public buildings. He
Who was the Second Triumvirate?
After Caesar's death, civil war broke out again and destroyed what was left of the Roman Republic. Three of Caesar's supporters banded together to crush the assassins. Caesar's 18-year-old grandnephew and adopted son Octavian (ahk�TAY�vee�uhn) joined with
Who was Augustus?
Octavius and Mark Antony became rivals. While leading troops against Rome's enemies in Anatolia, Mark Antony met Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. He fell in love with her and followed her to Egypt. Octavian accused Antony of plotting to rule Rome from Egypt, and
What was the Pax Romana?
Rome was at the peak of its power from the beginning of Augustus's rule in 27 B.C. to A.D. 180. For 207 years, peace reigned throughout the empire, except for some fighting with tribes along the borders. This period of peace and prosperity is known as the
Who was Rome's ablest emperor, known by efficient government, building splendid public buildings, and created civil service?
Augustus
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Agriculture and Trade Agriculture was the most important industry in the empire. All else depended on it. About 90 percent of the people were engaged in farming. Most Romans survived on the produce from their local area. Additional food (when needed) and
What is gravitas?
Throughout its history, Rome emphasized the values of discipline, strength, and loyalty. A person with these qualities was said to have this important virtue. The Romans were a practical people. They honored strength more than beauty, power more than grac
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Slaves and Captivity Slavery was a significant part of Roman life. It was widespread and important to the economy. The Romans made more use of slaves than any previous civilization. Numbers of slaves may have reached as high as one-third of the total popu
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The earliest Romans worshiped powerful spirits or divine forces, called numina, that they thought resided in everything around them. Closely related to these spirits were the Lares (LAIR-eez), who were the guardian spirits of each family. They gave names
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To distract and control the masses of Romans, the government provided free games, races, mock battles, and gladiator contests. By A.D. 250, there were 150 holidays a year. On these days of celebration, the Colosseum, a huge arena that could hold 50,000, w
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Roman power spread to Judea, the home of the Jews, around 63 B.C. At first the Jewish kingdom remained independent, at least in name. Rome then took control of the Jewish kingdom in A.D. 6 and made it a province of the empire. A number of Jews, however, b
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Jesus' Death Jesus' growing popularity concerned both Roman and Jewish leaders. When Jesus visited Jerusalem about A.D. 29, enthusiastic crowds greeted him as the Messiah, or king-the one whom the Bible had said would come to rescue the Jews. The chief pr
Paul's Mission One man, the apostle Paul, had enormous influence on Christianity's development. Paul was a Jew who had never met Jesus and at first was an enemy of Christianity. While traveling to Damascus in Syria, he reportedly had a vision of Christ. H
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What is the Edict of Milan?
Constantine Accepts Christianity A critical moment in Christianity occurred in A.D. 312, when the Roman emperor Constantine was fighting three rivals for leadership of Rome. He had marched to the Tiber River at Rome to battle his chief rival. On the day b
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Early Christian Church By this time, Christians had given their religion a structure, much as the Roman Empire had a hierarchy. At the local level, a priest led each small group of Christians. A bishop , who was also a priest, supervised several local chu
What is the Nicene Creed?
A Single Voice As Christianity grew, disagreements about beliefs developed among its followers. Church leaders called any belief that appeared to contradict the basic teachings a heresy. Dispute over beliefs became intense. In an attempt to end conflicts,
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The Fathers of the Church Also influential in defining Church teachings were several early writers and scholars who have been called the Fathers of the Church. One of the most important was Augustine, who became bishop of the city of Hippo in North Africa
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A Century of Crisis
Historians generally agree that the end of the reign of the emperor Marcus Aurelius (A.D. 161-180) marked the end of two centuries of peace and prosperity known as the Pax Romana. The rulers that followed in the next century had little
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Diocletian Reforms the Empire In A.D. 284, Diocletian , a strong-willed army leader, became the new emperor. He ruled with an iron fist and severely limited personal freedoms. Nonetheless, he restored order to the empire and increased its strength. Diocle
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Constantine gained control of the western part of the empire in A.D. 312 and continued many of the social and economic policies. of Diocletian. In 324 Constantine also secured control of the East, thus restoring the concept of a single ruler.
In A.D. 330,
What caused the fall of the Roman Empire?
Political (political office seen as burden,civil war and unrest, moving of capital to Byzantine), Social (decline in interest and confidence in empire, corruption, gap between rich and poor, decline in population due to disease and food shortage), Economi
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Germanic Invasions Since the days of Julius Caesar, Germanic peoples had gathered on the northern borders of the empire and coexisted in relative peace with Rome. Around A.D. 370, all that changed when a fierce group of Mongol nomads from central Asia, th
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Attila the Hun Meanwhile, the Huns, who were indirectly responsible for the Germanic assault on the empire, became a direct threat. In 444, they united for the first time under a powerful chieftain named Attila (AT�uhl�uh). With his 100,000 soldiers, Atti
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An Empire No More The last Roman emperor, a 14-year-old boy named Romulus Augustulus, was ousted by German forces in 476. After that, no emperor even pretended to rule Rome and its western provinces. Roman power in the western half of the empire had disap
What is Greco-Roman culture?
Under the Roman Empire, hundreds of territories were knitted into a single state. Each Roman province and city was governed in the same way. The Romans were proud of their unique ability to rule, but they acknowledged Greek leadership in the fields of art
What is Pompeii?
In addition, Romans excelled at the art of painting. Most wealthy Romans had bright, large murals, called frescoes, painted directly on their walls. Few have survived. The best examples of Roman painting are found in the Roman town of Pompeii and date fro
What is stoicism?
Romans borrowed much of their philosophy from the Greeks. Stoicism, the philosophy of the Greek teacher Zeno, was especially influential. Stoicism encouraged virtue, duty, moderation, and endurance.
In literature, as in philosophy, the Romans found inspir
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Western civilization is generally seen as the heritage of ideas that spread to Europe and America from ancient Greece and Rome. Some historians observe, however, that Western civilization does not belong to any particular place-that it is the result of cu
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Democracy
� Theoretically, 40,000 people could attend the Greek Assembly-in practice, about 6,000 people attended.
� In 1215, King John of England granted the Magna Carta, which largely influenced subsequent democratic thought.
� In the 1970s, there were
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The Legacy of Rome
The presence of Rome is still felt daily in the languages, the institutions, and the thought of the Western world.
The Latin Language Latin, the language of the Romans, remained the language of learning in the West long after the fall o
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The Colosseum
The Colosseum was one of the greatest feats of Roman engineering and a model for the ages. The name comes from the Latin word colossus, meaning "gigantic." Its construction was started by the Emperor Vespasian and was completed by his sons,
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Because Roman architectural forms were so practical, they have remained popular. Thomas Jefferson began a Roman revival in the United States in the 18th century. Many large public buildings, such as the U.S. Capitol and numerous state capitols, include Ro