Ancient Rome

TIMELINE

Roman Kingdom

Roman

Empire

Eastern

Empire Falls

AD

1500

753

509

1453

27

476

TIMELINE

800sBC

BC

AD

Roman

Republic

Western Empire Falls

Roman Republic

Some of the most fundamental values and institutions of Western Civilization began in the Roman Republic

Roman Republic

Roman Empire

The Roman Empire has served throughout history as a model of political organization and control

Roman Empire

Rise of Christianity

Christianity has spread throughout the world and today has more than a billion followers

Rise of Christianity

Fall of

Roman Empire

The decline & fall of great civilizations is a repeating pattern in world history

Fall of

Roman Empire

Power & Authority

Rome began as a "republic," a government in which elected officials represent the people. Eventually, absolute rulers called emperors seized power & expanded the empire

Power & Authority

Empire Building

At its height, the Roman Empire touched three continents -- Europe, Asia, and Africa. For several centuries

Empire Building

Why was the Mediterranean Sea important to the Roman Empire?

Religious & Ethics

Out of Judea rose a monotheistic religion known as Christianity. Based on the teachings of Jesus. It soon spread throughout Rome & beyond.

Religious & Ethics

What geographic features might have helped or hindered the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire?

Origins of Rome

Legend says Rome founded in 753 BC by Romulus & Remus, sons of Mars & a Latin princess, abandoned & raised by a she-wolf, overthrew an evil king & founded the city of Rome as a city of refuge (prob not true)

(L) Capitoline Wolf, "Lupa" nursing the twins

(R) Remus jumps over the wall & Romulus kills him.

Geography of Rome

• Built on 7 Hills along the Tiber River
• Center of Italy, center of the Mediterranean Sea
• Natural Salt Mines, important for early trade

(L) Old city of Rome

(R) Map of Italy, "all roads lead to Rome"

Livy (64 BC - AD 17)

dd

First Romans

• First humans arrived to Italy in prehistoric times (Ötzi the Iceman)
• By 500 BC Three groups dominated Italy - Greeks, Latini, Etruscan
• Latini settled in huts along seven hills centered on Palatine Hill

Kingdom

• Romulus rules the city he founds (per legend, probably fake!)
• Senate (100 advisers) run city after his death until new kings selected from all the Latini tribes
• 7th King, Tarquin the Proud (an Etruscan), was tyrant, his nephew raped Lucretia, this angered Romans, they revolted (probably true)

Oath of Brutus - after the overthrow the first consuls (co-leaders) made Romans swear to never have another king. Lucius Brutus played important role organizing revolt.

Roman Republic

• After Tarquin, Romans set up the res publica (Republic)

• Republic is form of government where citizens have rights to vote on leaders to represent them

• Early citizenship was granted to free-born males only

Social Classes

• Rome divided into social classes:
• Patricians - descended from the first 100 families who helped overthrow Tarquin.
• Plebeians - common citizens, workers, merchants (sometimes richer than Patricians)
• Freemen - former slaves
• Slaves - servants

Comparing Republican Governments

Roman Army

• Besides the government, Rome placed great value on military

• All landowning citizens had to serve

• Certain public offices required 10 years military service

• Military divided into units called LEGIONS
• 5000 men served in a legion
• 80 men (plus 20 helpers) served in a century
• subdivided all the way down to two-man base who defended each other

Roman Legion

Roman Expansion

Modern Italy

• Rome expanded across Italy by conquering & acquiring neighboring tribal people

• Demanded tribute & soldiers for their army

• Grant citizenship or "Latin Rights" to newly conquered aristocrats & plebs
• Business with Roman citizens
• Marriage for citizenship (1st in ancient world to do that)
• Naturalization (esp w military service)
• Rome didn't just take, they gave new identity & wealth to conquered. This helped new people accept Roman rule.

Italic Conquest

Roman Conflicts

• Expansion put them in conflict with Greek colonies in South
• Greeks won major battle at Asculum in 279 BC because elephants
• Greek king Pyrrhus won but lost the majority of his men & supplies
• Romans eventually won the war

(English "Pyrrhic victory" a technical win but at a heavy price)

• No more Greek Influence in Italy after defeating South & Sicily

Battle of Asculum

Punic Wars

• Rome dominated Italic peninsula, conquered Greek Sicily

• Half of Sicily was Carthaginian

• Carthage was empire in North Africa (modern Tunisia & Libya)

• Carthage & Rome got into several wars called Punic Wars for control of Mediterranean Sea
• Rome never had navy before
• Hannibal brings elephants across Alps
• Romans lost major defeat at Canæ

Carthage

UNESCO Carthage ruins

3-D remodel of Carthage

Effects of Punic Wars

• Rome doubled territory after Punic War

• Greek kingdom of Macedonia & client city-states allied with Carthage during the War

• Rome conquered Greece in 146 BC & made it a province

• Rome now had 3/4s of the Mediterranean Sea,
• Romans called it "Our Sea"

• No more outside threat, but lots of inner turmoil on how to govern

Republic Collapses

• Punic Wars were very expensive
• Soldiers away for twenty years, many wives had to sell farms to aristocrats & live on land as tenet farmers (serfs)
• Soldiers had to own land in order to serve in army
• Speed up division between rich & poor

• Others sold land & moved into cities -- urbanization
• increased populations = more opportunity but crime & hunger

• Military developed loyalty to aristocratic generals, not the state, because the generals paid more

Gracchi Reforms

• Tiberus Gracchus & his brother Gaius tried to help the poor and served as "tribunes" (leader of the plebeians) [cf Kennedys, rich but poor base]

• Tiberus wanted to redistribute the wealthy land & give to poor vets so they could continue to serve and stay out of the city to grow food

• Brothers made many enemies of their senators.
• Tiberus assassinated in 133 BC
• Gaius in 121

• Their deaths pushed country into a Civil War between two factions
• Marius = (Caesar's uncle) wanted Gracchi land reform
• Sulla = appointed dictator by Senate to defeat Marius

Gaivs Ivlivs CÆsar

• Sulla wanted to kill Julius b/c was Marius's nephew, but didn't (big mistake!)

• Served in Spain as governor of small province then came back to Rome to serve as Consul (leader)

• Formed alliance with two political rivals to form first TRIUMVIRATE

• went to attack Celts in Gaul (Gallic Wars), invaded Britain

• was told by other 2 leaders + senate to return to Rome & disband army at Rubicon river before entering Italy; he didn't.
• Started a Civil War which he eventually won

Dictator For Life

• Caesar became absolute ruler

• instituted reforms for plebeians, but also to consolidate his autocratic power

• Expanded the Senate (more of his supporters)

• Refused the crown by Marcus Anthony, about to be crowned "Dictator for Life"

• Romans feared another king like Tarquin the Proud, so assassinated Caesar on 15 March 44 BC

Death of Cæsar

• Cæsar's assassination creates power vacuum
• This vacuum leads to more civil wars

Cæsarion

Octavius

Brutus

Cæsar had illegitimate son with Cleopatra, & she wanted him to be the ruler of Rome

Cæsar willed his estate to his nephew, who was in Greece finishing his studies when Julius murdered

Senators (conspirators) wanted to restore consuls to power;

Brutus, Cæsar's protégé, helped kill him

Octavian

• Octavius is 18 years old & in his final year of studies in Greece

• Learns that Cæsar left his entire estate to him after his death, hurries to Rome

• Cæsar had groomed Brutus as his adopted son but changed will shortly before death

• Marc Anthony assumed he would be Caesar's heir

• Octavius takes the name Julius Cæsar Octavianus, wants to avenge his uncle's death and assert his power quickly

Second Triumvirate

• Octavian forms alliance with Marc Anthony & Lepidus to form a junta called "2nd Triumvirate"

• More proscriptions against the Senators who conspired to assassinate his uncle

• Brutus & Cassius flee East toward Greece

• Marc Anthony defeats them at Battle of Phillipi, they kill themselves.

• Divide up empire - Octavian gets Spain & Gaul, Anthony get Egypt & Greece, Lepidus gets Africa, but not really (Octavian & Anthony share it)

marc antony & cleopatra

• According to Augustus's historians:

• Antony is a drunk & spendthrift. Tries to invade Persia but fails

• Needs money & troops, meets with Cleopatra

• She agrees to help him only if he secures Cæsarion as rightful heir & ruler of Rome

• Cleopatra is seductress: beautiful, smart (speaks 9 languages), cunning, shrewd

Lawrence Alma-Tadema, "The meeting of Antony & Cleopatra" (1883)

Why might this historic description of Antony & Cleopatra not be accurate?

Consolidation of power

• One problem with Antony & Cleo affair ... Antony's married to Octavian's sister Octavia, he sends her back home to Rome

• Octavian uses this for political leverage against Antony - claims he's giving up Roman culture in favor of his foreign lover

• Since Civil War over, Octavian claims will leave 2nd Triumvirate only if Antony does, Antony refuses (it looks power hungry to quit)

• Defectors told Octavian of Antony's plans to help Cleo put son in power

• Octavian has Senate seize Antony's will & discovers plans for burial in Alexandria, Senate declares war on Egypt

Final War of the Republic

• Most important battle in Civil War at Actinium in Greece

• One of most decisive battles in history ~ winner took all ~ still studied by military students today

• After defeat Antony & Cleo flee & kill themselves 1 yr later when Rome closes in on them (a poisonous asp bit her)

Laureys a Castro, "Battle of Actium," 1672

gaivs Ivliuv cæsar augustus

• Octavian now in sole control of Rome

• Assumes the title imperator ("commander")" since Romans hate the word "king" (cf. modern dictators General Castro, Colonel Gaddafi, or American usage of king as political enemy)

• Adopts nickname Augustus which means "Majestic."

• Instituted period of peace after nearly 100 yrs of Civil Wars; reigns for 40 yrs

Propaganda

• Lots of propaganda to legitimize his rule, founds a new religion to worship emperors (the state).

• Patronizes the arts, esp poetry & statues that make him look great

• Urges Virgil's Aeneid published b/c it praises him since he was directly descended from mythical hero, Aeneas.

Augustus of the Prima Porta.

The armor shows his peace treaty with Persians, which he felt was his greatest achievement. What makes this propaganda?

After Augustus

• Early problem of new empire: who would rule after Augustus?

• Both his biological sons die in battles. He wills power to son-in-law Tiberius (married to his daughter that had an adultery scandal)

• Tiberius was great general who expanded empire into Germanic & Slavic territories

• Thus, the position of emperor becomes hereditary: first dynasty = Julio-Claudian

Tiberius

Caligula

• Tiberius adopts soldier Germanicus as son, dies in battle, so his son Caligula (which means"Lil' Boots") becomes emperor

• Movement to restore Republic begins

• Praetorian Guard (Roman Secret Service) assassinates him & family, Senate installs Claudius

• Historians tell us he was crazy & cruel (bias from his opponents?)

Claudius

• Emperor installed by Praetorian Guard, not Senate
• Senate not happy, but he did his best to appease them (a few attempts on his life)
• Changed his name to Caesar, not adopted by a previous "Caesar" (a tradition that all emperors do afterward)
• Expanded empire, finishing many wars started under Augustus
• Very scholarly, spoke fluent Etruscan (a dead language at his time & the culture that had biggest influence on early Rome)
• Perfect leader to save the Empire at a time when people wanted to go back to the Republic

Nero

• Augustus's grandson & last of Julio-Claudians
• Mother married Claudius, historians claim she poisoned him (bias?)
• He poisoned his brother Britannicus
• Killed his mother, alleged she plotted coup
• His reign associated with extravagance
• Fire in AD 64 because bad building codes destroyed most of city - he blamed Christians
• Propaganda he played his fiddle (he was really away from Rome & rushed to get back after, even paid for rebuilding with personal wealth)
• Assassination brought "Year of the 4 Emperors," & more Civil War!

Trajan

• One of the Best Emperors

• First Non-"Roman" Emperor (born in Spain)

• increased alumenta (monthly ration of food all citizens received, like modern "welfare")

• revamped Roman infrastructure across empire

Hadrian

• Another of the Best Emperors

• Born in Italy to Spanish immigrants

• stopped Trajan's expansionist policies, built Hadrian's wall on border of Northern England (still marks cultural split with Scotland)

• spent most of his time traveling & touring the empire
• pro: out of Rome, hard to assassinate
• con: Senate took away much of his political power

Roman Religion

• Romans were polytheistic & pagan
• pagan comes from Latin word that means "rural"
• worship of nature spirits in the world around them
• every person, place, or thing had a genius (special guardian spirit), that watched over it

• worshiped ancestors & heads of their ancient family clans -- "Lares et Penates"
• statues in corner (like in Catholic homes)
• politics & religions were tied together
• religiō = "to tie back" or "bound again," doves wings tied together for animal sacrifice

Roman Pantheon

• Roman religion shares many customs & traditions with other Indo-European religions, esp Greeks

• borrowed many of the same gods & myths from Greeks

Greco-roman Creation Myth

• Chaos brought about Gaia (Earth)
• Gaia (Earth) then created Uranus (sky)
• They had several different types of offspring (monsters), but most important were Titans
• 2nd generation of Titans became early gods
• Hyperion (sun) had Helios (sun), Eos (dawn)
• Iapetus had Atlas, Promethius, etc.
• Chronos (Time) + Rhea had Olympian gods
• Chronos defeated his father to become king, scared of same things
• Ate his children to kill them, long story short -- one kid, Zeus, was saved & overthrow his dad

Olympians

• Zeus/Jupiter fought war with older gods & defeated Chronos/Saturn

• Set up his palace on Mount Olympus, thus Olympian gods

• drew lots with his brothers Neptune & Hades/Pluto to determine who ruled what on Earth

non Olympians

• Janus - god of gateways, two heads: past & future

• Castor & Pollux (Gemini) - gods of horses: twin brothers of Helen of Troy, Romans believed they appeared & helped win early battle to defend city

• Saturn & Mars were the earliest of the Roman gods, originally confined to agriculture before merging

Spiritual Crisis

• Roman soldiers imported new religions when they returned home

• By AD 200s, old traditional gods lost popularity
• Government & religion were one
• After Cæsar's death, government demanded Romans to worship emperors as gods
• comet appeared for 5 days after Caesar died
• this reinforced their authority & power

cultus of Magna Mater

• Romans brought back worship of Cybele, the "Great Mother" from Syria

• she was a nature, harvest, & hunter goddess

• priests were castrated due to myth about her first priest & remained celibate (similar to Catholic priests today)

Sol Invictus

• Another Syrian sun god, Sol Invictus became merged with power of the emperor & military.
• Holiest day was Dec 25th - day conquers night!

cultus of Isis

• Caesar conquered Egypt & took queen Cleopatra as a illegitimate wife

• Roman soldiers found cultus of Isis very exotic

• "Mystery" cult - had a secret ritual & beliefs only known to initiated

• Very expensive & trendy to join (think Scientology, Kabbalah, etc)

Mithraism

• Another mystery cult

• Only admitted men, much like modern fraternity

• Very popular with soldiers

• 7 levels of initiation

• coincided with rise of Christianity, each might have influenced some customs in the other
• Mithra was a figure from Zoroastrianism

Early Christianity

• Based on the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth

• Jewish religion teaches at a time of crisis G-d will send a messiah to save their people from evil
• Jews were looking for a messiah to overthrow Roman "occupation"
• Romans allowed them to worship their God but also demanded they worship the emperor
• Jewish temple was center of Judaism
• Jewish faction who wanted quick revolution called zealots
• Romans charged Jesus with treason, crucifixion "King of the Jews" (only non-Romans could be crucified)
• Some of his followers preached he was the chosen messiah G-d promised

Christianity Spreads

• Apostles went global after his death

• Paul was a strict opponent of Christianity, traditional Jewish scholar

• Paul converted to Christianity while on a trip to Damascus to preach against the new faith (Syria has oldest Christian communities in the world)

• Jews not pleased with Roman religion, because it defied worshiping Emperor

Destruction of Temple

• Jews tried to revolt against Rome, it was quickly squashed
• Emperor destroyed Temple since it was the hub of Judaism
• Took all the gold & silver & 100,000 slaves to build infrastructure in Rome and used money to build the Colosseum
• started Jewish "dispora"