Monday- finished test
Tuesday- notes
Wednesday- talked politics
Thursday- talked politics/notes
Friday- notes
Ancient Rome
500 BC - 500 AD
“All roads lead to Rome”
Legend of the Origin of Rome- Romulus and Remus
Romulus and Remus were 2 brothers
Uncle took over and kicked them out
Servants send them down the river
She Wolf picks them up
Takes care of them
Farmer finds them
Raises them to be great men
Find their grandfather
Go kill their uncle
Build cities
Remus makes fun of Romulus’ city for the walls being too short
Romulus killed Remus
Rome’s Geography
Apennine Mountains
Peninsula
Agriculture
Water
Advantages of Rome’s Geography
Close to Mediterranean Sea
Trade
Alps and Apennines helped to protect
Located next to Tiber River
Fishing, trade, transportation
Large plains
Farming
Position made it easier for Rome to conquer other lands and gain new territory
The First Romans
1000 BC - 500 BC
Latins
Built the original settlement at Rome on Plantaine Hill
This is where Romulus and Remus were found by the she-wolf
The Greeks
750-600 BC
Established colonies in southern Italy and Sicily
Brought Greek ideas to Italy
The Etruscans
Came from northern Italy
Skilled metalworkers and engineers
Had a writing system with an alphabet that the Romans adopted
Greatly influenced Roman architecture
Introduced the arch
Outside of Greece, one of the most advanced civilizations in Europe during this time
Not much is known about them since there are no Etruscan history documents or literature
The Early Republic
600-509 BC
Etruscans were the group that helped Rome grow into a large city
Under the Etruscans, Rome was ruled by a king until 509 BC
King Tarquin the Proud was a tyrant and was overthrown by Brutus, the founder of the Roman Republic
The Roman Republic
509-27 BC
Set up after King Tarquin was overthrown in 509 BC
What is a republic?
A form of government in which power rests with the citizens who have a right to vote for their leaders
Citizens were free-born males only
SPQR- Senatus Populusque Romanus
“The Senate and People of Rome”
Symbol for Roman Republic
Patricians and Plebeians
Patricians were wealthy landowners who had most of the power
Believed that their ancestors gave them power to make laws
Plebeians were farmers, artisans and merchants that made up most of the population
Were Roman citizens with the right to vote
Could not hold most government jobs
Eventually, Rome’s leaders allowed pledians to for their own assembly and elect representatives called tribunes
Worked to protect the rights of plebeians
Roman Republic Government vs United States Government
2 consuls vs 1 president
1 year vs 4 years
Senate of 300 vs 100 senate
Twelve Tables vs Constitution
Roman Republic Government
Dictators were chosen by the Consuls and elected by the Senate in times of crisis
They had absolute power for 6 months to make laws and control the army
The Twelve Tables
Constitution
Held in their forum, their building
Deal with trials, theft, rights of families
Thrown off a big rock into a parking lot
8 punishments
Fine
Fetter- chains around legs
Flogging- stick
- Retaliation in kind- hit back
The Military
Military was a very important part of making Rome into a major power
All citizens who owned land were required to serve in the military
Legions were made up of large (5,000) groups of infantry
Legions were broken down into smaller (80) groups of men called a century
Centurion led the century
Each legion had a cavalry unit for support
Roman Treatment of People Taken Over
Areas right next to Rome, such as the Latins, became full Roman citizens
In other areas of Italy further away, groups became citizens, but could not vote
In areas outside of Italy, groups became allies
Groups were able to govern themselves but were expected to supply troops when needed and not make treaties with other groups
This lenient policy allowed the Roman Empire to last a long time
Rome vs. Carthage- Punic Wars
264-146 BC
First Punic War was fought for control of Sicily and the western Mediterranean
Lasted 23 years- 264-241 BC
Rome won
2nd Punic War was started by Carthage to get revenge from the previous loss
Lasted 16 years- 218-202 BC
Rome won
Hannibal, a brilliant Carthaginian general, led a massive surprise attack on Rome
Led a force of 50,000 infantry, 9,000 cavalry, and 60 elephants up through Spain, France, and into Italy crossing the Alps mountains in the process
Lost nearly half of his men and most of his elephants before reaching the Romans
For almost 10 years, Hannibal marches his men up and down Italy
Had a lot of victories, but ultimately lost when the Romans (Scipio) attacked Carthage, forcing Hannibal to return home
3rd Punic War- 149-146 BC
Rome went on the offensive and laid siege to Carthage
Romans burned the city and 50,000 people were sold into slavery
- With Carthage out of the picture, Rome would continue its conquests in the upcoming decades
Comments