Monday- videos over ancient Rome
Tuesday- notes
Wednesday- Julius Caeser video today
Thursday- finished the Julius Caeser video and notes
Friday- notes
The Roman Republic Falls Apart
- Why?
1.) Growing gap between rich and poor- income inequality.
-As Rome Took over areas, it took in slaves as well
- By 100 BC, slaves made up 33% of Rome’s population
-Small farmers couldn’t compete with the rich landowners and had to sell land leaving them homeless
-Two tribunes, Tiberius and Gaius, were murdered, after pushing for giving land to the poor
2.) Unloyal Military
- As the Roman Empire grew in size and the Roman Republic grew unstable, Roman generals started sizing power and hired landless farmers to fight for them
-Julius Caesar came to power this way
Julius Caesar-Ruled 49-44 BC
-I came, I saw, I conquered
Julius Caesar’s Resume
-Grew up in a patrician family
-Father died when he was 16
-Became the High Priest of Jupiter
-Married Cornelia in 84 BC
-Civil war in Rome and the Person Caesar backed last (discuss issue with marriage)
-Due to this, Caesar joined the military to hede from Sulla, the new dictator
-Fought in Asia and Cilicia
-After Sulla’s death, Caesar returned to rome and went into politics
-During his travels, was captured by pirates
-Became Governor of Spain, a Roman province in 61- 60 BC.
-In 60 BC, Julius Caesar joined forces with Crassus, a wealthy Roman, and Popey, a popular general
-With their help, Caesar was elected consul in 59 BC- like president
-For the next ten years, these three men dominated Rome as a Triumvirate- a group of three rulers
-Wask know as the First Triumvirate
-After Being Consul for one year, became Governor of Gaul (France and Belgium) From 58- 50 BC
-Caesar’s power and popularity concerned Crassus and Pompey Back in Rome
First Triumvirate Falls apart
-Crassus was killed in a battle in Syria so he was out of the picture
-Pompey became jealous of Caesar’s power and popularity so the Senate ordered Caesar to disband military and return to Rome
-Caesar refused and instead crossed the Rubicon River in 49 BC and attacked Pompey’s troops
-By 46 BC, Pompey was dead and his troops defeated
-Caesar returned to Rome with support from the People and the military and became dictator- 46 BC
-In 44 BC, Caesar was named dictator for life.
Caesar As Dictator
-Served just a year before he was assassinated
-Granted Roman citizenship to any people in the provinces
-Expanded the senate, adding friends and supporters from Italy and other regions
-Helped the poor by creating jobs, especially through the construction of new public buildings
-Started colonies where people without land could own property
-Increased pay for soldiers
-Reformed the roman calendar
Julian vs Gregorian Calendar
-The Julian calendar was the calendar from 46 BC to 1582 when the Gregorian Calendar took its place
-The Gregorian Calendar was introduced and named after Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 and is still used today
-The difference in the average length of the year between Julian (365.25 days) and Gregorian (365.2425 Days ) is 0.002%
Caesar’s Assassination- 44BC
-Due to helping the middle and lower class, Caesar made enemies with the wealthy class including many in the Senate
-Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus were the two that killed Caesar
Julius Caesar Video
Thought that killing Julius was a good thing for Rome but it led to many problems in Rome.
After his death Rome went into a civil war.
Caesar Augustus was the emperor after Caesar’s death.
The Second Triumvirate 43 BC - 33 BC
-Civil war broke out after Caesar’s death
-The Roman Republic was now completely gone at this point
- Octavian (Caesar’s grand nephew/ adopted son) Marc Antony (a general), and Lepidus (a politician) ruled Rome for ten years
-Fell apart eventually due to jealousy and violence
-Octavian forced Lepidus to retire
-Octavian went to war against Marc Antony (with Queen Cleopatra from Egypt)
-Octavian defeated Antony/ Cleopatra in a naval battle of Actium in 31 BC
- Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide afterwards in 30 BC
Augustus and the Roman Empire - 27 BC - 14 Ad
-Octavian took the title “Augustus” which means “exalted one”
-He would usher in the “Pax Romana” (27 BC- 180 AD) which means “Rome Peace”
-This was the period of time where Rome was at it’s peak
Augustus’ Accomplishments
-Stabilized the frontier
-Glorified Rome with awesome public buildings
-Created a system of government that survived for centuries
-Set up civil service within Rome
-Paid workers to manage the affairs of government
Roman Life
-Discipline, strength, and loyalty were stressed in Rome
-People had gravitas that had these characteristics
-90% of people farmed throughout the empire
-The rich live by conspicuous consumption- if you are rich you are going to show everybody how rich they were, with the best things money can buy.
-Most people lived in poverty
-High unemployment
-Lived in cramped tenements- fires common
-Gov’t provided grain every day
-Struggled for survival
-Slavery was a significant part of Roman life and economy
-The Romans made more use of slaves than any previous civilization- ⅓ of the population
-Most slaves were conquered peoples and included men, women, and children
-Children born to slaves also became slaves
-Slaves could be bought and sold as they were seen as property
-They could be punished, rewarded, set free, or put to death
-Some strong slaves become gladiators
Gladiator Contests
-Gov’t put on to appease the poor
-Provided free of charge during holidays (150/ year by 250 BC)
-Fought in the Colosseum in Rome
-Animal vs animal, man vs animal, man vs man
Roman Religion
-Government and religion were linked
-Among the most important Roman gods and goddesses
Chapter 6.3 The Rise of christianity
-Roman Gods were very impersonal and practiced with very little emotion
-Rome took over the Jewish land of Israel around 63 BC
-Christianity taught that people could have a personal relationship with God which attracted many people
-Christianity broke off from Judaism and was based on the life and teachings of Jesus as well as his death and resurrection
-As Jesus traveled around preaching, many people starting following him
-Especially attracted the poor based on his teachings
- “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
-Paul, an apostle, stressed that jesus was the son of God who died for people’s sins
-He also declared the Christianity should welcome all converts, Jew or Gentile (non- Jew)
Reasons why Christianity spread
-Embraced all people- men and women, enslaved persons, the poor, and nobles
-Gave hope to the powerless
-Appealed to those who were repelled by the extravagance of imperial Rome
-Offered a personal relationship with a loving God
-Promised eternal life after death
Rome's Reaction
-Rome persecuted christians as they did not worship the Roman gods
-Many were crucified, burned or killed by wild animals in the circus arenas
-Roman Emperor Constantine named Christianity one of the Roman Emperors religions in 313 AD after winning a battle where he believed the Christian God intervened.
-In 380 AD, Roman Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the empire's official religion
The Early Christian (Catholic ) Church
-A priest led the each small group of Christians in each church
-A bishop, who was also a priest, supervised several local churches
-eventually, every major city had its own bishop
-The apostle Peter became the first bishop of Rome
-According the tradition, jesus referred to Peter as the “rock” on which the Christian Church would be build
-As a result, all priests and bishops traced their authority to him
-These bishops said that Peter was the first pope, the father or head of the Christian Church
-Whoever was bishop of Rome was also the leader of the whole church
Early Christian Issues
-As time went on, there were growing disagreements between Christians in regards to belief
-The New Testament was added to the Hebrew Old Testaments to make the Christian bible which helped unify Christians
-Included the four Gospels (matthew, Mark, Luke, John) as well as the Epistles of Paul among other documents.
The Nicene Creed
-In 325 AD, constantine further unified the teaching of Christianity
-In Nicaea (in Turkey today) church leaders wrote the Nicene Creed, which defined the basic beliefs of the Church
Chapter 6.4 The Fall of the Roman Empire
The fall of the Roman Empire
-Historians generally agree that the end of the reign of the emperor Aurelius )161-180 AD) marked the end of two centuries of peace and prosperity (pax Romana) and the Roman Empire
Three Main Causes for the Fall of Rome
Internal problems and conflicts
Separation of the Roman empire into East and West
Outside invasions
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