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Ancient Rome

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Ancient Rome Ancient Rome Origins of Rome - Remus and Romulus/ She- wolf legend (Livy, Ab Urbe condita); 7 hills - Aeneid epic (Virgil and Aeneas (a Trojan prince)) - Tarquins (Etruscan kings) – Rome was first a monarchy (753 BCE-509 BCE) The Start of the Roman Republic -In 509 BCE Tarquinus Superbus is deposed as the result of a revolt -New, mixed form of government is established over time a. Centuriate assembly (comitia centuriata) – popular assembly, representing the Roman army b. 2 consuls, each with veto power, are elected by the Centuriate assembly c. Quaestors = financial officials d. Praetors = judges e. Censors = conduct censuses, etc. f. Senate = the most important governmental body g. Dictator = temporary office The Struggle of the Orders: Phase One -Patricians (aristocrats) vs. Plebeians (commoners) -Plebeian goal: Equality (in terms of influence in the state, social equality, and more generally, what we would today call equality of opportunity) -Tribunes –elected by Plebeian assembly (from 494 BCE onward); powers comparable to those wielded by consuls -Lex Canuleia (445 BCE) – intermarriage between the orders is now allowed - Lex Hortensia (287 BCE) – resolution passed by Plebeian assembly is now binding on all w/o need for confirmation by either the Centuriate Assembly or the Senate The Punic Wars (i.e., Rome vs. Carthage) - Structure of Carthaginian govt. and society is very different than Rome --The First Punic War: 264-241 BCE Main Cause: Dispute over Sicily Impt. Carth. general: Hamilcar Barca - The Second Punic War : 218- 201 BCE Main cause: Saguntum (Spain) Impt. generals: Hannibal/ Scipio -The Third Punic War: 149-146 BCE Cato the Censor: “Cathago delenda est” (“Carthage must be destroyed”) The Struggle of the Orders: Part Two -Clash between Optimates (aristocrats) and Populares (commoners, lower class) -Civil War is sparked by the assassination of the tribune Tiberius Gracchus in 133 BCE -His brother Gaius Gracchus is killed in 123 BCE - Eventually military leaders like Marius and Sulla, and patricians like Julius Caesar, benefit from this clash; in some cases, they even form private armies The First Triumvirate -Pompey, Crassus and Julius Caesar divide up territory -Caesar defeats Celtic leader Vercingetorix and conquers Gaul; later, he crosses the Rubicon, is victorious in civil war and seizes power; in the end, he is assassinated by Brutus, Cato et alii (44 BCE)(“Beware the Ides of March!”) The Second Triumvirate -Octavian (Augustus), Mark Antony, and Lepidus --They defeat Caesar’s murderers, eliminate others (like Cicero) as well but soon come into conflict themselves --Civil War: Augustus defeats Mark Antony and Cleopatra (battle of Actium) in 30 BCE and eventually becomes sole ruler; republic continues mostly in name only Roman Literature during the Republic and Early Empire -Plautus (ca 254-184 BCE) and Terence (ca 195 BCE- 159 BCE) = playwrights -Cicero (106-43 BCE) = famous orator, philosopher, politician -Lucretius (ca 99 – ca 55 BCE) = poet and thinker -Catullus (ca 84-ca 54 BCE) = lyric poet -Julius Caesar = wrote Gallic Wars (veni, vidi, vici) -Horace (65-8 BCE) = poet, known for Odes and Satires -Virgil (70-19 BCE) = poet, wrote Aeneid -Ovid (43 BCE- 18 CE) = wrote Metamorphoses - Pliny the Younger (61 CE – 113 CE)= nephew of famous scientist Pliny the Elder In his Letters Pliny the Younger tells us much about the Roman Empire, including instances in which it had to cope with disasters (such as the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius near Pompeii in 79 C.E.) .
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