Ancient Rome The Geography of Rome I. The 750 mile long Italian Peninsula, or Italy, extends out into the Mediterranean Sea, and is only 120 miles wide. II. The ancient city of Rome was built inland along the Tiber River, on top of seven hills. III. What are the advantages of the city’s location? The Geography of Rome I. The 750 mile long Italian Peninsula, or Italy, extends out into the Mediterranean Sea, and is only 120 miles wide. II. The ancient city of Rome was built inland along the Tiber River, on top of seven hills. III. What are the advantages of the city’s location? IV. By being located inland, Rome was provided protection from pirates, being built on hills made the city easily defendable, and being located along the Tiber River enabled access to the sea. V. The area did not contain rugged mountain ranges as in Greece, and so the communities of the Italian Peninsula were not divided. VI. Italy also had some fairly large fertile plains for farming, unlike in Greece, which provided support for a large population. VII. The city’s location was a natural crossing point for trade along the peninsula, and it was central location from which to expand. VIII.Once Rome gained control of the peninsula, the peninsula’s central location made it easier to control the Mediterranean. The Founding of Rome I. The national epic of Rome, the Aeneid written by Virgil under the reign of Augustus, tells of how the Trojan prince Aeneas came to Italy. II. According to the Aeneid, the survivors from the fallen city of Troy banded together under Aeneas, underwent a series of adventures around the Mediterranean, and eventually reached the Italian coast. III. One of the descendants of Aeneas was raped by Mars, and then gave birth to Romulus and Remus, who are the traditional founders of Rome from myth. IV. The story tells of a prophecy that the brothers would overthrow their murderous uncle, so he ordered them to be drowned in the Tiber. V. The servants who were to drown the infants took pity on them and left them along the Tiber, where they were nurtured by a she-wolf until a shepherd found and raised them as his sons. IV. The story tells of a prophecy that the brothers would overthrow their murderous uncle, so he ordered them to be drowned in the Tiber. V. The servants who were to drown the infants took pity on them and left them along the Tiber, where they were nurtured by a she-wolf until a shepherd found and raised them as his sons. VI. When Remus and Romulus became adults, they decided to establish a city, but they quarreled, and Romulus killed his brother. VII. Thus Rome began with a fratricide, a story that was later taken to represent the city's history of political strife and bloodshed. VIII.Between 1500 to 1000 BC, Indo-European peoples moved into the Italian Peninsula. IX. One of these groups was the Latins, herders and farmers who established a settlement of huts on top of Rome’s hills. X. Around 800 BC, the Greeks settled in Italy and passed on to the Romans their alphabet, art, architecture, literature, culture, and how to cultivate grapes. The Etruscans I. Around the same time, the Etruscans settled north of Rome, and around 650 BC came to control Rome and the surrounding area. II. The Etruscans influenced the development of early Rome even more than the Greeks. III. The Etruscans found Rome a village, but launched a building program that turned it into a city. IV. From the Etruscans, the Romans adopted the toga and short cloak, organization of the army, and their architecture style. Sarcophagus The Rise of Rome The Republic I. In 509 BC, the Romans overthrew the last Etruscan king and established a republic. II. A republic is a form of government which the leader is not a monarch, and at least certain citizens have the right to vote. III. Roman society was divided into two orders; the patricians, large landowners, who were Rome’s ruling class, and the plebeians were craftspeople, merchants, and small farmers. IV.Men from both orders could vote, but only patricians could be elected to government offices. V. Two people were chosen every year by the Senate to serve as consuls, the highest elected office, to run the government and lead the Roman army into battle. VI.The Roman Senate was comprised of 300 patricians who served as a senator for life. VII.How is this different than the U.S. senate? VIII.The Senate had existed since the time of the Roman Kingdom, and survived the rule of the Etruscans. IX. During the time of the Roman Kingdom, the Senate elected kings, then elected the consuls which lead the Republic, and in times of great crisis the Senate would elect a dictator. X. What is a dictator? XI. Originally the Senate’s role was to advise government officials, but by the 3rd century, the Senate’s decisions had the force of law. XII. The Senate would decide minor matters by a voice vote or show of hands, and significant matters by physically dividing the chamber. XIII.All senators were required to speak before a vote could be held, and since all meetings had to end at nightfall, a senator could talk a proposal to death. XIV.What is the modern term for this called? Filibuster! XV. Senators were required to ask the Senate’s permission before leaving Italy, they could not engage in banking, could not own a ship large enough to conduct commerce, and were not paid a salary. The Struggle of the Orders I. Within Roman society and government, there was often conflict between the orders because of social and political inequality. II. Plebeians especially resented that it was they who served in the Roman army and protected Rome, but it was the patricians who ruled. III. Even children of plebeians and patricians were forbidden to marry each other. IV. After hundreds of years of struggle, a popular assembly was created for the plebeians, which had the power to pass laws for all Romans. V. The Romans also developed laws that affected the entire Mediterranean world of the day, and later generations to come. VI. The Romans needed laws to address legal questions that arose between Roman and non-Roman citizens. VII. They developed universal laws based on reason, which established standards of justice that applied to all people. VIII.These standards included regarding a person as innocent until proven guilty, people were allowed to defend themselves before a judge, and a judge was expected to weigh evidence. The Rise of Rome I. In 338 BC, the Romans began conquering other Latin states, by 264 BC the Romans had conquered the Greek colonies in southern Italy, and then they conquered the Etruscans. II. The Romans devised a confederation system in which some people, especially Latins, were given Roman citizenship, the others were made allies and remained free to run their own affairs. IV. Loyal allies could improve their status, and could even become Roman citizens, giving Rome’s conquered peoples a feeling they had a real stake in Rome’s success. V. The Romans believed that their success was because of their sense of duty, courage, and discipline. VI. What is this similar to? Greek Arête. VII. The Roman historian Livy, writing in the 1st century BC, provided a number of stories to teach Romans the virtues that made Rome great, such as the story of Horatius. The Roman Legion Legionary VIII.However, Rome’s success was due in part to them being good diplomats, allowing states to run their own internal affairs, and they were firm, even cruel when necessary. IX. The Romans also had accomplished soldiers, they were brilliant strategist, and if they lost an army or fleet, the Romans would simply build a new one instead of conceding defeat. X. The Romans built fortified towns and roads connecting them so they could move troops easily and quickly. Roman Roads Roman Bridges The Punic Wars I. The city of Carthage, founded around 800 BC by the Phoenicians, had built a trading empire in the Mediterranean. II. The Romans were fearful that Carthage might try to take control of the Italian Peninsula. III. In 264 BC, Rome sent and army into Sicily, part of the Carthaginian empire, starting the First Punic War. IV. Rome, a land power, built a navy to fight Carthage, a sea power, and after long years of struggle, Rome defeated Carthage which gave up all rights to Sicily in 241 BC. V. However, to make up for the loss of Sicily, Carthage expanded in Hispania, and Rome’s encouragement of these colonies to revolt started the Second Punic War in 218 BC. VI. The Carthaginian general, Hannibal, decided to bring the war home to Rome, and entered Spain with about 38,000 troops, 8,000 cavalry, and 37 war elephants. Hannibal War Elephants V. However, to make up for the loss of Sicily, Carthage expanded in Hispania, and Rome’s encouragement of these colonies to revolt started the Second Punic War in 218 BC. VI. The Carthaginian general, Hannibal, decided to bring the war home to Rome, and entered Spain with about 38,000 troops, 8,000 cavalry, and 37 war elephants. VII. Hannibal crossed the Alps to enter Italy, and the journey took its toll on his army, killing most of the elephants, but Hannibal’s army was still a real threat.