Rome’s Rise to Power Rome’s Mythical Beginnings: Romulus and Remus • Romulus and Remus were believed to be the sons of a Latin princess and the god Mars. • The brothers taken from their mother as punishment and left to die on the Tiber river. • They were found by a she-wolf who fed them. • A shepherd killed the she-wolf and raised the brothers as his own. • When the brothers grew older, they built a city on the Tiber river. • They argued over who would rule the city, and so Romulus killed Remus and named the city ROME. Rome’s Historical Beginnings • A group of people called the Latins settled on Palatine about 1200 BC and developed a city called Rome. • Around 800 BC, a people called the Etruscans settle north of the Latins in a city called Etruria. • The Etruscans were more culturally advanced than the Latins and ruled Rome for over 200 years. • In 509 BC, the Romans overthrew the Etruscans and set up a republic. The Expansion of the Roman Republic • Romans conquered & controlled all of Italy by 275 BC • Carthage ruled much of N. Africa, Spain, & Sicily • Rome felt threatened by Carthage because they controlled the Mediterranean Sea. • Conflict between Rome and Carthage leads to the PUNIC WARS: fighting for control of the Mediterranean Sea. • There were 3 Punic Wars and Carthage lost. • By 146 BC Rome controlled land around the Battle of Zama Mediterranean Sea The Final Years of the Roman Republic: Julius Caesar • Because of the wealth the Punic Wars brought Rome, a gap between the rich and poor grew. • The Gracchi brothers, Gaius Marius, and Lucius Cornelius Sulla attempted to improve conditions in Rome. They: – Gave land & wheat to poor – Gave power to the army – Gave power to the senate The Final Years of the Roman Republic: Julius Caesar cont. • Julius Caesar, a Roman general, believed Rome needed a strong leader. • He conquered Northern France, Belgium, and Britain. He then marched on Rome. • Caesar defeated Pompey and became dictator of Rome in 46 BC. • Roman Senators feared that Caesar was going to make himself king so they plotted to kill him. • Julius Caesar was assassinated on March 15, 44 BC. The Roman Empire: Cleopatra’s Death • Octavian (Caesar’s grand-nephew) and Marc Antony (Caesar’s general) gained control of Rome and shared leadership: Octavian controlling the west and Antony controlling the east. • Antony wanted to make the East independent and rule it with the queen of Egypt: Cleopatra. • Octavian invaded Egypt and Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide. • Octavian becomes the absolute ruler of Rome takes the new name, Augustus. He is seen as the first Emperor of Rome. • Augustus introduced “PAX ROMANA,” an extended time of peace. The Roman Empire • Augustus’s successors continued to expand the empire by conquering Britain, Armenia, Assyria, and Mesopotamia. • The 5 emperors between A.D. 96 and A.D. 186 did many things to improve the empire. They: – Introduced economic programs – Created programs to support poor children – Made it illegal to kill a slave The Roman Empire • After the reign of the Five Good Emperors, civil war breaks out in A.D. 186. The ruling emperors lost control. • In A.D. 284, Diocletian became emperor of Rome and realized its size made it too difficult to govern. • Diocletian divides the empire into two. • Eventually, Constantine emerged as Rome’s leader in A.D. 312. He moved the capital to the east and converted to Christianity. • Internally, gladiatorial games were one sign of Rome’s decline..