Rome: from village to empire

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Rome from village to empire
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c. 750 BCE Latins (tribe) settle what
becomes Rome
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See Rome Expand!
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Lets Talk Topography and Geography
peninsula
mountains
rivers
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Rome is west of Apennines Mts more fertile land
river access
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The early Romans were mostly
farmers
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c. 600 BCE Etruscans Conquer Rome
Romans adopt Etruscan alphabet, art, gods,
building techniques (including the arch)
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In 509 BCE...
the Romans overthrew the Etruscans
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Its interesting to note that this was the
precise time that we think of Greece as entering
its Classical Era.
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Unlike the Athenians, who had a direct or
participatory democracy, the Romans established a
representative democracy, or, a republic
like we have today
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Roman social structure

• Patricians wealthy landowners and office-holders

• Plebeians farmers, artisans, traderscould vote
  but not hold political office

• Slaves mostly prisoners of warnot citizensno
  rights

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Roman Religion

• polytheistic

• absorbed gods of others, including the Greeks

• lots of public festivals

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Roman Women

• educated just like boys

• couldnt vote but could testify in court

• gained property rights

• more influence in family than Greek women

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451 BCE First Roman Law Code
TWELVE carved stone tablets
(Take that, Moses!)
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Gradually, the Romans began to expand their
control
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until they had conquered the entire Italian
peninsula plus the islands of Corsica,
Sardinia and Sicily
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As they expanded their control
the Romans built an excellent network of roads
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Heres how they built them
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Their road system is one of the Romans greatest
achievements
Why do you think they built them?
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Right! The Roman road system

• allowed easy military transport

• enabled trade and commerce

• helped unify expanding Roman territories

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Back to Roman expansionwho do you think would be
a likely rival for control of the Mediterranean
Sea?
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Right again!
Carthage!!
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Between 264-146 BCE the Romans fought three wars
with Carthage, known as the Punic Wars.
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Rome wonand went on to conquer the rest of the
Mediterranean world.
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The period 27 BCE-180 AD (the last two maps) is
known as the
PAX ROMANA
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During this period

• Romans thought they were the entire civilized
  world

• Rome enjoyed military dominance

• The population of the city of Rome reached 1
  million

• Trade increased, bringing a wealth of resources
  into Rome

• The arts flourished

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Well, thats it for our quick overview of Romes
journey from small village to huge empire. Over
the next several weeks we will concentrate on the
following

• the influence of Greek culture upon the Romans

• Roman contributions to politics, technology and
  the arts

• the rise of Christianity within the Roman Empire

• reasons for the decline and collapse of the
  Empire

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Gallery of famous romans
Marc Antony with Egyptian Queen Cleopatra
(Hollywood style)
Octavian (Augustus)
Julius Caesar
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That's all, folks!