Rome: From Village to Empire

1
Rome From Village to Empire
2
c. 750 BCE Latins (tribe) settle what
becomes Rome
3
See Rome Expand!
4
Lets Talk Topography and Geography
peninsula
mountains
rivers
5
Rome is west of Apennines Mts more fertile land
river access
6
The early Romans were mostly
farmers
7
c. 600 BCE Etruscans Conquer Rome
Romans adopt Etruscan alphabet, art, gods,
building techniques (including the arch)
8
In 509 BCE...
the Romans overthrew the Etruscans
9
Its interesting to note that this was the
precise time that we think of Greece as entering
its Classical Era.
10
Unlike the Athenians, who had a direct or
participatory democracy, the Romans established a
representative democracy, or, a REPUBLIC
like we have today
11
Roman Social Structure in the Republic

• Patricians wealthy landowners and office-holders

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

• Slaves mostly prisoners of warnot citizensno
  rights

12
Roman Religion

• Polytheistic belief in more than one god

• Absorbed gods of othersincluding the Greeks

• Lots of public festivals

13
Roman Women

• Educated just like boys

• Could NOT vote, but could testify in court

• Gained property rights

• More influence in family than Greek women

14
THE TWELVE TABLES
451 BCE First Roman Law Code
TWELVE carved stone tablets
(Take that, Moses!)
15
Gradually, the Romans began to expand their
control
16
until they had conquered the entire Italian
peninsula plus the islands of Corsica,
Sardinia and Sicily
17
As they expanded their control
the Romans built an excellent network of roads
18
Heres how they built them
19
Their road system is one of the Romans greatest
achievements
Why do you think they built them?
20
Right! The Roman Road System

• Allowed easy military transport

• Enabled trade and commerce

• Helped unify expanding Roman territories

21
Back to Roman expansionwho do you think would be
a likely rival for control of the Mediterranean
Sea?
22
Right again!
Carthage!!
23
Between 264-146 BCE the Romans fought three wars
with Carthage, known as the Punic Wars.
24
Rome wonand went on to conquer the rest of the
Mediterranean world.
25
(No Transcript)
26
(No Transcript)
27
(No Transcript)
28
(No Transcript)
29
(No Transcript)
30
(No Transcript)
31
The period 27 BCE-180 AD (the last two maps) is
known as the
PAX ROMANA
32
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

33
Well, thats it for our quick overview of Romes
journey from small village to huge empire. Over
the next few 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

34
Gallery of famous Romans
Marc Antony with Egyptian Queen Cleopatra
(Hollywood style)
Octavian (Augustus)
Julius Caesar
35
Terminare! Ciao!