Rome began as a small settlement on seven hills along the Tiber River in Italy. Over centuries of expansion, Rome grew into a vast republic and eventually an empire that encompassed the Mediterranean world. The early Roman republic had a balanced system of government with a senate of patricians and elected consuls, though plebeians faced oppression. Rome then embarked on over two centuries of conquest across Italy and defeated Carthage in the Punic Wars to become the dominant power in the Mediterranean.

1. Rome and Early
Christianity

2. Outline
• Founding
• Regal Period
• Republic
– Government
– Military
• Empire
– Julius Caesar
– Caesar Augustus (Octavian)
– Reign of Emperors
• Fall of the Empire
• Contributions

3. Founding of Rome –
The Roman Race
• The tale of Aeneas (The Aeneid)
– Dido at Carthage and other travels (like The Odyssey)
• Historical evidence
– Settlements from 11th Century BC

4. Founding of Rome –
The Roman Race
• Wars against the Latins (like The Illiad)
• Rape of the Sabine Women (Jacques Louis David)

5. Founding of Rome –
The City (Kingdom) of Rome
• Romulus and Remus
– Latin princess was Vestal virgin
– Raped by Mars, bore twin boys
– Ordered killed by non-Latin king
– Suckled by a wolf
– Grew and founded a city (753BC)
– Romulus killed Remus
• Historic Evidence
– The Etruscans conquered the
Romans (Latins and Sabines)
– Romans eventually overthrew
Etruscans and established
kingdom
– Ruins of home of king (Romulus?)
date from 8th Century BC

6. Rome, the City of the Seven Hills
Halfway down the Italian peninsula, on the west coast, is a small river called the
Tiber. The coastal plain south of the river was known as Latium in ancient times,
after the people who lived there– the Latins. These people were shepherds and
farmers.
In the hill country to the west lived the Sabines, distant kinsmen of the Latins. They
had moved into the peninsula from central Europe before 1000 B.C. and had
vanquished the original inhabitants, a dark people. The people conquered by the
Sabines had probably begun to move from Africa about 10,000 B.C. as the Sahara
gradually turned to desert.
On the left bank of the Tiber rise seven low hills. At this point, the river is shallow
and easy to cross. Latin merchants built a village on one of the hills– the Palatine–
in order to trade with the wealthy Etruscans, who lived north of the river.
Settlements were later built on the other hills also. The towns on the seven hills
finally joined to make one city, Rome.

7. The Seven Hills of Rome
Of Early Rome:
Cermalus
Cispius
Fagutal
Oppius
Palatium
Sucusa
Velia
Of Later Rome:
Aventinus (Aventine)
Caelius (Caelian)
Capitolium (Capitoline)
Esquiliae (Esquiline)
Palatium (Palatine)
Quirinalis (Quirinal)
Viminalis (Viminal) Though only the Capitoline is the only distinct hill today, all seven hills were once
discernable. The Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, and Caelian hills are really promontories
of an ancient volcanic ridge. The Palatine, Aventine, and Capitoline hills were hills
separate from the hills, and between the hills and the Tiber River, but these were
drained in antiquity and the ravines are now filled in with the remains of civilization.
Archaeological evidence supports the notion that there were walled cities on each of
the seven original hills.

8. Regal Period
• Regal period
– Ruled by 7 kings
– Revolted against last king
to found the republic
• Began with war of
independence from
Etruscans (500 BC)
– War heroes exhibit desired
qualities of Romans
– Horatio at the bridge (Oath
of the Horatii by Jacques
Louis David at right)
– Stories became legends for
Romans throughout their
history
– Compare to American War
of Independence

9. The Etruscan Conquest
• Shortly before 600 B.C., Rome was conquered by Etruscan princes from across the
Tiber. Dating from this period of time information about Roman history is slightly
more reliable, though it is still mixed with myth.
• Tarquinius Priscus, the first of the Etruscan kings, drained the city’s marshes. He
improved the Forum, which was the commercial and political center of the town.
He also founded a temple of Jupiter and carried on many wars with neighboring
people.
• Under Servius Tullius, the second Etruscan king, a treaty was made with the Latin
cities which acknowledged Rome as the head of all Latium. Early historians said
that Servius Tullius enlarged the city and built a wall around all seven hills.
• The last of the kings of Rome, Tarquinius Superbus (Tarquin the Proud), was a
tyrant who opposed the people. He scorned religion. Tradition says, however, that
he was persuaded to buy the famous Sibylline Books which thereafter served as a
guide for Rome in times of trouble.
• Under the rule of the Etruscans, Rome grew in importance and power. Great
temples and impressive public works were constructed. The most notable of these
public works is the huge sewer Cloaca Maxima, which is still in use. Trade
prospered, and by the end of the 6th century B.C., Rome had become the largest
and richest city in Italy.

10. Founding, Establishment, and
Etruscan King Timeline
Organizer
Founding Establishment Etruscan Kings

11. Founding and Regal Period Quiz
1. Name the classical works of literature that the founding of Rome
inspired.
1. Name the two brothers that founded Rome.
2. Name one of the three tribes that founded Rome.
3. Name one of the seven hill of Rome.
4. Name an improvement made during the period of the Etruscan
kings.

12. Roman Republic

13. Republican Government
• Ruled by a senate and the people
–SPQR (Senatus Populusque Romanus) =
Senate and the People of Rome
– Senate (patricians) appointed consuls (1 year)
• Foreign affairs and the military
• Direct access by the people to the consul
– People (plebs) organized by tribes and
they elected 10 tribunes
• Governed local affairs
• Had veto power (individually)

14. Constitution
(balanced power)
• Senate
– Never made laws but advice was accepted
– Had power to appoint a person to solve a specific problem
(He was a "speaker" or "dictator")
– Appointed censors (moral guardian/rank judge)
– Appointed governors
• Concilium plebis
– Made all the laws (called plebecites)
– Elected magistrates (administrators) and judges
• Comitia Curiata/Centuriata – plebs and patricians
– Committed the emporium (military power)
• All met in the forum (looked over each other)
• Pontifex Maximus
– Religious leader

15. Struggles between the Rich and
Poor
Side by side with the struggle for political power was the economic struggle
between rich and poor. The wealthy landowners continued to increase their
estates, taking the best of the lands and increasing their herds until they
monopolized the public pasture. They continued the practice of lending money at
ruinous interest to the small proprietors, reducing them to slavery when they could
not pay. Moreover, the population of Rome was increasing too fast, and the soil
was becoming poorer because of the primitive farming methods. The burden of
constant warfare fell most heavily on the plebeians, who had to leave their little
farms to fight the state’s battles. Gradually, however, reforms were forced through,
chief of which were the Licinian laws of 367 B.C. These again revised the debt
laws, limited holdings to 300 acres, and compelled the large landowners to employ
a certain proportion of free laborers.
While these important changes were taking place at home, the little city-state had
been gradually extending its power. Compelled at first to fight for its very existence
against powerful neighbors, Rome gradually fought its way to the leadership of the
Italian peoples. This paved the way that was to lead to the conquest of the world.
The most powerful of its early foes had been the Etruscans. With their greater
numbers and superior civilization, the Etruscans might have defeated Rome. Their

16. Struggles between the Rich and
Poor (cont’d)
fleet, however, was destroyed in a war with the Greek city of Syracuse in Italy (474
B.C.). They also suffered constant pressure of the Gauls from the north who
swarmed into the Po Valley toward the end of the 5th century and laid waste the
Etruscan cities of the north. Thus aided, the Romans had been able (396 B.C.) to
take, after a ten years’ siege, the Etruscan stronghold of Veii, which was eight miles
from Rome.

17. Government
Comparisons with US government
– Balance of power
– Senate and House of Representatives
– Consul (= president)
– Tribune (veto power)
– Courts (independent)
– Military power (?)
– Censor (?)

18. Roman Legal
Accomplishments
• Rome had a
republic.
• Rome had a senate
where patricians
could represent
people.

19. Rule of Law
• It means nobody
is above the law,
not the king, not
the senate, not
the people, not
the police.
• Laws are written
down and must
be respected
• The Twelve
Tables

20. Rule of Law!!

21. Three other examples

22. Military Organization
• Centuries — 100 armed men
– Headed by Centurian (from the
ranks)
• Maniples—3 Centuries
– Could move quickly through
difficult terrain (better than
phalanx)
– Independent decisions (tribunes)
• Legions—groups of Maniples
– 6000 men
– Supported by light cavalry
• Discipline
– Death for individual
insubordination
– Decimation for cowardice

23. Roman Military
The Wedge
The Orb
Centurion

24. The Period of Conquest
• Other areas
– Conquest over other powers and then
direct conquest to subdue the local
tribes
– Conquest continued through
republic and empire period.

25. The Period of Conquest
The young republic now set out on its long career of almost constant warfare and
conquest. At the time, it did not seem destined to rule the civilized world. It was
only a tiny city-state, much like the city-states that were flourishing at the same time
in Greece. Its area was less that 400 square miles and its population was perhaps
150,000.
The government was in the hands of the wealthy and aristocratic citizens called the
patricians. They were supposed to be descendants of the three original tribes of
Rome. The common citizens were called the plebs or plebeians (ple-be yans). At
first, they had little to do with governing. Bit by bit, however, they tore down the
barrier which separated the two orders. The internal history of the republic for the
next three centuries is largely the story of how the plebeians wrested reform after
reform from the patricians.
In the early days of the republic, the ruling power was divided between two patrician
magistrates elected for one year. These were called consuls. They were chosen
by an assembly called the comitia centuriata. It was made up of divisions
apportioned in such a way that votes of the patricians counted for much more than
those of the far more numerous plebeians. The Senate, the most important political
body, consisted of 300 men chosen by the consuls from the patricians. Thus shut
out from office and political power, the plebeians were grievously oppressed by their

26. The Period of Conquest (cont’d)
wealthy fellow citizens. True, they were protected from the worst dangers of
arbitrary power by the lex Valeria (Valerian law) passed in 509 B.C. This law
provided that whenever the life or rights of any citizen were at stake, he could
appeal from the magistrates to the assembly of the people. However, they suffered
from unjust debt laws and from unfair distribution of territory won by conquest.

27. Roman Expansion (in Italy)
• Conquest of Italy
– Took 200 years
– Granted full or partial
citizenship
• Tax and legal benefits
• Developed loyalty in
conquered Italian areas
– Invasion by King Pyrrhus
(pyrrhic victory)
• Roman colonies
– Established in strategic
locations
– Established by treaty
– Troops sent when needed
– Customs of the area left
intact
– Colonies were mostly for
trade, with some military
purposes

28. The Punic Wars
Two centuries of warfare had turned Rome into a nation of soldiers. The word for
the Punic Wars was derived from the Latin name for Carthage—”Punici.” Its only
remaining rival in the western Mediterranean was the Phoenician colony of
Carthage. Carthage was the chief sea power, just as Rome was the chief land
power. Carthaginian warships made the Mediterranean a closed sea. The
Carthaginians sank the trading vessels of any other city which dared to bid for a
share of the rich commerce of this region. Such lordly and insolent behavior was
intolerable to the equally haughty pride of Rome, and a conflict for Mediterranean
supremacy (the Punic wars) began in 264 B.C. This continued with interruptions
until Carthage was finally destroyed in 146 B.C. The courage and endurance of
Rome were tested to the utmost in this long and disastrous series of wars. The war
with Hannibal (the Second Punic War), one historian says, was “a trial such as no
people has ever gone through before or since, and survived.” The stern devotion to
duty, which was the keynote of Roman character, triumphed in the end, however.
After the battle of Zama (202 B.C.), Carthage was reduced to the position of a
vassal state. Fifty years later, in the Third Punic War, Rome again savagely
attacked its defeated rival and razed the city. Rome wanted to make sure Carthage
never returned so it destroyed the city three ways. The Romans burned the city,
pulled down the buildings, and sowed the fields with salt.

29. Roman Expansion (outside Italy)
• Punic Wars
– Phoenicians
(Poeni)
– Sicily
– Hannibal
attacked Rome
– Help of non-
Roman
Italians(?)

30. Winning World Mastery
Rome was now well launched on its way to world domination. One conquest led to
another. Upper Italy (Gallia Cisalpina), Sicily, Spain, Macedonia, Greece, and Asia
Minor were subdued and made Roman provinces. Intoxicated with their sudden
rise to power, the new generation of statesmen departed from the wise policies of
their great predecessors. They fought ruthlessly and ruined the countries they
conquered.
Most of the conquered lands were administered by governors (proconsuls). They
ruled like despots and tried to amass in their one year of office wealth for a lifetime.
The enormous taxes wrung from the subject peoples defrayed most of the
expenses of the Roman state. They also enriched the greedy collectors
(publicans), who purchased the privilege of collecting the taxes. Wealth poured into
Rome from all over the world, and the ancient simplicity of Roman life gave way to
luxury and pomp. Morals were undermined, and vice and corruption flourished.
Between the aristocracy of birth and wealth and the vast moneyless mob, there was
bitter hostility. War of class against class was bound to come. A few patriotic
statesmen tried in vain to avert the dreadful climax. The Gracchi brothers,
grandsons of the great Scipio Africanus who defeated Hannibal at Zama, came
forward as champions of the people. They proposed laws to redistribute the public
lands and to limit the powers of the corrupt and selfish Senate. Both men fell victim
to political violence by their foes, Tiberius in 133 B.C. and Gaius 12 years later.

32. Collapse of the Republic
• Violence used to eliminate enemies and
impose one’s will
– Gracchus
• Re-election to consulate (many times) and
standing army
– Marius
• Assumption of dictator powers, use of the
army to override councils, proscription list
– Sulla

33. Roman Expansion (outside Italy)
• Conquest of the East
and West
– Allies rather than
servants or slaves
– Toleration
– Corruption in the Greek
kingdoms
– Some states given to
the Romans
– Fast, direct attacks with
strong determination
and discipline
– Outnumbered in most
battles
– Victory over Parthia
(parthian shot)

34. Roman Republic Graphic
Organizer
Classes of Society Military
Roman
Republic
Government
Law Periods of Conquest Punic Wars

35. Roman Republic Quiz
1. Name two government bodies or positions.
2. Name Rome’s first written laws.
3. Name one of the three units of military organization.
4. What was the name of the three wars that Rome conducted with
Carthage?
5. Give a reason why the republic collapsed.

36. The Empire is Established
The death of Tiberius Gracchus marked the beginning of a century of revolution
and civil war that ended in the establishment of the Roman Empire. First of the
popular military chiefs was Marius. He had become a national hero by capturing
Jugurtha, leader of an insurrection in Africa, and almost destroying (102-101 B.C.)
a horde of German barbarians (the Cimbri and Teutones) who had defeated four
Roman armies. In the year 90 B.C., the Italian allies, who had long demanded full
Roman citizenship, rose in revolt (the Social War). The struggle lasted two years
and ended in the bestowal of citizenship.
Rivalry between Marius and Sulla, an adherent of the senatorial party, for
command in a war against Mithradates in Asia Minor led Sulla to march with his
troops on Rome. For the first time, Rome was invaded by a Roman army. As soon
as Sulla and his legions were safely out of the way in Asia, Marius in turn seized
Rome with his army and massacred many of the senatorial leaders. On his
victorious return in 82 B.C., Sulla took fearful revenge, slaughtering more than
5,000 of the people’s leaders and confiscating their goods. As “perpetual dictator”
(81-79 B.C.), he passed laws transferring supreme power from the people to the
Senate. The aristocrats, however, were too corrupt and feeble to hold power.

37. The Empire is Established
The history of the remaining years of the republic is told in biographies of the great
adventurers who made themselves masters of the torn and disrupted state. They
sometimes united to make their positions secure and sometimes waged savage
civil warfare.
The only thing that saved the vast edifice of Roman power from crashing to final
destruction was the emergence of two brilliant statesmen, Gaius Julius Caesar and
his great-nephew Augustus (Octavian). Scrapping the old republican framework,
except in outward form, they remolded the tottering structure into an empire. All
power was gradually concentrated in the hands of a single ruler, who was backed
by the might of the Roman legions. How this change was brought about is told in
the autobiographies by Julius Caesar and Augustus.

38. Collapse of the Republic
• Gracchus brothers
– Violence used to impose one's will
• Marius
– Re-election to consulate (many times)
– Standing army
• Sulla
– Assumption of dictator powers
– Use of the army to override councils
– Proscription list

39. Building an Empire
• Structure of the "empire"
– Still a republican form of government
– Checks and balances
– Two parties emerged
• Optimares (conservatives- rule of law, Cato and Cicero)
• Populares (power of the people- democracy)
• Family
• Values (according to the Romans)
– Piety
– Discipline
– Frugality
– Not greedy
– Righteous wars
– Never quit

40. Building an Empire
• Status of Women
– Absence of men at war
–Women gained economic
power
– Ability to divorce and retain
property
–Morals eventually eroded,
in part because home-life
eroded

42. Building an Empire
• Slavery
– Conquests increased
the number of slaves
– Constituted 40% of
the population
– Conditions were poor
– Romans feared slave uprising
– Slaves took jobs from the plebs so plebs
were given food and other benefits

43. Building an Empire
• Economics
– Not enough land to support the people
– Farmers were needed and respected
– Acquisition of wheat and other foods became a
priority
– Victory over Carthage provided more land
– Rome was a consumer
– Trading profits made many Romans rich
– Extremes of wealth and poverty
– Citizens did not have to pay taxes

45. Roman Road building
Take notes

46. Julius Caesar
• Was a salad?
• Was the last emperor
of Rome?
• Was a great military
leader?
• Was made dictator for
life?
• Was really popular
after being made
dictator---Depends on
who your talk to

47. Julius Caesar
100-44 BC
• Early Life
– Born to aristocratic family
• Caesarian section
• Legend that he descended from the gods
– Known for partying and sexual appetite
– Captured by pirates and held for ransom
• Returned to area and killed pirates
– Appointed to a series of government jobs
• Statue of Alexander

48. Julius Caesar
• Triumvirate
– Praised for his work in Spain
– Appointed governor in Gaul (conquest)
– Alliance with Crassus and Pompey to form the
triumvirate (not initially, but later elected)
– Rivalry with Pompey after death of Crassus
• Crossing the Rubicon
– Uprising in Asia
• Veni, vidi, vici—I came, I saw, I conquered
– Conquest of Egypt
• Cleopatra

49. Julius Caesar
• Returned to Rome as a conquering hero
– Procession for each territory on a different day
(Gaul, Africa, Spain, Asia) and games for many
additional days
– Offered crown (as emperor) twice and refused
it when people didn't respond favorably
• Dictator (rule by one man)
– Appointed for 10 years and then for life
– Caesar’s plans for Rome
• Calendar (July)
• Libraries, theaters, other public works
• Gave citizenship to people in Spain and Gaul

50. Julius Caesar
• Murder of Caesar
– Killed by senatorial
opponents
– Instigated by his
usurpation of power and
their fear that he would
become emperor
– Died March 15, 44 BC
• Stabbed by 20 senators
• Brutus—illegitimate son
– Mark Anthony and
Octavian
• Rallied against the
conspirators

51. DICTATOR
• SUCH A WARM AND FUZZY TERM
A PERSON WHO RULES A
NATION WITH ABSOLUTE
POWER.
Synonyms for dictatorship
-Autocracy
-Absolutism
-Despotism
-Totalitarianism
-Authoritarianism
-Tyranny

52. Caesar Augustus
• 63 BC-14 AD
• Octavian was winner of 18 years
civil war
• Designated heir of Julius Caesar
• Was of the family of Caesar
(adopted) so he took the name
Caesar
• Given the name Augustus by the
Senate
• The transformation of the
Republic to Empire changed
without war, elections, or fanfare

53. Caesar Augustus
• Beginning the Empire
– Marked by the reign of Octavian
– Returned to principles of the republic (in theory)
– But, created important changes to make it work
• Senate received power of nominal governing
• Allowed free elections
• Refused to be called “Caesar” or “dictator”
• Accepted title “princeps civitatis” or first citizen ("prince")
– Initially offered to retire to private life
– He wanted to blend into the populace—be like everyone else
• Held a variety of jobs but ruled effectively regardless of
position
– Auctoritas = prestige, power from trust, influence
– Who else has had this kind of power?
– How does a leader get this kind of power?

54. Caesar Augustus
• Beginning the Empire
– Augustinian Code
• Roman Law was rewritten and
solidified
• Basis of western laws today
• Equity
– Honest government
– Added to the road system
• 53,000 miles of paved roads
– Postal system and other city
infrastructure
– Standard currency system
– Improved harbors

55. Caesar Augustus
• Military
– Reduced the size but
created a permanent army
– Territorial expansion
• Purpose: to consolidate
boundaries, ensure peace
• Generalship given to loyalists—Agrippa and Tiberius
• German defeat/consolidation (Herman the German)
• Central Europe and the Balkans expansion
• Spain consolidation
• Africa, annexation of Egypt
– Pax Romana
• 60 million people in peace for more than 400 years

56. Caesar Augustus
• Worship of
“Roma et Augustus”
– Allowed the east and west
unity of worship (each in
their own way)
– Didn’t push worship so as to
not alienate local worship

57. Caesar Augustus
• Succession
– No male heir
– Adopted nephew, Tiberius
–Smooth transition of leadership
– Stable leadership despite inept
emperors
• Tiberius took the title "emperor" and
all successors did the same
• Succession was a problem for the
entire time of the empire

58. Empire Establishment Quiz
1. Name one of the events or people that brought
on the the establishment of the empire.
2. Discuss one of the cultural aspects of building the
Roman Empire.
1. Discuss how Roman Roads were built and their
importance in the empire.
2. Discuss an aspect of Julius Caesar.
3. Discuss an aspect of Caesar Augustus.

59. Principal Roman Emperors

60. Roman Empire at its height 117 A.D.

61. Julio-Claudians
• Emperors who succeeded Caesar for 50 years
• Tiberius
– Ruled well if somewhat ineffective
– Retired due to opposition
• Caligula
– Insane
– Killed by troops
• Claudius
– Good administrator
– Uncomfortable around people (lame and stuttered)
• Nero
– Mother killed Claudius for Nero
– Nero killed his mother
– Seneca and Burrus (advisors, died from Nero pressure)
– Revolt and burning of the city
– Committed suicide

62. Julio-Claudians
• Tiberius (14-37 AD)
– Adopted son of Augustus
– Designated successor
– Reigned well
– Retired due to opposition
– Sea of Tiberius—Sea of Galilee

63. Julio-Claudians
• Caligula (37-41 AD)
– Descendent of Augustus
– Played solider as a boy
– Nickname Caligula—
“little boot”
– Thought to be insane
–Outrageous orgies
– Claimed to be all the gods at once
– Made his horse a senator
–Murdered after insulting the army

64. Julio-Claudians
• Claudius (41-54 AD)
– Born in Gaul (Lyon)
• Lame and stuttered, so as a child avoided
people
• Married Agrippina, and adopted Nero
• May have been murdered by his wife
– Excellent administrator
– Divided the government into bureaus
– Formed professional civil service

65. Julio-Claudians
• Nero (54-68 AD)
– Married Claudius’s daughter
– Initially permitted two advisors
(Seneca, Burrus)
– Assumed total power in 62 AD
• Killed mother
• Burrus died
• Seneca retired
• Divorced wife and then kicked her to death while
pregnant
– Burning of Rome
– Revolt in 56 AD and Nero killed many
conspirators
• Peter and Paul killed 54 AD
– 68 AD Nero committed suicide

66. "What does it matter to know what a
straight line is if one has no notion of
rectitude?"
– Seneca
“Anyone entering our homes
should admire us rather than
our furnishings.”
– Seneca

67. “Wild animals run from the dangers
they actually see, and once they
have escaped them, worry no more.
We, however, are tormented alike by
what is past and what is to come.”
– Seneca

68. “A person adopted as a friend solely
for the sake of his commercial
usefulness will be cultivated only so
long as he is thus useful. This
explains the crowd of people who
cluster about successful men, and
the lonely atmosphere about the
ruined. To procure friendship only
for the better and not for the worse
is to rob it of all its dignity.”
– Seneca

69. Roman Gladiators
Gladiator Helmet
Roman Shield

70. Spartacus
(Kirk Douglas)
Gladiator
(Russell Crowe)

71. WOW THIS IS REALLY ENTERTAINING!!! OH WAIT YOU’RE DEAD. WELL
I’M A GLADIATOR WHAT DO YOU EXPECT.

72. Julio-Claudians
• Four Claimants (69 AD)
– Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian
• All generals
• Vespasian defeated the others and became
emperor
• Vespasian founded the Flavian Dynasty
• Turned into monarchy

73. Flavians
• 69-96 AD
• Vespasian, Titus, Domitian
– Reasonably good
administrators
– First non-Patrician Caesar
• Suppression of the Jewish
revolt
– Destruction of Jerusalem
– Masada
– Timing—70 AD

74. Age of the Adoptive Emperors
• 96-193 AD
• The Golden Age of Rome
• 5 good and 1 bad emperor
– Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pous,
Marcus Aurelius, Commodus
– None were power hungry except Commodus
• Façade of constitutionality
• Hadrian separated the civil services from the army
– Army changed from greater mobility to
maintenance

75. Seneca
“Avoid shabby
attire, long hair, an
unkempt beard, an
outspoken dislike for
comfortable
furnishings, and all
other misguided and
childish means of
self-advertisement.”

76. “It is not the man who has too little
who is poor. It is the one who
relentlessly hankers after more.
What difference does it make how
much is laid away in a man’s safe or
in his barns, or how much capital he
puts out at interest, if he is only after
what he doesn’t have and only
counts what he has yet to acquire,
never what he already has.”
– Seneca

77. The Golden Age (100-180AD)
• Life in the Golden Age
– Rome was largest city in
the ancient world
– Extravagant
entertainment
– Prosperity through trade
and population
expansion
• After the Golden Age
– Good and bad emperors
• Unsuited for governance
• Many boy emperors
Gladiator

78. Third Century Disaster
• Near collapse of the empire
– Military-oriented emperors
– Threat from consolidated Germans
– 24 emperors and 24 claimants/usurpers
• 45 killed by assassination (usually by their
own troops)
• 1 died in battle
• 1 died in captivity
• 1 died of plague
– Name of a Caesar reflects self-importance

79. Diocletian
• 284-305 AD
• Ruled by decree
– Stabilized the empire
– Strong general with army
support
– Imposed will on
governmental agencies
– Unity
• Worship of emperor as a
mark of loyalty
• Persecution of the Christians
– About non-participation and
separateness
– Not about beliefs

80. Diocletian
• Divided the empire for better administration
– Tetrarchy (2 Augusti, 2 Caesars)
– Diocletian retired, forced Maximiam to retire
– Chaos followed

81. Constantine
• 306-337 AD
• Constantine’s father succeeded
Maximian as Augustus
• Succeeded his father as Caesar
• Became 1 of 7 claimants for control
• Fought wars to decide emperor
– Vision of a burning Christian symbol (chi-rho)
– United the troops and gave them courage
that "a god" wanted them to win (most
were pagans and accepted the protection of
any god)

82. Constantine
• Constantinople
– Built on Byzantium site
• Acceptance of Christianity
– Edict of Milan
• Eliminated religious contention
• Supported Christian religions
– St. Helena, churches
• Supported pagan religions
– Coins, inscriptions, built temples
– Nicaean council (325 AD)
• Sought to unify doctrine
• Used imperial troops to suppress
dissent among Christians
(Donatists)
• Conversion or unity?

83. Post-Constantine Period
• Theodocius I
– Strongest post-Constantine emperor
– Instituted Christianity as state religion
– Goths joined army to fight against Huns
– Revolt in Thessalonica (7000 killed)
• This was the first confrontation between the
church and the state
• Theodocius I forced to beg forgiveness (St.
Ambrose)

84. Post-Constantine Period
• Ravenna
– Rome full of crime, decayed morals
– Capital moved to Ravenna
• Persians (Parthians)
–Attacked eastern province
–Overran the local Roman
army
–Reinforcement moved to
defend the east which
weakened the west

85. Post-Constantine Period
• Huns
– Central base in
Hungary
– Warriors feared by
Romans and Germans
– Attila—last leader
• Invaded Gaul
– Defeated in 451 AD by a combined army
– Moved into Italy and defeated again
– Withdrew to Hungary

86. Post-Constantine Period
• Barbarians (illiterate and non-urban)
– Settled in Roman territory after pressure from
the Huns
– Goths split into two groups
• Ostrogoths—eastern Europe
• Visigoths—moved to Dacia (Romania)
– Allowed to live on Roman land
• Barbarians compatible with Romans
• Visigoths revolted after unfair taxing
• Theodosius the Great bought off the Visigoths

87. Post-Constantine Period
• Theodoric the Great
– Chief over the Ostrogoths
– Conquered Odoacer and
declared himself king of Rome
• Bothius
– Writer who summarized Euclid,
Archimedes, Ptolemy, and
Aristotle into Latin
• The Ostrogoths’ reign
– Ended shortly after Theodoric’s death
• The eastern part of the empire lasted
1000 years

88. THE DECLINE OF THE POST-CONSTANTINE
ROMAN EMPIRE
DECLINING AGRICULTURE
INFLATION
HEAVY TAXES
STARVING PEOPLE

89. Reasons for the Fall
• The collective (State) came before the
individual (citizen)
• Declining moral values and political civility
at home
• An overconfident and overextended
military in foreign lands
• Fiscal irresponsibility by the central
government
• Sound familiar?

90. The Fate of the United States?
It was artfully contrived by
Augustus, that, in the enjoyment
of plenty, the Romans should
lose the memory of freedom.
--Edward Gibbon

91. Relying on the Government
“The minds of men were
gradually reduced to the same
level, the fire of genius was
extinguished”
--Edward Gibbon

92. Timeline of Rome and the U.S.
Rome
United States
Redistribute
land
133 BC
Land grabs
1906
Food
Rations
123 BC
FDR/
Jackson Hole
Monument
(Land Grab)
1950
Free Wheat
for masses
58 BC
Julius Caesar
Assassinated
44 BC
99 Weekers of
Unemployment
pay
2010
Octavian
establishes
the empire
31 BC
Obama
transforms
America from
capitalism to
National
Socialism
2009
Bush
tax
cuts
2001
Bush
tax cuts
extended
2003
Octavian
Augustus
died
14 AD
Eminent
Domain
Controversy
2005
Claudius says
“Tax and tax
again”
64 AD Gov’t controls
agriculture
91 AD
Marcus
Aurelius says
that Relief is
hereditary
247 AD
Obamacare
implemented
Mar 2012
Federal Land
grabs
2008-2010
41.8 million
people on
Food
Stamps
Jul 2010
FDR
implements the
New Deal
Largest
Socialist
program to
date1932
LBJ expands
the welfare
state with the
Great Society
1968
Copy this Timeline

93. Decline and Fall of Rome
From 180 to 284 A.D., the Senate recognized 27 men as emperors. Supported by
the Roman legions, many others laid claim to the title. The succession of short
terms was finally stopped by Diocletian (284-305 A.D.), who abolished the last of
the republican liberties. The Senate was now no more that the city council of
Rome. Diocletian also took the first step toward dividing the empire: he ruled the
East and turned the rule of the West to an associate.
The decline of Rome was complete when Constantine moved his capital to the
Greek city of Byzantium on the Black Sea in 330 A.D. He renamed it
Constantinople in his own honor. The transfer of the capital meant a real division of
the empire. As the long history of the Byzantine Empire began, the old Roman
Empire fell into weakness and decline. Gradually the northern barbarians came
down into Italy to invade the empire.
Romulus Augustulus, whose name combined the name of Rome’s legendary
founder and that of its first emperor, was the last ruler of the West. In 476 A.D., he
was deposed by the barbarian leader Odoacer. The Roman Empire was at an end,
and the barbarian kingdoms of the Middle Ages took its place; but the Eastern, or
Byzantine Empire lasted another 1,000 years.

94. Barbarian Invasions

95. The End of Antiquity
• The fall of the Roman empire
traditionally marks the end of the
period of Antiquity
• Upcoming time periods
– Middle Ages/Renaissance
– Byzantine empire
–Muslim empire

96. City Populations in Four Roman
Cities in 1st and 7th Centuries A.D.
0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 700,000
Paris
Antioch
Alexandria
Rome
Population 7th Century A.D.
Population 1st Century A.D.

97. Disease led to its Fall
"Realizing what a deadly disaster had come to
them, the people quickly drove the Italians from
their city. But the disease remained, and soon
death was everywhere. Fathers abandoned their
sick sons. Lawyers refused to come and make out
wills for the dying. Friars and nuns were left to
care for the sick, and monasteries and convents
were soon deserted, as they were stricken, too.
Bodies were left in empty houses, and there was no
one to give them a Christian burial."

98. Bubonic plague “Black
plague”
• It was called the
black plague
because of the dark
spots found on its
victims

99. Why was Rome so affected by
the Plague?

100. Fall of the Roman Empire
• Rome was the most
powerful empire the
world had ever
seen.
• Its architecture was
Hellenistic and its
road system was as
impressive as that of
the Inca in S.
America

101. Fall of Rome
• Rome was besieged
by various tribes
from modern day
Germany and
France.

102. The Roman Empire
• The Empire falls
because they’re
starving
• They’re selfish and
corruption is rampant
• Inflation is
widespread
• Other tribes start to
raid due to
weaknesses

103. Although the fall of the Roman
Empire did not happen
overnight, many consider its fall
the beginning of the Middle
Ages or Dark Ages.

104. “A close study of each of these dead civilizations
indicates that they usually started on their road
to glory because of fortuitous circumstances
exploited by a strong, inspiring leader. The
nation then carried on for a period under its own
momentum. Finally, creeping vanity led the
people to become enamored of their undisputed
superiority; they became so impressed with their
past achievements that they lost interest in
working for further change. Soon their sons,
coddled in the use of all the great things their
fathers and grandfathers had pioneered, became
as helpless as new-born babes when faced with
the harsh reality of an aggressive and changing
world.”
—Eugene K. Von Fange, Professional Creativity

105. Major Eras of European History
• Classical Era (Greece and Rome)
500 B.C.- 600 A.D.
• Middle Ages (time of knights and
castles) 500 A.D. – 1500 A.D.
• Early Modern Era (time of powerful
kings and exploration) 1500 A.D. –
1776 A.D.

106. Roman Empire and Decline
Quiz
1. Discuss three of the attributes and/or
contributions of one of the Roman
emperors.
2. Name 2 reasons for the Post-Constantine
decline of emperors.
3. Give two reasons for the decline of Rome
4. Give a comparison between the decline
of Rome which parallels with U.S. history.
5. What period of history followed the fall of
the Roman Empire?

107. Roman Contributions
The past develops the future

108. Fall of the Western Roman Empire
• West had longer barbarian frontier
• Persians civilized and signed treaties
• East had money to pay off invaders
• Eastern boundaries easier to defend
• Constantinople a fortress city

109. Roman Aqueduct
Ancient Rome had eleven major
aqueducts, built between 312 B.C.
and 226 A.D. the longest (Anio Novus)
was 59 miles long.

110. AQUEDUCTS- H20 TO THE CITY
AND THE FARMS

111. Roman Architecture
Rome Pantheon - Dome
Temple of Fortuna Virilis
Round Columns
Coliseum – Arena

112. Roman Architecture
Vaults were Roman era
shops
Arches – Served as a
Gateway

113. Roman Architecture
Traditional Roman
Arch blue print
Keystone was the basis
for the building.
London building that
Contains Roman Arches

114. Roman Art
• Roman Flasks
{Glass}
Bird in the Garden - Fresco
Roman Mosaic Roman Bust in marble

115. Roman Domes
The Pantheon dome was
142 feet long and 71 feet
high with no support
columns.

116. Roman Empire Cultural
Influence

117. Roman Language: Latin
• Roman Empire it was referred to as
Latium.
• Romance languages descend from Latin.
• Currently Latin is a dead language. That
means it is not spoken by any country but
yet it is taught in some schools.
• It is responsible for our current use of
Roman Numbers for notes I, II, III etc.
• Also responsible for many proverbs.

118. Romance Languages
Roman conquests spread Latin through much of Europe. Over time, different regions in Europe
developed languages that grew out of Latin. These languages are known as Romance languages.
Words in the five major Romance languages often sound alike– for example, the Latin word for
“freedom,” libertas, translates as liberta in Italian, liberté in French, liibertad in Spanish, liberdade in
Portuguese, and libertate in Romanian.
Portuguese
French
Spanish
Italian
Romanian
Portuguese
Spanish
French
Italian
Romanian
Latin

119. Roman Literature
• Oratory: Marcus Cicero greatest known –
persuasion, teaching, dialogue, etc
• Mythology: Rituals, priestly colleges,
clusters of related gods
• Historical myths interwoven with divine
intervention
• Philosophy: Cicero, Stoics virtues of
wisdom, self control, courage. This was
contrary to the Greeks “life of pleasure”

120. Roman Politics and Law
• Tribune – was someone who fought for the
rights of the poor but it was not a popular
position to hold.
• Jurisprudence – the theory and practice of
law. Lawyers get a J.D. degree
• 3 Branches of Government: The Consul {civil
and military} The Senate {advisory} and the
Assembly {members of the army}
• Veto concept was introduced by the Romans.
• Twelve Tables was the law carved into
bronze and displayed in the City Center.
• Patricians were eligible to elect
representatives to serve in one of the 3
branches.
• The Twelve Tables were written down
(codified)

121. Roman Christianity
The origins and early spread of Christianity
took place in the Roman Empire. It was
based on the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Spread during the Pax Romana. Despite
persecution of the early Christians,
Christianity became the official religion of
the Roman Empire.

122. Rights of women
• Women, or more correctly, girls, were
usually married by the time they were
twelve years old.
• The law required that all women, young
and old, be under the care of a "guardian".
• Women were not restricted from owning
property and wealth, if it benefited her
husband.

123. Roman Contributions Quiz
1. Name a language that descended from Latin.
2. Name a contribution from Roman law and politics.
3. Name one of the forms of literature formed by the Romans.
4. Give a reason for the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
5. Name a contribution to future civilization.