Origin of Rome and systems of government

1. UNIT 5.
ANCIENT ROME

2. THE ORIGINS OF ROME
The origin of Roman civilisation is in the city of Rome.
It was founded in the eighth century BC on the banks of
the River Tiber, in the Italian Peninsula, in an area of easy
protection, as it was surrounded by seven hills.

3. The territory in which it settled was
called Latium, which was inhabited
by the Latins.
Before its foundation, the Italian
Peninsula was populated by Latins
(in the centre), the Greeks (in the
south) and the Etruscans (in the
north).
The Etruscans, in the 6th century BC,
conquered and gained control of
Latium.
THE ORIGINS OF ROME

4. THE LEGEND OF ROMULUS AND REMUS
 According to legend, Rome was founded in
Palatine Hill by Romulus in 753 BC.
The twins Romulus and Remus were put in a basket in the
River Tiber. A she-wolf found the babies and fed them her
milk. Later, a shepherd adopted the boys.
When the boys grew up, they decided to build a city by the
River Tiber. One day, they argued and Romulus killed
Remus.
Romulus became de first King!

5. You have the video available at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pp83xYOttc

6. SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT
Roman history is divided into three periods:

7. THE MONARCHY (753 - 509 BC)
 Romulus was de first King of Rome. Later, the city
was occupied by the Etruscans.
 From its foundation until the year 509 BC, Rome
was ruled by seven Kings. The first four were Latins
and the final three were Etruscans. The last
Etruscan king, Tarquin the Proud, was deposed
because he was a tyrant.
 The King ruled with the help of the Senate (made up
of patricians), an advisory assembly with no
decision-making powers. Therefore, the King had all
the power to make any decision.

8.  The citizens elected the government (a kind of democracy).
 Power was shared between Comitias, Magistrates and the
Senate.
THE SENATE
The senate was a
council of citizens
from the most
important families :
PATRICIANS.
It was responsible for
deciding foreign
policy and upholding
decisions made by the
Comitians.
COMITIAS
These were
assemblies, formed
by citizens , in which
magistrates were
chosen, laws were
passed and decisions
about going to war
were taken.
MAGISTRATES
These were annually
elected by the
comitias.
The most important
magistrates were:
Consuls, Tribunes of
the plebeians and
dictator.
THE ROMAN REPUBLIC (509 – 27 BC)

9. In The Republic…
 Initially, the patricians still held all the power. Only they could
be part of the Senate, and only they could hold public office. The
patricians in the Senate made laws, patricians and consuls
executing them, and patricians were also the judges who
punished the lawbreakers.
 Because of this, the plebeians began to fight for their rights,
which were established in the Law of the Twelve Tables (451-
450 BC).
 During this time, took place the Three Punic wars that faced
Romans and Carthaginians. The Romans emerged victorious in
all the battles and, consequently, Rome had control of the
Mediterranean Sea (Mare Nostrum) and other places, such as the
Iberian Peninsula.
 The Republic ended when some magistrates and generals (with
so much power), including Julius Caesar (and also Pompey and
Crassus), took control of the government of Rome. In 48 BC,

10. JULIUS CAESAR
In 100 BC, Julius Caesar was born in Rome. He was from
an important family, so in 61 BC he became governor of
Spain.
Next Caesar went to fight the Gauls in France. He was a
brilliant general, and he conquered all of France.
Caesar’s soldiers loved him, but the Senator Pompey
thought he was too powerful, so he ordered him to return to
Rome. Caesar went to Rome, but he brought his army with
him, and started a civil war with Pompey. Caesar won, and
Pompey was killed.
Caesar made himself consul and dictator for life. The
senators were afraid that Caesar wanted to be king, so they
murdered him in 44 BC.

11. THE ROMAN EMPIRE (27 BC – 476 AD)
 It began in 27 BC, when the Senate gave political and religious power to
Augustus (Octavian). Augustus held all power and the political
institutions lost their importance.
 The titles of Augustus: Imperator (leader of the military), Princeps (first
citizen of the Senate), Augustus (put him on the same level of the gods),
Pontifex Maximus (highest religious authority in the Empire).
 Some of the most important episodes were:
 Pax romana. A long period of peace in Rome. This period lasted two
centuries: the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.
 Territorial conquest. The Empire reached its maximum size.
 Emperor Caracalla granted citizenship to all free men in the
Roman Empire (year 212).
 Edict of Milan (year 313): Emperor Constantine allowed freedom of
worship.
 Edict of Thessalonica (year 380): Emperor Theodosius proclaimed
Christianity official religion.
 Crisis of the third century. The empire went into decline.

12. CONQUEST OF THE MEDITERRANEAN

13. CRISIS AND FALL OF THE EMPIRE
Starting in the 3rd century AD. WHY?
- Political instability: increased military power, attack of the
barbarians, political corruption…
- Economic instability: shortage of slaves, drop in production, trade
weakened…
- Social instability: social unrest…
- Division of the Empire by Theodosius (395 BC). Emperor
Theodosius divided the Empire into two parts:
1. The Western Roman Empire,
with Rome as capital.
2. The Eastern Roman Empire,
with its capital in Constantinople
(continued to exist another
thousand years).

14.  In 476 AD , the Germanic people deposed the last
Emperor (Romulus Augustus) of the Western
Roman Empire.
 It was the end of the Roman Empire.
 AND ALSO THE END OF ANCIENT
HISTORY!!!!!! AND THE START OF THE
MIDDLE AGES!!!!
FALL OF THE EMPIRE

15. You have the video available at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_7f-k9sq7U

16. THE END
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