1. Rome began as a small town along the Tiber River in Italy. Its location provided protection and access to important trade routes by land and sea. Rome later became a republic with a system of checks and balances between patricians and plebeians. 2. During the Roman Republic, Rome was a thriving city centered around the Forum. It was both a political and social center. 3. Rome's expansion led to conflicts with Carthage known as the Punic Wars. After three wars, Rome defeated Carthage and destroyed the city.

1. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1

2. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
The Foundations of Rome
Preview
• Starting Points Map: Italy and the Mediterranean
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• Roman Civilization Develops
• Quick Facts: Etruscan Influences
• Rome Becomes a Republic
• Quick Facts: Checks and Balances in the Roman Government
• The Republic Expands
• Faces of History: Two Commanders of the Punic Wars

3. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
Click the icon to play
Listen to History
audio.
Click the icon below
to connect to the
Interactive Maps.

4. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
The Foundations of Rome
Main Idea
1. From a small town on the banks of an Italian river, Rome grew
to control the entire Mediterranean region.
Reading Focus
• Where and how did Roman civilization develop?
• What led to Rome’s becoming a republic?
• What were the major events in Rome’s expansion?

5. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
Roman Civilization Develops
“All roads lead to Rome.” “Rome was not built in a day.” “When in
Rome . . .” How did Rome win such a place in modern popular
culture?
Italy’s Geography
• Peninsula logical place for
emergence of mighty empire
– Juts south from Europe far into
Mediterranean Sea
– Lies almost halfway between
eastern, western boundaries
of the sea
– Protected by mountains, sea
– Rich soil, mild climate
The Founding of Rome
• Legend: Romulus and Remus,
twin brothers raised by she-wolf;
founded city 753 BC
• Members of Indo-European
tribe, Latins, reached Italy
1000s BC; built Rome
• City prospered partly from
location on Tiber River
• Valuable trade routes, easy
access to sea

6. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
The Etruscans
• Rome first ruled by Latin Kings
• Came under Etruscan rule, 600 BC
• Etruscans came from northern Italy
– Evidence found at cemeteries indicates Etruscans great
metalworkers, jewelers
– Etruscan culture heavily influenced by Greeks
• Etruscans had great influence on Roman society

7. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1

8. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
Summarize
What advantages did Rome’s location give
the city?
Answer(s): protected by mountains; sea provided
protection and transportation; had rich soil,
pleasant climate; located on major trade routes;
Tiber River provided easy access to the sea

9. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
Rome Becomes a Republic
Etruscan Rule Ends
• Etruscans ruled Rome until about 509 BC
• Romans revolted, threw out last of kings, setup new type of government
• Republic—elected officials governed state
Patricians
• In early days, heads of a few aristocratic families, patricians, elected officials
• Patrician families controlled all society—politics, religion, economics, military
• Maintained power through patronage system
Plebeians
• From beginning, common people, plebeians, challenged patricians for power
• Invaders threatened 494 BC; plebeians refused to fight until changes made
• Patricians knew they would have no army, expanded plebeian rights

10. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
Plebeian Council
• After receiving new rights, plebeians formed own assembly, Plebeian
Council, to oversee affairs and protect interests
• Gained right to elect officials known as tribunes
• Tribunes’ job—protect against unjust treatment by patrician officials
• Gained right to veto—ban laws that seemed harmful, unjust
Laws
• 450 BC, plebeians forced patricians to have all laws written down
• Laws displayed in Roman Forum, central square, on 12 large bronze tablets
• Because laws were posted, patrician judges could not make decisions based
on own opinions or secret laws
• One new law banned marriage between patricians and plebeians

11. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
Republican Government
Elements of Government
• Senate: 300 members, advised
elected officials, controlled
public finances, handled all
foreign relations
• Popular assemblies: in these all
citizens voted on laws, elected
officials
• Magistrates: governed in name
of Senate and people, put laws
into practice, acted as priests
New Offices and Institutions
• Patricians, plebeians worked
out practical constitution
• Created new offices of
government
• Consisted of three parts:
Senate, popular assemblies,
magistrates
• Initially dominated by patricians;
all state offices later open to
both patricians, plebeians

12. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
Consuls
Governing Details
• When last king thrown out, his
place taken by two magistrates
called consuls
• Elected for one year; chief
executives, army commanders
Praetors
• Primarily judges, could act for
consuls if consuls away at war
• After terms ended, given
military commands, appointed
provisional governors
Censors
• Next most important after
consuls
• Recorded wealth, residence of
population
• Filled vacancies in Senate
Constraints
• Government worked well
because of system of checks,
balances
• Each part could impose certain
constraints on others

13. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1

14. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
Life in the Republic
2. During the days of the Roman Republic, Rome was a thriving and
vibrant city. At its heart was the Forum, the public square and site of
the most important government buildings and temples.
Location
• Nestled between
two hills: Palatine,
Capitoline
• Palatine, where
wealthy lived
• Capitoline, where
grandest temples
were
Political Center
• City leaders often
found in Forum
mingling with
common people
• Senate met in
Forum
• Key public
addresses made
there
Busy Place
• Forum more than
just political center
• Popular place for
shopping, gossip
• Busy shops lined
either side of
Forum
• Public celebrations
usually held there

15. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
Agrarian Roots
• Despite bustling nature of city, Romans prided themselves on
connection with soil
• Farming, landownership the noblest ways to make money
• Senators forbidden to participate in any career that did not involve
land, could not engage in commerce
Legend of Early Republic
• Roman tie to land illustrated in
legend of early Republic
• Romans turned to greatest general,
Cincinnatus, to save them from
invasion
• Cincinnatus plowing fields at the
time
Return to Farm
• People made Cincinnatus dictator
• Office of dictator had nearly
unlimited power but could be held
for only six months
• Cincinnatus defeated enemies and
returned to farm
• Had no interest in retaining power

16. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
Draw Conclusions
Why do you think the Romans established a
republic?
Answer(s): possible answer—They wanted a
system of laws to keep peace within their
expanding empire.

17. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
The Republic Expands
Growth
• As Rome’s government changed, the Roman population continued to grow
• Rome needed more land for expanding population
• Began to settle surplus population on land acquired by conquering neighbors
Military Might
• Successful expansion not possible without powerful army
• All Roman men between ages 17 and 46 with minimum amount of property
required to serve in army during times of war
Roman Army
• Organized into units called legions, backbone of which were centurions
• Centurions: noncommissioned officers who each commanded 100 men
• Army highly disciplined, well-trained force, could fight in all types of terrain

18. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
The Conquest of Italy
• 265 BC, Romans had defeated Etruscans and Greek cities in Southern Italy
• Romans imposed two strict conditions on subject people—subjects had to
provide troops for Roman army, abandon any dealings with foreign nations
• Other than those conditions, Rome rarely interfered with domestic affairs of
people it conquered
Sicily
• Once in control of Italy, Rome turned attention to Sicily, large island to south
of Italian Peninsula
• In Sicily, Rome came into conflict with Carthage, powerful North African
trading city
• Conflict grew into series of three wars
• Punic Wars raged for nearly 80 years

19. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
The Punic Wars
3. Violence between Rome and Carthage broke out in 264 BC.
Because the First Punic War was fought mostly at sea, Carthage’s
powerful navy dominated the early fighting. Soon, however, the
Romans built a navy of their own and were able to defeat Carthage.
Hannibal
• Violence soon broke out again
• 218 BC, Carthaginian general
Hannibal led army across
Pyrenees, Alps to invade Italy
• Hannibal ravaged Italy, defeated
every army he faced
• Romans needed new strategy
Scipio
• Romans decided to take war to
Africa
• General Publius Cornelius Scipio
sailed to Africa, besieged Carthage
• Forced Hannibal to sail home
• Scipio defeated Hannibal, took
Carthage, won Second Punic War
The Romans had defeated Carthage, but it did not destroy the city as
many citizens had wanted.

20. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1

21. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
Carthage Falls
Huge losses of Second Punic War remained in
memories of many Romans
• 149 BC Rome decided to destroy old enemy once and
for all
– Declared war on Carthage for third time
– After siege of three years, Carthage fell
– Romans enslaved entire population, completely destroyed
city
– They banned any people from living there

22. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
The Conquest of Greece
• Punic Wars raged in western republic; Rome involved in politics of
eastern Mediterranean
• Hellenistic kingdoms of Macedonia, Persia, and Egypt fought
constantly; Greek city-states feared being conquered
• City-states sought alliance with Rome
Macedonia, Persia
• Romans, Greek allies fought, and
defeated Macedonia, Persia
• Both became Roman provinces
• Eventually Romans annexed
Greece as province as well
• Romans adopted many elements of
Greek culture, particularly art
Greek Culture
• Romans also borrowed ideas of
religion from Greeks, adopted their
gods but changed the names
• Not all Romans happy with growing
Greek influence, thought Rome
should remain purely Roman
• Influence continued for many years

23. Rome and Early Christianity Section 1
Sequence
How did Rome come to dominate the
Mediterranean world?
Answer(s): by conquering its Mediterranean
neighbors, including Carthage and Greece