2. The founding of Rome
Legend
• In 753 bc twin brothers
founded the city
• Romulus and Remus
• Sons of Mars (G-d of War)
• Raised by she-wolf
• Romulus destroys Remus
and the city of Rome is
born
Far more likely……
• Settled between 1000 -500
bc
• Settled by 3 groups
• Etruscans
• Natives of Northern Italy
• Metal workers
• Latins:
• Farmers and nomadic
herders
• Became first Romans
• Greeks
• Established 50 colonies
along southern coast of Italy
3. Religion of Rome
Greek Relationship Roman
Zeus supreme Jupitor
Hera Queen of G-ds Juno
Hermes Athletics, poetry Mercury
Aphrodite love Venus
Ares war Mars
Apollo Medicine, wisdom Apollo
Artemis hunter Diana
Poseidon Earth & sea Neptune
Dionysus Dance, song,
wine
Bacchus
4. Early Government
• 509 BC
• The Republic
• Consuls
• Administrators or
commanders
• 2 serving 1 year term
• Patricians
• Land holding/upper class
• Only people that could
serve
• Plebeians
• Farmers, traders, merchants
• No real voice in government
6. The Punic Wars
• First Punic War
• 264-241 BC
• Rome takes Sicily
• Second
• 218-201 BC
• Hannibal crosses Alps with
elephants
• Hannibal wins throughout Italy
but never captures Rome
• Scipio invades Carthage
forcing Hannibal back
• Third
• 149-146 BC
• Carthage starts to recovery
• Rome views as threat
7. Unrest in Rome
• Constant warfare
• Patricians vs Plebians
• Tiberius Gaius Graccus and Marius
• 130-100 BC
• Establish reforms
• Marius creates paid army
• Sulla
• 88 BC
• Eliminates plebeians from power/brings back aristocracy
• First Triumvirate
• 70 BC
• Caesar, Pompey, Crassus
8. First Triumvirate
• Crassus
• 53 BC killed in Persia
• Caesar
• Defeated Gauls (Gallic Wars)
• Pompey
• 49 BC with the Senate order Caesar to leave his army and
return to Rome
• Feared he had become too powerful
• Caesar crosses the Rubicon
• Pursues Pompey throughout the empire; catches up to him
in Spain and defeats his army
• Caesar is Dictator for Life
9. Death of Caesar
• Accomplishments
• Change tax structure
• Redistribution of
land
• Changed the
calendar
• Assassination
• 44 BC
• Brutus Cassius and
Senate kill Caesar
10. The Next Triumvirat
• Lepidus, Marc Anthony, Octavian
• Lepidus removed from power
• Anthony & Octavian battle for power
• 31 BC defeated in final naval battle
• Anthony and Cleopatra gone
• Octavian declares himself Imperator Caesar
Augustus
• Continues Caesar’s reforms
• Establishes period of Pax Romana
• Christianity comes into being
• 27 BC- 14 AD
12. The Fall of Rome
Military Political Political Social
Visigoths and
other Germanic
tribes invade the
Empire
Heavy taxes
necessary to
support the
government
Many corrupt
officials
Population
declines
because of
disease and war
Romans forced
to hire foreign
soldiers to
defend borders
Middle Class
disappears
The divided
(Eas/West)
Empire becomes
weakbecome
s weak
