Outline of Roman History

Nerva-tradition of finding someone to take place after death
Trajan-increased power of the Senate, increased public works, expanded the empire
Hadrian-consolidated empires, built walls in Scotland/Rhine River to hold in barbarians
Antonius-just, tranquil empire
Aurelius-ruled well in times of barbaric uprisings

3rd Century Crisis

Pressures of invasion, civil war, plague, economic despression
20-25 people claimed the title of Empire
Empire split into three states
Diocletian split the empire into a tetrarchy, created successors
After this, the empire just began to crumble

Social, Cultural and Religious Trends

Julius Caesar was the first to claim to be a direct descendant of Aeneas, the son of Venus
Emperors accepted divine honors before their deaths

Required sacrificial rituals

Christians refused to worship the emperor as a god
Religious strife and turmoil until Constantine made Christianity an acceptable part of Roman religion
392 AD-Emperor Theodosius I banned practice of pagan religions in Rome, Christianity became the official religion

Major Events and Persons

AD 284-Diocletian divided the Roman empire into two
AD 307 to AD 337-Constantine moved the capital to Constantinople, which was in the Eastern Empire and far away from the Western Empire
AD 410-leader of the Visigoths captured Rome, and territory in Spain, France, Africa and England fell to the tribes
AD 455-Rome attacked by Vandals
AD 476-last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustus, was removed from power

Major External Factors

Threats from tribes in northern Europe
Starting in AD 190-attacked by tribes, civil wars in the empire, respect for Roman law dwindled

The Goths wanted to move into the Roman empire for a better climate

Disease and plagues were rampant throughout the population
Attacked by the Huns, Germans, and other tribes

Ruins of Ancient Rome

The Fall of the Roman Republic

Dates: 130 - 30 BC

Government and Politics

133 BC- Tiberius Gracchus-held Office of the Tribune

Proposed to distribute land to the poor
Did not consult Senate first, went straight to the people
Although land bill was passed, at the next election, he was murdered

123 BC-Gaius Gracchus elected to the tribunate

Introduced state-subsidized corn rations
Murdered

Gaius Marius

Held consulship for seven times
Conflict with Sukka (Roman warlord)

82 BC-Sulla declared himself dictator

Intended to give a leading politician short term powers in an emergency
Held position for 2 years, put 1000+ political opponents to death

The First Triumvirate

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey)-had the support of traditionalists (fled)
Crassus-killed by Romans
Julius Caesar-promoted radical policies, last survivor

48 BC - Pompey was dead, Caesar was now the first emperor of Rome

Cancellation of debts, settlement of landless veteran soldiers
Murdered by senators

31 BC - Octavian defeats Antony in a battle near Actium

Social, Cultural and Religious Trends

Small farmers came to Rome for employment and cultural benefits, bad living conditions
Thousands of slaves imported to work in artisan labor
60% of urban population were slaves/had slave origins
Roman aristocracy-senators and wealthy knights-conspicuous consumption to demonstrate high rank
Knights became a powerful social group
Developed a slave agricultural economy in Italy and Sicily to produce wine and oil for export

Major Events and Persons

136-130 BC: slave revolt seized control of Sicily
105 BC: slave revolt caused chaos in Italy and Sicily
72 BC-Spartacus led a large army through Italy undefeated until they met Crassus in 70 BC

Major External Factors

Overseas conquest-too much wealth too quickly for equitable distribution
Rome became an Imperial capital
2nd Century BC-Spain and Lusitania rebelled constantly
176 BC-Corsica and Sardinia revolted, resulted in 89,000 enslaved Sardinians
88 BC-80,000 Romans, Italians, families, slave staffs massacred in Asia

First Triumvirate

The Rise of the Roman Republic

Dates: 300 - 130 BC

Government and Politics

3 Branches of Government

Consuls = monarchial branch

Two consuls
Held office for a year
Had supreme civil and military authority
Safeguards-1 year term period, the veto of the other consul, co-consulship

Sentate = aristocratic branch

Advisory branch chosen by the kings and then the consuls/censors
300 citizens

Assembly = democratic branch

All members of the army
Elected consuls
Assembly of Tribes

Composed of all citizens
Decided on laws and issues of war and peace

Social, Cultural and Religious Trends

Class Differences

Patricians-upper class, noble/wealthy landowners, had luxury and leisure time
Plebeians-lower class (everyone in Rome except the nobility), wore shabby clothing, worked all the time, poor living conditions
Class distinction based on birth
Plebeians and Patricians could not marry initially

Religion

Public religious system-protected/enhanced the community of the Romans
Romans attempted to get the goodwill of the gods
Believed their military success was due to great cultivation of the gods
Relied on the correct performance of rituals in both private and public

Much of the culture was devised from Greek culture

Major Events and Persons

Punic Wars

Causes: both the Romans and Carthaginians wanted to control the lands and seas of the Mediterranean

264 BC-241 BC (victory to Rome, Carthage signed a peace treaty)

Battle of Agrigentum (Romans won on land)
Roman Navy beat the Carthage Navy

218 BC-201 BC (victory to Rome, Carthage Empire loses a lot of control)

Hannibal (Carthage) took men and elephants through the Alps, surprised the Romans

Battle of the Trebia
Battle of Lake Trasimene
Battle of Cannae

Romans cut off supplies, counter-attacked at Carthage
Romans beat Hannibal at the Battle of Zama

149 BC-146 BC (victory to Rome, Carthage left with no control and no military)

Romans beseiged Carthage, Carthage handed over weapons and prisoners
Unorganized Roman siege, so Carthage could make weaponry and defend walls
Romans destroyed the city, sold off 50,000 survivors

Major External Factors

Threats from abroad
Tarentum = Greek city-state, had a treaty with Rome

Denied access to Roman fleets into the Bay of Tarantum

Rome sent troops by sea to occupy Thurri

Tarentum considered this a breach of the treaty

Sunk the Roman fleet, expelled the garrison

Rome declared war
Tarentum asked King Pyrrus of Epirus for assistance
Pyrrhus wanted to invade Italy-for expansion and the fertile soil
Romans deterred him by using ox-drawn wagons to distract the elephants
Rome attacked the elephants on their sides with spears
Rome was determined to be the master of the Italian Peninsula, thus beginning expansion and the Republic

Changes in Roman Territory

The Roman Monarchy

Dates: 753 BC-510 BC

1. 753 BC - 715 BC: Romulus

Considered the founder of Rome
Killed twin brother Remus for control of the city
Allowed exiles, refugees, homicides and runaway slaves to populate empire
Stole Sabine women to compensate for shortage of women
Created class distinctions-the 100 advisers (patres) were the forefathers of the patrician class

2. 715 BC - 674 BC: Numa Pompilus

Created the religious structure of Rome (became official state religion)
Began offices: pontifices, vestals, flamines
Introduced land reforms
Worked on the calendar-added Januarius and Februarius (now a solar calendar); days of commerce and days of religion

3. 674 BC - 642 BC: Tullius Hostilius

Declared war against Albans (reason: cattle raiding)

Pit 2 sets of 3 brothers against one another

Increase Roman influence in Latium
Plague of Rome during his reign
Tullius fell ill, tried to make a sacrifice to Jupiter but failed and was killed by a thunderbolt

4. 642 BC - 616 BC: Ancus Martius

Built the Pons Sublicius-a bridge at the foot of Aventine Hill across the Tiber River
Opened a trading route via Salaria
Built a prison
Established the Port of Ostia (mouth of the Tiber River)

5. 616 BC - 578 BC: Tarquinius Priscus

Obtained the throne by fraud
Introduced the culture of the Etruscans to Rome
Laid out the Circus Maximus, instituted games
Built sewers, began construction of the temple of Jupiter
War against the Sabines, subjugated Latium
Increased # of senators to 300, doubled number of knights
Assassinated by the sons of Ancus Martius

6. 578 BC - 534 BC: Servius Tullius

Victory of Veii
Built the Servian City Wall-enlarged the city boundaries to include all 7 hills
Organized assembly into centuriae
Replaced bartering with coinage
Created the first census
Created the caste system-assigned citizens to social classes based on wealth

7. 534 BC - 510 BC: Tarquinius Superbus

Haughty ruler
Constructed the Cloaca Maxima
Attempted to set up pure totalitarianism/depotism
Deprived lower class of arms, forced them to build (like slaves)
His son was guilty of the rape of Lucretia
End of the monarchy-died in exile

Romulus and Remus

Monday, April 15, 2013

The Etruscan Influence on Rome

Dates: Not really sure, but there is evidence from as early as 1000 BC. The civilization really began in 800 BC. They flourished from about 700 to 400 BC, when they were subordinated to the Romans.

Government and Politics

Essentially a theocracy
Met annually at the shrine of Voltumna-discussed military/political affairs
12 states-somewhat divided, not obligated to provide aid to one another
Great seafarers, wealthy miners (iron, copper, tin, lead, silver)
Collapse-Rome attacked the individual cities, eventually leading to Rome closing in on them

Social, Cultural and Religious Trends

Spoke a non-Indo-European language
Education-curricula included religious laws, theology and encyclopaedic knowledge
Believed in continued activity by the dead after death

Tomb-built like a house, frescoed walls with daily life scenes or important moments of the deceased

Etruscan temples-house statues of Etruscan gods
Believed in predestination-could be postponed by praying, but inevitable

Somewhat predicted their own deaths

Believed destiny was determined by numerous gods
Had many gods and goddesses

Major Events and Persons

539 BC-Etruscans + Carthaginians remove Greeks from Corsica
535 BC-Battle of Alalia-Carthaginian navy + Etruscans defeat Greek ships off Corsica
475 BC -Celts defeat Etruscans (Ticino River)
400 BC-Celts enter Italy, settle in Po Valley, Etruscan power declines
396 BC-Battle of Melpum-Celts defeat Etruscan army, settle all over Po Valley
396 BC-Rome captures Veii from Etruscans
391 BC-Senones take Clusium from Etruscans
298-290 BC-3rd Samnite War-Rome wins, peace with Etruscans
283 BC-Romans defeat Etruscans AND Celts (Lake Vadimonis)
225 BC-Celts defeat Romans at Faesulae, overrun Etruria

Major External Factors

Engaged in a series of wars with Rome
Alliance with Carthage against Greece
Dominated the sea
Traded copper and iron

Etruscan Temple

Etruscan Mural

Etruscan Territory