Rome - Intro

CHW3M

Brains and Drains

Greek Brains? and Roman Drains?

Wilke D. Schram. The Roman Water System. 2006. http://www.romanaqueducts.info/aquapub/tardieu_photos.htm (March 29, 2012).

Cloaca MaximaPublic toilets at Ostia, 40 BCE

Affordable Housing Institute: US. The Economics of Water: Part 5 – Roman Municipal Finance. 2012. http://affordablehousinginstitute.org/blogs/us/2008/04/the-economics-of-water-part-5-roman-municipal-finance.html (March 29, 2012).

Timeline

700s BCE – Etruscan civilization 753 BCE – Founding of Rome 509 BCE – Roman Republic begins 44 BCE – End of Republic – beginning of

Empire

476 CE – Fall of the Roman Empire in the west

1453 CE – Fall of the Roman Empire in the east

Republic

About.com. Legendary Rome Timeline. 2012. http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/romehistory/tp/Legendary-Rome-Timeline.htm (March 29, 2012).

Romulus and Remus

44 BCE: Rome at the end of the Republic

Metropolitan Museum. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Roman Republic. 2000. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/romr/hd_romr.htm (March 29, 2012).

Geographic Features That Affected Rome’s Development

Physical map of Europe

Free Maps of the World. Physical Map of Europe. N.d., http://www.freeworldmaps.net/europe/index.html (April

2, 2012).

Orientation Toward the Sea

TradeCoastal tradeSome natural harbours; some ports were

built (e.g., Ostia – Rome’s harbour)Therefore:

Eventually Rome was able to dominate the Mediterranean.

No Internal Physical Barriers

There were mountains but they didn’t divide like in Greece

Therefore: There was more unity than in Greece after

the Romans (a tribe) began expanding and conquering other territories.

Agriculture

Very fertile soil (due to volcanic ash)Good riversPopulation growth meant that there still

wasn’t enough landNeed to import grain from Sicily and Egypt

Therefore:Romans needed to conquer more territory in

order to expand (military)Carthage potential enemy

Volcano

Mount Vesuvius

Kidipede. Pliny the Elder. 2012. http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/romans/literature/elderpliny.htm (March 29, 2012).

Exploring the Environment: Volcanoes. Mount Vesuvius. 2011. http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/volcanoes/vmtvesuvius.html (March 29, 2012).

Rome – the City

Well defended by 7 hillsIt was not directly on the sea; warships

couldn’t reach itCentrally located – easy for armies to

march in any directionTherefore:

Strategic location; Rome could conquer in all directions throughout the Italian peninsula and then onward

Rome Map

7 hills of Rome

Ancient Rome. Ancient Rome Geography. N.d. http://www.ancient-rome.com/geo_f.htm (March 29, 2012).

The Alps

These mountains separated Rome from the rest of Europe

Po River was seen as a border dividing civilized Rome from northern “barbarians”

Therefore: Rome felt protected by these mountains,

possibly superiorThere were invasions, however

Alps

Hannibal crossing the Alps

Alps

Archaeology Photoblog. Hannibal In the Alps. Stanford Alpine Archaeology Project: 1994-2006.

http://traumwerk.stanford.edu/archaeolog/2006/04/hannibal_in_the_alps_stanford_1.html (March 29, 2012).

Etruscans

They were another tribe on the Italian peninsula

We know a lot about them from their tombs

Highly advanced culture before the Romans

Some of Rome’s 7 early kings were Etruscan

Etruscan Cultural Contributions to Rome

Greek alphabetUrban infrastructure

TunnelsDamsArches and vaults

Religious practicesAnimism = spirits are everywhereTaking auspices = predicting the future by

looking at the livers of animals

Etruscan Cultural Contributions, con’t

Funereal games = gladiator games eventually

SymbolsFasces = became a

Roman symbol of imperium,

having the power over life

and death

(see page 168 in textbook)

fasces

Livius. Fasces. N.d., http://www.livius.org/fa-fn/fasces/fasces.html (March 29, 2012).

Etruscan Art

Etruscan urn, 4th or 3rd century BC

Metropolitan Museum. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. Cinerary Urn. 2000. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/96.9.225a,b (March 29, 2012).

First Emperor

Augustus

Metropolitan Museum. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. List of Rulers of the Roman Empire. 2000.http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roru/hd_roru.htm (March 29, 2012).

Monarchical, Aristocratic or Democratic Element of Republican Government?

Includes the two leaders of the armies

A check on their power is that they can only serve one year in a row

It looks like they might have the most power in this supposedly “balanced” system

A check on their power is that they control where the army is sent

Patricians with a lot of power

A check on their power is that they must agree

Eventually came to have some say against patricians

Homework Takeup: 172-176

Name two societies that one point defeated the Romans.

Name two societies the Romans defeated.

What was the importance of coloniae to the Romans?

How did roads help Romanize the Italian peninsula?