THE RISE AND FALL OF ROME8 February 2010

LECTURE OUTLINE Origins of Rome

Myth Geography

Rome Begins to Grow Greek Influence Etruscan Influence

Monarchy to Republic Class Divisions Expansion Hellenistic Values

Politics in Rome Ladder of Offices Plebeian Recourse

Life in the Republic Social Order Morality Family and Gender Religion

Greek and Roman Gods Tolerance and Expansion Religious Hierarchy

The Age of Conquest Italy Conquest of Mediterranean

Punic Wars Consequences of Empire

ROMAN TIMELINE 753-509 B.C.E. – Monarchy 509-287 B.C.E. – Early Republic

449 B.C.E. – Law of the Twelve Tables 287-133 B.C.E. – Middle Republic

264-146 B.C.E. – Punic Wars 146 B.C.E. – Rome destroys Carthage and Corinth

133-31 B.C.E. – Late republic 44 B.C.E. – Caesar Assassinated

31 B.C.E. – The Empire

ORIGINS OF ROME: 753-509 B.C.E. 21 April 753 B.C.E.: Mythic Romulus

founds Rome 1000 B.C.E.

Rome located in Latium large village 15 miles inland on Tiber Access to sea Naturally protected

SEVENTH CENTURY B.C.E. – ROME BEGINS TO GROW

Why does Rome develop? Greek influence

from South Magna Graecia

Etruscans in the north

Brilliant, wealthy, warlike

Lucius Tarquinius Priscus

FROM MONARCHY TO REPUBLIC 509 B.C.E. – 290 B.C.E. – the Romans

overthrew the king and established a republic Class patron-client Expansion of territory

Romanization Hellenistic values

Lucius Junius Brutus

THE POLITICAL ORDER IN ROME Ladder of Offices

Military Service Quaestor Aediles Praetor Consul

Plebeian Response: Tribunes How is the Roman political system

different from the Athenian system?

POLITICS IN THE REPUBLIC The Constitution was mix of tradition, custom

and written law Uneven distribution of power:

Patricians versus the plebeians Senate at the center of politics 471 B.C.E. concilium plebis

THE STRUGGLE FOR THE ORDERS The Struggle for the Orders = conflict over

the right to power Rome’s need for plebeian soldiers led to

reforms Lex Canuleia The Law of Twelve Tables Lex Hortensia

LIFE IN THE REPUBLIC Social Order

Mos maiorum “way of the elders”

Patron and Client Slaveholder and

enslaved Morality

Family and Gender Patria potestas Marriage & women’s

rights Children and

education

LIFE IN THE REPUBLIC Religion

Importation of many Greek Gods Jupiter – “Zeus” Minerva – “Athena” Goddess of

Warriors, wisdom Juno – “Hera” Queen of the Gods Eternal Flame of Vesta – “Hestia”

Goddess of the Hearth Religious Tolerance and

Expansion Elected Religious Hierarchy

THE AGE OF CONQUEST, 5TH-2ND CEN. B.C.E. Rome conquers Italian

peninsula Defeats Etruscans 396

B.C.E. From 282 – 146 B.C.E.

Romans conquer the Mediterranean

First Punic War (264-261 B.C.E.)

Second Punic War (218-202 B.C.E.

Third Punic War (149-146 B.C.E.)

THE PROBLEM OF EMPIRE Imperial expansion impacts Roman society in

distinct ways crippled its economy Culture for Rome’s Elite Generals gained fame and power

TIBERIUS AND GAIUS GRACCHUS, 133-121B.C.E. The Gracchi are tribunes

who advocate reform Distribute public lands to

proletarians, or landless Romans

Devote gifts to equip new farms

Creation of equites Factions form:

populares optimates

GAIUS MARIUS, 107-100 B.C.E. The “New Man”

Ability over ancestry Breaking of tradition:

six terms as Consul Military Reform:

proletarians as soldiers Client/Patron applied to

Commander/Soldier

LUCIUS CORNELIUS SULLA, 91-78 B.C.E. Social War, 91-87 B.C.E. Seeks glory “proscription” Dictator with a

government of the “best people”

3 Lessons From Sulla? Military Politics Social values

GNAEUS POMPEY & THE FIRST TRIUMVIRATE, 70-53 B.C.E.

Pompey Magnus, a “New Man” Defeat of Spartacus Consul, 70 B.C.E.

Defies tradition how? Secures Roman control

of Mediterranean Good for urban poor

and merchant classes Secures Rome in the

east: Syria and Judea

THE RISE AND FALL OF JULIUS CAESAR, 60-44 B.C.E.

Caesar, Consul 59 B.C.E. Defiance of Senate’s

command Strong support from the

masses Alliance with Egypt &

Cleopatra VII King of a Republic

Cancellation of debts Caps on subsidies Public works Extension of citizenship and

Senate Clemency for enemies

Morte di Giulio Cesare (Death of Julius Caesar) by Vincenzo Camuccini

THE END OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC The Death of Caesar is intended to take

Rome back to the mos maiorum Incites factional contest for power Highlights the transformation of Rome’s

hierarchy Demonstrates emergence of individual

over community

OUTLINE From Republic to Principate, 44–27 B.C.E. Augustus’s Restoration, 27 B.C.E.–14 C.E.

Augustan Rome Making Monarchy Permanent, 14–180

C.E. Nero & Caligula Tiberius & Claudius Vespasian and the “Five Good Emperors”

Life in the Golden Age, 96–180 C.E.

Octavian/Augustus Octavian used the guise

of republican “restoration,” constitutional monarchy, princeps civitatis retains bureaucracy

Octavian assumes power over important civil and religious offices

He creates the emperorship

Expansion and the Pax Romana Octavian Augustus

centrally organized the empire’s administration

a cult of Rome Rome expanded north

and west into Europe This period of stability

leads to literary culture Virgil, Livy, Ovid, Cicero,

etc.

THE GOLDEN AGE, 44 B.C.E. TO 284 C.E.

The emperors that followed Augustus were a diverse lot Caligula and Nero Tiberius and Claudius

Later emperors Vespasian and the “five

good emperors”, including Hadrian

Imperial dynasties became full-blown monarchies

soldiers taken from provinces

population of Rome (the city) grew from 500,000 to 700,000

LIFE IN THE GOLDEN AGE The emperors tried to end anger over hunger and poverty Empire is economically prosperous Rome developed contact with Mesopotamia, Iran, India and indirectly China

LIFE IN THE GOLDEN AGE

Public entertainment Violent For the masses

Speech-making became less important End of rhetoric?

New forms in literature, history, grammar and the arts - generally less idealized

Women lose public face slavery became the

foundation for Roman labor

Expanded empire led to an expanded citizenry

THE END OF THE PAX ROMANA Civil wars and invasion

ensued in the third century C.E. 235 to 284 C.E.

Barbarian threat collapse of order

Debasement of coinage

Diocletian Reforms Formation of the dominate

Emphasis on supreme power Autocracy

Reduction of elite power Image of majesty Strict legal control

Creation of the Tetrarchy Aimed to prevent civil war through system

of partnership and loyalty

ROME DECAYS Emperors attempted

reforms, but no reform could thwart the decline Constantine

Makes Christianity the religion of the empire

Edict of Milan, 313 moves the capital

from Rome to Constantinople (the Greek city of Byzantium)

Division ensued, including rival claims to Roman imperial seats, and the eastern and western portions of Rome widened their divide

GERMANIC MIGRATIONS Migrations of various German “tribes” helped

contribute significantly to Roman decline In 370s Huns, later Visigoths, migrate into Italian

peninsula

Fourth and Fifth Centuries

Roman World, c. 526

THE FALL OF ROME What caused the end of the Roman

empire? Did it decline? What is its legacy?