Ancient Roman (1)

Roman CivilizationGeographical Background - Location : Italian peninsula - The center : Rome

Groups of people 1. Italic people : the ancestor of Roman 2. Etruscans (Asia Minor) : Northern and central Italy 3. Greeks : the southern Italy - Greek languageBoth the Greeks and the Etruscans have a strong influence on the development of Rome.

Achievements of Etruscans- Architectural styles (the arch, the vault and dome)- Gladiatorial combats

Historical Background-The founder of Rome was Italic people.-In 620 B.C., Rome was conquered by the Etruscans. Etruscans, who ruled much of Northern Italy, set up monarchy system in Rome.

Political Structure1. Monarchy– King– The Senate: advised the king. Each senator was elected from noble families. • (final decision is here)– An Assembly: All citizen of military age

2. REPUBLIC• In 509 B.C., the senate expelled the last Etruscan king, and established a REPUBLIC.

– Consuls: Two consuls elected annually to replaced the king.– Senate: They advised the Consuls, passed laws, control public funds, veto on all actions of the assembly ( The most powerful group)– An assembly: males of military age

Classes of people Patricians Plebeians • Majority of the population• Minority of the population • No property• Aristocracy • Peasant• Land owner • Artisans• Owned livestock • Traders• Ruled the city • No political rights• Only citizens allowed to be judge

The struggle of the Orders (a political conflict between the Patricians and Plebeians)• Rebellion of Plebeians

Victories of the PlebeiansTribunes: elected representatives of Plebeians to protect them from unlawful acts• Law of the Twelve Tables/Tablets : The rights of all Roman citizens, patricians and plebeian.• The equal right of Romans

Republic (cont.)- Two great consuls were Pompey and Julius Caesar.

• Caesar devoted his talents in Gaul – Too popular & too powerful• Pompey get jealous and become Caesar’s rival. Pompey gets senate to ask Caesar to return to Rome, branded an enemy of the state.

- Caesar controlled all powers as dictator for 10 years.- He expanded Roman territories, created jobs for the poor, etc.- He reformed the Egyptian calendar to the calendar of 365 ¼ days.

• Senators feared a loss of their influence, considered Caesar a tyrant.• March 15, 44 BC in Senate Chamber, he was assassinated by a group of senators: Brutus and Cassius.

Two consuls - Octavian(western) : Caesar’sgrandnephew - Mark Antony(eastern): Caesar’sfriend

- Tension leads to another conflictbetween Octavian and Antony Octavian accused Anthony of plottingto rule all of Rome from Egypt withCleopatra. ‘The battle of Actium’

- Octavian became a leader of Roman Civilization.- He accepted the title of Augustus by the Senate.

3. Principate• The leader is Princeps or first citizen of the state.• All people get the same rights.• Golden Age of Roman Civilization• ‘Pax Romana’ or Roman peace (Rome was at the peak of its power from the beginning of Augustus ruled and continue for 207 years.)

Achievements 1. Latin literature 2. Scientific achievement - Ptolemy : Geocentric Theory 3. The growth of trade 4. Expansion

4. EmpirePeriod of bad emperors lasted for 30 years until Marcus Aurelius. “A philosopher king”• Ended of Pax Romana

• The power of Rome’s decline 1. Internal factors - Population decline from war and famine - Plague (Black Death) - Governmental corruption; people stop supporting government - Lack of civic concern

2. External factor : GermanicInvasions

Religion • Polytheism • The Romans believed that GODS CONTROLLED THEIR LIVES and, as a result, spent a great deal of their time worshipping them. • The most important god was JUPITER. He was the king of gods who ruled with his wife JUNO, the goddess of the sky.

Achievements1. Engineering•Rome built great roads to travel on andaqueducts to bring water into the city.•Rome also built great stadiums andamphitheaters for the entertainment of thepeople.

2. Literature - Latin language - Cicero (the greatest master of Latin prose style)

3. System of Law - The Law of the Twelve Tables The compilation, whichbecame known as the JustinianCode, influenced the developmentof the civil law system in manycountries.

4. Architecture- It consists of the arch, the vault, and the dome.- Etruscans

5. SculptureEquestrian statue (a statue of a personon a horse) : statue of Marcus Aurelius