Unit 2 Essential Question –

How did the government and philosophies of the Greek city-states influence the development of Rome and its preservation throughout the scope of the Byzantine Empire?

Unit 2-2 NotesThe Roman Republic,

Empire and Christianity

I. GeographyA. Peninsula centrally linking Asia, Africa, and Europe

1. Bordered by the Tyrrhenian Sea (west) Adriatic Sea (east)B. Mountainous terrain with fertile fields

1. Separated from Europe by the Alps2. Many passes prevent isolation

II. The Roman RepublicA. Rome was a small city-

state in Italy1. Native Romans were

ruled by a foreign (Etruscan) King

2. Overthrew the king in 509 B.C.E.1. Established a

democratic republic2. In times of crisis a

dictator with absolute power would be elected for 6 months

B. Class Structure1. Social Classes – Determined at birth

a. Patricians – upper class; authority to make lawsb. Plebeians – lower class; could vote; couldn’t hold

officec. Both required to serve in the army

C. Creating a balanced government1. Plebeians were denied many

rightsa. Refused to fight in the army

until reforms are grantedi. Ended debt slaveryii. Allowed marriage

between classesb. The Twelve Tables

i. First Roman written code of law

ii. Gives both classes equal legal protection

c. Reduces number of conflicts

III. Rome Spreads Its PowerA. Rome Conquers Italy by 265 B.C.B. Rome’s Commercial Network

1. Central location allows for easy control of trade2. Creates trade conflict with Carthage – The Punic Wars3. Rome won all three (3) Punic Wars against Carthage4. Gain control of all trade in the Mediterranean

C. Consequences of the Punic Wars1. Soldiers returning from wars find their farms

destroyeda. They sold their farms to rich patriciansb. Patricians import slave labor from conquered

landsc. Former soldiers are now homeless and

unemployedi. New homeless class is called the Proletariat

2. Generals recruit members of the Proletariat into their armies

a. Soldiers would be paid with land from conquests3. Soldiers become more loyal to generals than to

Rome

IV. The Gracchi Brothers - Tiberius & Gaius Gracchus

A. Roman TribunesB. Both propose

land redistribution reforms

C. Both killed by the Senate

V. Problems with DictatorsA. Marius

1. Saved Rome from German invasionB. Sulla

1. Defeated Marius in a civil war2. Appointed himself dictator for life

I. The First TriumvirateA. Pompey emerged as the dominate general after Sulla’s deathB. Julius Caesar emerged as the dominate politician

1. Caesar was funded by a rich Roman: Crassus2. The three (Pompey, Caesar, and Crassus) rule Rome as a

three member consul

C. Caesar lacks military experience1. Takes Pompey’s army and sets out to conquer Gaul2. Crassus died leaving Pompey in control of Rome3. Caesar gained popularity winning many victories4. Pompey grew jealous / married Caesar’s daughter

a. Ordered Caesar to disband his army and return to Rome

D. Caesar refused & crossed the Rubicon River w/ his army and occupied Rome

Rubicon River

E. Pompey fled to Greece and eventually Egypt. (Egypt was in the middle of a civil war between Cleopatra and her younger brother.)

II. Caesar’s Rise and FallA. Caesar sought a truce with

Pompey and traveled to Egypt 1. The younger brother

greeted Caesar and gives him Pompey’s head attempting to gain Caesar as an ally

2. Caesar becomes furious – sides with Cleopatraa. Stays in Egypt 3 years

and has a child with Cleopatra

B. Returns to Rome with Cleopatra and Child (Already had a wife in Rome)

C. Senate appointed Caesar dictator for life

1. Caesar made many reforms that upset the Patricians (Including land reform)

D. Assassinated on March 15, 44 B.C.

The roman republic at Caesar‘s death

III. The Second TriumvirateA. Mark Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus vow to avenge

Caesara. Kill more than 100 senators and 2,000 businessmenb. Following their revenge the 2nd Tri. cannot rule jointly

B. Octavian defeats Lepidus

C. Mark Antony1. Marries Octavian’s sister (Octavia) as a sign of loyalty2. Has an affair with Cleopatra divorces Octavia3. Octavian defeats Antony at the Battle of Actium

a. Cleopatra flees in the middle of the battleb. Antony abandoned his troops to follow herc. Both commit suicide in a Romeo and Juliet scenariod. Octavian makes Egypt another province of Rome

D. Octavian becomes the First Emperor1. Rules wisely as the

“first citizen”2. Given the title of

Augutus – “exalted one”a. Marks the

beginning of the empire

E. The senate and the assembly still met although powerless

The rise of christianity

I. Rome Controls JudeaA. Jewish kingdom came under Roman control in 63 B.C.

1. Allowed to be an independent kingdom2. A.D. 6 became the Province of Judea3. Jews believed a Messiah would restore the kingdom

of God

II. JesusA. Born a Jew approximately

6-4 B.C.B. Began a public ministry

around the age of 30C. Preached, taught, did

good deeds & miracles for 3 years1. Teachings are based on

Jewish tradition, but include non-Jewish elements

2. Love of all, forgiveness of sins, individual relationship w/ God, & nonviolence

D. Arrested by Jewish officials for blasphemyE. Convicted & crucified by the Roman governor Pontius

PilateF. Christians believe he rose from the dead and ascended

into heaven and will return to Earth to save humanity.

III. The Spread of ChristianityA. 12 Disciples begin teaching

following resurrection1. Begins as a new Jewish

denominationB. Paul’s Mission

1. Persecuted Christians early in his life

2. Devoted life to Christianity after seeing a vision of Jesusa. Spreads the Christian

message to Jews and Gentiles

C. Common language and Roman roads facilitate spread

IV. Persecution of Jews and ChristiansA. The Jewish Rebellion

1. In 66 A.D. the Jews revolted against Roman Rulea. Rome stormed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and burned the

Jewish Temple to the groundb. 500,000 Jews killed during the rebellion

B. Jews are driven from their homeland (the Diaspora) and would not return for more than 1,800 years

C. Christians refused to worship Roman gods and emperors1. Romans see this as a threat to traditional values

D. Thousands of Roman Christians were martyred for their beliefs – crucified, burned, or killed in gladiator games

V. A World ReligionA. Constantine Accepts Christianity

1. A.D. 312 three generals are competing for control of Romea. Constantine prayed before the Battle of Milvian Bridgeb. Saw a vision of a cross with the words “in this sign

conquer” inscribed on itc. Orders troops to paint crosses on their shields – they win

2. A.D. 313 issued the Edict of Milan – legalizes Christianity

3. A.D. 380 the Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official Roman religion

B. The Early Christian Church1. Priests led each local

community of Christians2. Bishops oversaw several

churches within one region

3. The Bishop of Rome was established as the Popea. The Apostle Peter was

the first Pope4. Petrine Doctrine – states

that the Pope has authority over all Christian churches

C. Conflicts among early churches led to the establishment of the Christian Bible1. A.D. 325 Church leaders

composed the Nicene Creed

D. St. Augustine Bishop of Hippo – Humans need the “grace of God” to be saved1.The City of God – Earthly

cities would be destroyed but the city of God could never be destroyed

The Fall of the Roman Empire

I. The Rule of AugustusA. The Pax Romana

(Roman Peace) / 27 B.C. – 180 A.D.1. Period of peace

and prosperity

B. Constructed a massive system of roads1. Improve both trade and communication2. Created a need for civil service3. Provided jobs for freed slaves to be paid with taxes

C. The Problem of Succession1. A method for

choosing a new emperor was never established

2. Death of Emperor often decided by civil war

D. Crisis of the Third Century1. Economic Decay – Pirates on the Mediterranean and

Barbarians north of the Danube disrupt trade – high inflation2. Military Decay – Loyalty replaced by greed, mercenaries

hired into the army3. Political Decay – People lost interest in politics, many refused

to pay taxes, officials had to repay any lost taxes out of pocket

III. DiocletianA. Issued reforms to end the

Crisis of the Third Century1. Enlarged army to better

defend borders2. Fixed prices to control

inflation3. Persecuted Christians

to restore traditional values

B. Divides empire into an eastern and western halves1. Western uses Latin; Eastern uses Greek2. Diocletian takes control of the richer Eastern

portionC. Retired in 305 A.D. – Civil War broke out immediately

IV. Constantine – (See Rome Notes Part 4) for his impact on Christianity)

A. Moves the capital from Rome to Byzantium1. Renames Byzantium,

Constantinople2. Allows for a Christian

city to replace pagan Rome

IV. The End of the Western EmpireA. The Huns: Asian steppe nomads invade northern Europe

1. Germanic tribes flee from the Huns into Roman territorya. Due to lack of infrastructure Rome unable to organize an

effective armyb. Rome sacked by the Visigoths in A.D. 410c. Rome sacked by the Vandals in A.D. 455

B. Attila the Hun1. Sacked 70 cities in the

Eastern Empire2. Fails to conquer

Constantinople3. Marches on Rome in

A.D. 4524. Convinced to retreat

by Pope Leo I

C. In 476 A.D. Romulus Augustulus , the last Roman Emperor, conquered by Odoacer .1. This marks the end of

the Roman Empire in the West.

2. The Eastern Empire would survive another 1,000 years as the Byzantine Empire.

3. The only institution to survive in the West was the Christian church, governed by popes.

V. The Legacy of RomeA. Greco-Roman (Classical) culture replaced Hellenism

1. Mosaics and frescoes decorated upper class homesB. Latin became the foundation of the Romance Languages

2. Half the words in the English language have Latin roots

C. Roman architecture perfected the arch1. Use of concrete allows for the building of

bridges, aqueducts, and domesD. Roman Law became the basis for most Western

legal systems