Rome and the Byzantine Empire

Unit 8

Key Terms

• 1. republic 11. Pax Romana• 2. legion 12. proconsul• 3. patrician 13. gladiator• 4. plebeian 14. reforms• 5. consul 15. saints• 6. veto• 7. praetors• 8. tribune• 9. dictator• 10. triumvirate

The Beginning of Rome

• Rome was built along the Tiber River about 15 miles from the Mediterranean Sea.• Rome was built on seven hills. The hills made it easy to

protect the city from attackers.

• The Greeks built many colonies in Italy between 750 B.C. and 500 B.C. They taught the Romans to grow olives and grapes and to use the Greek alphabet.• Romans also copied Greek sculpture and other art forms.

Becoming a Republic

• In 509 B.C., the Romans rebelled against the Etruscans and set up a republic.• Over the next 200 years, Rome fought many wars. By 267

B.C., the Romans had taken over the Greek colonies in what is now known as Italy.

• The Roman Republic grew because of its strong army.• At the beginning of the republic, every male citizen who

owned land had to join the army.• Men who ran away, or deserted the army, were killed. This

turned Romans into loyal fighters.

• The Roman generals divided their armies into groups of soldiers called legions.• Roman soldiers used a short sword called a gladius and an

iron spear called a pilum.• Each group also had a standard. A standard was a tall pole

with a symbol on top-sometimes an eagle or other animal.

• The Romans built military towns in every region they conquered. Then they built roads between these towns. Soon their armies could travel quickly across the land.

• The Romans believed they needed to treat conquered people fairly. They stressed that people would become loyal to Rome if they were treated well.

Governing Rome

• There were two main social classes in early Rome: patrician and plebeian.• Patricians were wealthy landowners who held government

offices.• Most people were plebeians – shopkeepers, artisans, and

small farmers.• Patricians and plebeians could not marry each other.

• The Roman government had three parts. This was to stop any one part from getting too strong.• The top leaders were two consuls who served for one year.

One consul headed the army. The other headed the rest of the government.• Each consul could veto, or reject, the other consul’s decision.

• Rome had two legislative bodies: The Senate and the Assembly of Centuries.• The Senate made laws, advised consuls, and planned

buildings. • The Assembly of Centuries made laws, and elected officials

such as Praetors (or judges) that interpreted laws and led armies.

• The plebeians got mad and were allowed to elect tribunes who could tell the government what the plebeians thought about issues.

• The Roman Republic included dictators. Today, a dictator is a cruel ruler who controls everything. In early Rome, dictators were chosen by the Senate to rule during an emergency. As soon as the emergency ended, the dictator quit.

• Rome's first set of written laws were called the Twelve Tables, which were based on the idea that all citizens should be treated equally under the law.

The Punic Wars

• In 264 B.C., Rome and Carthage both wanted to rule the island of Sicily. The First Punic War was fought between Rome and Carthage.• This war lasted 20 years until Rome won in 241 B.C. Carthage

had to leave Sicily and pay a huge fine to the Romans.

• In 218 B.C. Carthage sent their great general, Hannibal, to attack Rome. This started the Second Punic War.• Rome defeated Carthage and, as a result, Carthage was no

longer a military power, but it was still a rich trading center.• In 146 B.C. during the Third Punic War, Roman soldiers

burned Carthage to stop it from getting stronger. Many people in Carthage were enslaved.

The Rise of Julius Caesar

• By 60 B.C., three men emerged as the most powerful in Rome. They were three generals: Crassus, Pompey, and Julius Caesar. They formed the First Triumvirate.• After Crassus died in battle, the Senators thought that Caesar

was becoming too popular. The Senators ordered Caesar to give up his army. Instead, Caesar and his soldiers captured all of Italy.

• In 44 B.C. Caesar made himself dictator for life.• He also filled the Senate with people who supported him.• His supporters thought he was a strong leader who brought

peace to Rome.• His enemies thought that he wanted to be king.• On March 15, 44 B.C., his enemies, led by Cassius and Brutus,

stabbed him to death.

From Republic to Empire

• After Caesar was killed, civil war broke out.• Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus won the civil war. Octavian

was Caesar’s 18-year-old grandnephew. Antony and Lepidus had been Caesar’s best generals. In 43 B.C. they formed the Second Triumvirate.

• They would soon war with one another, with Octavian would become Emperor. He would take the title of Augustus.• In 27 B.C. Caesar Augustus became Rome’s first emperor.

The Rule of Augustus

• Caesar Augustus ended the fighting and brought about a Pax Romana (Roman peace) that would last about 200 years.• Many relatives took over following Caesar Augustus. Some

worked out and some did not.

The Roman Peace

• In A.D. 69 a general named Vespasian restored peace.• From A.D. 96 to A.D. 180, a series of “good emperors” came

to power. During their rule, trade grew and people had a better life than before.

• By the A.D. 100s, the Roman Empire was one of the largest empires in history.

Daily Life

• Roman citizens were able to watch chariot races and gladiators fight.• Roman men were heads of households, responsible for their

children’s education and family business, could work outside of the home, and could own property.• Roman women were not full citizens, had strong influence on

their families, did the housework, could work in the family’s business, and few worked outside of the home.

• Greek gods and goddesses were popular in Rome, but the Romans gave them new names.

A Troubled Empire

• The peace of the Pax Romana was followed by a century of confusion and violence.• Germanic tribes began to attack the empire and they had a

weak emperor in Diocletian.

The Fall of Rome

• The next emperor was Constantine.• Nothing he did could seem to improve Rome.• The last Roman emperor was a 14-year old boy named

Romulus Augustulus. He did not have strong power or support.

Rome’s Legacies

• Roman ideas still influence our lives in the United States today. We read Roman literature and modern buildings use Roman arches, domes, and concrete.• We also share Roman ideas about justice and law.• One of the world’s major religions, Christianity, began in the

Roman Empire.

The New Rome

• The Eastern Roman Empire became known as the Byzantine Empire.• Constantinople was the capital of the empire.• People from many different lands settled in the Byzantine

Empire.

Justinian’s Rule

• Emperor Justinian ruled the Byzantine Empire when it was at its most powerful.• He would improve women’s rights, create Justinian’s Code,

and constructed the Hagia Sophia (a church).

• Justinian would begin using a cavalry in the army. He also conquered Italy and parts of Spain and northern Africa, and also protected the eastern border from Persia.

• A deadly disease, known as “Justinian’s Plague,” moved through Asia and Europe. It killed millions of people, including Roman soldiers.• There were not enough soldiers to protect the large empire.

There also was not enough money to pay them.• After Justinian died, the empire again lost control over most of

the western lands.