you may answer this question in anyway you want! a ... · ‘punic wars’: rome fights a series of...
TRANSCRIPT
‘Do Now’Describe the role of each of the following positions in the Classical Roman Republic…
Patricians: Dictator:Plebeians:Consuls:Tribunes:
You may answer this question in anyway you want! A paragraph, a few sentences, a list, etc. You could even draw some kind of graph if you wanted! Just get it done!
Conquest! Expansion! Empire! (3 Minute Video)
‘Punic Wars’: Rome fights a series of wars with their neighbors to the South between 246 B.C - 146 B.C. ROME VS. CARTHAGE!
Eventually Rome completely destroys the competing empire, making them the sole power in the mediterranean.
The Romans were now after a policy of IMPERIALISM, or establishing control over foreign lands and peoples (empire building).
Battle for The Mediterranean Sea! A war to determine the
course of history!
Wealth and Corruption!As the empire expanded, so did the gap between wealthy Romans and poor Romans.
Wealthy Romans built huge plantations called LATIFUNDIA and used conquered people for slaves.
Poor Roman farmers couldn’t compete with the slave labor, and so many lost their farms and ended up homeless!
Attempted Reform!
Two Plebeian brothers, Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus tried to reform what they saw as an unjust system. They pushed for land REDISTRIBUTION and the use of public funds to buy grain (food) for the poor!
The senate found this threatening, and had them and many of their followers killed!
Inequality of Wealth and Power in Ancient Rome
“The wild beasts that roam over Italy have every one of them a cave or lair to lurk in; but the men who fight and die for Italy enjoy the common air and light, indeed, but nothing else. They fight and die to support others in wealth and luxury, and though they are styled (referred to) as masters of the world, they have not a single clod of earth that is their own.”
-- Roman Tribune Tiberius Gracchus
Problem of the Republic: The Roman Armies
Roman armies began to become more loyal to their generals than to the Roman Senate!!!
-- Generals provided them with more benefits like land and money
Out of the civil wars and chaos comes…
Roman Expansion -- The Punic Wars (Carthage Vs. Rome) 264 B.C - 146 B.C (Start at 20)
Stop!
Rome defeats rival empire Carthage in North Africa
Policy of Imperialism!
Gets very very wealthy and continuously gains territory!
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer! Huge Wealth Inequality
Massive government corruption
A Mighty Power -- With Big Internal Problems!
The Decline of the Roman Republic...
Unable to resolve the problems of inequality and corruption peacefully, Rome fell into a series of CIVIL WARS.
To be continued...
Julius Caesar!
Caesar brought great wealth and land to Rome by conquering much of modern day France (Then called Gaul)
The senate feared how powerful Caesar and his armies had become. They ordered him to come home and disband his army!
He says heck no! Takes his army and invades Rome!
“I came, I saw, I conquered.” - Julius Caesar
Caesar takes control of Rome!
Caesar Makes Reforms!
Built Public Works to employ the jobless
Granted more people in the empire Roman citizenship
Caesar’s enemies worried that he was trying to take too much power for himself!
In 46 A.D, he was stabbed to death in the Senate!
A POWER VACUUM was made, and eventually Caesar’s great nephew took power of Rome!
Rise and Fall of Rome (4 Minutes)
Rise and Fall of Rome VideoJulius Caesar Emperor Nero (A Tyrant)
Augustus!
The Great Nephew of the dead Julius Caesar…
Builds a stable government
Creates efficient civil service system
Postal service
Census (counted people, we still use this today in the U.S)
He ended the Republic by appointing his successor (who took power after he died)
‘Pax Romana’ The Roman Peace!Roman rule brought order, peace, and stablility to the massive empire
Trade routes were relatively safe, protected by legions
Roman ships fought off pirates
Silk all the way from China
People could move freely spreading ideas!
Trade within the Empire!!!
The Problem With Monarchies...
After Augustus dies, the rulers of Rome were hit and miss. In other words, some were great, some good, and some terrible!!!
After ruling the Mediterranean sea for hundreds of years, the Roman empire began to weaken!
Emperors were overthrown by ambitious generals (political instability)
High Taxes hurt the economy
The Great Split! Finally in 284 A.D the Roman empire splits the Empire in two! West and East. In an attempt to make the empire easier to rule and fix.
Emperor Diocletian makes the decision (284 A.D)
‘Western Empire’‘Eastern Empire’
Then, in 312 A.D, emperor Constantine changed the world forever by granting toleration to Christians in the empire. He also made a “New Rome” in the city of constantine (modern day Istanbul).
Constantine and Christianity
Emperor Constantine Eventually Converts Himself!
Artwork Depicting Constantine’s Conversion
Invaders!!
For centuries Rome had faced attacks from Germanic peoples.
When Rome was powerful, they could fight them off!
The HUNS!!! Migrating from modern day Mongolia, this band of invaders rode on horseback attacking and pillaging anyone in their path.
Eventually, they would sack Rome itself.
They also displaced other German tribes, who then were pushed towards Rome for safety.
In 476, the Western Empire finally fell to a Germanic invader named Odoacer!
Artwork Depiction of Hun
Invaders
Depiction of Rome Falling (476 A.D)
Why did Rome Fall?
Military Attacks -- Invaders put constant pressure on the empire
Political Turmoil -- Generals and politicians fought for power
Economic Weakness -- Heavy taxes to support the army, less successful wars
Social Decay -- Upper class Romans lived a detached life of luxury seeking honor and prestige rather than helping the Empire.
Huge costs to supply the Roman common people with ‘bread and circuses’ also drastically hurt the empire.
