Ancient Roman Civilization

The Beginnings of Ancient Rome About 750 B.C., the villages joined together to form a city called Rome. It was ruled by kings for more than 200 years. Eventually, Rome became a republic, and the people elected representatives. These representatives formed the Senate, Rome's most powerful body of government

1. © 2006 Jessica Deacon
BoutkhilGuemide
University Mohammed Boudiaf, M’sila
Algeria

2. INTRODUCTION
•Fromitsfoundingin625BCtoitsfallin
AD476,theRomanEmpireconquered
andintegrateddozensofcultures.
•ThehistoryoftheRomanEmpirecanbe
dividedintothreedistinctperiods:
•ThePeriodofKings(625-510BC),
•RepublicanRome(510-31BC),
•ImperialRome(31BC–AD476).
•EasternRomanEmpire(405AD–1453
AD)
•WesternRomanEmpire(405AD–480
AD)

3. •ThefirstsettlersofRomewerethe
Latins.Theychosethisspotbecause
ofthemildclimate,goodfarmland,
andstrategiclocation.
•Thesettlersfarmedinthefertile
plainatthebaseofthehillsandbuilt
theirhomesonthehilltops.They
builtatopthehillssotheywouldbe
abletodefendthemselvesagainstan
enemyattack.
•Around600B.C.,theEtruscans
invadedtheLatins’littletownofRome
andtookover.
•TheEtruscansdrainedthemarshes
nearRometogivethemmorelandon
whichtobuild,thusunderEtruscan
rule,Romegrewintoacity.

4. TheLatinsknewthemildclimateandgoodfarmlandwouldbe
imperativeforgrowingtheircrops.
Thestrategiclocationwasalsoveryimportanttomaintaintheir
civilization.

5. Advantages of Rome’s Geography
ClosetoMediterraneanSeaonseveralancienttrade
routes
LocatednexttotheTiberRiver
Containedlargeplainsmakingiteasytofarm
LocationintheItalianPeninsulamadeiteasyforRoman
shipstoreachotherlandsaroundthesea.
ThispositionmadeiteasierforRometoconquerother
landsandgainnewterritory.
TheAlpsandtheApenninesMountainRangeshelpedto
protectRome.

6. •TheFoundingofRome:(c625BC):
•ThelegendsdifferincitingthehistoryoffoundingRome
(c625BC),
•TheIlliad:AMythwrittenbyVirgil,
•RomulusandRemus
•DuringRomulus’rule,Romewasfoundedonsevenhills:
Platinum,Capitol,Olefins,Kakline,Acetylcholine,Freminal,
Corinal
•Platinum:TheoriginalsettlementonwhichRomewas
founded,and;thus,RomankingdombeganbyRomulusin
625BC
•Romewasfoundedaround625BCintheareasofancient
ItalyknownasEtruriaandLatium.
•Thecity-stateofRomewasinitiallyformedbyLatium
villagersjoiningtogetherwithsettlersfromthesurrounding
hillsinresponsetoanEtruscaninvasion.
•Itisunclearwhethertheycametogetherindefenseorasa
resultofbeingbroughtunderEtruscanrule.

7. Republican Rome (510-31 BC)
•RomeentereditsRepublicanPeriodin510BC.
•TheRomansestablishedanewformofgovernmentwherebytheupperclasses
ruled,namelythesenatorsandtheequestrians,orknights.
•451BC:TheRomansestablishedthe“TwelveTables,”astandardizedcodeoflaws
meantforpublic,private,andpoliticalmatters.
•RomecontinuedtoexpandthroughtheRepublicanPeriodandgainedcontrolover
theentireItalianpeninsulaby338BC.
•ThePunicWars(264-146BC):AlongwithsomeconflictswithGreece,thesewars
allowedRometotakecontrolofCarthageandCorinthand;thus,becomethe
dominantmaritimepowerintheMediterranean.
•Rome’spoliticalatmospherepushedtheRepublicintoaperiodofchaosandcivil
war.
•CorneliusSulla,adictatorwhoservedfrom82-80BC.
•79BC:TheRepublicreturnedtoastateofunrest.
•60BC:JuliusCaesarrosetopower:TheshifttoImperialism.
•51BC:JuliusCaesarhadconqueredCelticGauland,forthefirsttime,Rome’s
bordershadspreadbeyondtheMediterraneanregion.
•AlthoughtheSenatewasstillRome’sgoverningbody,itspowerwasweakening.
•44BC:JuliusCaesarwasassassinatedin44BCandreplacedbyhisheir,Gaius
JuliusCaesarOctavianus(Octavian)whoruledalongsideMarkAntony.
•31BC:RomeovertookEgyptwhichresultedinthedeathofMarkAntony.
•OctavianassumedthetitleofAugustusandthusbecamethefirstemperorofRome.

8. Imperial Rome (31 BC –AD 476)
•Rome’sImperialPeriodwasbeginningwiththeriseofRome’s
firstemperorin31BCandlastinguntilthefallofRomeinAD
476.
•Romesawseveraldecadesofpeace,prosperity,andexpansion.
•117AD:TheRomanEmpirehadreacheditsmaximumextant,
spanningthreecontinentsincludingAsiaMinor,northernAfrica,
andmostofEurope.
•286AD:TheRomanEmpirewassplitintoeasternandwestern
empires,eachruledbyitsownemperor.
•ThewesternempiresufferedseveralGothicinvasionsand,inAD
455,wassackedbyVandals.
•RomecontinuedtodeclineafterthatuntilAD476whenthe
westernRomanEmpirecametoanend.
•TheeasternRomanEmpire,morecommonlyknownasthe
ByzantineEmpire,surviveduntilthe15thcenturyAD.
•ItfellwhenTurkstookcontrolofitscapitalcity,Constantinople
(moderndayIstanbulinTurkey)inAD1453.

10. •MostearlyRomansworkedsmallplotsoflandgrowing
wheat,barley,fruits,beans,andvegetables.
•Theyalsoraisedlivestock;suchaspigs,sheep,goats,and
chickens.Theyusedoxentopulltheircarts.
•MembersofaRomanfarmfamilyworkedveryhard,asthey
onlyhadsimpletoolsavailableandusuallyhadtotravelto
getwater.
•Forawhile,onlylandownerswereabletojointhearmy.
Thiswasbecauseitwasthoughtthattheywouldfightharder
todefendtheirlandandthecity.

11. Family and Society
•Romanwomenwereexpectedtorunthehouseholdand
takecareofthechildren.
•Womenwereabletoinheritpropertyandrunthefamily
businesswhentheirhusbandswereaway.
•Romanwomenhadlittlepoweroutsidethehomeand
couldnotvote.
•TheheadoftheRomanfamilywasthefather.Althoughhis
powerwaslimitedbypublicopinion,hehadcontrolover
othermembersofthefamilyandownedalltheproperty.

12. Enjoying Life in Ancient Rome
Therewasalwayssomethingtodointhisexcitingcity.Oneofthemost
populareventswastoattendahorseraceataplacecalledCircus
Maximus.
Atnight,theatersinRomeofferedplaysandmusic.TheRomanswere
verysocialandlovedtobeentertained.

13. Romehadmorethan100publicbaths.Thebathswereopentotherich
andpoor.Peoplecouldalsoexercise,relax,eat,read,orwalkthrough
gardensatthebaths.
AttheforuminRome,peoplewouldtalk,hearthelatestnews,shop,and
eat.
Therewereentertainerswhowouldsing,dance,andevencharmsnakes
intheForum.

14. •Romehadastrongeconomy.Thisispartlydueto
theiragricultureandtrade.
•Farmingwasalwaysanimportantaspectinthe
Romaneconomy.IndustryalsogrewinRome.
•Romansmanufacturedgoodssuchaspottery,
metalgoods,glass,wine,oliveoil,andotherfood
products.

15. Agriculture
Meat Fruits
Vegetables Other
Fish Sheep
Wool
Meat
Figs Apples Pears Grapes
Cucumbers Beans Cabbage Honey Olives
Goats
Milk
Cheese
Meat
Wine
Lettuce Olive Oil

16. •TheRomanempirefosteredeconomic
growththroughtheuseoftraderoutes.
•Rometradedwithmanyareasofthe
worldincluding:Spain,Africa,western
Asia,Gaul,andotherpartsofEurope.
•Bytrading,Romereceivedvaluable
goodsthatwerenotavailabletothemat
homeincluding:grain,ivory,silk,spices,
gold,silver,andevenwildanimals.
•Successfultradingreliedonafewthings:
thequalityoftheRomanroads,theaccess
tothesea,andthesecurityprovidedbythe
Romanmilitary.

17. Currency
•DuringthereignofAugustus,acommoncoincalleda
denariuswasusedthroughouttheempire.
•Havingacommonformofmoneymadetradebetween
differentpartsoftheempiremucheasier.Thisway,traders
didnothavetochangetheirmoneyintoanothercurrency
whentheyboughtandsoldgoods.
•Astheeconomyexpanded,sodidthegapbetweenthetwo
socialgroupsinRome,thePatriciansandPlebeians.
•Theupper-classPatricianswerewealthylandownerswho
heldallthehighestpositionsingovernment.Theplebeians
weremostlycommonfarmers.Themaleplebeianscould
vote,buttheycouldnotholdimportantgovernment
positions.

19. TheNileRiverValleyinAncientEgyptwasagreatplacefor
growingcropsbecauseofthefertilesoil.
Egyptwasfullofnaturalresourcessuchascopper,iron,
gold,andbronze.
TheRomanswereabletobarteralotoftextilesfromEgypt.

20. •ThecitizensofRome
wereexpectedtofight
todefendtherepublic.
•Theywerepart-time
soldiers.Afterfulfilling
theirduty,themen
wentbacktotheir
farms.
•TheearlyRomans
foughtothergroupsin
Italy.
•Oftentimestheir
enemieshadbetter
weapons, so the
Romans copiedthe
bestweapons and
tactics,andlearned
fromtheirdefeats.
Muchofwhatweknow
aboutRoman armor
andweaponscomes
frompicturesand
carvingsinRome.
MostRomansfought
onfootandwentinto
battlewearinglittle
armor.
Toprotectthehead,
thesoldiersworea
metalhelmetwitha
neckguardandcheek
plates.
Theyworechestand
shoulderarmor,and
usedashieldand
sword.

21. Military Tactics
•Romansoldiersadvancedina
turtleshape.
•Theirshieldsactedasashell,
protectingthemfromattack.
•Rome’sarmyconsistedofabout
300,000soldiers,splitintolegions
of5,000soldiers.
•Thelegionswerepostedallover
theempiretocapturenewlands,
guardthem,andtocontrollocal
rebels.

22. All Roads Lead to Rome
•TheRomanarmybuiltroadsthat
linkedallthepartsoftheempire.
•TheRomanslaidmorethan50,000
milesofroadstotietogethertheir
empire.
•Manyoftheroadscanstillbeseen
today.
•Roadswerebuiltfrom
layersofsand,stone,gravel,
andpavingslabs.They
curved,soanyraindrained
away.
•TheRomanstriedtobuild
theroadsasstraightas
possiblesothatthearmy
couldtaketheshortestroute.Modern day road
Ancient Roman Road

23. The Colosseum
•The Romans’ favorite entertainment
was a trip to watch the gladiators.
•In Rome, the best fights took place in
a 50,000-seat amphitheater called the
Colosseum.
•The floor of the arena was covered in
sand to soak up all the blood.

24. Gladiators
•Gladiators were prisoners or slaves who
were trained to fight, and they would fight
to the death.
•Gladiators would fight each other, and
also against fierce wild beasts such as
lions, tigers, or bears!
•Some gladiators were equipped with only
a fishing net and a long fork called a
trident. Others wore armor and carried
swords or daggers.
A gladiator who survived several fights
might be given his freedom.

25. •TheColosseumwas160ft.talland
hadfourstoriesofwindows,columns,
andarches.
•Thearenacouldbefloodedsothere
couldbebattlesbetweenrealboats.
•Spectatorssataccordingtosocial
classinthearena.
•Womenandthepoorsatonthetop
tier.
•Theemperorsatina
specialboxjustabovethe
stagewherehecontrolled
theentertainment.
•Hedeclaredwhethera
gladiatorwouldliveordie
withathumbs-upora
thumbs-downgesture.

26. •TheRomansbuiltbridges
calledaqueductstocarry
drinkingwaterintotheircities.
•Totaketheweightofallthe
waterflowingalongthem,
aqueductsweresupportedon
rowsofstrongarches.
•TheRomansalsoused
theaqueductstogetfresh
waterfortheirbaths.
•Manyaqueductsstill
existtoday,eventhough
theyare2,000yearsold.

27. Important Roman Landmarks
The arena where gladiators fought,
providing Roman citizens with
hours of entertainment.
Colosseum
Scrolls were found in this building,
helping us to learn about Ancient
Rome.
Libraries
The court of law in RomeBasilica of
Constantine
Built as a temple for the godsPantheon
Five stories of shops for people to
buy and sell goods
Trajan’s
Markets

28. The Fall of the Roman Empire
1.InvasionsbyBarbariantribes:
300s“barbarian”groupsliketheGothshadencroachedbeyondtheEmpire’s
borders.
TheRomansweatheredaGermanicuprisinginthelatefourthcentury,
410:TheVisigothKingAlaricsuccessfullysackedthecityofRome.
TheEmpirespentthenextseveraldecadesunderconstantthreat
455:TheVandals.
476:TheGermanicleaderOdoacerstagedarevoltanddeposedthe
EmperorRomulusAugustulus.Fromthenon,noRomanemperorwould
everagainrulefromapostinItaly
2.Economictroublesandoverrelianceonslavelabor
Romewascrumblingfromwithinthankstoaseverefinancialcrisis.
Constantwarsandoverspendinghadsignificantlylightenedimperialcoffers,
Oppressivetaxationandinflationhadwidenedthegapbetweenrichand
poor.
Rome’seconomydependedonslavestotillitsfieldsandworkascraftsmen.
Whenexpansiongroundtoahaltinthesecondcentury,Rome’ssupplyof
slavesandotherwartreasuresbegantodryup.
Withitseconomyfalteringanditscommercialandagriculturalproductionin
decline,theEmpirebegantoloseitsgriponEurope.

29. 3.TheriseoftheEasternEmpire
Thedivisionmadetheempiremoreeasilygovernableintheshortterm,but
overtimethetwohalvesdriftedapart.
EastandWestfailedtoadequatelyworktogethertocombatoutsidethreats,
andthetwooftensquabbledoverresourcesandmilitaryaid.
4.Overexpansionandmilitaryoverspending
Atitsheight,theRomanEmpirestretchedfromtheAtlanticOceanallthe
waytotheEuphratesRiverintheMiddleEast,butitsgrandeurmayhave
alsobeenitsdownfall.
Withsuchavastterritorytogovern,theempirefacedanadministrativeand
logisticalnightmare.
5.Governmentcorruptionandpoliticalinstability
IfRome’ssheersizemadeitdifficulttogovern,ineffectiveandinconsistent
leadershiponlyservedtomagnifytheproblem.
BeingtheRomanemperorhadalwaysbeenaparticularlydangerousjob,
butduringthetumultuoussecondandthirdcenturiesitnearlybecamea
deathsentence.
Civilwarthrusttheempireintochaos,andmorethan20mentookthethrone
inthespanofonly75years,usuallyafterthemurderoftheirpredecessor.