Ancient+Rome


 * ​1. Why I should care?**

-The architecture from the building in this time are used today in many of our government buildings. -The major religion of Christianity started during this time.


 * 2. Key terms:**
 * Consuls - ran the gov. and led acted as general in times of war
 * Triumvirate - government with three people in power
 * Paterfamilies: nt male leader of family. Father decides the course of education for his children and everything else in their lives.
 * Clergy-the formal religious leadership during the Roman Empire
 * New Testament- the writings and records of Jesus' life and teachings, and the second half of the Christian Bible.
 * Pax Romana-a period of peace and prosperity in the Roman Empire when there were the '5 Good Emporers'
 * The Twelve Tables- Roman laws, strict and harsh
 * jus civile- common law
 * insulae- apartment blocks where the poor lived in Rome.


 * 3. Important topics:**

//1) Political Structure// - Patricians are the aristocratic land owners who held most of the power. - Plebeins were the common farmers, artisans, and merchants who made up the majority of the population. - Dictators could take power for 6 months in times of crisis to make quick decisions. - 2 slave types
 * urban - had much better living conditions, better chance for freedom from direct contact with master, and worked less
 * field - life expectancy of 10 years, little chance for freedom, had poor living conditions and did much manual labor

//2) Fall of the Roman Republic//
 * Key problems:
 * Rome tries to rule an empire with a city-state.
 * Social and Economic problems for farmers and poor.
 * Reforms were unable to be made because they upset the balance of power.
 * Without reforms, the result was Civil wars.
 * First Civil War is the Social War
 * Second Civil War between Caesar and Pompey. Caesar defeats Pompey and is named dictator
 * Caeasar is assisinated and leads to 2nd Triumvirate (Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus)
 * Third Civil War breaks out between Octavian and Antony
 * Octavian defeats Antony and becomes imperator (commander-in-chief)

//3) Fall of the Roman Empire// >> //3) Roman Literature and art// Major figures in literature Virgil-most distinguished poet Horace-enjoyed pointing out "follies and vies of his age", laughed at weakness of humans
 * Death of Aurelius
 * End of Pax Romana
 * Civil wars = military rule
 * 235 - 284 A.D. there were 22 different emperors
 * Fall
 * The Huns (The Huns were nomadic warrior people who were barbaric and learned how to seige)
 * 410 A.D. Visigoths sack Rome
 * 475 A.D. Western emperor deposed by Germatic Tribe
 * Livy-he found the moral lessons found in history
 * Major Works
 * "The Early History of Rome" written by Livy
 * Aeneid written by Virgil, which told of the ideal Roman rule

Art forms specific to Rome - much of Rome's art was influenced by the Greeks
 * Realistic portraits - images of people showing their true forms, every blemish
 * Cameos - a carving in sardonyx (quartz) where background details stand out
 * Coinage - emporers, battles, gods, buildings, etc. displayed on metal coins often for stories and propaganda
 * Glassware - tableware, perfume containers, transport vessels, urns, etc. made and exported. Rome became center of glass industry
 * Mosaics - picture/design made from small glass, brick, or stone tiles. owned to show wealth
 * Mummy Paintings - using planks, made panels, then painted with beeswax & pigment. showed what looked like when died

//4) Life in Rome//
 * The poor lived in insulaes, or apartment blocks
 * Women were required to have male guardians, often married at 14
 * Gladiator fights to the death were enjoyed by Rome
 * Gladiators were criminals, slaves or prisoners of war who lost their rights as citizens and had to fight, often to the death
 * upper class kids taught how to read
 * father chose course of education
 * 16 was end of a kid's childhood
 * around 100 AD, paterfamilias no longer exists with its absolute power, e.g. father cannot sell kids anymore

//5) Religion and the Rise of Christianity//
 * Many rituals, porythestic
 * Romans felt superior because they thought they 'understood' what the gods wanted


 * - Paul took the message of Jesus to Gentiles (non Jews) as well as to Jews.
 * - Paul founded Christian communities in Asia Minor and along the shores of the Aegean Sea.
 * Jesus started a movement within Judiasm. He was the transformation of the inner person and was seen as a threat so he was killed.
 * The teachings were not written by Jesus himself. They were orally driven with some notes
 * It was the belief of one God and many people through out Rome believed in it
 * Slaves, soldiers, and the lower class expecially believed in it because it was cheap to join and be a part of
 * Many people joined also because it helped the person not the state
 * By 100 AD, all major citieds had a church


 * Impact on Roman world
 * Constantine became first Christian emperor
 * edicts of Milan gave Christians property back and permission to be Christian
 * Theodosius the Great adopted Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire


 * 4. Key actors:**

Hannibal-fierce carthagian general who was a major threat to Rome. Scipio-Roman general who was brought out to counter act Hannibal's rampage through Italy Marius- Roman general who became consul and began to recruit his armies in a new way Lucius Cornelius Sulla- the next general (after Marius) to take advantage of the new military system Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus formed The First Triumvirate Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus formed The Second Triumvirate Pax Romana-a period of peace and prosperity in the Roman Empire
 * Nerva - started the selection of sucessor not bloodline
 * Trajan - very ambitious military man
 * Hadrian - another military man, reorganized Rome's military
 * Antoninus Pious - simple, benevolent, terperate. conservative economic policy
 * Marcus Aurelius - public duties with fidelity, devoted to study of law and philosophy. last of the 5 good emporers

Jesus- a jewish teacher who traveled and preached throughout Judaea. These teachings were known as Christianity. Peter-Leader of the apostles Paul-thought that Jesus was the son of God and died for all of our sins Constantine- had a conversion which led to his Christianity and allowed Christians to worship freely; he was also the first christian emporer of Rome Disocletian Augustus Caeser-Very successful leader and ruler, appealed to the Roman Senate and the Roman people Constantine
 * Rigid economic system to fight plague caused labor shortages
 * Breaks Empire into two, the east and the west
 * 306-337 A.D.
 * New capital in Byzantium
 * become the center and build for defensive purpose


 * 5. Timeline**
 * 509 BC Romans overthrow Etruscan king and establish a republic
 * 246 BC First Punic War begins
 * 220 BC Battla of Zama in which Scipio defeats Hannibal
 * 146 BC Rome destroys Carthage, the only real threat to their success
 * 133-91 BC Series of tribunes present Senate with attempted reforms
 * 91-89 BC Social Wars - All Italians are granted citizenship as a result
 * 54-68 AD Nero persecutes the Christians blaming them for everything that goes wrong in Rome. After the first two centuries this didn't stop the growth of Christianity.
 * 100 AD Paterfamilies no longer have absolute power. Can't sell kids and women no longer need guardians.
 * 306-337 A.D. Constantine rules
 * 410 A.D. Visigoths sack Rome
 * 475 A.D. Western emperor deposed by Germatic Tribe