Rome - Geography


Italian peninsula
700 miles long
100 miles wide
Only 100 miles from Africa
Mediterranean Sea on three sides
Alps to north protect from overland invasion
15,771 feet tall
Apennines = volcanic mountains running length of Italy
Fertile, volcanic soil
Less rugged than Greece
Few good harbors
Land easier than sea for travel
Mild, Mediterranean climate

Rome = Settled about 750 BCE
Mythic origins
Name for decedents of Aeneas (Trojan survivor as written by Virgil)
Kings daughter gives birth to twin sons: Romulus and Remus
King's cruel brother seized the throne
Uncle was afraid boys would grow up and claim throne
Had boys exposed on bank of Tiber river (common form of infanticide/birth control)
Boys raised by she-wolf
Grew up to defeat their great-uncle and restore grandfather to throne
Boys fought about where to build a city
Romulus kills Remus
Romulus found Rome

Located on hill overlooking Tiber River
Good soil, defensible
15 miles from coast - close enough for fresh fish, salt
Far enough to avoid pirate raids
Central location good for communication and trade

Rome - Social Structure

Classes - determined by wealth and family ties
Patricians = few upper class, descendants of original settlers
Government jobs, own many slaves (500 not unusual)
Plebeians = many farmers/merchants/craft workers
Soldiers - originally had to be landowners to they'd defend Rome all the stronger
Farmers fought between planting and harvesting
As empire expanded, too far to travel in a growing season
Now needed professional/trained/discipline fighting force
Fought/built roads/walls/tunnels/aqueducts
30,000 at peak = greatest fighting force on Earth
Entire families would live in one room in multistory apartments (up t o 5 stories high)
Ranged from fairly wealthy to very poor
Slaves = war captives, could become free
Often racially/culturally identical to Roman citizens

Men vs. Women

Men - controlled family (could kill or sell kids into slavery)
Private schooling 6-11years old (or until 14 years old if wealthy)
Arranged marriages at 15-18 years old
While father still alive, sons couldn't own land or have control of own family
Married sons lived with wife and children in home of father until father's

Women - could own land
No education since no role in politics
Arranged marriages at 13-14 years old

City vs. Rural

Rome - 1,000,000 population at peak
Public water and sewage supply
Public baths, coliseums held 50,000 (sports/gladiators), theaters
Forum similar to Mexican zocalo/town square
Open space with government and religious buildings surrounded by markets

Rural - farmers, shepherds, landholders with slaves




Rome - Economy

Protecting the large empire depended on professional soldiers
Roads build to move soldiers
Roads also used to move good and ideas
"All roads lead to Rome."

City of Rome -
Imported - most manufactured goods, raw materials, foods, silk, spices
From Spain to Egypt
Exported -
Goods = wine, olive oil, lead pipe, weapons, bricks, textiles, glassware, tools
Ideas
Architecture (borrowed Greek style)
Arch, aqueducts, columns (temples, forums, libraries)
Language - Latin source of "Romance" languages (Italian, Spanish, French)
Used for government and education for next 1,000 years
Law systems
Democracy/Republics
Eventually controlled trade routes between Europe-Asia-Africa

Rome's invasions of foreign lands led to:
Wealthy 10% getting richer
Influx from defeated lands: taxes, slaves, looted goods
Poor, farming 90% getting poorer
Increasing number of slaves leads to increasing unemployment
Small farmers lose farms to wealthy
Unrest at home, revolts by allies, war in Asia weakens Roman Empire

200 ED invaded by Germans from north
"Politics" stopped but culture and civilizations continues







Rome - Religion

Polytheistic

Jupiter - sky, supreme god
Ceres - harvest
Vestal - hearth
Janis - door


Rome - Politics

Originally monarchy
509 BCE Roman Republic formed when king tossed out
Evolved into republic (never was a direct democracy like Greece)
Freemen elected officials who passed laws


Patricians elected senators that advised two power-sharing consuls
494 BCE Plebeians rebelled and marched out of Rome
Elected their own tribune
Official Senate accepted Tribune after this economic "blackmail"

Plebeians moved closer to equality

Result is very similar to USA's politics of Senate (2 per state) and Assembly (based on population)
Either house can initiate a law but both houses must agree on wording of law

59 BCE Julius Caesar, Roman general elected to consul
Wanted to rule all of roman lands
Invaded Gaul (France) and became Gaul's governor
49 BCE planned return to Rome but Roman senate feared he'd become dictator
Senate warned him not to cross the Rubicon River with his army
Julius Caesar did cross and declared war on his enemies
3 years of civil war
46 BCE appointed dictator for 10 years, was a good leader
44 BCE declared dictator for life
March 15 stabbed by group of senators (et tu Brutus?)
Followed by civil war
Octavian (grand-nephew) and Mark Anthony (Roman General) fight and win senate's army
Gain control of all of Rome
Octavian controls the east
Anthony controlled the west (falls in love with Egypt's Cleopatra)
Octavian fights Anthony and wind control of all of Rome
Changed name to Augustus (Caesar Augustus)
Peace for 200 years (Pax Romana)
27 BCE Roman Republic end
476 AD Roman Empire "Falls" apart

Rome still capital of modern Italy
"Eternal City"
Has been important for 300 years

Rome - Timeline

1000 BCE migration south over Alps

753 BCE Romulus and Remus found Rome

509 BCE Republic established

264-146 Roman Empire expansion

27 BCE Augustus become Emperor

96 - 108 AD Height of power and territory

395 AD East and West split

476 AD West overthrown by Germans