Ancient Rome 4 Beginning in the eighth century B.C., Ancient Rome grew from a small town on central Italy's Tiber River into an empire that at its peak encompassed most of continental Europe, Britain, much of western Asia, northern Africa and the Mediterranean islands. Among the many legacies of Roman dominance are the widespread use of the Romance languages (Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian) derived from Latin, the modern Western alphabet and calendar and the emergence of Christianity.Ancient Rome /After 450 years as a republic, Rome became an empire in the wake of Julius Caesar's rise and fall in the first century B.C. The long and triumphant reign of its first emperor, Augustus, began a golden age of peace and prosperity; by contrast, the Roman Empire's decline and fall by 476 AD was one of the most dramatic implosions in the history of human civilization. It was among the largest empires in the ancient world, with an estimated 50 to 90 million inhabitants, roughly 20% of the world’s population at the time. It covered around 5 million square kilometres.sj Timeline of Roman History acres * 753 BCE - traditional date for the founding of ancient Rome * 509 BCE - traditional date for the founding of the Roman Republic * 390 BCE - traditional date for the sack of Rome by the Gauls.Timeline of Roman History 4 264-241 and 218-202 BCE - The First and Second Punic Wars (the great wars with Carthage) 83-31 BCE — period of Civil Wars leads to the fall of the Roman Republic 27 BCE — Augustus establishes himself as the first of the Roman emperors 117 AD - the Roman Empire reaches its largest extent 312 AD- the conversion of the emperor Constantine to ChristianityTimeline of Roman History 4 264-241 and 218-202 BCE - The First and Second Punic Wars (the great wars with Carthage) 83-31 BCE — period of Civil Wars leads to the fall of the Roman Republic 27 BCE — Augustus establishes himself as the first of the Roman emperors 117 AD - the Roman Empire reaches its largest extent 312 AD- the conversion of the emperor Constantine to ChristianityTimeline of Roman History a 395 AD —- The Roman Empire was split into two western & Eastern Roman(Byzantine Empire). 410 AD - Rome is sacked by the Goths 476 AD - the last Roman emperor in the West is deposed. 1453 AD - Fall of Constantinople (Byzantine Empire).Timeline of Roman History a 395 AD —- The Roman Empire was split into two western & Eastern Roman(Byzantine Empire). 410 AD - Rome is sacked by the Goths 476 AD - the last Roman emperor in the West is deposed. 1453 AD - Fall of Constantinople (Byzantine Empire).Origins of Rome : Founding myth A * According to the founding myth of Rome, the city was founded on 21 April 753 BC on the banks of the river Tiber in central Italy, by the twin brothers and Remus, who descended from the and who were grandsons of the Latin King Numitor of Alba Longa. * King Numitor was deposed by his brother, Amulius, while Numitor's daughter, Rhea Silvia, gave birth to the twins. * Since Rhea Silvia had been raped and impregnated by Mars, the Roman god of war, the twins were considered half-divine.Origins of Rome : Founding myth rey The new king, Amulius, feared Romulus and Remus would take back the throne, so he ordered them to be drowned. A she-wolf (or a shepherd's wife in some accounts) saved and raised them, and when they were old enough, they returned the throne of Alba Longa to Numitor. The twins then founded their own city, but Romulus killed Remus in a quarrel over the location of the Roman Kingdom. After killing his brother, Romulus became the first king of Rome, which is named for him.Origins of Rome : Founding myth rey The new king, Amulius, feared Romulus and Remus would take back the throne, so he ordered them to be drowned. A she-wolf (or a shepherd's wife in some accounts) saved and raised them, and when they were old enough, they returned the throne of Alba Longa to Numitor. The twins then founded their own city, but Romulus killed Remus in a quarrel over the location of the Roman Kingdom. After killing his brother, Romulus became the first king of Rome, which is named for him.The Regal Period of Ancient Rome ES) The Regal Period lasted from 753-509 BCE and was the time during which kings (beginning with Romulus) ruled over Rome. These kingly rulers were not like the despots of Europe or the East. A group of the people known as the curia elected the king, so the position wasn't hereditary. There was also a senate of elders who advised the kings.The Regal Period of Ancient Rome Kj « There are seven legendary kings of Rome: * Romulus, Numa Pompilius, Tullus Hostilius, Ancus Martius, Lucius Tarquinius Priscus (Tarquin the Elder), Servius Tullius and Tarquinius Superbus, or Tarquin the Proud (534-510 B.C.). + While they were referred to as “Rex,” or “King” in Latin, all the kings after Romulus were elected by the senate.Foundation of the republic & The ancient historians depicted Rome's first six kings as benevolent and just rulers but the last one as a cruel tyrant who murdered his predecessor Servius Tullius, usurped the kingship, terrorized the Senate, and oppressed the common people with public works. Rome’s era as a monarchy ended in 509 B.C. with the overthrow of its seventh king, Lucius Tarquinius Superbu: whom ancient historians portrayed as cruel and tyrannical, compared to his benevolent predecessors.Foundation of the Republic ES) ¢ A popular uprising was said to have arisen over the rape of a virtuous noblewoman, Lucretia, by the king’s son. *« Whatever the cause, Rome turned from a monarchy into a republic, a world derived from res publica, or “property of the people.”The consulship & * The power of the monarch passed to two annually elected magistrates called consuls. * They also served as commanders in chief of the army. * The magistrates, though elected by thi le, were drawn largely from , which was dominated by the patricians (aristocrat or nobleman).Patricians vs plebeians = Politics in the early republic was marked by the long struggle between patricians and plebeians (the common people), who eventually attained some political power through years of concessions from patricians, including their own political bodies, the tribunes, which could initiate or veto legislation.The Republic In 450 B.C., the first Roman law code was inscribed on 12 bronze tablets-known as the Twelve Tables—and publicly displayed in the Roman Forum. These laws included issues of legal procedure, civil rights and property rights and provided the basis for all future Roman civil law. By around 300 B.C., real political power in Rome was centered in the Senate, which at the time included only members of patrician and wealthy plebeian families.The expansion of Rome * During the early republic, the Roman state grew exponentially in both size and power. + Though the Gauls sacked and burned Rome in 390 B.C., the Romans rebounded under the leadership of the military hero Camillus, eventually gaining control of the entire Italian peninsula by 264 B.C. * Rome then fought a series of wars known as the Punic Wars with Carthage, a powerful city-state in northern Africa.; Punic Wars” * The three Punic Wars between Carthage and Rome took place over nearly a century, beginning in 264 B.C. and ending in Roman victory with the destruction of Carthage in 146 B.C. ¢ By the time the First Punic War broke out, Rome had become the dominant power throughout the Italian peninsula, while Carthage-a powerful city-state in northern Africa-had established itself as the leading maritime power in the world.Third Punic War gy * In the Third Punic War, the Romans, led by Scipio the Younger, captured and destroyed the city of Carthage in 146 B.C., turning Africa into yet another province of the mighty Roman Empire. * Thus ended the Punic War period. All these wars resulted in Rome's first overseas conquests (Sicily, Hispania and Africa) and the rise of Rome as a significant imperial power and began the end of democracy.Internal Struggles in the Late Republic <= Rome's complex political institutions began to crumble under the weight of the growing empire, ushering in an era of internal turmoil and violence. The gap between rich and poor widened as wealthy landowners drove small farmers from public land, while access to government was increasingly limited to the more privileged classes. Attempts to address these social problems, such as the reform movements of Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus (in 133 B.C. and 123-22 B.C., respectively) ended in the reformers’ deaths at the hands of their opponents.Rise of Julius Caesar “SZ + Inthe mid-|st century BC, Roman politics were restless. Political divisions in Rome became identified with two groupings, populares (who hoped for the support of the people) and optimates (the "best", who wanted to maintain exclusive aristocratic control). + Sulla overthrew all populist leaders and his constitutional reforms removed powers that had supported populist approaches. * Consul Marcus Tullius Cicero quickly arrested and executed the main leaders of the conspiracy.iz Rise of Julius Caesar * Onto this turbulent scene emerged Gaius Julius Caesar, reconciled the two most powerful men in Rome: Marcus Licinius Crassus, who had financed much of his earlier career, and Crassus' rival, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (anglicized as Pompey), to whom he married his daughter. + He formed them into a new informal alliance including himself, the First Triumvirate (‘three men").Julius Caesar GnaeusPompey __Licinius Crassus’Rise of Julius Caesar A In 53 BC, Crassus invaded Parthia and was killed in the Battle of Carrhae. The Triumvirate disintegrated at Crassus’ death. Crassus had acted as mediator between Caesar and Pompey, and, without him, the two generals manoeuvred against each other for power.Rise of Julius Caesar A In 53 BC, Crassus invaded Parthia and was killed in the Battle of Carrhae. The Triumvirate disintegrated at Crassus’ death. Crassus had acted as mediator between Caesar and Pompey, and, without him, the two generals manoeuvred against each other for power.Rise of Julius Caesar 4s Pompey was murdered in Egypt in 48 BC. Caesar was now pre-eminent over Rome, attracting the bitter enmity of many aristocrats. He was granted many offices and honours. In just five years, he held four consulships, two ordinary dictatorships, and two special dictatorships: one for ten years and another for perpetuity. He was murdered in 44 BC, on the Ides of March by the Liberatores.Rise of Julius Caesar 4s Pompey was murdered in Egypt in 48 BC. Caesar was now pre-eminent over Rome, attracting the bitter enmity of many aristocrats. He was granted many offices and honours. In just five years, he held four consulships, two ordinary dictatorships, and two special dictatorships: one for ten years and another for perpetuity. He was murdered in 44 BC, on the Ides of March by the Liberatores.Caesar to Augustus Sy. * Less than a year later, Julius Caesar was murdered on the ides of March (March 15, 44 B.C.) by a group of his enemies (led by the republican nobles Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius). * Consul Mark Antony and Caesar's great-nephew and adopted heir, Octavian, joined forces to crush Brutus and Cassius and divided power in Rome with ex-consul Lepidus in what was known as the Second Triumvirate.Caesar to Augustus & * With Octavian leading the western provinces, Antony the east, and Lepidus Africa, tensions developed by 36 B.C. and the triumvirate soon dissolved. y |n31 B.C., Octavian triumped over the forces of Antony and Queen Cleopatra of Egypt (also rumored to be the onetime lover of Julius Caesar) in the Battle of A In the wake of this devastating defeat, Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide.Caesar to Augustus x + Ay 29 B.C., Octavian was the sole leader of Rome and alll its provinces. To avoid meeting Caesar's fate, he made sure to make his position as absolute ruler acceptable to the public by apparently restoring the political institutions of the Roman republic while in reality retaining all real power for himself. + In 27B.C., Octavian assumed the title of Augustus, becoming the first emperor of Rome.