Rome and the Byzantine

Empire
Unit 8

Key Terms

1. republic

11. Pax Romana

2. legion

12. proconsul

3. patrician

13. gladiator

4. plebeian

14. reforms

5. consul

15. saints

6. veto
7. praetors
8. tribune
9. dictator
10. triumvirate

The Beginning of Rome

Rome was built along the Tiber River about 15 miles from the Mediterranean
Sea.

Rome was built on seven hills. The hills made it easy to protect the city from
attackers.

 The Greeks built many colonies in Italy between 750 B.C. and 500 B.C. They
taught the Romans to grow olives and grapes and to use the Greek
alphabet.

Romans also copied Greek sculpture and other art forms.

Becoming a Republic

In 509 B.C., the Romans rebelled against the Etruscans and set up a republic.
Over the next 200 years, Rome fought many wars. By 267 B.C., the Romans
had taken over the Greek colonies in what is now known as Italy.

 The Roman Republic grew because of its strong army.

At the beginning of the republic, every male citizen who owned land had to
join the army.

Men who ran away, or deserted the army, were killed. This turned Romans
into loyal fighters.

 The Roman generals divided their armies into groups of soldiers called
legions.

Roman soldiers used a short sword called a gladius and an iron spear called a
pilum.

Each group also had a standard. A standard was a tall pole with a symbol on
top-sometimes an eagle or other animal.

 The Romans built military towns in every region they conquered. Then they
built roads between these towns. Soon their armies could travel quickly
across the land.

 The Romans believed they needed to treat conquered people fairly. They
stressed that people would become loyal to Rome if they were treated well.

Governing Rome

There were two main social classes in early Rome: patrician and plebeian.
Patricians were wealthy landowners who held government offices.
Most people were plebeians shopkeepers, artisans, and small farmers.
Patricians and plebeians could not marry each other.

 The Roman government had three parts. This was to stop any one part from
getting too strong.

The top leaders were two consuls who served for one year. One consul
headed the army. The other headed the rest of the government.

Each consul could veto, or reject, the other consuls decision.

 Rome had two legislative bodies: The Senate and the Assembly of Centuries.
The Senate made laws, advised consuls, and planned buildings.
The Assembly of Centuries made laws, and elected officials such as Praetors
(or judges) that interpreted laws and led armies.

 The plebeians got mad and were allowed to elect tribunes who could tell the
government what the plebeians thought about issues.

 The Roman Republic included dictators. Today, a dictator is a cruel ruler who
controls everything. In early Rome, dictators were chosen by the Senate to
rule during an emergency. As soon as the emergency ended, the dictator
quit.

 Rome's first set of written laws were called the Twelve Tables, which were
based on the idea that all citizens should be treated equally under the law.

The Punic Wars

In 264 B.C., Rome and Carthage both wanted to rule the island of Sicily. The
First Punic War was fought between Rome and Carthage.

This war lasted 20 years until Rome won in 241 B.C. Carthage had to leave
Sicily and pay a huge fine to the Romans.

 In 218 B.C. Carthage sent their great general, Hannibal, to attack Rome. This
started the Second Punic War.

Rome defeated Carthage and, as a result, Carthage was no longer a military

power, but it was still a rich trading center.

In 146 B.C. during the Third Punic War, Roman soldiers burned Carthage to
stop it from getting stronger. Many people in Carthage were enslaved.

The Rise of Julius Caesar

By 60 B.C., three men emerged as the most powerful in Rome. They were
three generals: Crassus, Pompey, and Julius Caesar. They formed the First
Triumvirate.

After Crassus died in battle, the Senators thought that Caesar was becoming
too popular. The Senators ordered Caesar to give up his army. Instead,
Caesar and his soldiers captured all of Italy.

 In 44 B.C. Caesar made himself dictator for life.

He also filled the Senate with people who supported him.
His supporters thought he was a strong leader who brought peace to Rome.
His enemies thought that he wanted to be king.
On March 15, 44 B.C., his enemies, led by Cassius and Brutus, stabbed him
to death.

From Republic to Empire

After Caesar was killed, civil war broke out.

Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus won the civil war. Octavian was Caesars 18year-old grandnephew. Antony and Lepidus had been Caesars best
generals. In 43 B.C. they formed the Second Triumvirate.

 They would soon war with one another, with Octavian would become
Emperor. He would take the title of Augustus.

In 27 B.C. Caesar Augustus became Romes first emperor.

The Rule of Augustus

Caesar Augustus ended the fighting and brought about a Pax Romana
(Roman peace) that would last about 200 years.

Many relatives took over following Caesar Augustus. Some worked out and
some did not.

The Roman Peace

In A.D. 69 a general named Vespasian restored peace.

From A.D. 96 to A.D. 180, a series of good emperors came to power.
During their rule, trade grew and people had a better life than before.

 By the A.D. 100s, the Roman Empire was one of the largest empires in
history.

Daily Life
Roman citizens were able to watch chariot races and gladiators fight.
Roman men were heads of households, responsible for their childrens
education and family business, could work outside of the home, and could
own property.

Roman women were not full citizens, had strong influence on their families,
did the housework, could work in the familys business, and few worked
outside of the home.

 Greek gods and goddesses were popular in Rome, but the Romans gave
them new names.

A Troubled Empire
The peace of the Pax Romana was followed by a century of confusion and
violence.

Germanic tribes began to attack the empire and they had a weak emperor in
Diocletian.

The Fall of Rome

The next emperor was Constantine.

Nothing he did could seem to improve Rome.
The last Roman emperor was a 14-year old boy named Romulus Augustulus.
He did not have strong power or support.

Romes Legacies
Roman ideas still influence our lives in the United States today. We read
Roman literature and modern buildings use Roman arches, domes, and
concrete.

We also share Roman ideas about justice and law.

One of the worlds major religions, Christianity, began in the Roman Empire.

The New Rome

The Eastern Roman Empire became known as the Byzantine Empire.

Constantinople was the capital of the empire.
People from many different lands settled in the Byzantine Empire.

Justinians Rule

Emperor Justinian ruled the Byzantine Empire when it was at its most
powerful.

He would improve womens rights, create Justinians Code, and constructed

the Hagia Sophia (a church).

 Justinian would begin using a cavalry in the army. He also conquered Italy
and parts of Spain and northern Africa, and also protected the eastern
border from Persia.

 A deadly disease, known as Justinians Plague, moved through Asia and

Europe. It killed millions of people, including Roman soldiers.

There were not enough soldiers to protect the large empire. There also was
not enough money to pay them.

After Justinian died, the empire again lost control over most of the western
lands.