Rome: From Republic to Empire

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Rome From Republic to Empire
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Last Time
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The Romans An Overview

• Focused on the practical and purposefulutilitaria
  n
• Great civil engineers ? many roads still in use
• Very effective administrators
• Legal system
• Incorporated aspects of conquered nations
  cultures if they bettered Roman practices
• Greeks very reluctant to do this

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Timeline Rome
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Prehistoric Italy
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Earliest Italian History

• ca. 2500 BCE Paleolithic ? Neolithic
• ca. 1500 BCE Neolithic ? Bronze Age
• ca. 1000 BCE Italic people invade
• ca. 800 BCE Arrival of the Etruscans

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Geography Italy

• Italian peninsula, in the center of the
  Mediterranean Sea
• Alps to the North
• Apennine Mts. on the eastern coast
• Broad, fertile plains in the north and west

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Most Italians at this time were

• farmers

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Rome was (part of) a kingdom

• For over 200 years

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The Etruscans

• From Asia Minor?
• Government independent city-states, in a
  confederation
• Religion powerful priesthood, complex rituals
• (Greek influencegthuman-shape gods, temples)
• Society men women more equal in status
• Aggressive conquerors

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EtruscanLands
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The Etruscans

• Ruled Rome as kings until 509 BCE
• Influence in Rome
• dark gloomy religion
• brought in some Greek influence, education
• urban development

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Founding of Rome The Legend
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Geography Rome

• Rome is located
• On the banks of the Tiber River
• On and around seven hills

Why would this geographic location be an
advantage?
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Life in Royal Rome Government

• King had to be approved by Senate, officially
  voted in by the people
• ? imperium
• Senate kings advisors, served for life
• Curiate Assembly all citizens, divided into 30
  groups, group voting

the right to issue command and to enforce them
by fines, arrests, and corporal punishment
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Life in Royal Rome The Family

• Paterfamilias
• Materfamilias
• Family was the center of Roman life

Virtue Dignity Seriousness
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Life in Royal Rome Religion

• Polytheistic belief in more than one god
• Absorbed gods of othersincluding Greeks
• Lots of public festivals feasts and
  celebrations to honor the gods goddesses
• Temples for worship to ask for divine assistance

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Life in Royal Rome Clientage

• Patron
• physical protection
• legal protection
• economic help

• Client
• fight for patron
• give political support
• work patrons land

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Patricians Plebians

• Patricians landholding upper class
• Plebeians farmers, merchants, artisans, traders
• Slaves

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In 509 BCE...
the Romans overthrew the Etruscans