CHAPTER 5: ANCIENT ROME
5A- THE GEOGRAPHY OF ROME
Geography is an integral part of the development of ancient civilizations. Rome is one of the most powerful civilizations whose empire ruled Europe for over 1,000 years. Several key geographical features in the Italian peninsula provided opportunities for the Roman civilization to thrive. Rome began as a small village near the Tiber River in Italy on a peninsula close to the Mediterranean Sea. The city was also far enough inland to provide some protection from the sea.
The Tiber River is the second longest river in Italy and was a source of freshwater and rich soil needed to support the development of people, animals, and crops of Rome. The river begins in the Apennine mountains and flows to the Tyrrhenian Sea, with Rome located to the east of the river. The Tiber provided easy transportation and the river’s valley had vast land for farming. The river also served as a defense system against attacks coming from the other side of the river.
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The Alps and Apennine mountain ranges were natural barriers that helped protect Rome from invasions and provided strategic locations during war time. The Alps provided a roadblock that forced invaders to move through narrow passages allowing Romans time to prepare and attack. The Apennine Mountains divided the peninsula in half, providing protection against invasion from the east. This allowed Romans to counterattack invaders approaching from either side of the mountains. Covered in forest, the hills and mountains are made of volcanic rock. The Romans used this hard and spongy rock to build the foundations for their structures. Although they provided Rome with protection, the Alps and Apennine mountains isolated Rome from other cities and took up valuable farmland.
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Being close to the Mediterranean Sea allowed Rome to trade with cities in Greece, northern Europe, and North Africa. It provided the Romans with a rich source of food, and also aided them in conquering new lands. Inspired by the Phoenician's shipbuilding, the Romans used their designs to build their own ships. They eventually built a navy which assisted them in conquering neighboring territories. Romans eventually took control of all of the shores of the Mediterranean.
5B- COMPARING PATRICIANS AND PLEBEIANS
Ancient Roman history shows that Rome had three different political periods. The first period was known as the Regal Period (753-709 BCE) which began with the founding of the city of Rome and lasted until their last king was overthrown in 509 BCE. This began the period known as the Roman Republic (509-27 BCE), which culminated with the Roman Empire (27 BCE-476 CE).
During these periods, society was divided into two classes known patricians and plebeians. Patricians monopolized all the power in Rome, and plebeians were becoming more and more upset. Between 500 to 287 BCE Rome experienced struggle between the classes in what is known as the Conflict of the Orders.
The patricians were the wealthy land-owning noble class in Rome. They often owned slaves who would work their farms for them. To gain more wealth and power, the patricians would take plebeian land and employ their slaves to work the land. The patricians inherited their power and held almost all the important government positions such as the consuls. However, only males could vote. In early Rome, patricians were the only ones who could hold political or religious office.
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The plebeians were the commoners in Rome and had the highest population in society. They included merchants, farmers, and craft workers. Many lived in apartments above or behind their shops and rented the stories above it. The plebeians almost left Rome to form their own society, but the patricians needed them for military power. After the Conflict of the Orders, the patricians allowed the plebeians to participate in politics and gain political offices and power in society. The plebeians elected tribunes to give them a voice in government. However, the patricians still held most of the power.
Although both classes were considered citizens of Rome, patricians and plebians rarely married between the classes. In both patrician and plebeian society, males were heads of the family. These could be the father, grandfather, or uncle. He was referred to as pater familias, or father of the family. Both classes also honored the elderly, granted women no rights on society. This meant that women were not allowed to vote, hold political office or gain political power. However, both classes owned slaves and worshipped the same gods.
5C- ROMAN MYTHOLOGY
As Rome expanded they encountered beliefs and practices of the cultures they conquered. When the Romans and Greeks met, the Romans liked Greek mythology and adopted their myths and Gods into their beliefs and culture. Roman mythology affected Roman society because religion and myth became united together. Romans worshipped thousands of gods and believed there was a god or spirit for everything in nature. Thus, Romans were very superstitious as they believed that many natural things such as lightning and harvests were acts of the gods.
The most powerful god was Jupiter. The Romans adopted Jupiter from the Greek god Zeus. Jupiter was believed to be the king of all gods who had the final word and ruled all of life in heaven and earth. He would bring order by the strike of his thunderbolt. Jupiter was the king of the gods, and his queen was Juno. Juno was the wife and sister of Jupiter. Her Greek name was Hera. Juno was the goddess of marriage and childbirth and worshipped by Roman women. Juno was the symbol of housewife, mother, and matron.
Jupiter’s brother Neptune was another great god. Neptune came from the Greek god Poseidon. He was the god of all the sea. Neptune had blue eyes and green hair. He is thought of as having high and intense energy and had a bad temper. He is most known for his three pronged trident.
Apollo and Minerva were two of Jupiter’s children. Apollo was the only god whose name is the same in Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo was Jupiter’s son and god of the sun, music, and archery. Minerva, known as Athena in Greek mythology, was Jupiter’s daughter who was born without a mother. The myth of Minerva is that she was born directly from the brain of Jupiter. She is the goddess of wisdom and could outsmart the other gods.
Another important god in Roman mythology is Venus. Venus is the Roman equivalent to the Greek goddess Aphrodite. She is the goddess of love and beauty. She was considered a very powerful goddess. She could be either kind or merciless.
5D- THE PUNIC WARS VS CARTHAGE
The Roman empire was one of the most powerful and expansive empires in history. They achieved this through many wars to secure new territory and protect their empire. Some of the most defining wars in Ancient Rome’s history are The Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage.
Carthage was another powerful empire located in Northern Africa just across the Mediterranean sea. The Punic Wars were fought between 264 BCE and 146 BCE.
The First Punic War was fought from 264-241 BCE. Rome and Carthage were vying for control of the Mediterranean Sea. When Rome interfered in a dispute on the Carthaginian-controlled island of Sicily, war broke out between the two powers. Carthage had a powerful navy, but Rome was able to build a navy of over 1000 ships to meet their might. At this time Rome invented an assault bridge called a corvus, allowing them to board enemy ships. The Roman fleet was able to win their first victory at sea at the Battle of Ecnomus and was awarded control of both Sicily and Corsica.
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The Second Punic War was fought between 218-201 BCE. Carthage resented Rome and sought revenge. They took control of the city of Saguntum, who appealed to the Romans for help. This placed Carthage’s border up against Rome and allowed Hannibal to invade from the North. The brilliant Carthaginian general Hannibal invaded Italy by crossing the Alps with a massive army with elephants, and scored a great victory at Lake Trasmiene and Cannae before his eventual defeat at the hands of Rome’s Scipio Africanus in 202 BC. The war gave Rome control of the Western Mediterranean.
Third and last of the Punic Wars was fought in 149-146 BCE. Cato the Elder and other hawkish members of the Roman Senate convinced their colleagues that Carthage was a threat to Rome’s supremacy in the region after Carthage broke a treaty with Rome by going to war with Numidia. The Romans sent an army to North Africa. Carthage withstood the Roman siege for two years before the Romans, led by Scipio the Younger, captured and destroyed the city of Carthage in 146 BC. This turned Africa into yet another province of the mighty Roman Empire.
5E- THE PAX ROMANA: THE ROMAN PEACE
The Pax Romana which translates to Roman Peace, was a 200-year period in Roman history associated with great peace, stability, and economic prosperity spanning from 27 BCE. to 180 CE. The Roman Republic had not seen an era of peace this long in their history, this was also the height of the Roman Empire when it transitioned from Kingdom to empire.
This period was ushered in by Gaius Octavian, Julius Caesar’s grandnephew to whom he left his wealth to after his assassination. Octavian assumed the title of Augustus, the great ruler, after emerging victorious against Mark Antony in 31 BCE.
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Augustus established the form of government now known as principate, which meshed elements from the Republic that were already in place with the traditional power of a monarchy. He proclaimed himself Princeps or the First Senator to appease the other senators.
Augustus retained say in almost all political decisions. The Roman population had grown to over 70 million, increasing the need for common rule, law, and justice. Augustus established a civil service to police the land, along with creating a uniform Rule of Law. He introduced a common currency and secured travel and trade throughout the empire and Mediterannean Sea, ridding the water of pirates. This move stabilized much of the outer regions of Rome and introduced elevated levels of economic growth.
The new invention of concrete came at the perfect time for Augustus. Roman infrastructure was expanding exponentially with new and improved roads. Concrete was used as a building material and caused a boom in the construction economy. Expanding infrastructure with safer travel made trade with the further regions of the empire much easier via the Mediterranean and concrete roads. Romans sailed east to gather skills, crafts, and spices, allowing greater opportunity and wealth accessibility. Profits were made and incomes were raised to reflect that. Rome was at an all-time high.
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With the economy booming and increased stability to more social classes, an emphasis was placed on family and life. Families could stay together, quality of life improved and overall life expectancy improved during Pax Romana.
Ideas travelled as fast as goods during the Pax Romana. Goods, ideas, and Roman culture flowed east and west along trade routes. The culture of Rome was becoming what we know it as today, The arts were booming with new creativity, muses, and influences. Histories of Rome were published by the writers Livy and Tacitus. Artists and sculptors produced mosaics, statues, and paintings daily. Craftsmen and artisans built large palaces, amphitheaters, entertainment centers, and arenas with massive basin arenas dug into the center where crowds would gather to watch 3,000 men mimic sea battles on real seafaring vessels.
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There was one main flaw in the Empire under the Principate, the transfer of power. There was no written law to detail the transfer of power. When an emperor passed there was always the possibility of succession, civil war, or crisis. Power was peacefully passed on during the reign of the “Five Good Emperors”. However, when Marcus Aurelius, the the last of these “good emperors”, died in 180 CE, the Pax Romana came to an end.
5F- THE DECLINE OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC
The Roman Republic lasted for 500 years. This system of government allowed people to vote for political officials and is the basis of many democracies we see today. The Roman Republic had a constitution, laws, elected officials and a governing body of senators.
The government was complex with many leaders and councils at different levels. However, many problems began to emerge with the growth of the republic. Economic problems, government corruption, crime and private armies, and the rise of Julius Caesar as dictator all led to its eventual fall in 27 BCE.
Rome’s continued expansion resulted in money and revenue for the Republic. Corruption and bribery increased in the government for officials to gain power and access to this money.
Rich people bought votes and gave favors to friends. Bribery and corruption were rampant and led to the commoners distrusting the Senate. Many people were brought back as enslaved people from Rome’s conquests. This created an influx of free labor and hurt the lower classes and disrupted the agricultural system.
Many local farmers could not compete with the wealthy farms that used slave labor and eventually lost their land. When Rome’s conquests declined, so did their sources of income.
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This decrease in money resulted in a loss of support for the people of Rome and created an enormous stress on the economy. Officials began to tax their citizens furthering discontent.
With no police force, crime was out of control in Rome and people feared for their safety. The wealthy hired their own private armies for protection. Many of these political armies killed people and stole their land.
These grew large in some cases and they owed allegiance to a private citizen as opposed to the Roman government.
Historians believe the fall of the Roman Republic started in 59 BCE when Julius Caesar, Pompeii the Great, and Marcus Licinius Crassus formed an alliance to rule Rome. Crassus died in battle, leaving Caesar and Pompeii to turn against each other for the control of Rome.
After his victory in the wars with Pompeii, Caesar declared himself emperor of Rome. Once Rome had a dictator, it was difficult to go back to a republic.
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Caesar only ruled for a short time before he was assassinated and Rome fell into political disarray never to return to the republic that once helped build the great power.
5G- THE LIFE OF JULIUS CAESAR
Julius Caesar, whose full name was Gaius Julius Caesar, was born in July 100 BCE in Rome, Italy to family in the aristocratic class with family roots to early founders of Rome. Caesar became head of his family at age 16 when his father died. He joined the Roman army to escape the violent reign of dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla who set out to kill and exile his enemies, with Caesar being one of them.
In the army Caesar made a name for himself as one of the greatest military commanders of Rome. He returned to Rome a military hero and rose to political power as a lawyer and public speaker. In 59 BCE he was elected to many high political positions, his highest being consul of the Roman Roman Republic. Caesar struck a deal with the other consuls, Pompey the Great and Crassus creating the First Triumvirate in 60 BCE. Each brought something to help overcome the corrupt Senate and ensure their popularity and power in Rome.
Caesar became governor of Gaul, a province of Rome located in Northern Italy, Switzerland, and France. From 58-51 BCE he had fantastic military success in Gaul which brought him great popularity back in Rome. He conquered the areas we know as France, Belgium, southern Holland, western Germany, and most of Switzerland. After the death of Crassus, the balance of power in the Triumvirate was disturbed. Pompey allied himself with the Roman Senate against Caesar. In 48 BCE Caesar pushed Pompey and his army out of Italy and chased them to Egypt.
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After his defeat of Pompey in 48 BCE, Caesar was named dictator perpetuo, partly because he had so many of his supporters named to the Senate. In 47 BCE, Caesar wanted to consolidate his power in Egypt. Cleopatra smuggled herself in to meet with Caesar to discuss plans to take over the Egyptian throne. The two became lovers and allies needing each other to secure power for themselves. Caesar defeated the Pharaoh and named Cleopatra as ruler.
Throughout Caesar’s rise to power he created many enemies. In 44 BCE he was named emperor for life. Worried that he had become too powerful and would end the Roman Republic, his opponents in the Senate, including his friends Brutus and Cassius, led a plot to assassinate him. On the Ides of March in 44 BCE, Caesar was attacked and killed as he entered a Senate meeting.
5H- ART AND CULTURE OF THE ROMANS
Rome’s art and culture was influenced by those they conquered throughout their empire. Much of Roman culture was based on the Greeks, but as they grew they began to develop their own. Roman culture can be seen in their art, literature, and the architectural history where they conducted sports and games to entertain their citizens.
Romans began writing literature as early as the 3rd century BCE. They wrote poetry, history, letters, and speeches. Their main language was Latin, but they also used Greek. Poetry was the most famous type of Roman literature. Vergil was the poet of Aeneid which is considered Rome’s national Epic. Seneca the Younger was a lyrical and satirist playwright who wrote many of Rome’s greatest dreams. There was also Horace, Ovid and Lucan who were all poets as well.
Romans became interested in philosophy after conquering the Greeks. Cicero was a great skeptic philosopher. He taught to question any ideas or facts you hear about and always ask “How do they know that?” and “How can they be sure?” Stoicism philosophers taught logic, order, and rationalism and that people should not waste time on things that really don’t matter, and instead, they should use their time well, to help improve the world.
Sports and circuses were considered the emperor’s way of keeping people happy. The “circuses” were games held in areas that included gladiator battles against each other, animals, slaves, and prisoners. There were also great chariot races and other tournaments held in these stadiums like the Colosseum in Rome. The games were often violent and bloody.
Roman art had a wide range of mediums. Coin art, fine jewelry, metalwork, perspective drawing and sculpture was heavily influenced by the Greeks and were often copies. Homes, villas, and public buildings were decorated with sculptures and walls painted with scenes from everyday life. Wealthy Romans used images of themselves or their ancestors.
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5I- GOOD AND BAD EMPERORS OF ROME
Before Rome became an empire it was a republic where people voted for government officials. Mass corruption and economic problems led to the fall of the Republic and the first emperor Caesar Augustus rose to power creating the Roman Empire. It remained an empire until its end. There were many emperors that ruled Rome. Some emperors were good and led prosperous reigns while others were very bad and led to many of the problems that caused Rome’s eventual downfall.
Before Rome became an empire it was a republic where people voted for government officials. Mass corruption and economic problems led to the fall of the Republic and the first emperor Caesar Augustus rose to power creating the Roman Empire. It remained an empire until its end. There were many emperors that ruled Rome. Some emperors were good and led prosperous reigns while others were very bad and led to many of the problems that caused Rome’s eventual downfall.
Emperor Nerva ruled Rome from 96-98 CE. Historians believe Nerva was a wise and fair emperor. It was during his reign that the custom of selecting the best heir to be emperor began. He is credited for the peaceful transition of power to Trajan as his successor before his death. Trajan was emperor from 98-117 CE. Trajan rose to political power after serving in the Roman army. During his reign he expanded Rome to its furthest boundaries and started a massive building campaign while the empire was at its largest.
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Antonius Pius ruled Rome for 22 years from 138-161 CE and is said to have had the most peaceful reign in the history of Rome. His rule is marked as an age of peace and prosperity. He saved Senators who were sentenced to death. Marcus Aurelius reigned from 161-180 CE. History writes him as the last of the Five Good Emperors. Through his conquests he brought the empire to its height of prosperity and defeated invaders. He was also one of the most famous Stoic philosophers and contributed much to the field of Roman philosophy.
Commodus was the son of Marcus Aurelius whose reign from 180-192 CE, is seen as the beginning of the decline of the Roman Empire. He preferred fighting as a gladiator to just ruling the empire which angered many Romans as they thought it was disgraceful. He became feared and hated by the Senate because of his dictatorial leadership and the increasing taxes he placed on them, and was later assassinated in a plot created by his opponents.
5J- RISE AND TRANSITION TO CHRISTIANITY
Religion had always been very important in Rome. Often, religious and political positions went hand in hand. Many priests held high political positions. Romans also adopted the religious and mythological gods and figures of the Greeks.
While Romans accepted and tolerated some religions, they persecuted others. Christianity began in the Roman empire. Jesus Christ was killed by Roman officials and his followers began spreading his message. Christians refused to participate in some of the Roman religious activities they did not believe in. They began being persecuted for their beliefs. One of the great persecutions of early Christians occurred in 64 CE after a fire burned Rome. Many believed that the emperor Nero started the fire. To clear his name, he blamed the fire on Christians. They were an easy group to scapegoat and were seen as outsiders by traditional Romans. Many Christians were arrested and executed, and some were thrown to the lions at the colosseum.
Despite the widespread persecution of Christians, Christianity grew rapidly. It mostly appealed to the poor in Rome. Many were drawn to the religion’s belief in salvation and that if you lived a good life you would go to heaven. Rome’s religion believed that heaven was only for gods and that everyone else would go to the underworld. People also liked that Christians believed in equality, and that everyone was equal with no hierarchy or caste.
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Christianity spread among the poor and soldiers and was eventually tolerated. Under the emperor Trajan, Christians would no longer be prosecuted. Progress was slow and occurred in patches at various points of the empire. The empire became so vast that it grew to tolerate the different people who became part of it.
Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 312 and declared that Christians and Pagans should be allowed to worship freely. During one of his battles, Constantine had a vision of Christ and was directed to fight with Christian standards. The victory in this battle resulted in Constantine’s new faith in Christianity. It would take over a hundred years before Christianity was sponsored by emperors and protected. However, paganism still remained and continued to pose a challenge to the rising Christian faith.
5K- TECHNOLOGY IN ANCIENT ROME
The excellence of Roman engineering and construction stands the test of time as many of their buildings and structures are still standing and used today. They contributed to engineering in the development of roads, use of architectural techniques and materials, and the construction of civil infrastructure such as the aqueducts. Much of this technology was the foundation for the engineering used to build today’s greatest cities. The Romans also created a calendar which is the basis for the one we use today.
One of the most significant developments within the Roman Empire was the establishment of aqueducts. Aqueducts were channels that brought clean water from springs and rivers to Roman towns and cities. The aqueducts were built throughout the empire and totalled over 258 miles in length. Aqueducts ran both above and below ground, and were even built on top of bridges. They were also used to irrigate farms and carry away waste water. This invention’s impacts can still be seen today as contemporary plumbing and sanitation systems are derived from a rediscovery of the Roman aqueducts.
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Since the Roman Empire covered such vast expanses, they had to come up with an efficient way to travel and moved their products, so they created roads. The roads were solid and built to withstand even the harshest environments and flooding. They crossed throughout the empire, leading to the popular phrase “all roads lead to Rome”. They allowed legions and merchants to move quickly. Many of these roads are still used today.
Roman structures were so durable due to their use of concrete. They made concrete by combining lime and volcanic ash to create a liquid which formed a stronger material when set. Many of the Roman structures that are still standing today were built with this concrete. With this material Romans were able to create new architectural designs such as the arch. The Arch was a curved structure that Romans used to build. It could support massive weight because it was built with concrete and a keystone. The keystone was the final stone that would lock the other blocks in the arch into place.
The Julian Calendar was created by Julius Caesar in 46 BCE. The original Roman calendar put the empire out of step with the seasons. It did this because they believed even numbers were unlucky. The new Julian Calendar made the year exactly 365 days long vs. the old 355 day calendar.
5L- TIMELINE OF ANCIENT ROME
The Roman Empire was one of the greatest civilizations in history. It lasted for over 1000 years. It began in 753 BCE, and much like other civilizations started as a small town and grew into larger cities. Early Rome was ruled by kings that ruled for life.
Eventually Romans overthrew the monarchy and created the Roman Republic in 509 BCE. At this time only the wealthy patricians could hold political office. But after the revolt of the plebeians the Roman Republic became more democratic and the strong hold on power was broken when the plebeians gained rights in the government.
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One of the first orders of the plebeians was The Law of the 12 Tables. The Twelve Tables were laws that addressed and protected the rights of citizens concerning debt, land, public treason, secession and guardianship regardless of social class. The Twelve Tables relate to modern laws because it acknowledges the rights of individuals, explained court and trial procedures, recognized personal liberties, and outlined the general law.
As Rome continued to expand, they faced battles with other emerging powers. One such power was Carthage, a large city on the coast of Africa. Over 100 years Rome engaged in the Punic wars with Carthage. Rome won the first Punic war, however during the Second Punic War from 218-201 BCE, the Carthage leader Hannibal crossed the Alps to attack Rome using a large number of troops on elephants. Hannibal laid siege to Rome for over 16 years but could not capture it and had to retreat. Finally, Rome defeated Carthage in the Third Punic War in 149-146 BCE.
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By 59 BCE the Roman Republics' incAs Rome continued to expand, they faced battles with other emerging powers. One such power was Carthage, a large city on the coast of Africa. Over 100 years Rome engaged in the Punic wars with Carthage. Rome won the first Punic war, however during the Second Punic War from 218-201 BCE, the Carthage leader Hannibal crossed the Alps to attack Rome using a large number of troops on elephants. Hannibal laid siege to Rome for over 16 years but could not capture it and had to retreat. Finally, Rome defeated Carthage in the Third Punic War in 149-146 BCE.reasing wealth and expanding boundaries brought problems. The rich and the poor had a widening gap. There was also a breakdown of military order and a period of civil war ensured. Alliances between powerful politicians eventually ended the Roman Republic and instilled a new form of government, The Roman Empire. Julius Caesar rose to power after defeating opponents who tried to turn on him. He named himself emperor and became the most powerful man in Rome. His reign did not last long as he created many enemies and eventually the Senate plotted to assassinate him. In 44 BCE, Julius Caesar was stabbed to death by a group of men on his way to a Senate meeting.
After the death of Julius Caesar, Augustus formed a strategic alliance with Marc Antony, a successful and ambitious general. Over the next few years they defeated their enemies in Rome. Augustus kept Rome while Antony took Egypt. At the age of 32 Ocavius, Caesar’s heir had become Rome’s first emperor promising to restore peace and security, bringing in the period of Roman history called The Pax Romana. From 27 BC to 180 CE, many government jobs were created for the unemployed, known as civil service jobs. There were safer roads which helped improve and increase travel and trade throughout the empire.
For hundreds of years Christians were persecuted in Rome. Despite this, Christian apostles worked to spread Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. At first the spread of Christianity was difficult. It was often misunderstood and because of this, there was a lot of fear around it. It initially spread slowly, but eventually started to pick up steam as the Roman Empire began to embrace it. In 306 CE Emperor Constantine eventually converted to Christianity leading the way for Christianity to grow.
In 330 CE Constantine established Constantinople as the new capital of the Roman Empire. Constantinople was better situated, geographically, than Italy to respond to barbarian attacks because it was in a position that was very easy to defend effectively.
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Eventually the Roman Empire became too large to govern effectively and it was split into two parts, Eastern Rome and Western Rome. The Western Roman Empire failed to enforce its laws and many civil wars occurred. Its vast territory was divided into the control of different rulers. Barbarians kept attacking and there was a growing division of social classes. In 476 AD, Romulus, the last of the Roman emperors in the West was overthrown by the Germanic leader Odoacer. He became the first Barbarian to rule in Rome. Thus, the order that the Roman Empire had brought to Western Europe for 1,000 years ended.
5M- DIVIDING THE ROMAN EMPIRE INTO EAST AND WEST
Growing into one of the largest empires in human history is an incredible achievement. The Roman Kingdom, then Republic, and then Empire gained this status through more than a thousand years of expansion, conquest, trade, and internal development.
Eventually Rome became so large that the government had difficulty ruling and protecting its vast territory. Many tribes were moving into Roman lands and could not be stopped due to weakening Roman leadership and political instability.
In 286 CE, the Emperor Diocletian decided to divide Rome into two sections to try and stabilize the empire. For 100 years, Rome experienced more divisions and in 395, it finally became The Western Empire and The Eastern Empire.
This division changed Roman life and government forever. There were now two emperors in each half and they governed independently. The capital of the Western Empire was Rome and the capital of the Eastern Empire was Constantinople. Following this split, the Eastern Empire thrived. Constantinople was well-protected because it was on a peninsula that could be easily defended. It was also located on the frontiers of the empire allowing imperial armies to respond more easily to external attacks and threats.
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The Eastern and Western Empires had similarities and differences. They both considered themselves Roman and celebrated the history of Rome. Although they governed separately, their forms of government were similar and they enforced some of the same laws. However, as time went on their differences grew, especially in religion, language, and culture.
The Western Empire spoke Latin while the Eastern Empire spoke Greek. The Western Empire was Roman Catholic and practiced traditional Roman culture. The Eastern Empire was dominated by the Eastern Orthodox religion and had a more diverse culture influenced by different people. The Western Empire suffered from multiple invasions by barbarian tribes and was finally sacked in 476 CE.
The Eastern Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire survived for almost 1000 more years before being overtaken by the Ottoman Empire in 1453.
5N- FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Rome ruled a vast empire for over 1,000 years. They controlled much of Europe located around the Mediteranean including Spain, Italy, as well as Turkey, Egypt and other North African territories. However, their large empire would eventually be their downfall. Like many empires, the decline happened gradually due to many economic, social, and political problems.
Many of the problems that led to Rome’s decline were due to government and economic corruption. Rome’s economy was based on slave labor. By relying on slave labor, there was a large gap between the rich and the poor. The rich grew wealthy from their slaves while the poor could not find enough work. As Rome’s conquests began to end, so did their import of slaves, and they faced a drastic decline in labor disrupting agriculture production. This created more stress on the already weakened economy.
Many people wanted to be in control and the emperor was often overthrown by a new incoming power. Bribery, graft, and corruption in the Senate further weakened Rome as it suffered through a series of bad emperors. Rich people bought votes and gave favors to friends and the emperor’s position was given to those who paid the most. For a long time there was no stability. Rome was eventually divided into two, the Western and Eastern empires. The two empires drifted apart, and the Eastern empire grew while the Western empire declined into economic crisis.
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The growth of Rome made it very difficult to govern and protect. Rome was under constant attack from Barbarian invasions. Germanic tribes including the Goths, Visigoths, and the Huns moved in from Europe to attack the weak Roman Empire. This constant warfare required heavy military spending which took money away from where it was needed. The Roman army became overstretched and needed more soldiers that they did not have. Without adequate protection or money to supply it, the city of Rome finally fell to Germanic Tribes in 476 AD.