Rome

1. UNIT 4.
ANCIENT ROME
https://youtu.be/L_7f-k9sq7U

2. THE ORIGINS OF ROME
The origin of Roman civilisation is in the city of Rome.
It was founded in the eighth century BC on the banks of
the River Tiber, in the Italian Peninsula, in an area of easy
protection, as it was surrounded by seven hills.

3. The territory in which it settled was
called Latium, which was inhabited
by the Latins.
Before its foundation, the Italian
Peninsula was populated by Latins
(in the centre), the Greeks (in the
south) and the Etruscans (in the
north).
The Etruscans, in the 6th century BC,
conquered and gained control of
Latium.
THE ORIGINS OF ROME

4. THE LEGEND OF ROMULUS AND REMUS
 According to legend, Rome was founded in
Palatine Hill by Romulus in 753 BC.
The twins Romulus and Remus were put in a basket in the
River Tiber. A she-wolf found the babies and fed them her
milk. Later a shepherd adopted the boys.
When the boys grew up, they decided to build a city by the
River Tiber. One day, they argued and Romulus killed
Remus.
Romulus became the first King!
LEGEND:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pp83xYOtt
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5. SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT
Roman history is divided into three periods:

6. THE MONARCHY (753 - 509 BC)
Rome was ruled by a king.
 Romulus was de first King of Rome. Later, the city was
occupied by the Etruscans.
 From its foundation until the year 509 BC, Rome was
ruled by seven Kings. The first four were Latins (Rómulo,
Numa Pompilio, Tulio Hostilio, Anco Marcio) and the final three
were Etruscans (Tarquinio Prisco, Servio Tulio, Tarquinio El
Soberbio).
 The last Etruscan king, Tarquin the Proud, was
deposed because he was a tyrant.
 The King ruled with the help of the Senate (made up of
patricians), an advisory assembly with no decision-
making powers. Therefore, the king had all the power
to make any decision.

7.  The citizens elected the government (a kind of democracy).
 Power was shared between Comitias, Magistrates and the
Senate.
THE SENATE
The Senate was a
council of citizens from
the most important
families: PATRICIANS
It was responsible for
deciding foreing
policy and upholding
decisions made by the
Comitians
COMITIAS
These were
assemblies, formed
by citizens , in wich
magistrates were
chosen, laws were
passed and decisions
about going to war
were taken
MAGISTRATES
These were annually
elected by the
Comitias.
The most important
magistrates were: the
two Consuls, Tribunes
of the plebeians and
dictator.
THE ROMAN REPUBLIC (509 – 27 BC)

8. In The Republic…
 Confrontation between patricians and plebeians
 Initially, the patricians still held all the power. Only they could be
part of the Senate and only they could hold public office. The
patricians in the Senate made laws, patricians and consuls executing
them, and patricians were also the judges who punished the
lawbreakers.
 Because of this, the plebeians began to fight for their rights, which
were established in the Law of the Twelve Tables (450 BC)*.
 Punic wars
 During this time, took place the Three Punic wars (264-146 BC) that
faced Romans and Carthaginians. The Romans emerged victorious
and, consequently, Rome had control of the Mediterranean Sea
(Mare Nostrum) and others places, such as the Iberian Peninsula.
“El Senado y el pueblo romano”

9. INVESTIGATION ACTIVITY:
LAW OF THE TWELVE TABLES
 Read the information you have on the
following link:
 http://www.derechoromano.es/2015/06/ley-xii-
tablas.html
 Write a short description about Law of the
Twelve Tables and three of the laws these
tables contained.

10. THE REPUBLIC ENDED…
 …When some magistrates and generals (with
so much power), took control of the government
of Rome, formed Triumvirates:
 First triumvirate: Julius Caesar, Pompey and
Crassus.
 In 48 BC, Caesar was proclaimed perpetual dictator, with
all the power. However, The senators were afraid that
Caesar wanted to be king, so they murdered him in 44 BC.
 Second triumvirate: Marco Antonio, Lepidus and
Octavian.
 Octavian took all the power and the Senate gave him all
the maximum power (27 BC).

12. THE ROMAN EMPIRE (27 BC – 476 AD)
 It began in 27 BC, when the Senate gave political and religious power to
Augustus (Octavian). Augustus held all power and the political institutions
lost their importance.
 The titles of Augustus:
 Imperator (leader of the military)
 Princeps (first citizen of the Senate)
 Augustus (put him on the same level of the gods),
 Pontifex Maximus (highest religious authority in the Empire).
 Some of the most important episodes were:
 Pax romana. A long period of peace in Rome. This period lasted two
centuries: the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.
 Territorial conquest. The Empire reached its maximum size.
 Emperor Caracalla granted citizenship to all free man in the Roman
Empire (year 212).
 Edict of Milan (year 313): Emperor Constantine allowed freedom of
worship.
 Edict of Thessalonica (year 380): Emperor Theodosius proclaimed
Christianity official religion.
 Crisis of the third century. The empire went into decline.

13. CONQUEST OF THE MEDITERRANEAN

14. ORGANISATION INTO PROVINCES
 The Roman Empire was divided into provinces. In the
provinces, Roman culture, language, customs and law
became dominant. This process is known
as Romanisation.

15. CRISIS AND FALL OF THE EMPIRE
Starting in the 3rd century. WHY?
 Political instability: increased military power, attack of the
barbarians, political corruption…
 Economic instability: shortage of slaves, drop in production, trade
weakened…
 Social instability: social unrest.
 Division of the Empire by Theodosius (395 BC). Emperor
Theodosius divided the Empire into two parts:
1. The Western Roman
Empire, with Rome as
capital.
2. The Eastern Roman Empire,
with its capital in
Constantinople

16.  In 476 AD , the Germanic people (Odoacer)
deposed the last Emperor (Romulus
Augustus) of the Western Roman Empire.
 It was the ended of the Roman Empire.
 AND ALSO THE END OF ANCIENT
HISTORY!!!!!! AND THE START OF THE
MIDDLE AGES!!!!
FALL OF THE EMPIRE
ANCIENT ROME: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_7f-k9sq7U

17. ROMAN CIVILISATION
 We are going to learn more about Roman civilisation.
 Many Roman aqueducts, bridges, public baths and
amphitheatres can still be seen today.
 How have the Romans influenced us?
 With the language: many European languages are based
on Latin
 With their laws: Our laws are based on Roman laws
 With one of the most important religion of the Empire:
Christianity appeared in the Roman Empire

18. 1. THE ECONOMY IN ANCIENT ROME.
ECONOMIC
ACTIVITIES
In the
countryside
Agriculture Livestock
In the city
Craftwork Trade

19.  In the countryside: agriculture and
livestock
Main characteristics:
 All farmland (and mines too) belonged to the state, which
divided it up among individuals for them to exploit.
 There were improvements in farming technology: better tools
and irrigation systems, which improved efficiency and harvest.
 The main crops farmed: wheat, grapes and olives.
 The main livestock farmed: goats, sheep, cows and horses.

20.  TOOLS
Plough and animal draught, such as oxen
 IRRIGATION SYSTEM
Irrigation canal Aqueduct of Segovia
PloughAnimal draught

21.  In the city.
Cities where important economic and commercial centres:
• Most artists had their workshops in the cities.
• Some of the most common products produced were:
weapons, textiles, farming tools and pottery.

22. TRADE
 Trade developed intensely.
 The main goods traded: agricultural products, craftwork,
minerals and slaves, among others.
 There was trade not only within the Empire but also with some
places outside the Empire, so we can talk about:
• Some provinces specialised in producing
certain goods. For instance, Egypt was an
important producer of wheat and Hispania
produced minerals.
Domestic
trade
• From the Germanic territories, the Empire
obtained some products, such as leather, wood
and slaves.
• From Africa, gold, ivory and slaves, too.
• From the East, perfumes and other luxury
products.
Foreign trade

23. THE EXPANSION OF THE ROMAN
COMMERCE
The three main factors that allowed commerce to expand were:
Military conquest: allowed Rome to acquire
wealth and slaves and colonise new territories.
Land and sea travel: communicate between the
different parts of the Empire was easy thanks to
an excellent network of roads and ports.
A single currency: in Roman territories existed
a common currency. The most common coin was
the silver denarius, although there were other,
such as the ace of gold and the sextercio.

24. TRADE ROUTES IN ANCIENT ROME
“All roads lead to Rome”

26. 1.2. ROMAN CITIES
 Roman cities were the main economic and commercial
centres, and were the political administration was located, too.
 The cities layout was based on the roman military camps
(castras).
 There was a main road that went from north to south called the
cardo.
 The main road from east to west was called the decumanus. The
rest of the roads were parallel to these two main roads, so they
made a grid.
 Where the cardo crossed the decumanus, there was a big

27. ROMAN CITY

28. 2. SOCIETY
 FREE PEOPLE. They were divided into: citizens (with rights) or
no-citizens (free people with no rights).
 Patricians: they were nobles and held all political rights.
 Plebeians: most people were plebeians. They had some rights but
did not participate in government. During the republic, the
plebeians rebelled and achieved equal rights.
 In 212 (with Caracalla), all free men in the Empire were made
citizens. However, citizenships was never extended to women or
foreingners.
 SLAVES: were not considered as people and had no rights.
People became slaves if they were taken prisoner in a war, if
they didn´t pay their debts or if they were children of slaves. If
their owners freed them, they became liberti (libertos). Slaves
could became free by buying their freedom. Slave owners could also free their
slaves= manumission.
 ROMAN WOMEN. Belonged to their fathers of husbands. They
didn´t have the right to vote, but they could own property.

30. KIND OF HOUSES
 An insula:
 a building with
several floors
 where modest
families lived.
 There were
spaces for shops
on the ground
floor.

31.  A domus.
 Where wealthy
Roman families
lived.
 The rooms were laid
out around an
interior courtyard,
called an atrium.
 Banquets were held
in
the triclinium (dining
room).
KIND OF HOUSES

32. 3. ROMAN CULTURE
1. Roman law.
One of the most important, the Law of the Twelve Tables
(450 BC).
2. Language and literature.
 Roman culture was transmitted through the spread of
Latin, the language used by all inhabitants of the Empire.
 Romans made important contributions to philosophy
(Seneca), literature (Ovid, Horace and Virgil), medicine
(Galen) and history (Julious Caesar, Tacitus and Livy).
3. Roman religion .
 Official religion (until 380, when Christianity is the official
religion of the Empire): POLYTHEISTIC.
 Imperial cult. During the Roman Empire, the emperor
began to worshipped like a god.
 In 380: Christianity official religion of the Empire.

33. LUCIO ANNEO SÉNECA. FILÓSOFO LATINO.
 Séneca
 Importa mucho más lo que tú piensas de ti mismo
que lo que los otros opinen de ti.
 En tres tiempos se divide la vida: en presente,
pasado y futuro. De éstos, el presente es
brevísimo; el futuro, dudoso; el pasado, cierto.
 El que no quiera vivir sino entre justos, viva en el
desierto.
 No es pobre el que tiene poco, sino el que mucho
desea.
 ¡ESTUDIA! NO PARA SABER UNA COSA MÁS,
SINO PARA SABERLA MEJOR.

34. 4. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
 The Romans constructed a lot of public
buildings and engineering works:
 Aqueducts: to transport water to the cities.
 Temples: to venerate their Gods.
 Amphitheatres: these held gladiator and animal
fights.
The Aqueduct of Segovia ; 1st century
The Maison Carrée temple, Nimes
(France)
The Coliseum in Rome

35.  Circus: these were in the shape of a rectangle and were a
venue for chariot races.
 Theatres: these were where actors performed comedies
and tragedies. They were semicircular.
 Thermal baths: these were public baths and consisted of
several different rooms.

36. Basilica: these were places for meeting, trials and
commercial activities.
Triumphal arches: these had several entrances and
commemorated a military victory or an important event.

37.  Architectural orders. The Romans used Greek
columns (Doric, Ionic, Corinthian order).
 They also created two new architectural orders:
Tuscan and Composite.

38. 5. ROMAN ART
Roman sculpture
imitated Greek sculpture
and there were two
types, portrait and
historical relief.
The Romans used painting to
decorate buildings and
mosaics to decorate walls
and floors.

39. Thank you for your attention!!!
Good luck for your exams!!!
See you next year!!!