The Greeks and Etruscans were the two main civilizations in pre-Roman Italy. The Greeks inhabited Magna Graecia in the south while the Etruscans lived in modern-day Tuscany. According to legend, Rome was founded by Romulus, who killed his brother Remus during an argument. Rome transitioned from a kingdom to a republic in 509 BC after overthrowing the last Etruscan king, Tarquin the Proud. The republic expanded Rome's power throughout Italy and the Mediterranean region, defeating rivals like Carthage in the Punic Wars. Political instability led to the rise of Julius Caesar as dictator, but his assassination sparked a civil war won by his adopted heir Oct
3. Pre-Roman Italy There are two main populaces on the paeninsula The Greeks (Magna Graecia) The Etruscans (modern day Tuscany, south of the Po Valley) The rest of Italy at this time was a quilt of tribes and their languages and cultures The Latium plain (Lazio, today) is the site of the Romans, who were another Latin tribe Located among the Alban hills with the sea the the West and the Tiber River running through it
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5. Influences of the etruscanson early Rome The Heritage of the Etruscans
6. The Etruscans One of the major civilizations found in Italy at this time, during the 700s BC, was the Etruscans Their origins are a mystery Some say they came from the eastern Mediterranean (Herodotus) Some say they came from the north Archaeology points to a native Italian culture that was urbanized through contact with the Greeks during this time
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8. How much influence did the Etruscans have? There seems to be scant evidence for an Etruscan “empire” The Etruscans were not politically unified They had a league of 12 Cities, often warring with one another Shared common language and religion Main areas of influence were religion, statecraft and architecture Romans learned how to build the arch from the Etruscans
10. Romulus and Remus According to legend, Rome was founded by Romulus, the grandson of King Numitor King Numitor’s brother, King Amulius, overthrew Numitor , imprisoned him and killed all of his children except a daughter She would have twins born to her by the god Mars Romulus and Remus grew up and freed Numitor But Romulus would eventually kill his brother Remus in an argument over who had the more powerful city
11. Aeneas and the Founding of Rome There is a second foundation story, from a Hellenized source Aeneas was a prince of Troy who escaped with his father and son to “find a new Troy” Described to us in the poem by Vergil called “The Aenead” United Romulus/Remus myth as descendants of Aeneas
12. An Agrarian Society For the most part, the area around Rome was advantageous and rich in resources Evidence indicates it was inhabited as early as 1500 BC The early societies and tribes were mostly farmers
13. A shift in how government works in Italy From Kingdom to Res Publica
14. Liberation and the Res Publica After being ruled over by the Etruscans for many generations, the Romans finally fight for their freedom in 509 BC Since its founding in 753BC, Roman tradition held that it was ruled by 5 kings The last of which was TarquinusSuperbus or Tarquin the Arrogant, an Etruscan
15. Res Publica and Brutus TarquinusSuperbus had a son, who raped a woman named Lucretia Lucretia had a kinsman named LuciusJunius Brutus Brutus lead the revolt against the king, and the Romans won their freedom The res publicawas born
16. Republican Government Not a direct democracy, but a representative form of government Two Consuls Several other magistrate positions (censors, aediles, tribunes, etc.) The Senate (no legal power) Tribal Assemblies (voting blocks)
17. Social Structure During the Republic Society was stratified Patricians (aristocratic class, wealthy, held power) Plebeians (citizens, but had no real political power – could not vote) Slaves (had no rights, were regarded as property)
18. The 12 Tables Granted power and rights to the Plebeians Bestowed a special public office, tribunisplebis This office could veto, was sacrosanct Decreed in 450 BC
19. Expansion of Rome During the Republic Gradually, Rome expanded her power Extending throughout the Italian peninsula
20. Roman Expansion During the Republic Rome continues to expand into the 3rd century, bringing the islands of Corsica and Sardinia under its control
22. CarthagoDelendaEst The Romans would defeat the Carthaginians, their greatest rivals Many would debate internally if this was a good thing At the Plain of Zama, the Roman forces would wipe away the Carthaginians, destroy their city and sow the ground with salt so that no one would ever be able to grow crops there again
23. The death of Julius Caesar and the rise of augustus and the principate The Empire Strikes…Back
24. Breakdown in the System The Republic begins to breakdown Ambitious young statesmen begin to appeal to the mob to get strong political backing The first time bloodshed is spilled in politics in Rome (Tiberius Gracchus) Some begin to use the army as a means to gain office Marius, Sulla, Cinna, Pompey the Great, and finally Julius Caesar Things get very dark, very fast
25. The Problem of Caesar Who was Julius Caesar? What was his agenda? Was he for the people? Or did he simply use them to gain power? He was a member of the First Triumvirate (Crassus, Pompey and Caesar) He fought in Gaul and expanded Rome’s territory by almost a third This made him very popular – and dangerous
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30. Et tu, Brute? Caesar would be murdered on March 15th, 44 BC A group of idealistic conspirators thought they were protecting the Res Publica from dictator perpetuus Lead by Marcus Junius Brutus, whose ancestor is the same LuciusJunius Brutus the started the revolt in 509 BC that began the republic This move ended up creating two factions within Caesar’s coalition One supporting Marc Antony The other supporting Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus
31. Civil War and Augustus A long civil war erupts and a showdown between Antony’s forces and Octavian’s forces results At the Battle of Actium, and anti-climatic naval battle sees Octavian victorious Antony goes on to die in the Egyptian way, along with Cleopatra Octavian is later named “Augustus” and princeps, making him the first citizen of Rome The Empire is born
41. Assessment Directions: Take out a sheet of paper and head it correctly. Write down these questions and using your notes, answer the questions. What were the two main civilizations found on the Italian peninsula prior to Roman civilization? Where were these two civilizations located on the peninsula? What are some of the stories and theories associated with the arrival of the Etruscans? List two things the Etruscans developed that influenced the Romans. What was the name of the twin boys, one of whom would go on to create the city of Rome? What was the name of the prince who helped found the Roman people and where did he come from? What is the difference between a monarchy and a republic? What was the name of the rival civilization that Rome destroyed in the Mediterranean? The final battle was fought at the Plain of Zama. What was the name of Julius Caesar’s heir? What is he best known for? Hint: he was the first of something in Rome.
Notes de l'éditeur
The major areas in which the Etruscans influenced the Romans were religion, statecraft, and architecture.
