The Roman Empire - White Plains Public Schools



The Roman Empire

Global History and Geography I Name: ___________________

E. Napp Date: ___________________

After conquering the rest of Italy, Rome defeated Carthage, its main rival in the Mediterranean. Carthage, a former Phoenician colony in North Africa, was completely destroyed. By 146 A.D., Rome dominated the entire Mediterranean world. The expansion of Rome changed its basic character. The Roman army became a professional force instead of a citizens’ army. Julius Caesar, a general, conquered part of Gaul (present-day France) and Spain. He then marched his armies back to Rome itself. Caesar threatened to seize absolute power, but was assassinated in 44 B.C. Caesar introduced a new calendar which forms the basis for the calendar still in use today. Our month of July is named after him.

In 27 B.C., Rome became an empire that lasted until 476 A.D. As the Roman army conquered more land, military generals became powerful. Eventually, Rome’s republican form of government was replaced with emperors. The first Roman Emperor was Augustus Caesar.

Augustus Caesar was the adopted nephew of Julius Caesar. Augustus began a long period of peace, known as the Pax Romana or Roman Peace, which extended throughout Western Europe and the Mediterranean world. Rome’s centralized political authority, trained officials, and traditions of law allowed it to govern its vast empire. The Romans built new public baths, aqueducts, stadiums, and other public buildings as center of Roman culture. Romans generally respected local customs, promoted trade, and offered Roman citizenship throughout the empire.

Questions:

What happened to the Roman Republic? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How did the Roman Republic differ from the Roman Empire? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Who was Augustus Caesar and why was he important? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What was the Pax Romana? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

While some Roman emperors improved the empire, some Roman emperors harmed the empire. Unfortunately, emperors served for life. The only way to remove a corrupt or bad emperor was to murder him. Between A.D. 180 and 284, 25 out of 29 Roman emperors were murdered. Caligula became emperor in 37 A.D. He was insane. Some individuals reported that he made his favorite horse a senator and demanded that people call him a god. Eventually, his own guards killed him. Nero was one of Rome’s worst emperors. He thought of himself as an artist and sang and played the lyre. When he played, people were forced to listen. In 64 A.D., a fire lasting nine days destroyed half of Rome. Some people said that Nero started the fire. They even said that he played his lyre while Rome burned! Finally, Nero was forced to take his own life. Hadrian ruled from 117 – 138 A.D. He passed laws that protected women, children, and slaves. He even built a wall across England. This wall defended Roman territory in the south of England from the enemy in the north. Marcus Aurelius became emperor in 161 A.D. He lived a simple life and like books and ideas. He even took direct command of the Roman army to protect the empire from barbarians, or Germanic invaders of the Western Roman Empire. Aurelius was able to make a temporary peace with the Germanic invaders. Constantine was an important Roman emperor. He converted to Christianity approximately three hundred years after the Romans crucified Jesus. Constantine’s conversion led to the protection and tolerance of Christians in the empire.

Write one fact about each of the following Roman emperors:

Caligula: _____________________________________________________

Nero: _______________________________________________________

Trajan: _______________________________________________________

Hadrian: ______________________________________________________

Marcus Aurelius: _______________________________________________

Constantine: ___________________________________________________

The Roman Empire fell in 476 A.D. There were many reasons for the fall of Rome including Barbarian invasions. Rome was under continual attack by fierce tribes from Northern Europe and Central Asia, such as the Goths and Huns. The Romans considered these tribes barbarians or culturally inferior peoples. Eventually, these tribes successfully invaded Rome. In addition, the Roman government depended on the abilities of the emperors, but many later emperors were corrupt and ineffective leaders. Also the costs of defending and administering the empire led to high taxes. Inflation and unemployment led to economic difficulties. Finally, later Roman armies relied on paid soldiers. These soldiers were often recruited from non-Roman peoples, who were less loyal than Roman citizens.

List the four reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Roman Empire is considered a classical civilization. A classical civilization is a civilization that contributes important ideas and inventions to world history. These ideas and inventions are still used today. The Roman legacy includes Roman concepts of justice, equality before the law, and innocence until proven guilty. The Roman language Latin is the basis of five modern languages: Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Romanian. The adoption of the Christian religion by the Roman Empire encouraged the spread of Christianity. Finally, the Romans built thousands of miles of roads to connect the empire. They built bridges and aqueducts to supply water to their cities. They developed concrete and the use of arches and domes.

List the five Roman contributions to civilization:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Constantine and Christianity in the Roman Empire:

A major turning point in Christian history occurred when the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. Constantine had a vision of a Christian cross prior to an important battle. Upon winning the battle, Constantine committed himself to the Christian faith. The result of Constantine’s conversion was the end of persecution of Christians and the beginning of Christendom.

In 313, Constantine issued the "Edict of Milan," which commanded official toleration of Christianity and other religions. He ordered that Sunday be granted the same legal rights as pagan feasts and that feasts in memory of Christian martyrs be recognized.

Matching:

| |______ He was an important Roman emperor. He converted to |

|A. Pax Romana |Christianity. |

| |______ Citizens elect representatives. It lasted in Rome from |

|B. Barbarian |509 to 27 B.C. |

| |______ It was the written law of Rome. It included concepts |

|C. Constantine |like innocent until proven guilty. |

| |______ It was a golden age in the Roman Empire. It was a time of|

|D. Republic |peace, prosperity, and achievements. |

| |______ It marks the fall of Rome. High taxes, invasions, and |

|E. Twelve Tables |corrupt rulers were factors. |

| |______ They were the wealthy landowners of Rome. They served in |

|F. Code of Justinian |the Senate. |

| |_______ It was an ethnocentric term. It referred to a person |

|G. Punic Wars |outside of the Roman Empire (member of a Germanic tribe). |

| |_______ These wars between Rome and Carthage led to Rome’s rise |

|H. 476 A.D. |to power as an empire builder. |

| |_______ They were the working people of the Roman Empire. They |

|I. Patricians |wanted political rights. |

| |_______ After the fall of Rome, a Byzantine emperor collected and|

|J. Plebeians |organized all Roman laws into a code. |

“The story of the ruin is simple and obvious: and instead of inquiring why the Roman Empire was destroyed we should rather be surprised that it has subsisted for so long."

Edward Gibbon

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