World History I



World History I

SOL Review

Ancient Rome

Geography

Rome is located on the Italian Peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea. Rome’s location was an advantage because

• It was a natural crossroads for trade, cultural exchange, and conquest

• The seas surrounding the Italian Peninsula and the Alps provided them protection from invading forces

Religion

Roman mythology was based on Rome’s polytheistic religion. Roman mythology explained natural phenomena and life events. Roman mythology influenced Roman culture, politics, and arts which still influences modern western culture. Roman gods and goddesses were based on Greek mythology.

Important Roman gods and goddesses were:

• Jupiter – chief god

• Juno – patron goddess of women

• Diana – goddess of the moon

• Apollo – god of the sun

• Minerva – goddess of wisdom

• Venus – goddess of love

Social Structure and Achievement:

The Roman Republic contained three classes:

• Patricians – nobility and few in number

• Plebians – most of the population, including landowners, townspeople, merchants, and small farmers

• Slaves – people forced into service, usually from conquests (prisoners of war)

Citizenship was held by all patrician and plebian men, and was given to a few foreigners. All citizens could vote, had to pay taxes, and serve in the army. During the republic, two consuls were elected by the Assembly to serve for one year only. They had the power to veto. The Senate and the Assembly were made up of patricians. The plebians will gain rights later in the Republic when the tribune represents them. The written code of laws in Rome was called the Twelve Tables.

Wars with Carthage

The Roman Republic and Carthage, located on the coast of North Africa, competed for trade and power in the Mediterranean Sea. The Roman Republic fought three wars against Carthage, winning each one. Hannibal of Carthage invaded the Roman peninsula crossing the Alps (with elephants). With the defeat of Carthage, Rome controlled the Mediterranean Basin and began its conquest of Western Europe. The Mediterranean Basin included parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Continued conquests by Rome led to

• The spread of Greco-Roman culture

• Expanded trade

• Changes in the character of the Roman army

• Great wealth for Rome

End of the Republic

After the Punic Wars, the conditions of the farmers worsened because

• Large landowners used slaves

• Small landowners could not compete. Lost their land, and migrated to cities

• There was unemployment in cities

Julius Caesar had led Rome in the conquest of Gaul, and part of the British Isles.

• Julius Caesar was named dictator for life by the Senate and then he was assassinated in 44BC.

• Augustus Caesar (also known as Octavian) became the first emperor of Rome after defeating those that murdered Julius Caesar.

Reasons for the decline of the Roman Republic:

• Spread of slavery on the farms and large estates

• The migration of small farmers to cities and the resulting unemployment

• Civil war over the power of Julius Caesar

• Devaluation of Roman currency and inflation

• Failure to provide for rules of succession of leaders

Pax Romana (the peace of Rome)

The Pax Romana was two hundred years of peace following the leadership of Augustus Caesar.

The economic impacts of the Pax Romana were:

• Established common currency, or uniform system of money (helped trade)

• Guaranteed safe travel and trade on Roman roads

• Promoted prosperity and stability

The social impacts of the Pax Romana were:

• Returned social stability (stable class system)

• Increased emphasis on the family

The political impacts of the Pax Romana were:

• Created a civil service system

• Developed a uniform rule of law that became the foundations for law in Western Europe

Christianity

Origins of Christianity

• Had roots in Judaism

• Was led by Jesus of Nazareth, who was proclaimed the messiah

Basic Christian beliefs are as follows:

• Monotheism – belief in one God

• Jesus is the son of God

• Life after death

• All people are equal before God

• New Testament contained accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus

Christianity was established by

• Writings and teachings of apostles and missionaries

• Religious assemblies

• Paul – Jesus’ apostle

Christianity was in conflict with the Roman Empire because

• Monotheism in conflict with polytheism

• Persistence of early Christians led to persecution (mainly by the emperor, Nero)

Constantine converted to Christianity and ended persecution. Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.

Impacts of the Church of Rome (Christian Church) in the late Roman Empire

• Church became the source of moral authority

• Loyalty to the church over loyalty to the emperor

• Church became main unifying force of Western Europe

Contributions of Roman Empire

Romans adopted and expanded Greek achievements in religion, philosophy, architecture, arts, and science. The most important contributions were:

• Art/architecture: the Pantheon (temple to all gods), Coliseum, and forum

• Technology: aqueducts and roads

• Science: Ptolemy’s map with the earth at the center of the universe

• Language: Latin and Romance languages

• Literature: Virgil’s Aeneid

• Religion: Roman mythology and Christianity

• Law: Twelve Tables and ‘Innocent until proven guilty”

• Medicine: emphasis on public health with public baths and medical schools

Causes of the fall of the Roman Empire (476AD)

• Economy: high cost of defending the empire and devaluation of Roman currency (inflation)

• Military: army membership changed as barbarians were allowed to join (lack of discipline)

• Moral decay: people lost faith in the empire and families began to fall apart

• Political problems: no set laws of succession (led to frequent civil wars)

• Invasions: barbarian attacks (by Germanic tribes from the north)

Diocletian divided the empire into eastern and western regions. Emperor Constantine built a new capital at Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople. The Western Roman Empire survived until 476 AD when it ceased to have a Roman emperor. The Eastern Roman Empire became the Byzantine Empire.

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