Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome
Sept 2-12, 2008 (6-3 Amor)
Objectives:
721: I can explain the causes of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.
721: I can explain how important historical events have influenced government, economy, and people in Ancient Rome.
811: I can list key people in Ancient Rome.
812: I can explain how key people have had an impact on Ancient Rome.
831: I can list major discoveries, innovations, and inventions from Ancient Rome.
Key Terms and People
Pax Romana
Colosseum
Ampitheater
Aqueducts
Roman Baths
Roads
Latin
Christianity
Romulus
Remus
Julius Caesar
Caesar Augustus
Constantine
Spartacus
Timeline
Sept 2-5:
• Rise and Fall of Roman Empire; Pax Romana
• Key people and their impact
Sept 8-12
• Discoveries, innovations, inventions
• Review and Assessment
Important Historical Events of Ancient Rome
721: I can explain the causes of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.
721: I can explain how important historical events have influenced government, economy, and people in Ancient Rome.
1. Students are given a timeline with blanks. They will fill this out as they watch and read.
2. Students are given Handout 1: A New Power Rises. They read page 1 and answer questions. (Explain to them that this is called “annotating” and they will soon be able to do it without questions written for them.) When complete, students fill in as much of their timelines as they can.
3. Extension: Have students look through Ancient Rome Books and find out how the government of Ancient Rome changed over time. Create a timeline or write a paragraph that details the progression of the government.
4. Watch Brainpop: Rise of the Roman Empire and have students answer questions that go along with it.
5. Students then read Constantinople and the Fall of Rome, answer questions, and fill in timeline.
6. Extension: Students choose one Roman Emperor to research and create a one-page about.
7. Teacher may choose to show Brainpop: Fall of the Roman Empire.
A New Power Rises
Directions: Read the text.
1. Circle new words and define them in the margins.
2. Highlight any phrase that is important. For each thing you highlight, write its significance in the margin.
3. Write any questions that you have in the margins (at least 2).
4. Answer the questions that are typed in the margins and at the bottom of the page.
Objective: I can explain the cause of the rise of the Roman Empire.
The earliest empires had been in the east. Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, India, and Greece were all home to at least one powerful civilization. About 387bc, a city on the Italian peninsula began acquiring land and building an empire. That city was Rome. For more than one thousand years, Rome controlled the western world.
Rome grew into an empire in part because of how it treated the people it conquered. If a city was defeated by another empire, its citizens were forced from the land if they were lucky, and enslaved if they were not. Initially, the Romans extended the rights of citizenship to the people they conquered. Rome conquered many of its allies by force, but once the new people became citizens, they often joined the Roman army. Rome managed to unify most of the modern nation of Italy by 265bc.
Rome is an ideal place for a city. It is located along the banks of the Tiber River. The river made it easy to travel to and from the sea. The Tiber is very shallow near Rome. A shallow portion of a river is called a ford. The ford made it easier for people to cross the river. Seven hills surround Rome. The hills make it harder for invaders to approach the city and served as lookout areas for the Romans. Rome is also close to excellent farmland and an abundance of wood and stone. Civilizations have grown and prospered in Rome for thousands of years, which is why Rome is nicknamed “the Eternal City.”
In 265 BC, Rome managed to unify most of the modern nation of Italy.
What was the cause of this? (In other words, why did it happen?)
What was the effect of this? (In other words, what happened because Rome unified so much land that would not have happened if Rome had not unified the land?)
Constantinople and the Fall of Rome
Directions: Read the text.
5. Circle new words and define them in the margins.
6. Highlight any phrase that is important. For each thing you highlight, write its significance in the margin.
7. Write any questions that you have in the margins.
8. Answer the questions that are typed in the margins and at the bottom of the page.
Objective: I can explain the end of the Roman Empire.
Constantine seized power of Rome in AD 306. Unlike emperors before him, he was tolerant of Christians throughout the Roman Empire. You will learn more about him later in our unit.
Constantine decided to move his government to a place that was safe from foreign invasion. Rome was under attack from barbarian invaders north of the Italian peninsula. In ad330, Constantine moved to a city called Byzantium in modern Turkey. Constantine renamed the city “Constantinople,” which means “city of Constantine.”
Roman civilization survived for centuries in Constantine’s eastern empire, long after the actual city of Rome and the empire’s western provinces fell to invaders. Historians refer to this as the Byzantine Empire. It included modern Greece, Yugoslavia, and Turkey. The Byzantine Empire lasted until 1453, when it fell to Turkish warriors. The warriors brought their faith in Islam to Constantinople, and converted the many churches to mosques. Constantinople is now known as Istanbul, Turkey.
While the empire continued in the east, the city of Rome was under attack. In ad410, illiterate warriors known as Visigoths overran the city. In ad476, a Visigoth warrior named Odoacer made himself emperor of Rome. The “Eternal City” of Rome continued to exist, but the empire dissolved into many small kingdoms. Western Europe fell into a period of war and disease known as the “Dark Ages.” Then, after about 1000 years, the region experienced a “rebirth” known as the Renaissance. The people of the Renaissance referred to the era of the Greeks and the Romans as “the classical age,” a term we still use today.
The Roman Empire is gone, but not forgotten. Roman art, architecture, government, and religion are still a part of western civilization. Roman literature, law, and language have been studied and adopted by many cultures. For nearly seventeen centuries, the Romans set the standard for future generations to follow.
In 330 AD, Constantine moved to Byzantium and renamed the city Constantinople.
What was the cause of this? (In other words, why did he do it?)
What was the effect of this? (In other words, what happened because Constantinople moved that would not have happened if he hadn’t?)
Brainpop: The Rise of the Roman Empire
Directions: As you watch today’s Brainpop, answer the following questions.
Objective: I can explain the course of events that lead to the rise of the Roman Empire.
1. What is a republic?
2. Why did Rome change from a republic?
3. How did Julius Caesar change the government in Rome?
4. What did Julius Caesar give to Romans?
5. What is the name of the time period that came when Augustus Caesar came into power?
Brainpop: The Fall of the Roman Empire
Directions: As you watch today’s Brainpop, answer the following questions.
Objective: I can explain the reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire.
1. What was wrong with the government in Rome?
2. Why was it easy for other people to invade Rome?
3. What financial problems did Rome face?
4. What did Diocletian do?
5. Explain (in one paragraph) why the Roman Empire failed?
Important People of Ancient Rome
811: I can list key people in Ancient Rome.
812: I can explain how key people have had an impact on Ancient Rome.
Key people
Romulus and Remus
Julius Caesar
Caesar Augustus
Constantine
Spartacus
Activities:
1. Put names of key people on the board. Ask students what they know about the people.
2. Split students into pairs. Give each pair a reading with questions. In pairs, students will read the selection, answer the questions, write a paragraph about the person, and create a one pager. (I give typed directions because there are so many steps. I also give a “yellow pages” about what a one-pager should look like.
3. Hang one-pagers around the room, and have students take notes about each person using the Key People in Ancient Rome Notes Sheet. I have included a 2-column version and a box-version.
4. Before students leave, have them answer “Which person” questions on a notecard as formative assessment.
Romulus and Remus
Directions: Read the text.
1. Circle new words and define them in the margins.
2. Highlight any phrase that is important. For each thing you highlight, write its significance in the margin.
3. Write any questions that you have in the margins.
4. Answer the questions that are typed in the margins.
5. Follow the directions at the bottom of the page.
Objective: I can explain the story of Romulus and Remus and their impact on Rome.
The origins of Rome are steeped in myth and legend. Many ancient Romans believed twin boys named Romulus and Remus founded the city. A king feared the twins would rob him of his throne, so he tossed them into the frigid Tiber River. Soon after, the brothers were rescued by a she-wolf who nursed them back to health.
Romulus and Remus decided to establish a city on the Tiber River, but the brothers could not agree on a location. Signs from the heavens decreed that each brother would build a city, but Romulus’ city would be much larger. Romulus completed his city on April 21, 753bc. Remus was upset that Romulus had built his city, so he climbed over the wall. The enraged Romulus killed his brother with an ax. The city came to be known as Rome, named for its legendary founder.
The early Romans lived in small communities that grew into city-states, often ruled by kings from wealthy families. About fifty years after Romulus founded the city, the legends say the Etruscans conquered the Romans.
The Etruscans were brutal rulers who rained terror on the Roman people. They were eventually ousted by a group of Roman aristocrats who founded the Roman Republic.
1. On the back of this paper, write a paragraph introducing Romulus and Remus to your classmates. Include who they were, what they did, and how they impacted (or changed) Rome.
2. Revise your paragraph, copy it onto a sheet of computer paper, and create your one-pager.
Spartacus
Directions: Read the text.
1. Circle new words and define them in the margins.
2. Highlight any phrase that is important. For each thing you highlight, write its significance in the margin.
3. Write any questions that you have in the margins.
4. Answer the questions that are typed in the margins.
5. Follow the directions at the bottom of the page.
Objective: I can explain the impact Spartacus the slave had on Rome.
Rome needed workers to maintain its wealth. The first conquered people were welcomed as Roman citizens, but after 265bc, many conquered people were auctioned off as slaves. A great deal of the grandeur of Rome was created by the grueling labor of slaves.
A slave named Spartacus led a revolt against the Romans 73bc. Spartacus built an army of thousands of soldiers from slaves he and his followers liberated. The slaves resisted the Roman army for more than two years and plundered the Italian countryside.
The Roman councils sent an army of 40,000 soldiers to defeat the slave revolt. Spartacus was milled in battle, but six thousand of his soldiers were taken prisoner and crucified. Crucifixion is a form of execution where the prisoner is nailed to a cross and left to die a slow, painful death. Crosses stretched for miles along the Apian Way, one of Rome’s most traveled roadways. They served as a gruesome reminder of the strength and the brutality of the Roman army.
1. On the back of this paper, write a paragraph introducing Spartacus to your classmates. Include who he was, what he did, and how he impacted (or changed) Rome.
2. Revise your paragraph, copy it onto a sheet of computer paper, and create your one-pager.
Julius Caesar
Directions: Read the text.
3. Circle new words and define them in the margins.
4. Highlight any phrase that is important. For each thing you highlight, write its significance in the margin.
5. Write any questions that you have in the margins.
6. Answer the questions that are typed in the margins.
7. Follow the directions at the bottom of the page.
Objective: I can explain who Julius Caesar was and what his impact was on Rome.
Rome was a huge and very rich empire after the second Punic War, but the Senate did a poor job of running the republic. The senate was designed to govern a city, not a growing empire. The senators often took bribes or were not careful about how they voted in the forum. Many Romans wanted a strong leader, and the ambitious Julius Caesar was an obvious choice.
Caesar sought the office of consul in 60bc. He had recently returned from Spain where he served a year as governor. The two consuls at the time were Crassus and Pompey, the leaders of the war against the slave revolt. Rather than become involved in a struggle, Caesar convinced Crassus, Pompey, and the Roman Senate to name him a third consul. This coalition of three equal rulers later became known as the First Triumvirate.
When Caesar’s year-long term as consul ended, he used his influence to get himself appointed governor of Gaul. Gaul was a territory northwest of the Italian peninsula. He led an army that captured most of Western Europe. Caesar’s successes on the battlefield made him the most popular man in Rome.
The Rubicon is one of the most famous rivers in history, but you won’t find it on any modern map. Nobody is quite sure which of the many streams near the modern border of Italy and France was once named the Rubicon.
In 49bc, the Senate ordered Caesar to return to Rome, but to leave his army behind. Caesar feared that his opponents would destroy him, so he ignored the order and marched his army back to Rome. Caesar’s orders clearly told him not to bring his army across the Rubicon River. When he marched the army across the river, he knew he faced an important decision. Caesar knew that if he obeyed the senate and disbanded his army, his career would be over; but if he marched his troops across the river, the Senate would order Pompey and his army to retaliate
Caesar’s army seized control of Italy while Pompey and his army fled to Greece. Caesar hunted Pompey and defeated his army. Pompey then escaped to Egypt with Caesar in pursuit. When Caesar arrived in Egypt, the ten-year-old king of Egypt, Ptolemy XIII, presented Caesar with Pompey’s decapitated head.
The Roman people admired Caesar as a war hero and a strong leader. In 46bc, they elected him dictator of Rome. A dictator is a ruler with complete control. In that time, dictators were temporary rulers elected in times of crisis, but Caesar was elected because of his popularity. The last Roman dictator had been elected almost 150 years earlier, at the end of the second Punic War.
Caesar used his power to make many changes in Rome, often without approval from the Senate. He instituted the Julian calendar of 365¼ days. Caesar’s calendar is closely related to the calendar we use today. The month of July is named in honor of Caesar. A year after his election as dictator, the Roman people elected Caesar “dictator for life.”
The Roman senators were outraged at Caesar’s power and popularity. On March 15, 44bc, Caesar was met by a mob of sixty senators who stabbed the dictator to death.
1. On the back of this paper, write a paragraph introducing Julius Caesar to your classmates. Include who he was, what he did, and how he impacted (or changed) Rome.
2. Revise your paragraph, copy it onto a sheet of computer paper, and create your one-pager.
Constantine
Directions: Read the text.
3. Circle new words and define them in the margins.
4. Highlight any phrase that is important. For each thing you highlight, write its significance in the margin.
5. Write any questions that you have in the margins.
6. Answer the questions that are typed in the margins.
7. Follow the directions at the bottom of the page.
Objective: I can explain who Constantine was and what his impact was on the Roman Empire.
Roman emperors became increasingly intolerant of Christianity. In ad202, Emperor Septimius Severus banned any Roman citizen from converting to Christianity or Judaism. Those who disobeyed the emperor were often tortured by soldiers or wild animals at sporting events. Despite the persecutions, Christianity continued to grow.
Constantine ended persecution of Christians when he seized power in ad306. Four years later, he made Christianity legal. A legend says that on the eve of a battle, Constantine saw a Christian symbol in the sky with words that translate to “By this sign you shall conquer.” Constantine never established Christianity as the official religion of the empire, but he did encourage its growth. He ordered that Christianity be a legal and tolerated religion.
Constantine supported the church, but he continued to worship Roman gods. In ad337 Constantine was dying. Only then did he call for a bishop so that he could be baptized into the church. Fifty years after Constantine’s death, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
Constantine Favored the Christian Church
• Constantine gave a great deal of wealth to the Christians, especially for building churches.
• He excused Christian priests from serving as city councilmen.
• Many Roman laws were revised to reflect Christian standards. Sunday was declared a holiday as “the day of the sun” so that the day would be observed by pagans as well as Christians.
Constantinople and the Fall of Rome
Constantine decided to move his government to a place that was safe from foreign invasion. Rome was under attack from barbarian invaders north of the Italian peninsula. In ad330, Constantine moved to a city called Byzantium in modern Turkey. Constantine renamed the city “Constantinople,” which means “city of Constantine.”
Roman civilization survived for centuries in Constantine’s eastern empire, long after the actual city of Rome and the empire’s western provinces fell to invaders. Historians refer to this as the Byzantine Empire. It included modern Greece, Yugoslavia, and Turkey. The Byzantine Empire lasted until 1453, when it fell to Turkish warriors. The warriors brought their faith in Islam to Constantinople, and converted the many churches to mosques. Constantinople is now known as Istanbul, Turkey.
1. On the back of this paper, write a paragraph introducing Constantine to your classmates. Include who he was, what he did, and how he impacted (or changed) Rome.
2. Revise your paragraph, copy it onto a sheet of computer paper, and create your one-pager.
[pic]
Caesar Augustus
Directions: Read the text.
3. Circle new words and define them in the margins.
4. Highlight any phrase that is important. For each thing you highlight, write its significance in the margin.
5. Write any questions that you have in the margins.
6. Answer the questions that are typed in the margins.
7. Follow the directions at the bottom of the page.
Objective: I can explain who Caesar Augustus was and what his impact was on Rome.
With the death of Marc Antony in 31bc, Octavian became the sole ruler of Rome. Octavian took measures to earn the loyalty of the Roman army. He encouraged the soldiers to retire from the army by providing them with land. Once the soldiers retired, Octavian did not have to be concerned with the army turning on him. Further, Octavian knew he could count on the soldiers’ support if he was challenged by the Senate.
Octavian restored peace and order to Rome. He made sure the lands throughout the empire were well run and taxes were fair. Octavian built massive roads and bridges, government buildings, and huge public baths. He said, “I left Rome a city of marble, though I found it a city of bricks.” The Roman people awarded Octavian with the title Augustus, which means, “respected one.” Many Romans deified Augustus after his death. This means they worshipped him as a god.
Augustus ruled Rome for 41 years, though he did not call himself an emperor. He was careful to not meet the same fate as his great granduncle. Augustus was very respectful to the senators, but the Senate knew he controlled the army and could do as he pleased.
The Roman army was so strong that it protected citizens from attacks from the tribes who lived beyond the empire. The powerful, professionally trained forces were divided into large units called legions. Each legion would have as many as 6,000 soldiers. The two hundred year period that began with the rule of Caesar Augustus was known as the Pax Romana, or the “Peace of Rome.”
1. Look in the Ancient Rome book. Is there any more information about Augustus Caesar that you should know? If so, write it on the back of this paper.
2. On the back of this paper, write a paragraph introducing Caesar Augustus to your classmates. Include who he was, what he did, and how he impacted (or changed) Rome or life for Romans.
3. Revise your paragraph, copy it onto a sheet of computer paper, and create your one-pager.
Key People in Ancient Rome
2-column notes
|Person |Notes |
|Romulus | |
|Remus | |
|Julius Caesar | |
|Augustus Caesar | |
|Spartacus | |
|Constantine | |
|Summary |
Key People in Ancient Rome
Box Notes
Directions: Write important information about each person in the box with his/ her name. You may draw pictures to help you remember.
|Person |Notes |
|Romulus |Augustus Caesar |
|Remus |Spartacus |
|Julius Caesar |Constantine |
|Summary |
Which Person?
Formative Assessment
1. Which person founded Rome? Romulus
2. Which person led a slave revolt? Spartacus
3. Which person is considered Rome’s first emperor? (He “found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble.”) Augustus Caesar
4. Which person became a “popular” dictator after serving as governor of each Spain and Gaul? Julius Caesar
5. Which person moved the capital of the empire to Byzantium? Constantine
6. Which person was the twin of the founder of Rome? Remus
Discoveries, Innovations, and Inventions
Honoring the Creative and Logistic Genius of Ancient Rome
Objectives:
Key Terms:
Activities:
1. Ask students to recall from previous learning some of the contributions or discoveries of Ancient Romans.
2. Hand out 2-column notes sheet.
3. Play slideshow and have students take notes. Afterwards, have students write a one-paragraph summary.
4. Give students 10 minutes with the Ancient Rome Eyewitness Books. Ask them to find more detail on something in the slideshow or find something new that Rome discovered or created. Have students share in pairs or with whole class.
5. As students leave, ask which was the best creation. Have them explain why that is the best. Collect as assessment.
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How did Romans treat the people they conquered at the beginning of their reign?
[pic]
Why is Rome an ideal place for a city?
Why do you think he renamed the city?
[pic]
What happened to the Roman Empire?
List Contributions of Ancient Rome:
Who was Rome named after?
List the leaders of Rome from the beginning to the Roman Republic.
How did Rome get to have such great architecture and other unique things?
[pic]
Who won the revolt?
How did Spartacus change lives in Rome?
Before Julius Caesar came into power, who ruled Rome?
Would a triumvirate be an effective method of government? Explain your opinion.
How was Caesar’s dictatorship different than dictatorships before him?
What did Caesar contribute to Romans?
How was Constantine different than previous Roman emperors?
What did Constantine do to or for Rome?
[pic]
Do you think Augustus Caesar was a good or bad leader? Explain.
What did he give to Rome?
What was the effect of Augustus Caesar’s leadership in Rome?
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