The Rise of the Roman Republic509 BC 27 BC

Romes greatest achievements:Established the first Republic and the principle of separation of powers;Used law and government to unite many different regions, cultures and people. [a trend of cosmopolitanism started during the Hellenistic Age]Practical engineering projects to promote civilization: roads, bridges, aqueducts, sewers, bath houses and amphitheatres.

Caesar Augustus asked Romes greatest poet, Virgil to write a poem to glorify the founding of Rome [30-19 BCE] 12 books/ 1-6: Odyssey 7-12: The Iliad

Prince Aeneas with Queen Dido on the harbor of Carthage

Aeneas reaches Latium, Italy

Romulus and Remus-twin sons of the god Mars, and Princess Rhea who feared for their lives

Romulus and Remus: nurtured by a she-wolf

Romulus and Remus- rescued by a peasant shepherd

The Archaeological Record2500 BC- Paleolithic settlements1500 BC The Bronze Age 1000 BC tombs of cremated dead with bronze tools and weapons800 BC Distinct groups occupied the Italian peninsula- Umbrians, the Sabines, the Samnites, the Etruscans and the Latins

Three advantages1) built on several hills2) Towards the end of the Tiber River3) Only 15 miles from the sea

The Etruscans753-509 BC Older, more advanced cultureDrained marshes Built sewer systemConstructed roads, sewers. temples & public buildings

5 of last 7 kings were Etruscan turned the small fishing village into a thriving city developed the arch built the Servian Wall built the circus maximus gladiatorial games

The Republic is established, 509 BCThe last Etruscan king, Tarquin the Proud, ignored the Senate and was overthrown, the Latin patricians (wealthy landowners) created a representative government.

Two Consuls replaced the king

The Roman Senate:Senators came from the Patrician classActed as an advisory body to the king/consulsControlled the finances; money for public worksServed as a Jury for treason, conspiracy, murder, & foreign relations

Early Roman society consisted of two classes: Patricians and Plebeians Plebeian grievances included:Enslavement for debtDiscrimination in the courtsIntermarriage with patricians was forbiddenLack of political representationAbsence of a written code of lawsGranting citizenship to outsiders while denying it to indigenous plebeian farmers

The Struggle of the Orders 494 287 BC494 BC Office of the Tribune created460 BC Voting: residence replaced wealth450 BC Twelve Tables445 BC Lex Canuleia-marriage367 BC Licinian-Sextian Rogation-consuls287 BC Lex Hortensia- Plebeian Council

Roman Expansion493 BC Battle of Lake Regillus/Latin League396 BC Battle of Veii/Etruscans390 C first & only setback Gauls seige on Rome 350 BC - Romans bounced back- rebuilt the Servian Wall and remodeled the army340- 290 BC The Latin Wars/Roman Federation282-270 BC defeated Greeks/Tarentum & Epirus By 264 BC, 5 major world powers: Syria, Egypt, Macedonia, Carthage and Rome

By 264 BC, 5 major world powers: Syria, Egypt, Macedonia, Carthage and Rome

By 264 BC, Rome had achieved two important successes: It had secured social cohesion by redressing the grievances of the plebeiansIt had increased its military might by conquering the peninsula, thus insuring the human resources with which it would conquer the Mediterranean world.

the mythological twins, the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, on horseback. The Battle of Lake Regillus, 493 BC

Defeating the Etruscans- The Battle of Veii, 396 BCHoratius At The Bridge

390 C first & only setback Gauls seige on Rome

350 BC: Rome renewed itself

The Latin Wars 340- 338 BC; 326-304 B.C. & 298-290 B.C. The Roman Federation

282-270 BC Rome fought the Greeks of Tarentum and their ally- King Pyrrhus of Epirus

ANY QUESTIONS?

Publius Vergilius Maro was commisioned by Caesar Augustus to author a national epic for Rome. The work which Virgil composed for this purpose was the Aeneid. It is an epic poem that tells the story of a minor character from Homers Iliad who leads a rag-tag band from the smouldering ruins of Troy in order to found a New Troy to the west: Rome. "Remember, Roman, that it is for thee to rule the nations. This shall be thy task, to impose the ways of peace, to spare the vanquished, and to tame the proud by war." -- Virgil's Aeneid

The story of Dido and Aeneas is one of the worlds most tragic love stories, first described in Virgils Aeneid, then Marlowes Dido, Queen of Carthage and Henry Purcell and Nahum Tates opera Dido and Aeneas. Before Aeneas founded Rome, he was a Trojan soldier. When Troy fell, he left with his followers in seven ships. He was shipwrecked on the shores of Carthage, the great African city ruled by Queen Dido. Dido and Aeneas fell deeply in love, but the gods called Aeneas away to fulfill his destiny in Italy, and Dido was left heartbroken and alone. In her despair, she built a funeral pyre and committed suicide atop it. Virgil gives the story as the explanation for Rome and Carthages ancient grievance that culminated in the Punic Wars. In reality, there was a Queen Dido of Carthage, and she did commit suicide, but it was to avoid marrying a rival king, Iarbus. According to a Roman story a princess name Rhea Sylvia had 2 twin boys by Mars, the god of war. A jealous uncle who had stolen the throne from her father ordered her twins to be drowned in the river. Years later, the two brothers decided to build a city. This would be a city where others who were homeless, as they once were, could come to live. But the brothers argued over where to build the city. One night Romulus and Remus agreed to watch for an omen, a sign from the gods, to settle their argument. At dawn , Remus saw six vultures flying overhead. However, as the sun rose higher in the sky, Romulus saw 12 vultures. The brothers quarreled and began fighting over the meaning of the vultures in the sky, and in a rage, Romulus killed Remus. Romulus then began to build his city on the spot he had chosen-the hill where the tiny basket containing the two babies had come to rest years before. He named his new city after himself-Rome. The story of Romulus and Remus is a legend and much of the early history of Rome is unknown to us . Though they are not historically accurate, legends are useful. They tell us what qualities people admired and the values they wished to pass on to future generations. What do you think Romans admired in this story ? According to legend, the city of Rome began in 753 B.C., and Romulus was the first of seven kings. He was believed to be a great warrior-king and started Romes first army and its first government. Romes 2nd king was Numa Pompilius. He brought peace to Rome and began the Roman religion. The early kings got advice from a Senate (from the Latin word for old men) also known as a council of elders. Italy is a peninsula (surrounded on 3 sides by water) located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. The city of Rome was near the center of that peninsula on land known as Latium.There were many powerful cities nearby which had been there for hundreds of years. The weather, or climate, is called Mediterranean . The Summers are hot and dry, and winters are wet but not cold. The people were called "Latins". They raised cattle, sheep, and goats and farmed the land to produce wheat, grapes, and olives.

To the north of Rome were the Etruscans, and to the south were Greeks who came from Greece to settle land in Italy. Look at the map . Which power controlled most of the Italian peninsula? Romes location offered 3 advantages. First, Rome was built on several hills, so it was difficult for enemies to attack. Second, the Tiber River allowed food and goods of inland countries to be brought to Rome. And third, the Mediterranean Sea is only 15 miles away, so Rome is near enough to the sea for trade, but not too near danger from enemy ships. During the rule of the early Roman kings, Rome had powerful neighbors to the north called Etruscans. They called their land Etruria, and they wanted the Roman's land too. The Etruscans were good at trading and had created many wealthy cities in northern Italy. About 575 B.C., the Etruscans moved into the city of Rome. Etruscan kings ruled Rome for the next 60 years. The Etruscans came from an older, more advanced civilization. Rome learned quickly from them. The Etruscans taught the Romans and new building the alphabet techniques, such as the arch The Etruscan kings helped Rome grow from a village of straw-roofed huts into a walled city with paved streets. Rome continued to grow under the Etruscans, until Tarquin the Proud, the seventh and last Roman king, came to power. He was a cruel ruler who ignored the Senate and terrorized the people. In 509 B. C., the people rebelled against him and finally sent him into exile(which means he had to live somewhere outside of Roman territory). The Roman people decided that they would never again be ruled by a king. By 494 B.C., the plebeians had suffered long enough. They left Rome and formed their own assembly, which was known as the Council of Plebeians. They also elected their own leaders, who were called tribunes. Tribunes were to protect plebian rights. As you have read, the patricians were desperate. They knew that Rome could not survive without plebeians. Who would do the work? Who would protect the Republic from enemy attacks? The patricians had no choice but to let the plebeians keep their tribunes. The plebeians could vote against any unjust law passed by the Senate. Next, the plebeians demanded that the laws be changed . Romes laws had never been written down. The plebeians believed that patrician judges took advantage of this fact to rule unfairly against plebeians. The Latin League (c. 7th century BC - 338 BC)[1] was a confederation of about 30 villages and tribes in the region of Latium near ancient Rome organized for mutual defense. The term "Latin League" is one coined by modern historians with no precise Latin equivalent.[2] It was originally created for protection against enemies from surrounding areas under the leadership of the city of Alba Longa. During the 6th century BC, the Etruscan kings tried to establish their rule over Aricia but the league's policies prevented the Etruscans' invasion.[1] An incomplete fragment of an inscription recorded by Cato the Elder tells us that at one time the league included Tusculum, Aricia, Lanuvium, Lavinium, Cora, Tibur, Pometia and Ardea.[3] The early Roman Republic formed an alliance with the Latin League in 493 BC. According to Roman tradition, this treaty, the foedus Cassianum,[4] followed a Roman victory over the league in the Battle of Lake Regillus. The treaty provided that both Rome and the Latin League would share loot from military conquests (which would later be one of the reasons for the Latin War 341-338 BC), and provided that any military campaigns between the two be led by Roman generals. This alliance helped repel attacks from such peoples as the Aequi and the Volsci - nomadic tribes of the Apennine Mountains - who were prevented from invading Latium by the blending of armies.[1] It is still unclear if the Latins had accepted Rome as one into the League, or if the treaty had been signed as between the Roman State and the Latin League The Latin War (340338 BC) was a conflict between the Roman Republic and its neighbors the Latin peoples of ancient Italy. It ended in the dissolution of the Latin League, and incorporation of its territory into the Roman sphere of influence, with the Latins gaining partial rights and varying levels of citizenship.Rome Conquers All Italy In the south of Italy there were mainly Greek cities. In 282 BC Thurii, A Greek city in the south had asked Rome for help from the Lucanians, allies of the Samnites. Rome came to their aid and soon many other cities had also called upon Rome for assistance. Soon the Greeks resented this and war was inevitable. One Greek city, Tarentum, fired up a major quarrel with a Roman delegation, and so they called upon King Pyrrhus of Epirus (in Greece) to come to their aid since they were mainly a commercial city and not able to match armies with Rome. He came with full force and brought his fearful elephant cavalry along with 20,000 soldiers and barely won a brutal victory at Heraclea in 280 BC. Pyrrhus had won the victory but at the expense of a major part of his army. He said, "If we win one more victory against the Romans we shall be totally ruined." This is where the term "Pyyhric Victory" originated where the winner suffers more loss than that which he gained. Rome was not discouraged. They called upon their powerful allies from Carthage, which was located at the top of North Africa on the Mediterranean Sea. Together they defeated Pyrrhus's army at the Battle of Beneventum and drove Pyrrhus out of Italy in 276 BC and four years later Tarentum surrendered along with the rest of southern Italy. By 264 BC Rome occupied Italy from the Toe River to the Po River and was considered a major power in the Mediterranean.

At the beginning of the 5th century B.C., shortly after the expulsion of the Roman kings, the Romans claim to have won a battle at Lake Regillus that Livy describes in Book II of his history. The battle, which, like most events of the period, contains legendary elements, was part of a war between Rome and a coalition of Latin states, often called the Latin League. The war ended in 493 B.C. with the Treaty of Spurius Cassius, which was inscribed on a bronze pillar in the Roman Forum where Cicero was able to see it 4 centuries later. The treaty established perpetual peace and a defensive military alliance between the two sides, Rome and the Latin League. The Latin side, led by Octavus Mamilius, also had other Romans who had been exiled at the start of the Republic. The Latin side was fighting so well that Romans started fleeing. Seeing the turn for the worse, the Roman dictator told his (still fresh) cohort to treat any Roman who fled the battle as an enemy. The weary Roman soldiers, re-motivated, went back into the battle and (perhaps) won, although the greater war would not end for another 3 or more years, depending on whether Regillus was fought in 499, 496, or at all.

Once The King of Tuscany sent his troops to attack Rome. When the Tuscans marched towards Rome, the Romans were taken by surprise, as they were not prepared for a battle. The Tuscans had to cross the bridge across the river Tiber to reach Rome. The chief of the Roman army called his men and said, "The enemy troops are approaching the bridge. We must not let them cross at any cost. We must break down the bridge to prevent their entry to Rome." So the Romans began to demolish the wooden bridge. But before they could pull it down completely, the enemy had reached the bridge. Just then a young Roman soldier called Horatius came forward. He said to his comrades, "You go ahead with your job of cutting down the bridge, at this end. I will go to the other end of the bridge, and stop the enemy there. I shall not let a single Tuscan soldier cross over." He raised his sword in defiance of the Tuscans and ran to the other end of the bridge. Two young Roman followed him. So, while the others were busy hacking down the bridge, Horatius and his two companions stood at the end of the bridge nearest to the enemy soldiers. Horatius shouted to the Tuscan commander: "We shall not let you cross the bridge. We will fight you to our last breath." The Tuscan commander was amused to see the three Romans challenging his mighty Tuscan army. He laughed at them and said: But the brave Romans refused to move an inch. Horatius replied: "We are Romans not Tuscans, we shall fight you to the bitter end, come what may." At this, the Tuscans were very angry and rushed at Horatius and his companions. But Horatius and his friends fought bravely and killed scores of Tuscans. And while they held the bridge and blocked the advance of the Tuscan soldiers, the other Romans were busy cutting down the bridge. Soon the bridge was nearly cut in two and about to fall. The Romans shouted to Horatius to run back. But Horatius did not leave his post. He was injured but he kept on fighting. To Him, his country's security was far more important than his own life. Suddenly the bridge crashed into the river with a great noise. Horatius quickly turned back and jumped into the river, his two companions also followed him. The river was in flood but they swam safely across the river to the Rome. Horatius' patriotic mission was successful. The Tuscans could not enter Rome, now that there was no bridge there. Horatius had saved Rome and its people by an act of extraordinary courage and bravery. He became the national hero of Rome. Years later, the Romans built a big statue of this brave warrior to perpetuate his memory. The hill-dwelling Samnites, whose territory covered the vast mountainous regions of central Italy, were the most difficult of Rome's neighbors to subdue. There were three Samnite Wars which lasted over a period of fifty years. In spite of numerous set backs, each war was concluded on terms that increased Rome's power and by the end of the third Samnite war, Rome controlled all of central Italy. First Samnite War and the Latin War:343-338 B.C.The first Samnite war began when the plain dwellers of Campania requested Rome's assistance to fend off attacks by her highland neighbors. The conflict was brief, consisting mainly of a decisive Roman victory at Mount Gaurus. The war was brought to a close by the revolt of Rome's Latin allies, a conflict which was resolved by the Battle of Vesuvius. After the first Samnite War, Campania, with its chief city of Capua, became a Roman protectorate. Second Samnite War:326-304 B.C. A Roman army passing under the yoke.The Second Samnite War was the longest and most fiercely fought of the three, lasting over twenty years. A few years into the war, the Samnites captured a Roman army in a defile called Caudine Forks. Instead of killing the army the Samnite chief released them, in return for favorable terms from Rome. This humiliation infuriated the Romans, but resulted in five year lull in hostilities. Still the war dragged on, alternating between Samnite victories, such as that at Lautulae, and Roman victories, as at Ciuna. It was a war of attrition, but the Samnites suffered more. After they failed to relieve the siege of Bovianum, their capital, they sued for peace. Third Samnite War:298-290 B.C.The peace lasted only a few years however. By 298 B.C., the Samnite made an alliance with the Etruscans and Gauls in Northern Italy to defeat Rome. The fighting got off to a disastrous start, as a Roman army was routed at the battle of Camerinum. Shortly thereafter, Rome raised four legions to meet the Samnites and their Gallic allies in a colossal battle at Sentinum. The result was a decisive victory for Rome with very heavy losses on the Samnite side. Although Samnium did not sue for peace after this battle, it could make only a feeble resistance. In the final battle of Apalonia the Samnite camp was looted, their city taken and many of their warriors slain. When Rome offered peace to their most persistent foes it was finally accepted. By the beginning of the third century, Rome had established itself as a major power on the Italian Peninsula, but had not yet come into conflict with the dominant military powers in the Mediterranean at the time: Carthage and the Greek kingdoms. Rome had all but completely defeated the Samnites, mastered its fellow Latin towns, and greatly reduced Etruscan power in the region. However, the south of Italy was controlled by the Greek colonies of Magna Grecia[70] who had been allied to the Samnites, and continued Roman expansion brought the two into inevitable conflict.[71][72]When a diplomatic dispute between Rome and the Greek colony of Tarentum[73] erupted into open warfare in the naval Battle of Thurii,[72] Tarentum appealed for military aid to Pyrrhus, ruler of Epirus.[72][74] Motivated by his diplomatic obligations to Tarentum, and a personal desire for military accomplishment,[75] Pyrrhus landed a Greek army of some 25,000 men[72] and a contingent of war elephants[72][76] on Italian soil in 280 B.C,[77] where his forces were joined by some Greek colonists and a portion of the Samnites who revolted against Roman control.The Roman army had not yet seen elephants in battle,[76] and their inexperience turned the tide in Pyrrhus' favour at the Battle of Heraclea in 280 BC,[72][76][78] and again at the Battle of Ausculum in 279 BC.[76][78][79][79] Despite these victories, Pyrrhus found his position in Italy untenable. Rome steadfastly refused to negotiate with Pyrrhus as long as his army remained in Italy.[80] Furthermore, Rome entered into a treaty of support with Carthage, and Pyrrhus found that despite his expectations, none of the other Italic peoples would defect to the Greek and Samnite cause.[81] Facing unacceptably heavy losses with each encounter with the Roman army, and failing to find further allies in Italy, Pyrrhus withdrew from the peninsula and campaigned in Sicily against Carthage,[82] abandoning his allies to deal with the Romans.[71]When his Sicilian campaign was also ultimately a failure, and at the request of his Italian allies, Pyrrhus returned to Italy to face Rome once more. In 275 BC, Pyrrhus again met the Roman army at the Battle of Beneventum.[79] This time the Romans had devised methods to deal with the war elephants, including the use of javelins,[79] fire[82] and, one source claims, simply hitting the elephants heavily on the head.[76] While Beneventum was indecisive,[82] Pyrrhus realised that his army had been exhausted and reduced by years of foreign campaigns, and seeing little hope for further gains, he withdrew completely from Italy.The conflicts with Pyrrhus would have a great effect on Rome, however. Rome had shown that it was capable of pitting its armies successfully against the dominant military powers of the Mediterranean, and further showed that the Greek kingdoms were incapable of defending their colonies in Italy and abroad. Rome quickly moved into southern Italia, subjugating and dividing Magna Grecia.[83] Effectively dominating the Italian peninsula,[84] and with a proven international military reputation,[85] Rome now began to look outwards at expansion from the Italian mainland. Since the Alps formed a natural barrier to the north, and Rome was none too keen to meet the fierce Gauls in battle once more, the city's gaze turned to Sicily and the islands of the Mediterranean, a policy that would bring it into direct conflict with its former ally Carthage.