Roman Empire

Question 1

Beginning

Answer 1

Villages along Tibet river (now Italy)
◦ formation of city of Rome (750 BC)
◦ unification

Question 2

Government

Answer 2

◦ monarchy for 200+ years
◦ 509 BC Rome became republic
◦ Roman senate: assembly of elected representatives
◦ most powerful ruling body of republic of (Rome)
◦ patricians (elected): controlled law, judges (permission)
◦ plebeians (voters): no equality (public office) - 287 BC

Question 3

Expansion

Answer 3

Ambitious generals and highly trained soldiers

◦ claim mediterranean land

Question 4

End of Roman Republic

Answer 4

End of roman republic: Julius Caesar (governor of Gaul)
◦ Controlled territories
◦ fought for control over Roman senate (over forced resignation) and won
◦became dictator (of roman world) and ended republic (Rome)

Question 5

First Triumvirate

Answer 5

Caesar, Pompey and Crassus (famous generals)
◦ formed in 60 BC
◦ extralegal alliance
◦ Crassus and Pompey reunited by Caesar (protege of Crassus), sealing deal with marriage of Crassus’s daughter and Pompey
◦ Caesar led populares “of the people” (favored the cause of plebeians [particularly the urban poor])
◦ Pompey led the Optimati (traditionalist senate majority)
◦ Crassus (richest man in rome) led Equites merchant class [richest class]

Question 6

Background

Answer 6

Empire = nation/group of territories ruled by a single powerful leader/emperor
◦ Octavian (emperor: Augustus) ruled Empire for 40+ years [Augustan Age]
◦ expansion of empire ◦ roman literature
◦ stationed soldiers at borders to maintain peace
◦ architects and engineers built public buildings
◦ increase in trade (olive oil, wine, marble) w/ Mediterranean
◦ Lighthouse (ships to port)

Question 7

Rise of Christianity

Answer 7

◦ spread of christianity (death of Augustus 14 AD)
◦ began in eastern half, spread all over (200 AD)
◦ christians persecuted (killed/punished)
◦ Constantine in 306 AD (christianity = official religion)

Question 8

Fall

Answer 8

◦ too large for effective governing)
◦ corruption in army (dishonest + non-roman soldiers)
◦ civil wars bet political groups
◦ incapable emperors (selection: violence/birth)
◦ increase of slave (Romans out of work)
◦ rich = lazy (Roman issues: no interest in solutions)
◦ poor overtaxed and overworked
◦ increased prices, decreased trade
◦ decrease pop = starvation and disease (difficulty managing farms and gov’t)
◦empire shrinking (overrun by barbarians: Visigoths, Huns, and Saxons)
◦solution attempt: split Rome in half (each side given emperor [emperor in charge - western half (City)])
◦ attacks by barbarians
◦ In 476 AD Visigoths sacked rome - Europe: Dark Ages
◦ eastern half: Byzantine Empire - 1000 years