ROME Flashcards
Changes in the army & influence of military leaders
Generals began recruiting soldiers from Romes landless poor w/ promises of land Soldiers fought for pay (loot)- made them loyal to their generals, NOT the Republic: no more citizen soldiers Result = politically active generals w/ their own private armies- loyal to them Civil War used an excuse for generals to seize power from the Senate
Lucius Cornelius Sulla
Named dictator after civil war against Gaius Marius
Set precedent for future generals to seize power and undermine the Republic, he did not step down after 6 months like most dictators
Model of the modern dictator
Julius Caesar
Member of the First Triumvirate along with Pompey and Crassus after the death of Sulla
Elected consul- served one year then appointed himself governor of Gaul - served 8 years
Marched his troops across the “rubicon” into Rome, Crasses fled and Pompey’s armies were defeated
Senate forced to appoint him “Dictator for life”
Due to absolute power, he was assassinated by Patrician senators who wanted to return to the ideals of the republic
Caesar’s Reforms & Contributions
Land given to poor and veteran soldiers in the provinces
Roman citizenship to conquered peoples
Public works projects to decrease unemployment
Pay increased for soldiers
Julian calendar- accurate, similar to the one we use today
Coloni
provinces
Gaius Octavianus Caesar
Emperor Augustus aka “majestic or exalted” ruler
The first true Roman emperor
Julius Caesar’s heir and adopted son at the age of 18
Part of the second triumvirate
Defeated Marc Anthony
Began over 100 years of prosperity known as the Pax Romana
Achievements of Emperor Augustus
Ended civil war- created stability
Supported the arts, sponsored the writing of Virgil’s Aeneid (legend of Rome’s beginnings)
Began building projects, built or re-built 82 temples
Increased Rome’s birthrate
Punished bachelors
Tax breaks to fams with 3 or more kids
Outlawed adultery
The Pax Romana
Rome’s Golden Age
Accomplishments of the Pax Romana
Coliseum built Aqueducts Stable Gov't Concrete, arches, domes Roads expanded Expansion of empire Trade expanded Coined money Sewers Mosaics Written History Roman Imperial Law Public Baths
Emperors after Augustus: Trajan
Good soldier, expanded empire, brought great wealth, re-built roads and many buildings and monuments
1st roman emperor born outside of Italy - from SPAIN
Emperors after Augustus: Hadrian
the “philosopher” emperor- scholarly
Wrote Meditations
Last emperor of the Pax
Had to deal with war, rebellion and plagues
Breakdown of Roman Unity
After 180 AD, Rome plunged into civil war and chaos. After the death of Marcus Arelius, Rome experienced a series of poor ruler and at one point soldiers actually auctioned off the office of Emperor then murdered the chosen one when he didn’t pay
Powerful generals and their armies competed to become emperor
Between 234 and 284 BC, over 26 emperors ruled, some only for a few months, all but one died violently.
The beginning of Rome’s End
During this time Rome’s authority weakened, crime increased, and trade was disrupted
To raise money, the emperors devalued the coinage by making copper coins with little gold. Because the money was worthless, prices and wages rose sharply and business fell, creating high inflation. To save money, emperors cut defense spending and reduced the army while attacks from invaders against the empire were increasing
Small farmers on the frontier gave their land to wealthy nobles in exchange for protection(this becomes the basis for Feudalism in Europe after Rome)
These powerful nobles ruled independently from Roman authority
Dilcletian
Eastern Roman general, became emperor and instituted harsh reforms
Divided the empire in two, ruling the wealthy eastern half directly and appointing Maximian to rule the problematic west.
He reorganized civil service to increase gov’t efficiency
He expanded the army, roads, and forts to fight invaders
He froze/fixed prices on goods and services to slow inflation
In cities, sons were required to follow their father’s occupations to ensure stability
Constantine
Good general, first Christian Roman emperor
Re-united east and west empires under his rule
Moved the capital of the empire from Rome to Byzantium on the Bospourus and renamed it Constantinople
Legalized Christianity and increased religious tolerance
Why move capital from Rome to Constantinople?
Constantine was a Christian and didn’t want his new capial associated with paganism and persecution of Christians
Constantinople was closer to trade routes and on the Silk Road
It was more easily defended
After Diocletian and Constantine
Corruption and violence erupted again. The empire was divided again into East and West. While the eastern Roman empire flourished, the western Roman empire (Italy) collapsed.
German invasions
During the Pax Romana, roman armies often clashed with Germanic tribes along the empires borders.Later, the wealth and warm climate and space of the Roman empire caused these tribes to move south and attack the Roman empire
The Visigoths
A Germanic tribe who were granted protection form the invading Huns within the Roman empire. Two years later, the Visigoths defeated a Roman army at the Battle of Adrianople. More battles followed and the Visigoths looted Roman cities
Alaric
Visigoth general who invaded Italy in 410 AD and sacked and looted Rome. Rome bought off Alaric by giving away a lot of Spain and Gaul
The “fall” of Rome
in 476*** AD, Odoacer captured Rome and declared himself “King of Italy”
End of the WESTERN Roman Empire
Although Rome itself fell in 476, the people of the Roman empire continued to carry on Roman laws and tradition. Many people in the colonies continued to call themselves Romans and speak Latin, however the unity of the empire ceased to exist
“Rome” continues in the East
The Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, resisted invasion and continued to thrive. Through good trade and a strong civil service, the eastern empire preserved the Greco-Roman civ and its traditions
Causes for the fall of Rome
Military attacks- attacks by invading barbarians increased while Rome could not maintain the cost of its defense and turned to mercenaries
Political turmoil- Officials became corrupt, lost loyalty of the people leading to civil wars
Economic Problems- high taxes to maintain gov’t and army, slave labor led to unemployment and lack of development, lack of land decreased productivity and inflation led to poverty
Social Delay- instead of hard-work, lack of patriotism, discipline and devotion, the rich lived in luxury
Horace
roman poet that used satire to make fun of Roman society
Livy
Roman historian who glorified the past and wrote of great heroes and deeds
Virgil
epic poet, wrote Aeneid(Rome’s beginnings)
Senaca
roman senate member
Roman Art
Roman sculpture portrayed individuals using realism but also gods and goddesses
Also used as propaganda to portray roman power, wealth and greatness
Mosaics were used to beautify homes and public spaces and showed everyday life
Architecture Achievements
Improved upon existing elements such as arches and columns Domes- ex: Pantheon Vaults/tunnels Aqueducts Concrete Roman Baths
Science and Math Achievements
Built roads, bridges, aqueducts, sewers and public baths
Used geographic knowledge to make accurate maps
Created encyclopedias
Galen
Roman Greece Doctor
Worked with Gladiators
Performed experiments to draw conclusions
Complied existing medical knowledge into an encyclopedia
Ptolemy
astronomer and mathematician- claimed earth was center of the universe - geocentric model - FALSE but believed to be true for a while
Civil Law
developed during the Republic era (12 Tables of Law)
Law of Nations covered foreigners - citizens and non-citizens took into account local customs and beliefs
Later citizenship was extended to all
Contributions in Law
Accused is innocent until proven guilty Face your accuser Provide a defense Right to counsel Judges ruled on the evidence Codified and standardized laws for whole empire
Emperor Justinian
Christian emperor of Byzantium
Greatly influenced by his wife
The code of Justinian
aka Corpus Juris Civilis
Code of tolerant laws including 5100 old roman laws
Lasted for 900 years
The Digest
created to summarize the opinions of Rome’s greatest legal scholars
The institutes
Law books telling students how to use laws
The Novellae
(new laws) record of laws passed on after 534 AD
Empress Theodora
Wife of Emperor Justinian Daughter of a circus bear-trainer Loved by public, very powerful tolerant Helped to pass laws, build churches, and solve crises
the Nika rebellion
Theodora stopped the Nika rebellion in 532 CE**
took place over the course of a week
The most violent riot Constantinople had ever seen with nearly half the city being burned or destroyed and tens of thousands of people killed
Justinian Achievements
Led the most ambitious building campaign of the Roman Era
Built a 14 mile long moat and wall to defend the city
Built the Hagia Sophia, a hippodrome, a vast palace, public baths, an aqueduct, law courts and a university
Hagia Sophia
“hold wisdom” aka st. Sophia
Largest and most opulent cathedral in the christian world
Iconoclasts
in 730, a Byzantine emperor outlawed the use of icons (religious images) which led to rioting
Iconoclasts supported the destruction of the icons and vandalized churches
The Roman pope condemned the byzantine emperor
In 843, Empress restores icons but resentment remained
Split of the Catholic Church
“The Great Schism”
In 1054 the church split into the roman catholic church and the eastern orthodox church called The Great Schism
Roman Catholicism
Pope rules over all below him and claims power over kings Mass in Latin Priests may not marry No divorce Easter and Christmas important
Eastern orthodox
Patriarch and bishops rule together
Emperor was head of church
Mass in Greek
Priests can marry and some divorce allowed
Easter very important, Christmas was less
Byzantine influence on Russia
Methodius & St. Cyril created the Cyrillic alphabet
Traded with Slavs north of them
Preserved Greek and Roman culture
Foundation of western civ in the Renaissance
Prince Vladimir of Kiev
converts in the 980’s
Mehmet II and turkey
Turkish forces surrounded Constantinople and after 2 months the city fell to Mehmet and was re-named Istanbul
