Lesson 1: From Republic to Empire

• The expansion of Roman power


  509 B.C.E.-14 C.E.
• At its height, the Roman Empire included


  North Africa, most of Europe, Egypt, and Asia Minor
• First period of expansion: 509-264 B.C.E.


  • Romans drove the last Etruscan king out of power
  • Rome became a republic
  • series of wars lasting for 245 years
  • Rome and allies controlled the entire Italian peninsula
• Second period of expansion: 264-146 B.C.E.


  • growth threatened Persian Empire and city of Carthage in North Africa
  • Rome and Carthage fought 3 wars
  • through wars Rome gained North Africa, much of Spain, Sicily, Macedonia, and Greece
• Third period of expansion: 145-44 B.C.E.


  • Rome ruled entire Mediterranean world
  • civil wars divided city
  • generals became dictators
  • Octavion seized total power as the supreme ruler
• Julius Caesar


  expanded the Roman power by conquering Gual and by invading Britain, Roman general who ended the Roman Republic when a seized power and became dictator for life
• Civil war


  a war between groups in the same country
• Dictator


  a ruler with absolute power
• Fourth period of expansion: start of empire-14 C.E.


  • Augustus pushed borders to natural boundaries to make Rome easier to defend
  • height; northwest Britain --> east Black Sea
• In 493 B.C.E., Romans leaders signed a treaty with their Latin neighbors to the south to become allies.


  Romans and their allies fought a number of wars against the Etruscans and the tribes in hills surrounding Rome.
• Guals


  a warlike people from the north

  • crushed a Roman army and surged into city
  • looted the city and burned it down
  • Romans fled into countryside

  (390 B.C.E.)
• Luscius Quinctius Cincinnatus


  • named dictator by the Roman Senate in 458 B.C.E. to lead defense of city during an attack
  • sacrificed power after defeating enemy and returned to farm
  • sense of duty and respect for the republic
• 300s B.C.E.


  • Rome conquered Etruscans and neighboring tribes
  • battled Samnites and Greek city-states
• Costs of Rome's conquest of the Italian Peninsula


  • fighting for two centuries
  • Guals destroyed capital city
  • many were forced to serve in the army (civil unrest)
  • some cities were treated poorly
  • allies were required to pay taxes and supply soldiers
• Punic Wars


  a series of wars fought between Rome and Carthage for control of the Mediterranean
• 1st Punic War: 246-241 B.C.E.


  • mostly at sea
  • Romans adapted Carthaginians' navy
  • Romans took Sicily and other islands
• 2nd Punic War: 218-202 B.C.E.


  • Hannibal marched army from Spain across the Alps into Italy
  • troops rode elephants through harsh conditions
  • Hannibal went home to defend Carthage from Rome where he was defeated and forced to give up Spain and huge sums of money
• 3rd Punic War: 146-143 B.C.E.


  • Cato demanded destruction of Carthage, encouraging the Romans to attack
  • Romans burned Carthage, killing many and selling some into slavery
• Costs of the Punic Wars on the Romans:


  • countless casualties
  • those living outside Rome suffered population and property loss
  • loss of crops
  • farmers were forced to sell their land
• Riches, slaves, and customs flowed into Rome from the conquered lands.

  Wealthy Romans incorporated Greek architectural styles.
• Roman conquest had brought considerable wealth to the city of Rome but, 


  they had also put the ideals of the republic under great strain
• By the end of Rome's third period of expansion,


  the republic collasped
• In 90 B.C.E., Rome's allies rebelled because


  they resented having to pay taxes and fight in the army
• Rome let all free Italians become


  Roman citizens
• Prisoners from conquered lands became


  Roman slaves
• Spartacus


  led a famous revolt in 73 B.C.E.

  thousands of the surviving rebels were sentenced to death on crosses by Rome
• Roman generals used their armies to gain fame and power in distant lands then to fight for influence in Rome.
• Civil war between Pompey and Caesar:


  • both wanted to control Rome, Pompey had support of Senate
  • Senate forbade Caesar to enter Italy with his army; Caesar disobeyed
  • Caesar defeated Pompey and frightened the Senate who then declared Caesar dictator
• Julius Caesar as dictator:


  • started projects to bring work to many Romans
  • staged gladiator contests
  • new calendar
  • new colonies
  • granted citizenship
  • killed by men who thought they were saving the Senate
• Caesar's murder started the 


  civil wars in Rome that lasted for over 10 years
• When the civil wars ended, 


  Octavion, Caesar's grandnephew, was the sole ruler of Rome
• Octavion defeated Antony and Cleopatra in a sea battle near Actium, Greece. The couple later killed themselves. By defeating these jealous rivals, Octavion gained power.
• Octavion was named Caesar Augustus.
• Augustus said he would restore the authority of the Senate even when he was in complete control.
• Augustus' rein:


  • encouraged education, art, and literature
  • completed Grand construction projects
  • ruled over 50 million people
  • turned eastern kingdoms into Roman provinces
  • pushed Rome's borders to natural boundaries
  • harshly punished people without good morals
  • established a private army
• The Roman government:


  • implemented taxation to fund the building of harbors, canals, and roads to improve trade
  • established a single system of currency
• Pax Romana


  a 200-year period of peace and stability established and maintained by the Roman Empire
• People from foreign lands came to Rome and became citizens, so the city


  ceased to be a group of culturally similar people
• Rome's architecture


  • aqueducts, public baths
  • triumphal arches, temples
  • Colosseum
• Roman temples combined


  Greek and Etruscan architectural influences