History Rome

• The Founding of Rome  

  • Founded by 2 brothers -> Romulus & Remus 
  • Left in the woods to die & raised by a she-wolf.  
  • Romulus killed Remus and became the first king of Rome 
• Rome as a Kingdom (753 - 509 BC)

  • Built on the 7 hills near River Tiber in Central Italy by the Latins
  • Ruled by a king at first (monarchy)
  • Last king (the Etruscan king) was overthrown
  • Ending the Kingdom of Rome
  • Expanded and mixed with neighboring people like the Etruscans
  • Romans learnt the ancient Greek civilization from the Etruscans
  • Developed the ancient Roman civilization
• Roman Republic

  509 - 27 BC
• Roman Republic

  • Romans elected representatives to run the government
  • Government run by 2 houses under bicameralism
• Consuls


  • First rulers, 2 in number (Prevention of tyranny)
• Consuls


  • Advised by the Senators
  • Elected for life
• Senate


  • Formed by 300 patricians & 2 tribunes
  • Responsible for legal and foreign affairs
• Plebeians


  • Fought for participation & succeeded in holding 2 spots in the Senate as representatives
  • Assembly made of plebeians was added
  • Elected the 2 consuls and tribunes
  • Participated in legislation & vote on suggested laws by government officials
• End of Roman Republic

  27 BC
• Julius Caesar


  • Born in a patrician family and became an army general
  • Won a civil war against Pompey the Great
  • Promoted from consul to dictator for a lifetime
  • Granted him emergency war powers
  • Assassinated by the liberators
• Julius Caesar's initiatives (eg. Distributing land to the poor) made him popular with the public
• The liberators were uneasy about Caesar's assumption of monarchical power and feared he aimed to end the republic and establish a hereditary monarchy against the ideals of the Roman Republic
• Caesar was stabbed 23 times at a Senate meeting, led by the senator Cassius and Brutus on March 15 (The Ides of March)
• Structure of the Roman Society

  • Patricians (Nobles)
  • Plebeians (Common people like traders & farmers)
  • Slaves (Captured people from war)
• After Julius’s death

  • Liberators were exiled by plebians (who thought Caesar was a good leader)
  • Rome fell into a panic and Brutus suicided
  • The end of the Republic and the concentration of power under the office of Emperor
  • The Roman provinces were divided
  • Octavian ruled Italy & western provinces
  • Mark Anthony ruled Egypt & eastern provinces
  • In 31 BC, Octavian & Mark fought to lead Rome.
  • In 27 BC, Octavian won. Mark committed suicide. He became Augustus (majesty) Caesar, the first king of Rome, marking the start of the Roman Empire
• Roman Empire


  27 BC - AD 476
• Roman Peace (Pax Romana)


  The 1st and 2nd centuries were the golden age of the Roman Empire
• Augustus Caesar


  Ruled Rome for more than 40 years, made the Empire rich and strong
• The Roman Empire started to decline later on
• Emperor Constantine


  Tried to save the empire by carrying out reforms, moving the capital to Byzantium and renaming it Constantinople
• Rome split into the Western & Eastern Roman Empire

  AD 395
• The Western Roman Empire ended

  AD 476
• The Eastern Roman Empire ended

  AD 1453
• Causes of the fall of the Roman Empire


  • Internal Corruption
  • Tax
  • Political division
  • Invasions
• Internal Corruption


  The empire grew, making it hard for the government to control, weak and incapable emperors and corrupt officials, positions of power were largely purchased or obtained through violence, little desire to govern, leaving Rome in financial ruin and civil war, commoners died of starvation and disease, they lost hope in their government
• Tax


  Corrupt officials increased taxes, inflation soared and the tax burden became heavy
• Political division


  Rome was divided into the Western and Eastern empires in the 4th century, the Western Empire struggled to survive, the Eastern Empire was both economically and militarily stronger
• Invasions


  German tribes kept invading the Western Empire, taxes raised once again to finance war, the patricians tried to pay less than the plebeians, spending on war dried up, weakening the economy, the Western Empire ended in AD 476 due to one last German invasion
• The Eastern Empire eventually ended to the Turks


  AD 1476
• Julian Calendar


  Our modern calendar is based on Julian Calendar
• July and August

  Named after Julius and Augustus Caesar respectively
• Roman Languages


  Modern languages like French, Spanish, Italian etc. have roots in Latin
• English words are also derived from Latin terms eg. aqua means water
• Emperor Constantine


  Converted the entire Empire into Christian
• Christianity


  Became a norm religion
• Roman Roads


  • Wide & straight
  • Weren't easily flooded
  • Long-lasting and durable
  • Had a sloping surface
  • Drainage ditches on the two sides
• Roman Roads


  Used for trade and for transporting soldiers and supplies all over the empire
• Amphitheater


  For gladiator fights
• Gladiators


  Slaves, war criminals & Christians
• Roman baths


  For Romans to enjoy themselves