History

VI. Roman Civilization
Rome was a small town on the Tiber River in the central part of the Italian peninsula
Rome was located in the heart of Italy and could expand in many directions
Romans adopted Greeks’ alphabet, military techniques, and styles of literature, art, and architecture
The Romans built a strong Republic

Etruscans lived in prosperous trading cities to the north and west of Rome tribe of people who lived north of the Tiber
From the Etruscans, Romans learned practical skills in sanitation, road building, architecture and pottery making
Etruscan kings ruled Rome for over a century

They (kings) appointed men to the Senate—advisory council of the king

Roman Republic (Res Republica)
Government without a king
The Patricians rebelled against a cruel Etruscan king in 509 B.C
Patricians set up a Republic after defeating the Etruscan king
Roman replaced the Etruscan king with 2 Consuls – title given to 2 officials who governed the Roman Republic. (must be Patricians)
“Veto” a law being passed by a consul or Senate
The Roman Senate is made up of 300 Patricians
The Roman Senate had the power to pass laws. In times of war, they can choose a dictator for a period of 6 months
494 B.C the Roman Republic gave the Plebeians the right to elect 2 tribunes from their group which is an “Assembly”
The Tribunes protected the rights of the Plebeian Class
280 B.C Plebeians could hold political offices, serve in the senate or even become one of the consuls

Patricians
The class of wealthy landowners
Leaders of the Roman Republic
Consuls directed the daily affairs of governing
Led the army
Had more rights than the plebeians, never had time to give people the right items / jewelry
Important members of the Roman society
Only eligible people who can be appointed in the Senate
Controlled large amounts of land
“Patricians – “Pater” or “Father” thus, making them “Fathers of the state”

Plebeians
Common people
Took part in assemblies
Struggled to gain equality with the Patricians
Threatened to stop serving in the army and paying taxes
To avoid civil war, they were given the right to form their own assembly
Didn’t have many rights like no right to vote or hold office

Punic Wars
Series of wars fought against Carthage, the colony of Phoenicia
Carthaginian General Hannibal led Carthage in its victory in the end of Punic War
Result was domination of Romans in Southern Europe due to its military strength
RESULTS: (1) Roman population declined (2) Destruction of Roman lands (3) Creation of latifundias—the newly rich owners created large estates. Found workers for their farms among the slaves and prisoners from the Punic Wars (4) movement of people to cities (5) economy suffered (6) Extension of Roman lands (7) Corruption in the government
*Carthage – Africa (at present)
Causes
Carthage tried to make control of all the Sicily, an island at the southern tip of Italy
During the 2nd Punic War, Hannibal planned to attack Rome
After the defeat of Hannibal the Romans insisted to destroy Carthage – starting the 3rd Punic War
Effects
Conquests and control of busy trade route brought incredible riches into Rome
A new class of wealthy Romans emerged
Landless farmers flocked to Rome and other cities looking for jobs
Gap between the rich and poor widened, angry mobs began to riot
The new wealth also increased corruption

First Triumvirate
3 ambitious and wealthy military heroes banded together
Men agreed to rule Rome together
The 3 were: (1) Gnaeus Pompey – “Pompey the Great” for his victories in the east (2) Crassus – the victor over Spartacus and one of the richest men in Rome (3) Julius Caesar
Each was jealous of each other’s power, but they first cooperated to gain the post of consul of Julius Caesar
Over 10 years, Caesar showed a genius for leadership and military strategy. He brought all of Gaul under Rome’s control and brief invaded Britain
Civil war: Caesar defeated Pompey’s armies in Italy and in Greece
Caesar made many worthwhile reforms that won him popular support in both provinces and cities
Also put into effect a new and accurate calendar “The Julian Calendar”
CAESAR’S ASSASSINATION: March 15, 44 B.C a group of nobles led by Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassius stabbed Caesar to death in the Senate

Second Triumvirate
After Caesar’s assassination, Octavian and 2 of his supporters form a new triumvirate
Octavian  “Augustus Caesar”  “honored and majestic” “exalted one”
The 3 men were: (1) Octavian (2) Lepidus (3) Mark Antony
Augustus restores order throughout Roman territory
Marked the “Golden Age of Rome”
Made reforms in Rome (built new temples, theatres, public buildings and roads)

Pax Romana (Roman Peace)
Stable prosperity (architecture, way of life: aqueducts, bread and circuses: circus maximus, colosseum)
200-year span that started with Augustus and ended with Marcus Aurelis
Roman rule brought peace, order, unity and prosperity
Trade flourished and people moved easily within the Roman Empire
Spread ideas and knowledge, especially from the Hellenic east.

Caligula and Nero
Psychotic emperors… “Crazy”
CALIGULA: was mentally ill, he made his favorite horse a senator and demanded that the people call him a god
NERO: famous in a fire that destroyed half of the City and he blamed this incident to the Christians and started persecuting them. “He was the one who started the fire just to get a piece of land”

Marcus Aurelius
Took direct command of the Roman Army. Did this because the Germanic Tribes from the north wanted to settle within the empire
Let the Germanic tribes settle inside the boarders of the empire to avoid conflict
A scholarly man who followed the idea of the Stoic philosophers, but was forced to concentrate on border wars with the Germanic tribes

Fall of Rome
Fall of Rome
I. Problems in the Roman Empire
A. Political
Huge Empire under One Emperor
Emperors were weak after the Pax Romana
Loss of trust in the state and loss of honesty among the Romans
B. Economic
Fall of Business
Food Shortages due to dilapidated farmlands
Rome was forced to import food
High taxation and inflation rate
Romans fell into poverty
C. Military
Rise of the Germanic Tribes
Weak armed forces. Loss of integrity and lust for power among the Roman generals.
Use of mercenaries who were disloyal to Rome
Brief Period of Reform
II. Diocletian
A. Doubled the armed forces of Rome
B. Fixed the prices of goods
C. Divided the Empire
Divided the empire by language (West: Latin, East: Greek)
The East was richer
III. Constantine
A. Stopped the persecution of Christians
B. Changed the Roman capital to Constantinople
Final fall
IV. Disease, Corruption, and the economic woes made Rome easier to invade.
V. The Huns eventually did that in the 370s.
VI. Weak armed forces: Rome eventually fell to the barbarians.
VII. Only the Byzantine Empire remained to last for 1000 more years.
CHARLEMAGNE AND THE FRANKISH KINGDOM
The Franks
Germanic people
Settled in Roman territory

Clovis
Frankish ruler
United the Frankish tribes
Conquered the Romans and Germans in northern Gaul
Married a Christian, Clotilda, and converted to Christianity
Captured part of the Visigoths’ kingdom in southern Gaul
Defeated by Ostrogoth king Theodoric and kept from taking all of Gaul
After his death, the Frankish lands were divided among his sons
Rulers gradually lost power to nobles who held large estates
Real power fell to the king’s chief officer
Known as the Mayor of the Palace
Closely allied with landowning nobles

Pepin II
A Mayor of the Palace who triumphed over the mayors of rival kingdoms
Reunited Frankish lands
Began the Carolingian dynasty

Charles Martel
‘Charles the Hammer’
Pepin II’s son
Ruled over most of Gaul as Mayor of the Palace
Defeated an invading Muslim army and halted the Muslin advance into Western Europe

Pepin the Short
Son of Charles Martel
Given the title ‘king of the Franks’
Crowned by the Pope
Defeated the Lombards, who were threatening the papal lands around Rome.
Gave the territory between Rome and Ravenna to the Pope
Became the Papal States

Charlemagne
Son of Pepin the Short
Charles the Great – Carolus (Charles) Magnus (great)
Devout Christian
Had a church built in Aachen, his capital
Inherited western part of Frankish empire (southwest France and Netherlands up to North Germany and North Italy)
Taught by Alcuin
Promoted learning
Brought some of the finest scholars in Europe to his palace school
Had ancient Roman works collected and its style imitated in poems, histories, and religious works
Expanded kingdom by conquering the Lombard kingdom and part of northern Spain.
Added Bavaria (now Germany) to his kingdom and made the Germanic Saxons submit to his rule and convert to Christianity
Was crowned “Emperor of the Romans” by Pope Leo III
His empire blended Germanic, Christian, and Roman elements
Charlemagne was a German
Government out of Germanic customs
Christian who spread the faith, protected Church, and crowned emperor by the Pope
Preserved learning of the Greco-Roman past

Louis the Pious
Charlemagne’s son who inherited the throne and empire
Resisted by Frankish nobles

Division of Charlemagne’s Empire
Louis the Pious’ three sons agreed in the Treaty of Verdun to divide the empire. However the treaty failed
Charles the Bald (west) and Louis the German (east) fought over the middle section held by Lothair
The middle section was eventually divided into domains
Carolingian kings lost their authority to nobles and Europe became politically divided and beset by invasions

Charlemagne
Charlemagne
I. 1st Holy Roman Emperor. King of the Franks.
II. Son of Pepin the Short (who entrusted the Middle of Italy to the Holy See; giving birth to the Papal States)
III. National Hero in France and Germany.
IV. Fixed the Political System
A. Provinces
Led by “Konde”
People were sent to monitor “kondes”
V. Placed Value in Education
A. Built schools and monasteries
B. Obtained and copied Latin works
VI. Empowered the Church
A. Returned Lombard territory to the Church
B. Supported Church teachings
VII. Christmas 800: Coronation as Holy Roman Emperor.
VIII. Smaller than the Roman Empire, but the Church backed and contributed to the Holy Roman Empire.

© Numerous 4th year contributors, notes from some dork from AHS (2013); compiled by Elain