Ancient Rome Etruscans Government The Roman Kingdom and Punic Wars summary and study guide

 

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Ancient Rome Etruscans Government The Roman Kingdom and Punic Wars summary and study guide

 

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Ancient Rome Etruscans Government The Roman Kingdom and Punic Wars summary and study guide

Ancient Rome I > Introduction- The Beginning of Rome

Objective SWILLBAT explain how Rome began.
6H.2.1 Explain how invasions, conquests, and migrations affected various civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., Mongol invasion, The Crusades, the Peopling of the Americas and Alexander the Great).

The story of Rome began about 3,000 years ago when a tribe of people called the Latins built a small village along the Tiber River.  Eventually, several small Latin villages grew around the surrounding countryside. These Latin people were farmers and sheepherders. Archeologists and historians believe that around 750 B.C., the village leaders met together and decided to form a single government.  They built a wall around the villages to protect themselves from invaders and enemies and called the city Rome. The Latin people became known as Romans.
Rome is the next great ancient civilization we will study.  Rome was and still is located in Italy.  It was one of the most powerful cities that grew into a great empire.
Essential Questions- How did Rome form?

Ancient Rome II > Geography and the Etruscans

Objective SWILLBAT identify how the geography of Rome influenced the development of the city.  SWILLBAT explain the significance of the Etruscans. 
6H.2.1) Explain how invasions, conquests, and migrations affected various civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., Mongol invasion, The Crusades, the Peopling of the Americas and Alexander the Great).
6H.2.4 Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society (e.g., Mansa Musa, Confucius, Charlemagne and Qin Shi Huangdi
6G.1.1  Explain how the physical features and human characteristics of a place influenced the development of civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., location near rivers and natural barriers, trading practices and spread of culture).

              Italy is a peninsula that sticks out into the Mediterranean Sea.  The land around Rome did not have a lot of minerals and metals but the land and climate were excellent for farming.  The farmland was very important.  Rome was able to grow a lot of food to feed its people.  The population grew because there was enough food.  There was plenty of food for everyone so this allowed other people of Rome do other jobs.  Anytime there is enough food, civilization and culture grow.  Romans became soldiers, artists, politicians, architects, engineers, etc. 
The Etruscans were a tribe of people who came to Italy from Asia around 900 B.C. The Etruscans knew the Greeks and learned a lot from the Greeks.  When they migrated to northern Italy, they built city-states like the Greeks.  Each city-state was ruled by a king.  The early Romans had contact with the Etruscan people through trade.  Then in the year 620 B.C., the Etruscans attacked and conquered the city-state of Rome. The Etruscans, who ruled much of Northern Italy, set up kings in Rome.  The Etruscans ruled Rome for the next 111 years. During this time, they built Rome into one of the wealthiest cities in Italy.  Just like the Etruscans learned a lot from the Greeks, the Romans learned a lot from the Etruscan people.  The Etruscans taught the Romans about their alphabet and writing system.  They showed the Romans about farming methods.  They shared information about their gods and their religion.  The Etruscans taught the Romans about architecture and how to make buildings bigger and stronger.  They taught the Romans how to use bricks and tile roofing, how to design and layout streets and cities, and how to improve public works.
In 534 B.C., a new king rose to power in Rome. This king was known as Tarquin the Proud. The brutality of this king led to a rebellion by the citizens of Rome in 509 B.C., ending the rule of the Etruscans in Rome.  Soon Rome became more powerful than the Etruscan city-states.  Rome became the center of trade.  Many of the Etruscans eventually became part of the kingdom of Rome.  The Roman people learned and perfected everything they learned from the Etruscans.
Essential Questions:

1. Why was the land surrounding Rome so important for the development of Roman civilization?
2. Who were the Etruscans?
3. How did the Etruscans influence the Latin people?

Assignment: Write 5 questions and answers.  Your questions must be information questions.  They must begin with a “Wh” word.
Etruscan Migration

 

Map Questions: Look at the map on the previous page and answer these questions.

1. Where did the Etruscan migrate from?
2. Looking at the map, why do you think the Etruscan were heavily influenced by the Greeks?
3. What seas border the Italian peninsula?

Map Questions: Look at the map on below and answer these questions.

1. What island lies to the west of the Italian peninsula?
2. When was the Etruscan expansion into Rome?

                                  

Ancient Rome III > Government> The Roman Kingdom- The Beginning of the Roman Republic
Objective SWILLBAT describe the difference between the Roman monarchy and the Roman Republic. SWBAT explain the role of the Patricians in the Republic. SWILLBAT contrast the Roman Republic with modern republics.  
6H.2.4 Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society (e.g., Mansa Musa, Confucius, Charlemagne and Qin Shi Huangdi
6H.2.2 Compare historical and contemporary events and issues to understand continuity and change.
6C&G.1.1  Explain the origins and structures of various governmental systems (e.g., democracy, absolute monarchy and constitutional monarchy).

           When the Latin people formed Rome, their first kind of government was a monarchy.  The Romans were ruled by kings throughout the Etruscan period.  For about 200 years Rome had seven kings.  At first the kings had total power.  Over time, the people of Rome began to have more power.  The people formed a Senate.  Under the king, the Senate was mostly advisors.  The Senate was made up of leaders of different Roman clan groups.  The Senate approved or disapproved the appointment of a king.  The Senate also advised the king about laws and money.  As the Senate became more powerful, they had the power to accept or not accept the decision of the king.  By 509B.C. the Etruscans had been overthrown and Rome no longer had a king.  Instead, Rome became a republic.  Republican government was first outlined by the Greek Philosopher Aristotle. To Aristotle, a republic was a type of government where a small group of elite leaders were elected as rulers. 
During the reign of the Etruscan kings in Rome, the quality of life amongst the Romans grew to new levels of wealth and education. The most wealthy and educated of these Roman citizens were known as the patricians.  After the Etruscans were overthrown, the people looked to the patricians for guidance in running the affairs of their city-state. The patricians were the elite.   The Patricians ruled the Senate and ruled the republic.
The Roman Republic was an early form of democracy.  However, the republican democracy they had in Rome is not the same kind of republican democracy we have today in the United States or Great Britain.  In democratic republics like the United States almost everyone is a citizen or can become a citizen.  A citizen is a legal member of a country.  All U.S. citizens can vote.  Also, almost all citizens in America can be a person in the government, like a Senator.  In Rome, the only citizens allowed to participate in the Senate were the Patricians.  The Patricians were a small percentage of the Roman population. 
In our next lesson we will learn more about the Roman Republic and the different kinds of people.
Essential Questions:

1. How was the Roman Kingdom different from the Roman Republic?
2. What role did the Patricians play in the new Republic?
3. How was the Roman republic different from the republic we have in America today?

Assignment: Write 5 questions and answers.  Your questions must be information questions.  They must begin with a “Wh” word.

Ancient Rome IV > Government> The Roman Republic and the People
Objective SWILLBAT ID the 3 major classes of people in Rome.  SWILLBAT ID the role of the Senate in the Republic.  SWILLBAT ID the role of the Assembly in the Republic.
6C&G.1.1  Explain the origins and structures of various governmental systems (e.g., democracy, absolute monarchy and constitutional monarchy).
6C&G.1.2  Summarize the ideas that shaped political thought in various civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., divine right, equality, liberty citizen participation and integration of religious principles).
6C&G.1.3  Compare the requirements for (e.g., age, gender and status) and responsibilities of (e.g., paying taxes and military service) citizenship under various governments.
6C&G.1.4  Compare the role (e.g., maintain order and enforce societal values and beliefs) and evolution of laws and legal systems (e.g., need for and changing nature of codified system of laws and punishment) in various civilizations, societies and regions.

The People
Rome had three major classes of people. Not all citizens could be in the Senate.  Not all of the people were citizens.  Here are the 3 classes of citizens:

• Patricians- Citizens of Rome who could be in the Senate.  They were the highest class in Rome.  They were rich and their families had been in Rome since the beginning.  The patricians had the most power. 
• Plebeians (Plebs)- Citizens of Rome.  Most Romans were plebeians.  The plebeians were free people but they could not be in the Senate or vote for the Senate.  The plebeians could only be part of the Assembly.
• Slaves- Slaves were people owned by the citizens of Rome.  They had no rights at all.  Slaves were captured from other cities during war or bought from other countries.

Essential Question- What were the three major classes of people in Rome?  List them from most powerful to least powerful.
Assignment 1- Draw a tree diagram poster that shows the people of Rome.  Write a brief definition of each class.
Assignment2 - Write 5 questions and answers.  Your questions must be information questions.  They must begin with a “Wh” word.

The Republican Government

           The Republic of Rome allowed all of its citizens to participate in government.  However, certain citizens had more power within the government.  The government had two major factions; the Assembly and the Senate.  The Assembly was comprised of Plebeians and the Senate was comprised of Patricians.  In reality, the republican government in Rome was controlled by elite members of society- the patricians. These leaders could be elected to the Senate, which was made up of 300 elected leaders.

The Senate- “Speakers for the Patricians”
When Rome became a republic, the citizens of Rome took control.  However, not all citizens had the same amount of control.  The Senate had all the power.  The Senate made laws and decisions for everyone in Rome.  The Senators were patrician citizens.  Responsibilities of the Senate included making laws and spending money. In addition, the Senate authorized war, built projects, levied taxes, and conducted other matters of public policy. 
Senators were chosen by two other members of the Senate called consuls. Once a person became a Senator he had the position for the rest of his life.  There were 300 seats in the Senate.  A position in the Senate only opened up if a Senator died.  When a new seat opened up the two consuls appointed a new Senator.
The consuls were the two most powerful positions in the Senate.  The consuls were actually elected by the plebeians.  These consuls, who served for a one year term, made up an executive branch of government.    They had authority to oversee all government employees, tax collection, and to insure that laws were being enforced. In many ways the role of the consuls, was similar to the role of our president.  These consuls had a great deal of power when they acted together. However, they could not do anything alone. Either consul had the authority to veto the decisions of the other, helping to keep the power of either in check.

The Assembly- “Speakers for the Plebeians”
The Assembly was advisors to the Senate.  A plebeian was not allowed to be a senator.  A plebeian could only be part of the Assembly.   The Assembly included all the plebeian citizens of Rome.  The Assembly did not have a big building to meet in like the Senate did.  The Assembly met in the Forum.  The Forum was a big courtyard in the middle of Rome.  The Assembly met in the Forum anytime they wanted to talk about something.  For example, someone in the Assembly could say that a road needed to be fixed.  The Assembly did not have the power of the Senate.  The Assembly could suggest laws or declare war but the Senate did not have to listen to them.  The Senators could simply ignore whatever the Assembly asked for.  However, many times the Senate did actually listen to the Assembly because the Assembly had one very important power over the Senate.  The Assembly had the power to elect the two Consuls.  The Consuls were two Senators who shared the head of the government.  Consuls were the highest members of the Senate and Roman government.  The Consuls chose new Senators when a new Senate position was available.  The Consuls also controlled the army.  Every year the Assembly elected new Consuls.  The Assembly could vote for the same two consuls or vote for new ones.  Noble patricians who wanted to rise to the highest power of Consuls had to make the plebeians happy.  If they did not make the plebeians happy, then the Assembly would choose someone else for the Consul.  The power of the Assembly came from making sure they chose Consuls who would try and help the Plebeian citizens as much as possible.  
During times of emergency, such as during a war, the Romans elected a dictator. This dictator had complete authority and his word was law. However, this dictator only served until the crisis was over.  Afterwards power was returned to the Senate and to the elected consuls.  This form of republican government survived for 500 years.  During this period Rome became the most powerful civilization ever.

Essential Questions:

1. What was the job of the Senate?
2. How did a patrician become a Senator?
3. How did a Senator rise to the most powerful position of a Consul?
4. What did the Assembly do and who was in the Assembly?
5. What was the Assembly’s most important power?
6. Where did the power of the Assembly come from?

The Roman Forum Today

                                       The Roman Forum- Where the Assembly Met
                                           The Roman Senate Building Today

                                           Meeting at the Roman Senate

Assignment 1: Write 10 questions and answers.  Your questions must be information questions.  They must begin with a “Wh” word.
Assignment 2:  Draw a tree diagram that explains the structure of government under the Roman Republic.  Label and define all parts.   Use the chart below.
Structure of Government Under the Republic

Ancient Rome V > Expansion and the Punic Wars
Objective- SWILLBAT explain how and where Rome expanded during the Republic.  SWILLBAT state the significance of the Punic Wars.
6H.2.1  Explain how invasions, conquests, and migrations affected various civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., Mongol invasion, The Crusades, the Peopling of the Americas and Alexander the Great).
6H.2.4 Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society (e.g., Mansa Musa, Confucius, Charlemagne and Qin Shi Huangdi
6G.2.1  Use maps, charts, graphs, geographic data and available technology tools to draw conclusions about the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions

           The Roman Republic began in 510 B.C and ended in 23 B.C.  It lasted for 500 years.  In comparison, the United States has been around since 1776.  Our government has been around less than 250 years, so we haven’t been around half as long as the Roman Republic. 
During the Republic, Rome became very powerful. All Roman citizens were required to serve in the military when needed. This insured a constantly available supply of soldiers. Rome’s military became very strong and Rome took control of most of Italy by 264 B.C.  Rome then went on to dominate the Mediterranean Sea thus enabling Rome control trade and expand to other areas outside of Italy.  Rome began to take lands in Spain, Greece and North Africa.  As Rome expanded, it brought its language, culture and architecture.  Architecture means the design of buildings.  Even today, Roman buildings are found all over Europe. 
Rome was quite unique in the way it treated the people they conquered.  As the Romans conquered their neighbors, they treated them relatively good. At this time in world history, most enemies were simply slaughtered and destroyed.  The Romans not only allowed the conquered to live, but also allowed them to continue following their own religions and traditional ways of life. In many cases, conquered peoples were even granted Roman citizenship. In this way, the Romans were able to build unity and loyalty throughout their empire.  They were able to build a loyal population that would later fight for and defend Rome.  They assimilated conquered peoples into Roman society.
Rome’s biggest enemy and challenge during the Republic was Carthage.  Carthage was a powerful city-state in North Africa.  Carthage controlled much of North Africa and had several colonies.  Carthage also wanted to control the Mediterranean Sea so it could control trade.  Rome and Carthage became bitter enemies who Rome and Carthage fought each other for a long time over controlling trade and colonies around the Mediterranean and North Africa coasts.   This fight between Rome and Carthage was called the Punic Wars.  There were actually three separate Punic Wars.  The First Punic War was fought between 264 B.C. and 241 B.C.  The Second Punic War was fought between 218 B.C. and 201 B.C. and the Third Punic was fought between 149 B.C. and 146 B.C.  There were periods of peace between each of wars.  They are collectively known as the Punic Wars because they were fought over control of the Mediterranean and North Africa 
Rome was almost defeated by a famous Carthaginian general named Hannibal.  Hannibal invaded Italy with his warrior elephants from Africa.  In the end, Hannibal was not able to defeat Rome and eventually Rome defeated Carthage in the Punic Wars.  After about 120 years of on and off fighting, Rome totally defeated and destroyed Carthage in 146 B.C.   Rome was now ready to expand control all of Europe and the Mediterranean.

Essential Questions  

• How and where did Rome expand during the Republic?
• How did Rome gain the loyalty of the people they had defeated?
• What were the Punic Wars?      

Assignment: Write 7 questions and answers.  Your questions must be information questions.  They must begin with a “Wh” word.

 

The First Punic War (264 B.C.-241B.C.)
One day, Rome took a good look at how big Carthage was getting. The problem, as Rome saw it, was that Carthage controlled three islands off the coast of Italy: Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia.   That was too close for comfort. Rome decided that Carthage needed to join the Republic. Carthage disagreed. Carthage and Rome fought for 20 years. This was the first Punic War. Nobody won. After 20 years of fighting, all they had accomplished was to kill a lot of people and to cause a lot of hatred.  
To end the fighting, Carthage offered Rome a deal. Carthage said: “If you’ll go away and leave us alone, we’ll give you the island of Sicily.” Rome took the deal.  However they also took Sardinia and Corsica, the other two islands off the coast of Italy. Carthage was furious. But they were tired of fighting Rome. Carthage decided to fight Spain instead, and make up the land they had lost there. The general took his army and his nine-year-old son, Hannibal, and left for Spain. Before he left home, he made his son swear that as soon as he was old enough, Hannibal would fight the Romans and make them pay for all the lives they had cost. Hannibal promised. That was the beginning of the legend of Hannibal, military genius.
Over the next several years, while fighting in Spain, Hannibal learned to be a strong leader. His Dad and his men had taught him well. But mostly, he was naturally tricky. Hannibal won most of his battles by coming up with clever ideas. One time, while fighting at sea, Hannibal had his men dump barrels full of live snakes onto the deck of an enemy ship. The enemy had not expected Hannibal to do that. They weren’t prepared to fight snakes. Hannibal won that battle easily.
A few years after his Dad died, the soldiers in Spain chose him to be their new general. He was only 26 years old at the time. Hannibal did not hesitate. He took the job, married a Spanish princess, and started wars with several cities in Spain. His plan was to conquer all of Spain.
Questions

1. What was the First Punic War about?
2. What do you think leads to the Second Punic War?
3. Who was Hannibal?
4. What was the outcome of the First Punic War?

The Second Punic War (218 B.C. -201 B.C.)
One of the cities Hannibal attacked happened to be good friends with Rome.  Rome decided to lend a hand. But Rome did not send help to Spain. They declared war on Carthage, Hannibal’s hometown and the center of the Carthage Empire.
That was fine with Hannibal. He had never forgotten the promise he had made to his father. He had orders from Carthage to fight Rome. He needed to take Rome by surprise. He decided to attack Rome from the north. Rome would never expect that.  Hannibal’s plan was to march 90,000 foot soldiers, 12,000 cavalry, and 37 elephants from Spain, through Gaul, over the Alps, into Italy, and then take Rome by force. 
His plan did not work as expected. The route was more rugged that he had expected. He lost nearly all his elephants and half his men on the trip. He expected people in Northern Italy to help him. They did help him by leaving him alone, but they would not join his army. Carthage did not have a strong navy to use to send supplies. 
Hannibal came up with a new plan. Instead of marching on Rome, he drove Rome crazy by attacking smaller outposts and stealing food and weapons, food intended for Rome. Hannibal and his men stayed on the Italian peninsula for 15 years, causing trouble where he could.
In 203 BCE, Rome had had it with Hannibal. They couldn’t catch him, so they attacked Carthage instead. Carthage, in a panic, called Hannibal home. Before Hannibal could arrive, Carthage had agreed to peace terms with Rome.
Terms:

• Carthage would leave Spain, Gaul, and Italy
• Carthage would reduce their navy to 20 warships
• Carthage had to pay 5000 talents (the money of the time) in war damages

Once Hannibal arrived home, the leaders in Carthage changed their minds. They decided not to honor their peace terms. Rome was furious. They sent an army to Carthage. Hannibal’s army lost, but Hannibal managed to get away. If possible, Rome was even more furious. Carthage had not kept their promise. Again. Rome still did not have their hands on Hannibal. This time, the peace terms were more severe.
Terms:

• Carthage would leave Spain, Gaul, and Italy
• Carthage would reduce their navy to 10 warships
• Carthage had to pay 10000 talents (the money of the time) in war damages, in 50 equal annual payments, over the next 50 years.

Carthage called it quits. They left Spain. They left Gaul. They left Italy. They reduced their navy. They paid the talents they owed each year, promptly. The 2nd Punic War was finally over.  Rome had won.
That did not stop Hannibal, though. Hannibal spent the rest of his life fighting the growing power of ancient Rome. The Romans never stopped looking for him. In spite of all their best efforts, the Romans did not catch up with Hannibal until he was 64 years old! Even then, they didn’t get him. He chose to die by swallowing the poison he kept in his ring.
Hannibal still ranks as one of the most magnificent military minds in history and one of the world’s greatest generals.

Map Questions

1. Carthage is in North Africa.  Why do you think Hannibal’s route of Invasion surprised Rome

Questions

1. What was the outcome of the Second Punic War?
2. What was Hannibal’s plan?
3. Why do you think Rome made the terms of the peace so severe?

The Third Punic War (149 B.C.-146 B.C.)
In 146 B.C., Carthage again began to grow in strength and power. Rome worried that they might again try to attack. In order to insure that this did not happen, Rome decided to attack Carthage, and to wipe it off the face of the Earth.
Roman armies took the war to the Carthage homeland where they sold all the Carthaginians into slavery, and even went so far as to sow salt into their fields so that the area could never again be used for farming. This ended the Punic Wars, and the threat that Carthage posed to Rome.
Questions

1. What was the outcome of the Third Punic War?

Ancient Rome VI >Republic Becomes to Empire
Objective- SWILLBAT list, explain and summarize the 3 major problems of the Roman Republic.  SWILLBAT explain the significance of Julius Caesar.  SWBAT assess how the triumvirate led to civil war and the death of the republic.
6E.1.2  Explain how quality of life is impacted by economic choices of civilizations, societies and regions
6C&G.1.1 Explain the origins and structures of various governmental systems (e.g., democracy, absolute monarchy and constitutional monarchy).
6C&G.1.4 Compare the role (e.g., maintain order and enforce societal values and beliefs) and evolution of laws and legal systems (e.g., need for and changing nature of codified system of laws and punishment) in various civilizations, societies and regions.
6H.2.4 Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society (e.g., Mansa Musa, Confucius, Charlemagne and Qin Shi Huangdi

Failure of the Republic
After many years, the Roman Republic began to have problems.  The three biggest problems were high taxes, corruption and crime.
The Roman Republic taxed all of its citizens.  A tax is money citizens pay to the government.   Rome needed tax money to pay soldiers, to build roads, to build government buildings, to build sewers and aqueducts and to run the government.  Today our government uses tax money for these same things.  Tax collectors worked for the Roman governments.  These were men who collected the tax money.  The problem was that there were very few rules the tax collectors had to follow.  Many of them were corrupt. A person who is corrupt is someone who is dishonest and uses his power to do bad things like steal money.  The tax collectors often made people pay too much money so they could keep the rest of it for themselves.  People who could not pay could be sold as slaves.  The tax collectors were powerful but many Romans did not like them and for good reason.
Many people within the Roman government became corrupt. Some senators paid people to get them to vote for what they wanted.  Some elected officials took money.  For example, a senator might have paid people in the Assembly to vote for a new aqueduct that would bring water to his neighborhood.  
One of the biggest problems of the Republic toward the end was crime.  Lack of work led to crime.  Farmers who were not enslaved were often put out of business by the wealthy Roman citizens. These Romans who took over the land of conquered people would run their farms using slave labor. Because these slaves did not have to be paid, these farms produced grains that could be sold less expensively than other farmers could.
As small farms went out of business, people began to immigrate into the city of Rome, crowding it with poor, out of work masses.  The streets of Rome were very dangerous.  People were killed and things were stolen all over, especially at night. Rich Romans hired guards to protect themselves.  Some senators even had small armies with them all the time.  They protected him and his home.  But remember, most people of Rome were Plebeians.  They were not rich and could not afford private armies.  Rome did not have a police force to protect the people like we do today. 
The turmoil caused by increasing poverty and corruption led to a period of uncertainty. Several Roman leaders attempted to reform Rome by ending corruption and providing land to the poor farmers. However, these reformers were often murdered by members of the Senate who just wanted to keep their own power.  In 107 B.C., a general by the name of Gaius Marius was elected as consul. Marius attempted to aid the poor by giving them jobs in the Roman army. He paid them a salary, and promised them land when their terms were completed. Allegiance was for the first time pledged to military leaders instead of to the republic.  In the end, the people of Rome did not trust the Roman Republic.  They wanted a change.  The person who brought them the change they wanted was named Julius Caesar, the most famous of all Roman generals.   

Essential Question- What were the three biggest problems of the Republic?  Explain each in detail.
 Assignment: Write 7 questions and answers.  Your questions must be information questions.  They must begin with a “Wh” word.
 
Julius Caesar Brings Change
Julius Caesar is one of the most famous people in Roman history.  Julius Caesar was a politician and general in the army.  Julius Caesar was loved by the plebeians of Rome.  He suggested new laws that helped the common Roman citizen not just the wealthy patricians.  When Caesar spoke, the people of Rome filled the Roman Forum to listen to him.  The people trusted him.  Crime was very high in Rome.  There were not enough jobs.  People could not pay taxes because the taxes were so high.  People were hungry.  There were no jobs because the wealthy Romans used their slaves to do everything.  Slaves took jobs away from Roman citizens.  Caesar tried to solves these problems.  The people of Rome were angry at the Senate but not angry with Julius Caesar.  Caesar was becoming very powerful.  He took his army and conquered the territory of Gaul (France) without permission from the Senate.  He gained territory for Rome and the people loved it.  Caesar increased his power and reputation by winning battles and treating his army troops well.       
One of the first laws of the Republic said that no general could enter Rome with his army.  The leaders of the Senate began to worry about Caesar’s power.  They were afraid Caesar was going to take over and rule as a king.  The Senate ordered Caesar to resign as a general because he fought wars in Gaul without permission from the Senate.  Julius Caesar ignored the Senate and the law.  He entered Rome in 49 B.C. with his army and began a civil war in which he fought for control of the city.  Caesar won and took control over the Senate and government.  He made the Senate appoint him as dictator of Rome.  The poor people were glad and they called him “Father of the Homeland”.  A dictator is someone who has total power over the government.  The Senate no longer held the power. 
Caesar had plans to create a new government for Rome.  He did not trust the Senate to do what was best for Rome.  He felt the Senators used their own powers to make themselves rich.  He thought the Senate did not care to help the Roman people.  Caesar was never able to complete his new government plans.    On March 15, 44 B.C. Caesar walked into the Senate building.  A group of Senators stabbed him to death in the middle of the Senate.  Caesar had ruled as a dictator for only two years.   The reign of Julius Caesar is important because it signaled the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire.    
Essential Questions

1. Why was Julius Caesar popular with the Plebeians (common citizens)
2. What was Julius Caesar’s impact on the Roman Republic?

 Assignment: Write 7 questions and answers.  Your questions must be information questions.  They must begin with a “Wh” word.

The Triumverate
The Senate believed Caesar was acting like a king.  Rome had gotten rid of its kings 500 years earlier and made the Republic.  The Senate believed the murder of Caesar was justified (right) because Caesar made himself a king against the Republic.  The Senate thought they would get their power back by killing Caesar but they did not.  Instead, Rome broke into civil war that lasted for 13 years.  A civil war is when people from the same country fight each other.
After the death of Julius Caesar, the Roman Empire was divided up and ruled by three of Caesar's former generals. These generals were Octavian, Marc Antony, and Marcus Lepidus. These three leaders formed what they called the Triumvirate. Each member of the triumvirate had absolute authority over matters that took place within their portion of the empire.
This triumvirate did not last long. Octavian forced Lepidus to retire from public life. Octavian then began planning a civil war against Marc Antony. Antony fell in love with and married a princess from Egypt by the name of Cleopatra. Octavian convinced the people that Marc Antony intended to take over Rome, and put Egyptian rulers in charge of affairs in the Roman Government. Octavian declared war against Antony in the name of the Roman Republic. By 31 B.C., Octavian defeated Marc Antony in Greece. In order to evade capture, Marc Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide.
Octavian was now the undisputed ruler of Rome. The republican government, which had been designed to rule a small city-state, had not been very effective at ruling the now massive Roman Empire. Rather than reform the republican form of government that they practiced, Octavian recommended to the Senate that one strong leader be put in place. The Senate elected Octavian as the consul and supreme leader of Rome for life.  This leader was now known as the emperor. 
The reign of Julius Caesar ended the Republic. Octavian ushered in the beginning of a new chapter for Rome- The Roman Empire.
Essential Questions

1. What was the triumvirate?
2. What was the result of the Roman Civil War?

Assignment: Write 7 questions and answers.  Your questions must be information questions.  They must begin with a “Wh” word.

 

Ancient Rome VII > The Roman Empire

Objective- SWILLBAT explain the significance of Augustus.  SWILLBAT explain why the Roman Empire expanded and how they were able to control large areas of land.
6H.2.1  Explain how invasions, conquests, and migrations affected various civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., Mongol invasion, The Crusades, the Peopling of the Americas and Alexander the Great).
. 6H.2.4  Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society (e.g., Mansa Musa, Confucius, Charlemagne and Qin Shi Huangdi
6G.1.2  Explain the factors that influenced the movement of people, goods, and ideas and the effects of that movement on societies and regions over time (e.g., scarcity of resources, conquests, desire for wealth, disease and trade).
6C&G.1.1  Explain the origins and structures of various governmental systems (e.g., democracy, absolute monarchy and constitutional monarchy).

          Julius Caesar marked the death of the Roman Republic and the birth of the Roman Empire.  After Caesar was killed there was a civil war in Rome about who would control Rome.  The war lasted 13 years.  In the end, the nephew and adopted son of Julius Caesar won the war.  His name was Octavian.  Octavian became the first emperor of Rome.  He had absolute power.  Octavian changed his name to Augustus when he became emperor.  Augustus ruled the Roman Empire for over 40 years.  An empire is a country that has power over many different territories. 

Augustus sent the Roman army to conquer new territories.  The Roman Empire got bigger.  There many Roman Emporers after Augustus  They also expanded the Roman Empire. 
Why did the Roman Empire need to expand and how did Rome control all these different people?  Rome simply wanted more territory for power.  New territory meant more farmland and natural resources for Rome.  Rome had more people to trade with.  Rome was able to control the new territories they conquered because they often let the people have their freedom as long as they followed the laws of Rome.  They could be Roman citizens as long as they agreed to follow and protect Rome.  Romans built roads, bridges aqueducts and all kinds of buildings in lands they conquered.  Aqueducts carried water to cities and towns from far away places.  The Roman army was all over the empire to keep control over the territories and to protect the people.  Rome improved the quality of life for many people.  This was how they were able to control the people they conquered. 
Pax Romana
From 30 B.C. until A.D. 180 Rome enjoyed a period of peace and prosperity.  This time period is referred to by historians as the Pax Romana, or Roman Peace.  This 200 year period of peace and stability allowed the Roman Empire to achieve new heights in technology, agriculture, science, and the arts. The Roman Empire was a very civilized place during this time, and life was generally comfortable and good.  The Pax Romana meant the Romans did not fight amongst themselves but they were constantly at war conquering other peoples.
Essential Questions

1. Who was Augustus and why was he important?
2. How was the Roman Empire able to control the territories they conquered?
3. What was the Pax Romana

 Assignment: Write 7 questions and answers.  Your questions must be information questions.  They must begin with a “Wh” word.

The Julian Emperors
Following the death of Augustus Caesar, Rome was ruled by a succession of four emperors referred to by historians as the Julian Emperors. They are given this name due to the fact that each of these four emperors was related in some way to Julius Caesar.
The first of these emperors was Tiberius. Tiberius was Augustus' adopted son and succeeded him to the throne. He was a cruel and jealous leader who accused many innocent people of treason against him. Tiberius was succeeded by is grand nephew Caligula. Caligula was mentally ill, and displayed poor leadership as a result. He was eventually murdered by one of his own guards.  Caligula was followed by Claudius, who was an ineffective leader who cared more about living a comfortably life than ruling an empire. Claudius was followed to the thrown by Nero. Nero was a violent and cruel leader who nearly bankrupt Rome through horse racing and music.

The Good Emperors
Following the Julian emperors, a series of generals backed by the Roman Army ruled Rome for 28 years. Tired of violent or ineffective leaders, the Roman Senate decided to take action. The Senate began to put forward their own candidates for emperor. These emperors tended to be fair, reasonable, and effective. They led Rome forward to a golden age, and expanded the borders of the Roman Empire to the largest that they had ever been. For these reasons, they were referred to as the good emperors.

Assignment: Answer these questions using the chart above.

1. Under which emperor was the empire the largest?
2. Which emperor killed many Christians by feeding them to the lions?
3. Which emperor built a wall in northern England?
4. Which emperor divided the Roman Empire in half?
5. Which emperor defeated Britain?
6. Name two emperors after Hadrian.
7. Name two emperors before Hadrian.

Ancient Rome VIII > Religion and the Rise of Christianity

Objective- SWILLBAT explain how Christianity differed from Roman religion.  SWILLBAT ID reasons why Rome eventually converted to Christianity.
6C.1.2 (12.01) Explain how religion transformed various societies, civilizations and regions (e.g., beliefs, practices and spread of Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism).
6H.2.1 (7.01, 11.04, 13.01) Explain how invasions, conquests, and migrations affected various civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., Mongol invasion, The Crusades, the Peopling of the Americas and Alexander the Great).

           The ancient Romans were pagans.  Pagans believe in many Gods.  They had gods for many different things.  The Romans built huge temples to honor and pray to their gods.  Not all of the gods the Romans worshiped were originally Roman gods.  As the Romans conquered new areas they learned about new gods and incorporated them into their religion.  In fact, most Roman gods were borrowed from the Greeks.  The Romans just changed the names of the Greek Gods to Roman names.  For example Zeus was renamed Jupiter by the Romans as the king of all gods.  Here are some others:        

Neptune/Poseidon                           Jupiter/Zeus                            Pluto/Hades
God of the Sea                               God of the Sky                    God of the Underworld

          Around the time of the first emperor Augustus a new religion from the Middle East began to spread around Europe.  It was called Christianity.  People who believed in the religion were Christians.  Christians believed there was only one god not many gods.  The Christians did not want to worship the Roman gods.  In Rome it was against the law to refuse to recognize the Roman gods.  As a result, the Christians were put in jail, sold as slaves or even killed.  These punishments did not work.  More and more Roman people became Christians, especially poor people.  Christianity appealed to poor people for two important reasons:

•  Life After Death: Christianity promised life after death in heaven. In the Roman religion, only gods went to heaven. Emperors were considered gods. Everyone else went to the underworld.  Where would you rather go, up to heaven or below the earth?
•  Equality: Christianity promised equal opportunity.  Everyone was the same. In Rome, you had to be born into the nobility. You could join Christianity and be equally a Christian.

Eventually, Christianity was accepted by all of Rome.  In around the year A.D. 312, Christianity became the official religion of Rome instead of the old pagan religion.  At the time, Constantine was the emperor of Rome.  Constantine believed he saw a vision of a cross high in the sky.  The cross was the symbol for Christianity.  Constantine believed it was a message from God.  Constantine became a Christian and said all of Rome was now Christian also.
Essential Questions

1. How was Christianity different from Roman religion?
2. Why did Christianity appeal to the Roman people?
3. Who was Constantine and why was he important?

 Assignment: Write 7 questions and answers.  Your questions must be information questions.  They must begin with a “Wh” word.

Ancient Rome IX > The Roman Empire Splits in Two

Objective- SWILLBAT explain why the Roman Empire was divided in two by Diocletian.
6H.2.2 Compare historical and contemporary events and issues to understand continuity and change.
6H.2.4  Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society (e.g., Mansa Musa, Confucius, Charlemagne and Qin Shi Huangdi

Rome continued to expand its empire after the first emperor Augustus.  Every time Rome won new territory it built roads to connect all of its territories to Rome.  The Roman Empire became HUGE, GIGANTIC, ENORMOUS.  It covered almost all of Europe, Northern Africa and part of Asia. 

 

In fact, Rome became too big to govern.  Even in today’s times with modern transportation and communication, Rome would be difficult to govern.  Can you imagine what is what like without phones, cars, planes, etc?  It took months to get messages to far away Roman territories.  It was difficult collect taxes.  It was difficult to get supplies to far away places. 
In A.D. 284, Diocletian became emperor.  He realized the empire was too large.  Diocletian decided to divide the Roman Empire in half.  There were two Roman Empires.  There was the Western Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire.  Each empire had a ruler but the ruler from Rome still had the most power.  The Western Roman Empire included Rome, most of Europe and North Africa.  The Eastern Roman Empire included Turkey and Asia.  Diocletian left Rome and ruled the Eastern Empire.
Essential Questions

1. Why did Diocletian divide the Roman Empire in half?
2. What were the two halves called and what did they include?

 Assignment: Write 7 questions and answers.  Your questions must be information questions.  They must begin with a “Wh” word.

 

Ancient Rome X > The Roman Empire Falls Apart

Objective- SWILLBAT explain why the Roman Empire fell to the barbarians.  SWILLBAT name the barbarian tribe invasions.
6H.2.1  Explain how invasions, conquests, and migrations affected various civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., Mongol invasion, The Crusades, the Peopling of the Americas and Alexander the Great).
6E.1.2  Explain how quality of life is impacted by economic choices of civilizations, societies and regions

           In the end, the Roman Empire was still too large.  The Western Roman Empire did not survive.  There were too many borders to protect.  The army simply was not large enough to protect everywhere.  The Western Roman Empire was out of money.  Rome spent all of its money on wars.  There was no money to fix roads or to buy food and supplies for all the Roman people.  Once again, there was crime and corruption.   
In the end, the barbarians defeated the Western Roman Empire.  In ancient Rome, a barbarian was someone who lived outside the Roman Empire.  Barbarians were people who did not speak Latin.  In reality, the barbarians were tribes of people with different customs and languages.  They came from other areas of Europe and Asia usually because they had to move out of their homeland to escape war or to search for food.
There were five main barbarian tribes in Europe. Each wanted to conquer the famous Roman Empire. These tribes were the Huns, Franks, Vandals, Saxons, and Visigoths. They were all attacking various pieces of the Western Roman Empire at the same time.    Forts and strongholds along the road were destroyed.  Cities at the edge of the empire were attacked and destroyed.  Barbarians often raided food and supply wagons that were supposed to go to Roman citizens.  The empire did not fall in just a few years.  It slowly fell apart over many years.
Roman emperors often tried to get the barbarian tribes to fight each other by promising them land, food and protection.  Emperor Valens allowed the Visigoths to live in the Danube Region (Germany) as long as they helped fight other tribes.  The Roman emperors did not keep their promises of providing food and shelter to the barbarian tribes.  This angered tribes like the Visigoths and made things worse for Rome.  Tribes like the Visigoths rebelled and fought against Rome instead.    In the end, the Visigoths invaded and defeated Rome.  The Western Roman Empire finally fell in 476 AD.  The Eastern Roman Empire in Constantinople survived another thousand years.
Essential Questions

1. Name the barbarian tribes that invaded the Roman Empire.  Which tribe did Rome fall to in 476 A.D.
2. Why did the Roman Empire fall to the barbarians? (diagram/map the reasons)

 Assignment: Write 7 questions and answers.  Your questions must be information questions.  They must begin with a “Wh” word.

 

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