Roman Civilization: Origins, Republic, Empire, Society, and Urbanism

ROMAN CIVILIZATION

HISTORY OF ANCIENT ROME

The mythological origin of Rome. The historical origin. The Monarchy. The Republic:

• Organization.
• Conquests and crises.

The Empire. The fall of the Roman Empire:

• Causes of the crisis.
• Solution attempts.
• Germanic invasion.

Society in Ancient Rome.

• Urban society.

➢ Roman religion: from polytheism to Christianity. 1

ART?

We will see it in a separate unit, with the art of Greece (examination with a part of the Iberian Peninsula)

IBERIAN PENINSULA?

We will see it in a short separate unit

D.R.C.ROMAN CIVILIZATION

D.R.C.ROMAN CIVILIZATION

The mythological origin of Rome.

v The Romans considered themselves descendants of the Greeks. v The Latin poet Virgil and the historian Titus Livy (1st century BC) wanted to give the city of Rome a prestigious origin. According to them, the Greek Aeneas, demigod son of the goddess Venus and hero of the Trojan War, settled in the region of Latium. One of her descendants, Rhea Silvia, fathered two twins with the god Mars, Romulus and Remus, who were raised by a she-wolf. Romulus founded the city of Rome in 753 BC. after killing his brother.

SENATVSTOPVIVSOVEROMANYS MONVMENTA MARMOREA MAGISTRATVVM IT-PONT TEM RETENT IS VEENVAIS SAL MOCU TO ANGRELLO MO DE CHINONE COS IPPO MIMONETTO APREG . VRINS PRICIKLI

LET'S BE SERIOUS

The god Jupiter turned to Venus, his daughter, and said: -Your son Aeneas will lead a great war in Italy and will defeat the ferocious people, establish laws and walls for his people, and will reign for three years. His son Ascanius will reign for thirty more years ( ... ) and, for 300 more years, the kingship will be in the hands of the descendants of Aeneas, until one day llia (Rhea Silvia), priestess of Mars, will father two twins: Romulus and Remo. Fed and protected by a wolf, one of them will take charge of the people, build the walls of Mars and give them their name: Romans. From this moment on, I will offer you an endless empire. D.R.C. Virgil: The Aeneid, 1st century BC.

ROMAN CIVILIZATION

753 BCE Foundation of Rome 395 476 Partition of the Empire Overthrow of the Western Empire 700 BCE 600 BCE 500 BCE 400 BCE 300 BCE 200 BCE 100 BCE Birth of Christ 100 200 300 400 500 Military conquests Barbarian invasions Latin kings Etruscan kings EMPIRE WESTERN EMPIRE GERMANIC KINGDOMS MONARCHY REPUBLIC PAX ROMANA CRISIS EASTERN EMPIRE

The historical origin. The Monarchy (I).

v Since 1000 BC, the Italian peninsula was inhabited by several peoples: in the South, the Greeks had founded numerous colonies, and in the center three peoples lived around the Tiber River: Latins, Sabines and Etruscans. v In the middle of the 8th century BC, Latins and Sabines united to create a town on the Palatine Hill that would extend over seven hills: they surrounded it with a wall and organized themselves under a monarchy. v Archaeological remains have been found from this town, which must have been created at the time when legend tells of the founding of Rome by Romulus. VENETI LATINS people Po area of Etruscan control area of Greek control area of Carthaginian control 0 ETRUSCANS Tíber Rome SABINES LATINS SAMNITES Tyrrhenian Sea Mediterranean Sea lonian Sicily Carthage Sea Syracuse D D.R.C. Sardinia 00 Adriatic Sea Corsica LIGURES

ROMAN CIVILIZATION

The historical origin. The Monarchy (II).

- Roma Quadrata (8th century BC) - Servian Wall (6th century BC) Quirinal 1 First Nucleus of Rome 2 Forum Romanum Viminal 3 Forum Boarium Field of Mars Capitoline Esquiline 2 3 1 Palatine Caelian Tiber Aventine v Around 600 BC, the Etruscans invaded Latium and turned Rome into a true city. They surrounded the seven hills with a wall, built a circus and a temple on the Capitol Hill, and created the Cloaca Maxima .. The kings of Rome accumulated all powers: they administered justice, led the army and were high priests (religion). They were elected by the Comitia (assembly of citizens), at the proposal of the Senate (council of elders, from the Latin "senex", of the great aristocratic families). V At the end of the 6th century BC. (509 BC), the aristocratic families of Rome, with the support of the people, put an end to the last Etruscan king: Tarquin the Proud, who ruled as a tyrant. Rome became a republic. D.R.C.

ROMAN CIVILIZATION

The Republic. Organization (I).

v The term republic comes from the Latin words "res publica" (public affairs). Politics no longer belonged to a king, but to the people and the Senate of Rome. The acronym SPQR (the Senate and the Roman people) was the motto of the Republic. v The new republic was organized as an oligarchy controlled by the patricians, a minority of aristocratic families, descendants of the founders of Rome and owners of land and livestock. Only they made and knew the laws, exercised justice and monopolized public offices. v For their part, the plebeians, the largest group, were peasants, artisans and merchants who had been arriving in the city. They lacked political rights, although they had to pay taxes and be part of the army. v The plebeians fought to achieve political equality with the patricians. First, they obtained the right to elect a representative, the tribune of the plebs, who defended their interests. Later, under threat of not performing military service, they were granted the right to vote and be elected magistrates. But power remained in the hands of the richest citizens (to be continued). ROMA SPOR Banner with the initials SPQR that is preserved on a street in Rome. D.R.C.

ROMAN CIVILIZATION

The Republic. Organization (II).

THE REVOLT OF THE PLEBEIANS

A small minority of wealthy families decided the questions of peace and war. They had the entire public treasury, the magistracies, the honors and the triumphs. The generals monopolized all the spoils of war. The people only had their own misery and the obligation of military service. Sallust: Jugurtha War, 1st century BC.

EXERCISE

Compare the patrician- plebeian social struggle with today's society The brothers Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus (2nd century BC) were the two tribunes who best defended the rights of the plebs. D.R.C.

ROMAN CIVILIZATION

The Republic. Organization (III).

v The Roman Republic was made up of three main elements: V Assemblies: citizens gathered to vote on laws and elect magistrates. The elections were divided into centuries or classes, according to their wealth, and only men with Roman citizenship had the right to participate and vote, and not foreigners, women and slaves (as in Greece). V Magistrates: elected for certain positions. The most important were the consuls, who directed the affairs of state and the army. The praetors administered justice, the censors carried out the censuses ... They had to follow the cursus honorum ("the course of honours"). v Senate: the most important institution, made up of elderly magistrates who had great authority. Established laws and dealt with foreign policy

SENATE

300 former magistrates . Directed foreign policy and finance . Advised the magistrates . Ratified the laws passed in the assemblies controlled appointed and convened

MAGISTRATES

superior magistrates (censors, consuls, praetors) inferior magistrates . Administered the Republic . Proposed laws to be voted on, on the advice of the Senate chose rich citizens chose

ASSEMBLIES (citizens' assembly)

. Enacted laws CURIATE TRIBAL CENTURIATE . According to family origin . According to residence . According to wealth . Did not have a political role . Elected inferior magistrates and the plebeian tribune · Elected superior magistrates

ROMAN CIVILIZATION

The Republic. Conquests (also of the Empire).

v Rome's expansion encompassed all the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea (Mare Nostrum). v The objectives were to obtain raw materials, territories to cultivate (as in Greece), taxes from defeated peoples, cheap labor (slaves) ... and a great empire. 1. Between the years 500 and 264 BC. (yellow on the map), the city of Rome conquered the Italian peninsula. 2. Between the years 264 and 60 BC. (light orange on the map), Rome faced Carthage, the maritime power that dominated the Mediterranean, in the Punic Wars. Upon winning, the Romans imposed their dominion over the entire western Mediterranean, Greece and Asia Minor. 3. Between the years 60 B.C. and 14 AD (dark orange on the map), they completed the occupation of Hispania, Gaul, North Africa and Asia Minor. 4. Between the years 14 and 127 (brown on the map), the last conquests were made. D.R.C.

ROMAN CIVILIZATION

The Republic. Conquests (II).

BRITANNIA ATLANTIC OCEAN GALLIA RAETIA PANNONIA D DACIA NARBONENSIS ALMATIA MACEDONIA PONTUS ACHAIA ASIA SYRIA MAURITANIA AFRICA r Carthage ran ean Se a CYRENAICA AEGYPTUS - fortified borders D.R.C. Black Sea HISPANIA Rome Medit

THE ROMAN ARMY

v Serving Rome militarily was a duty of every Roman citizen. v The army was made up of legions of 5,500 legionaries, divided into smaller units (centurias) for greater mobility and effectiveness. Soldiers received pay, had to pay for their own weapons, were subject to harsh military discipline, and were rewarded with loot after victories (sometimes land in newly conquered areas. Wedge formation: acute angle to enter enemy ranks. Turtle formation: protection with your shield to assault the walls. granary baths officers' quarters armoury cardo hospital forum (offices, temple, etc.) stables ditch decumanus wall soldiers quarters To protect themselves in military campaigns, the legionaries stayed in camps: true towns that in many cases were the origin of later cities.

THE DISCIPLINE

If during the battle the soldiers retreat before the enemy, the officer gathers the legionaries and makes those who have abandoned their position leave the line. Afterwards, he orders that they be severely whipped before their companions ( ... ) and beheaded. Titus Livy: History of Rome, 1st century BC. D.R.C.

ROMAN CIVILIZATION

Crisis of the Republic.

Julius Caesar, according to Goscinny and Uderzo. v The conquests gave rise to enormous social inequalities and generated political confrontations: v While a minority became rich from the spoils of war, the collection of taxes, the purchase of slaves (prisoners of war) and the exploitation of large farms (latifundios), many peasants were ruined by having to abandon their lands to serve in the army. This gave rise to social conflicts (as we already saw in the patrician-plebeian struggle). v The political ambition of the victorious generals caused them to end up fighting each other in civil wars. v In 47 BC, after a civil war, Julius Caesar seized all power under the title of dictator. It was the end of the Roman Republic. Statue of Julius Caesar, Ist century BC. D.R.C.