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11 Cards in this Set
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Roman Republic |
Republic- a form of government whose head of state is usually a president. -In 502 BCE, an aristocratic republic replaced the Roman monarhcy; built the Roman forum, a political and civic center housing temples and public buildings for government purposes. - A republican constitution gave executive (civil and military) duties and power to 2 consuls elected for one- year terms by an assembly dominated by PATRITIANS; a senate dominated the decision making process. - Tension developed as interests of the lower class called PLEBEIANS who were not represented. This led to the development of tribunes (consisting of officials elected by PLEBEIANS), which had the right to intervene in all political affairs and veto unjust laws. - During time of civil or military crisis, a dictator was appointed with absolute power for a 6-month term to restore peace and stability- elongating the viability of the republic. |
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Julius Caesar |
Named himself dictator of the Roman Empire (for life, not 6 months as was the past precedent) - He sought to build a sense of community in Rome after the civil war; spent large sums of money on gladiators, huge armies, and large-scale building projects employed by Roman citizens ; extended Roman citizenship to outreaches of the empire (Gaul); and consolidated government. - Aristocratic conspirators, upset by loss of power and wealth, plotted to execute Caesar in 44 BCE in an attempt to restore the republic. 13 years of civil conflict followed the death of Caesar. |
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Expansion of the Roman Empire |
During the republic, the empire included Italy, Greece, Syria, Gaul, and most of the iberian Penninsula and outposts in North Africa and Anatolia; Augustus added most of southwestern Europe and most of North Africa and increased contol in Anatolia and southwestern Asia; at its height, the empure included Britian and all of the land surrounding the northern and southern coast of the Mediterranean from Iberia to Mesopotamia. - As Roman soldiers, diplomats, governors, and merchants settled throughout the empire, Roman culture spread, encouraging the development of local politics and economies; cities such as Paris, Lyons, Cologne, Mainz, London, Toledo, and Segovia sprang up. - Augustus´ rule brought up a period know as the pax romana (Roman Peace), which lasted for 2 and a half centuries and allowed the empire to experience a golden age. |
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Roman Roads |
Roman engineers developed an intricate process for building roads: They prepared a deep bed, edged roads with curbs, provided for drainage of water, and topped roads with large flat paving stones - Main roads were 20-26 feet wide, allowing for 2-way traffic; narrow roads through mountains were on average 6-10 feet wide to enable trade, travel an military passage. - Roads linked to all parts of the Empire - They were linked with the silk roads to create an intricate trade network, Roman roads connected western Europe to the Far east. |
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Roman Law |
Roman law was first recorded c. 450 BC: The Twelve Tables were meant to provide a standardized system of law throughout the early empire. - Jurists worked together to standardize interpretations of the laws and develop a definition of justice - Established basic rights of defendants: They were innocent until proven guilty and could challenge their accusers in court. - Power ultimately rested in the hands of the judge, who had the authority to set aside laws deemed to be unfair. |
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Trade in the Mediterranean |
Grain from latifundia in North Africa, Egypt and Sicily supported large cities in the empire and was also used for trade with Greece (for olives and vines) and with Syria and Palestine (for fruit, nuts, and wool fabric); trade facilitated crop specialization throughout the climatically diverse empire - The sea supported trade from the ports in Syria and Palestine to Spain and North Africa - The Roman army and navy kept the seas safe for transportation of goods- Romans called the Mediterranean mare nostrum (our sea). - Merchants were also responsible for promoting cultural diffusion and a sense of community throughout the Empire. |
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Jesus |
Jewish prophet and teacher whose major teachings were proper worship of God and love for fellow man - His message ¨The kingdom of God is at hand¨ challenged Roman civic life because it did not allow for worship of Roman gods - After the crucifixion, devotion to Jesus grew rapidly; he was called Christ (Greek for Messiah, or ¨the anointed one¨), and his followers were called Christians. |
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Early Christianity |
Generally defined as the time between the crucifixion of Jesus (c. 30 CE) and the First Council of Nicaea (325 CE) - Christians could not worship Roman gods. - worshipped a single God -Appealed to the lower classes (women and urban dweller) - Encouraged men and women to lead faithful lives that would, in turn, lead to their salvation. |
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Silk Roads |
Trade route that connected the Han and Roman Empires in classical times - facilitated the exchange of goods, ideas and disease. - Southeastern Asia, China, and India traded silk and spices west to consumers in central Asia, Iran, Arabia, and the Roman empire - Spices were important because they had many purposes (food preservation, flavoring, and pharmaceutical) - Central Asia traded horsed , jade, and magic potions west - Following the fall of the Han and Roman Empires, the route was revived in post-classical times, first by the Tang and Song and later by the Mongols. |
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Fall of the Roman Empire |
Problems: internal opposition, power struggle (26 people claimed the throne in just 50 years), generals struggled for power and died violently ; empire was simply too large, epidemics. -Diocletian divided the empire into 2 districts: eastern (Anatolia, Syria, Egypt, and Greece) and western (Italy, Gaul, Spain, Britain, and North Africa) - Germans, migrating from the north, attacked the western half; especially powerful were the Visigoths - In 476 CE, a German general defeated the last Roman emperor. |
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Germanic invasions |
Ended imperial Roman power in western Europe in 476 CE; power later shift to Byzantium in the east - Nomadic Germanic tribes: Visigoths, Huns (led by Attila), Ostrogoths, Vandals, and Franks encountered little effective resistance - Led to decentralized rule and to the establishment of the feudal system in Western Europe. |
