Read:
1. Jackson Spielvogel Chapter 5: The Roman Republic
2. Week # 7 Lecture Outline
Questions:
1. How did Rome achieve its empire from 264-133 BCE (Before the Common Era) and what is meant by the phrase “Roman Imperialism"?
• Rome achieved its empire from 264-133 B.C.E. by being involved in a series of wars with Carthage called Punic Wars. These were a sequence of three wars that ended up with the downfall of Carthage and its region end up joining Rome. According to the reading, the empire of Rome was formed in three stages. The first was the take-over of Italy, followed by the dispute with Carthage and growth towards the western Mediterranean and the connection and control of the Hellenistic kingdoms in the eastern Mediterranean. The phrase "Roman Imperialism" refers to the expansion of Rome with the used of an army to cause war. This leads to the conquering and ruling on land to become an empire. Prior to this, Rome was a country that was governed by the representation of its people and considered a republic.
2. How did the acquisitions of an empire affect Roman social and economic institutions, values, …show more content…
According to the reading, the precise performance of ritual was very important to create a relationship with the Gods. This was something that was also valid for the state. The ritual had to be precise in order to obtain the reward. Romans created a college of priests or pontiffs to handle this responsibility. Families also had an official cult. Precise performance was also very vital in this ritual. This responsibility was handled by the paterfamilias. These were the dominant male and head of the Roman family and their primary role was to oversee marriages to guarantee that the social classes were not mixed. The paterfamilias also had full control over his children. He could sell them or have them