Roman Empire Notes

Pax Romana What have I learned?

The term Pax Romana means “Roman Peace.” It What other civilization that we’ve studied had an “unprecedented time of
was an unprecedented time of peace & peace & prosperity? What was it called?
prosperity.

The Pax Romana began during the reign of

Augustus Caesar
Years: 207

Augustus Caesar What have I learned?

Before his death, Julius Caesar named his grand- Read the timeline below to answer the questions that follow.
nephew, Octavian (or Octavius) to be his heir.
nd •63 BCE: Gaius Octavius was born on September 23rd in the city of Velletri southeast of Rome. His
Octavian formed a 2 triumvirate with
1. Marc Antony mother Atia was the daughter of Julia, the sister of Julius Caesar.
•59 BCE: The father of Octavius dies.
2. Lepidus •44 BCE: Octavius went to Albania to complete his academic and military training. While there he
learned of the assassination of Julius Caesar. Octavius returned to Rome and found that Caesar's
In a play for power, Octavian forced Lepidus to will makes him Caesar's adopted son and heir to his political and personal fortune. He was advised
not to accept the bequest because he was only 18 and little prepared to deal with the hazards of
resign. In the meantime, Marc Antony had
Roman power politics. Nevertheless he did accept. Octavius borrowed funds to comply with
joined with Egypt’s Queen, Cleopatra in their Caesar's will and his efforts garnered public support for Octavius. His efforts to fulfill Caesar's will
own power play. gains him considerable support among the troops of Caesar.
•43 BCE: Octavian and Antony agreed to a sharing of power. They, along with Lepidus who was the
Pontifex Maximus, are designated by the Senate as a Triumvirate with dictatorial powers for five
Octavian’s forces defeated Antony’s forces in
years. Octavian, Antony and Lepidus agreed to eliminate those Senators and members of the
the Battle of Actium in the year 31 BCE. Roman aristocracy whom any one of the three considered a threat to public order. Altogether 300
senators and two thousand lesser level aristocrats are executed. Cicero, a supporter of Octavian,
Octavian became the sole ruler of Rome & was designated for execution by Antony under this arrangement.
changed his name to Augustus meaning the •42 BCE: The Senate deemed Julius Caesar as having been a god. This enhanced Octavian's status
still further.
“Exalted One.” Antony and Octavian undertook a military expedition to the east to defeat Brutus and Cassius. The
Triumvirate then divide up the Empire. Anthony gets the east and Gaul. Lepidus gets Africa and
Augustus then becomes the first emperor of Octavian gets the west except for Italy which was to be under common control of the three.
Rome. The alliance of Octavian and Antony was renewed and further confirmed by Antony marrying the
sister of Octavian, Octavia. This political marriage also did not endure. Antony was still enamored
of Cleopatra, queen of Egypt.

How was Octavian (Octavius) related to Julius Caesar?

adopted grand nephew

How did Octavian gain the support of Caesar’s troops?

By doing his best to carry out Caesar's will

nd
How long was the 2 Triumvirate to stay in power?
Only two years
Why were certain senators & government officials killed during the
Triumvirate?
Because the members of the triumvirate considered them threats
to public order
What areas did each member of the Triumvirate receive when they split the
empire?
Marc Antony gets Gaul, Lepidus gets Africa, and Octavian gets
the West
 Impact of Augustus’ Reign What have I learned?
Economy In a paragraph, describe why you think Augustus Caesar was considered to be
1. Based on trade and agriculture such an effective emperor. Use the examples we discussed in class.

2. Ships traveled the Mediterranean protected

by Roman navy Augustus made sure his government was inclusive, and established a
3. A new road network linked the parts of the well organized infrastructure that cemented Roman rule in the lands
empire they conquered, and well as cementing his hold on the vast empire.

Administration
1. Military outposts established in all areas of
the empire (spreads Roman culture)

Government
1. Set up Civil Service

2. Included plebians in the government

How to choose an Emperor What have I learned?

Major Problem for the new Empire = One major weakness of Rome’s imperial government was the problem of
a. replacing the Julian emperors
No system for choosing an emperor's successor
b. selecting a new person to become emperor
Creating succession through the family led to… c. collecting taxes
d. controlling the army
some pretty questionable rulers

Augustus was succeeded by his stepson

Tiberius

Emperors of Rome What have I learned?

Good Emperors = characterized by favorable
rule and prosperity in the empire

Examples?
1. Nerva
2. Trajan
3. Hadrian
4. Antoninus Pius
5. Marcus Aurelius

Bad Emperors = Often brutal, sometimes crazy

Examples?
1. Nero According to the chart, how long did the reign of the five good
emperors last?
2. Caligula
A. 79 years C. 127 years
3. Domitian B. 84 years D. 49 years

According to the chart, which one of the five good emperors reigned
the longest?
A. Hadrian C. Trajan
B. Marcus Aurelius D. Antoninus Pius
 Life in Imperial Rome What have I learned?
Romans lived by a set of values called gravitas Explain what the following sentence means: The new leader has an air of
which emphasized discipline, strength, & loyalty. gravitas that commands respect.

It was a male-dominated society, where fathers It means he has a seriousness and authority about him that
ruled households known in Latin as commands respect.
paterfamilias.
Which of the following statements about Roman society is true?
Women had many rights in the society EXCEPT in a. Most Roman women were not allowed to own property.
the area of government b. Most Roman women were involved in public life.
c. Only upper-class boys learned to read and write.
Daughters were often named for their fathers d. The father had absolute power in the family.
(ex.: Julius/Julia)
What can be concluded about the Roman baths from the illustration?
Education was limited to the sons of nobles.
It was a favorite pastime, and the facilities were co-educational
Women typically married between the ages of
12-15 to older husbands.

An important aspect of Roman daily life was the

public baths where people would meet & discuss
civic affairs.

As learned before, slavery was also part of the

Roman society. Most slaves were used in
domestic & farm labor.

Some slaves were trained to be professional

fighters called gladiators

Slave revolts were common. The most famous

revolt was led by a man named Spartacus

Roman Mythology
The gods & goddesses of Rome were borrowed
from the Greek Religion. Like the Greeks,
Romans often erected personal shrines to honor
their personal gods. Which of the following is true about slavery?
“Breads & Circuses” A. It was not allowed in Rome.
When life became bad in the empire, emperors B. It was only used on large Roman estates.
would offer free food & entertainment, better C. It was common in the ancient world.
known as bread and circuses. D. It was only allowed outside Italy.

Gladiator contests were held in the Colosseum.

When the poet Juvenal said, “...there’s only two things that concern them:
Chariot Races were held in the Circus Maximus Bread and Circuses,” he was talking about
A. the “barbaric” Egyptians and their lifestyle.
B. the Senate’s focus on religion.
C. the distraction of the Roman masses from serious political issues by free grain
and entertainment.
D. the overly posh lifestyle of the landed aristocrats, who did little else but feast
and watch plays
 Greco-Roman Culture What have I learned?
Greco-Roman culture is a blending of Why do historians refer to Greco-Roman culture as “Classical Culture?”
1. Greek
Because it blended three distinct ancient cultures and provided
2. Roman
inspiration for the Renaissance artists to follow.
3. Hellenistic
Greco-Roman culture is also referred to as
Classical Culture.

Greco-Roman culture will go on to inspire the

works of the Renaissance Age

Roman Fine Arts What have I learned?

Like the Greeks, sculpture was prominent in Identify the following types of art.
Roman Art. Bas - Relief sculpture are images
fresco
projected from a flat surface.

Romans were also famous for creating images

using small pieces of tile/gems called
mosaics.

Romans painted images directly on their walls

called murals/frescoes.

mosaic

bas-relief sculpture

Roman Literature What have I learned?

The Poet Virgil is famous for writing Rome’s What is the basic plot of the Aeneid?
most famous epic the Aenid, the story of a a. Roman senators rebel against the loss of liberty under Augustus.
Greek hero who settles in Italy. b. Roman women conspire to show men the folly of war.
c. A hero leaves the fighting at Troy to return to his faithful wife.
d. A hero escapes from the city of Troy to found Rome.
The Poet Ovid was famous for writing light &
witty poetry such as the love poem Amores.

Roman Historians What have I learned?

One of Rome’s most famous historians was "What chiefly makes the study of history beneficial and fruitful is this, that you
Livy who wrote a multi-volume history of behold the lessons of every kind of experience as upon a famous monument;
Rome that included its legends. from these you may choose for your own state what to imitate, and mark for
avoidance what is shameful...."
--Livy preface
What do you think Livy means in this quote?

History provides us a catalog of what has worked in the past and

what has not, offering us guidance for how we conduct our own
affairs today.
Tacitus wrote history in which he presented Why do you think Tacitus’ method of writing history would go on to inspire the
facts correctly. Tacitus was concerned with the work of later historians?
Romans’ lack of morality. His works included:
1. Annals
His emphasis on accuracy provides a model for future
historians
2. Histories
Tacitus’ histories provide great substance
because they include the good & bad of Roman
society.

Roman Achievements What have I learned?

Latin Language According to his tree, what other language has some roots in Latin?
The Latin language became the lingua franca or
common language in Europe until the 1500’s.

Latin remains the official language of the Roman English

Catholic Church.
Latin became the basis for the Romance
languages.
1. French
2. Spanish
3. Portuguese
4. Italian
5. Romanian

Architecture, Engineering, & Technology

The Romans utilized the architectural element of
the arch to fortify their structures. Romans
inherited the idea of the arch from their
predecessors the Etruscans.

Roman used the arch in the aquaducts which

carried water from the mountains to the city of
Rome.

Romans also created a new building material

called concrete which fortified their structures. The events listed in the time line show that ancient Romans strove to —
A make all types of forced labor illegal
B use the city only for industrial purposes
C maintain a high standard of public health
D limit the making of crafts inside the city
Another important architectural element was Circle the important Roman architectural elements in the structures below.
the dome seen in such structures as the
Roman temple, the Pantheon.
Name this structure.

Dome
The Roman marketplace where Romans would
meet on a daily basis is called the Forum.

Why was this structure

Roman System of Law
necessary?
1. Right to equal treatment under the law
To bring water to cities, farms,
and arid regions
2. Innocent until proven guilty

3. Burden of proof rests with the accuser What hung in this marketplace?

The Twelve Tablets (Roman

4. Punished for actions, not thoughts laws)

5 Unreasonable/unfair laws could be set aside

Decline of the Roman Empire What have I learned?

4 Main Reasons: Which of the following does NOT help to explain the decline and fall of the
1. Economic decline Roman Empire?
a. Political corruption and currency inflation
2. Social unrest b. The barbarian invasions in the West
c. The moral decay that affected the ambitions of the people
3. Political decay d. The economic weakness of the empire in the East

4. Military upheaval
What contributed to the economic weakening of the late Roman empire?
Economic Decline a. A decline in population led to a shortage of soldiers.
Hostile groups migrating into Rome caused a b. Nobles would not pay taxes, so Rome could not support its armies.
disruption to trade. c. Asian trade routes were blocked by the eastern Roman empire.
d. Heavy taxes helped to push the middle classes into poverty.
Costly wars led to an increase in taxation
Use this cartoon to help explain the impact of inflation on a political state’s
Agricultural production decreased due to economy?
1. overworked land
2. land destroyed by invaders Don't worry about this one

The government offset these losses by creating

coins with less silver which led to inflation

Inflation = the drastic drop in value of money

coupled with a rise in prices
Social Unrest Use a dictionary to define the word Apathy. How does it apply to Rome at the
A greater divide between rich & poor led to end of the empire?
economic disparity.
"Lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or
A distrust in government led to less interest in exciting." - Romans began to not care about the things that were
participation. happening which impacted the strength of the empire and its health
as a state.
Political Decay
Good men resisted working in government
What are the potential problems of the Military controlling the affairs of a
because political office was seen as a burden.
political state?
This led to very corrupt government officials.
Military goals and priorities are not always those of the civilian
population
Military interference in governmental matters
led to Civil Wars. These civil wars led to a
division in the Empire with power shifting to
the city of Byzantium.

Military Upheaval
Why are mercenaries dangerous men to have serving in an army?
The Empire began to deal with invasions by
Germanic tribes.
Mercenaries have no loyalty beyond what you can buy, and even
that is suspect when there are no compelling ties to the country/
In order to deal with growing threats, the
king that is employing them.
military began to enlist the services of
mercenaries, soldiers loyal only to those who
pay them.

The military began to experience a decline in

patriotism & loyalty.

Reforming the Empire What have I learned?

To correct the problems, the emperor According to the map, who was Diocletian’s co-ruler?
Diocletian
1. Doubled the size of the army
2. Fixed prices
3. Ordered farmers/workers to keep
working
4. Divided the empire into two parts
Divided Empire
Year: 395
Greek-speaking Byzantium (eastern empire)
Capital:Constantinople

Latin-speaking Rome (western empire)

Capital: Rome

The Emperor Constantine gained control of Maximilian

both East & West, continuing many of the
reforms of Diocletian.
Constantine moved his capital from Rome to the Diocletian and Constantine did all of the following EXCEPT
city of Byzantium renaming it Constantinople. A. enlarge the army.
B. enlarge the civil service.
Constantinople became an ideal location: C. force people to stay in jobs.
1. had access to trade routes D. allow wages and prices to rise

2. better defenses

3. good ports

4. distance from the invading Germanic tribes

The Germanic Invasions What have I learned?

The Germanic Invasions were also called the What event is shown in this image?
Barbarian Invasions.
Attila the Hun making a treaty with
These nomadic people shared languages based Pope Leo I to end the wars with
on German. Rome

The Germanic tribes were forced into the

Roman empire by an Asiatic group called the
Huns.

The Huns
The Huns were Mongolians who came from
central Asia.

The Huns continued to push Germanic groups

further into Roman territory until they also
became a direct threat to Rome. From what part of Europe did most of the Germanic tribes originate?

The Huns were first united by their leader Northern Europe

Attila. Which Germanic tribe(s) had a direct impact on the city of Rome?
Vandals, Visigoths
The Huns sacked over 70 cities in Rome, even
attempting a takeover of the capital city. Which group also impacted North Africa?
Vandals
The Huns eventually negotiated a truce with
Which Roman city was never touched by Germanic groups?
Pope Leo I.

Germanic Tribes
1. Franks
Settle in: Gaul
Franks = France

2. Visigoths
Settle in: Spain
Led by: King Alaric

3. Ostrogoths
Settle in: Italy

Constantinople
4. Vandals
Settle in: Gaul, Spain, N. Africa
Sack Rome? In 453
Vandals = Vandalism
End of the Roman Empire What have I learned?
The last Roman emperor was 14-year old Odoacer became the first non-Roman to be declared Emperor of Rome. What
Romulus Augustus deposed by the German was the impact of this on the Empire?
leader Odoacer.
Rome as an empire loses its sense of identity

While the western Roman empire will

disintegrate, Constantinople & Eastern Why did the Eastern half of the Roman empire survive the fall of the empire in
Empire will continue to flourish. the West?

The West will enter a period known as the Better natural defenses coupled with a strong defensive wall at
Dark Ages. Constantinople.

The Catholic Church will be the only

unifying institution in the West.
Use the map of Constantinople to help answer the following questions.

1. Constantinople was a peninsula, what helped protect the city from possible invaders attacking from land routes?
A series of great walls

2. Constantinople was at the heart of the trade routes. What features on the map tell you that it was an ideal location for
sea trade?
Access on three sides plus several sheltered anchorages

3. What features on the map tell you that the city shared a heritage with the Roman Empire?

Several forums and other Roman-style buildings and

constructs

4. What feature on the map tells you that the city shared a heritage with the Greek Civilization?

The presence of an acropolis

5. From the map, can you guess the religion of the Eastern Empire?

Christian

Circle the Apennine Peninsula on the map. How did its location aid in the creation/control of the empire?

What 3 continents were parts of the empire? Africa, Europe, Asia

Name 3 civilizations we previously studied that became part of the Roman Empire?

What rivers and mountain range marked the northern boundary of the empire in Western Europe?