Roman Empire

(Part I)

 

I.  How do we know?

         A.  Writings

                  1.  Roman historians

                           a) praiseworthy:  Polybius, Livy, Tacitus

                           b) critical:  Josephus, Augustine

                  2.  documents

                           a) Cicero

                           b) Julius Caesar

         B.  Artifacts

                  1.  infrastructure

                  2.  coins & statues

                  3.  Pompeii

II.  Geography:  RomeÕs location

         A.  Apennine Mountains & Adriatic Sea

         B.  Tiber River & Latium

         C.  Mediterranean = Mare Nostrum ("Our Sea")

III.  Rome Before Empire

         A.  Founded the city of Rome (est. 753 B.C.E.)

                  -- Romulus & Remus

         B.  Rules by Etruscan kings

         C.  Roman Republic (est. 509 B.C.E.)

                  1.  structure of government

                           a) comitia centuriata

                           b) consuls, praetors, tribunes, quaestors, etc.

                           c) senate

                  2.  Struggle of the Orders = patricians & plebeians

                           a) general strike (494 B.C.E.)

                           b) concilium plebis (471 B.C.E.)

                           c) Twelve Tables (451 B.C.E.)

                           d) allowed to intermarry (445 B.C.E.)

                           e) first plebeian consul (360 B.C.E.)

         D.  Conquest & Expansion

                  1.  Italy (by 264 B.C.E.)

                           a) forming alliances

                           b) extending citizenship

                  2.  Carthage

                           a) First Punic War (264 -241 B.C.E.)

                                             -- Sicily

                           b) Second Punic War ( 218-202 B.C.E.)

                                    -- Hannibal

                                    -- Scipio Africanus

                           c) Third Punic War (149-146 B.C.E.)

                  3.  Greeks

                           a) Macedonia (168 B.C.E.)

                           b) Pergamum (133 B.C.E.)

                  4.  Other areas

                           a) Syria & Judaea (by 63 B.C.E.)

                           b) Gaul (49 B.C.E.)

                           c) Egypt (31 B.C.E.)

IV.  From Republic to Empire

         A.  Julies Caesar (r. 47-44 B.C.E.)

         B.  Augustus Caesar (r. 27 B.C.E. - 14 C.E.)

                  1. imperator & princeps

                  2. peace & trade

                  3. conservative policies