Major Events Time Line
-650 BCE: Etruscans rule Rome
-509 BCE: Rome becomes a Republic
-451 BCE: Romans adopt the Twelve Tables
-312 BCE: Romans build the Appian Way
-267 BCE: Rome controls most of Italy
-264 BCE: Punic Wars begin
-146 BCE: Rome destroys Carthage
-82 BCE: Sulla becomes dictator of Rome
-73 BCE: Spartacus leads revolt of enslaved peoples
-44 BCE: Julius Caesar is killed
-27 BCE: Octavian becomes Rome’s first emperor
-10 BCE: Livy writes his History of Rome
-14 CE: Augustus dies
-30 CE: Jesus preaches in Galilee and Judaea
-64 CE: Romans begin to persecute Christians
-66 CE: Jews in Judaea rise up against Rome
-80 CE: Colosseum completed
-96 CE: Rule of the Good Emperors begins
-135 CE: Romans force Jews out of Jerusalem
-180 CE: Pax Romana ends
-284 CE: Diocletian tries to reform empire
-312 CE: Constantine accepts Christianity
-392 CE: Christianity becomes the official religion of the Roman Empire
-395 CE: Roman Empire divided into eastern and western parts
-476 CE: Western Roman Empire ends, last emperor thrown out of Rome.
-534 CE: Justinian reforms Roman law
GRAPES
Geography
-Rome develops on the Tiber River on the Italian Peninsula.
-The Alps acted as a natural barrier for the Romans while the Mediterranean Sea allowed them to trade and conquer far and wide.
-The Republic would go on to conquer Gaul, Spain, North Africa, Macedonia, and Greece.
-The Empire would conquer Egypt, Israel, Syria, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, and much of Northern and Central Europe.
-Roman roads and aqueducts allowed the Romans to spread through multiple environments.
-Agriculture was incredibly important in Rome due to their access to fertile soil in various parts of the empire.
Religion
-The Romans were polytheistic and worshiped a mix of Latin/Etruscan gods and the gods and goddess of ancient Greece.
-They believed the gods influenced all parts of their lives.
-The Republic tolerated all religions while the Empire tolerated religions as long as they agreed to worship the emperor as a god.
-Early Christians were persecuted under several emperors, Constantine adopted Christianity and legalizes it, and Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the empire.
Achievements
-The Latin language, used by the Romans, became the basis for several modern languages (French, Spanish, Italian, Romanian, and Portuguese) and the Latin alphabet has evolved into our own alphabet.
-The Greek language dominated the eastern half of the empire and aided in the spread of Christianity.
-Roman military structure and organization set the bar for militaries in years to come.
-The Republic’s representative democracy is the basis of our own.
-Romans made incredible achievements in engineering, including miles of roads for travel and aqueducts for moving water long distances. The invention of concrete allowed the Romans to make impressive bridges and buildings.
-Roman architecture produced impressive feats, like the Colosseum and Pantheon, by utilizing arches.
-Roman science and art was at its height during the Pax Romana.
Political System
-Rome was initially part of a monarchy ruled by Etruscan kings.
-Rome existed as a Republic for a long time – allowing representative government, a system of checks and balances, and a written constitution.
-Dictators were called to rule Rome for short periods of time during a crisis (example: Cincinnatus).
-Patricians and plebeians had a voice in the government in two different legislative bodies.
-Consuls were elected to rule Rome for a year in pairs while praetors served as judges.
-Roman law treated all citizens fairly and established the idea that you are innocent until proven guilty.
-The Republic lost power as emperors, like Julius Caesar and Augustus, stripped more and more power away from the Senate.
-Rome became an empire ruled by one person – essentially becoming a monarchy again.
-Roman citizenship was eventually extended to all non-slaves in the empire.
Economic System
-Most of Rome’s people worked in agriculture, farming grains and various other crops around the empire.
-Industry, or the process of during raw materials into goods, flourished in Rome’s cities. Many Romans made a living creating goods to be traded around the empire.
-Trade was a huge part of the economy. The Mediterranean Sea and road system made trade within the empire easy while the Silk Road brought in luxury items from Han China.
-The wealth brought in from the empire mostly benefitted the patricians and merchants.
-The government created a common currency that could be used anywhere in the empire, this helped facilitate trade.
-Inflation in the value of currency and the decline in trade would contribute to Rome’s downfall.
Social Structure
-Citizens held rights in Roman law and government. Conquered peoples could become citizens and, eventually, all non-slaves were given citizenship in the empire.
-Patricians were the wealthy landowning class. They could serve as consuls, be elected to the Senate, and had the most money.
-Plebeians made up the lower class. They worked as farmers and laborers, they could be elected to the Assembly.
-Slavery became more common in Rome when the empire began to expand.
-Women held few rights in Rome, some could own businesses but they were considered lesser to men in all aspects. The role of women improved in Christian communities.
Key Understandings
-Rome’s location on the Italian Peninsula allowed them to expand across the Mediterranean Sea while benefitting from the natural barrier provided by the Alps.
-Romans traced their origins to two different mythical stories: Romulus and Remus and Aeneas.
-Roman’s kicked out their Etruscan rulers and established a Republic. The Republic would go on to conquer the Latins, Etruscans, and Greeks on the Italian Peninsula.
-Rome and Carthage clashed in three wars – the Punic Wars. Rome won each war and gained control of the western Mediterranean Sea in the process.
-The Republic established a rule of law (written constitution), an idea that you are innocent until proven guilty, checks and balance, and the concept of civic duty.
-Civil wars erupted as armies became more loyal to their generals instead of their country.
-Julius Caesar defeated his rival, Pompey, in a civil war. Caesar declares himself “dictator for life” and is killed by a group of senators.
-Octavian wins a civil war following Caesar’s death, defeating Mark Antony and Cleopatra, and becomes Rome’s first emperor. He takes on the name Augustus.
-Rome experiences the “Pax Romana”, or Roman Peace, for 200 years after Augustus takes the throne. Technology, trade, and the spread of ideas flourish during this time.
-Rome experiences some bad emperors – including Nero, who murdered his mother and ordered the persecution of Christians.
-Rome experiences some good emperors – like Marcus Aurelius, who ruled with Stoic principals.
-Rome’s system of roads and aqueducts allowed their empire to grow quickly.
-The use of slaves becomes widespread as the empire grows; Spartacus led a slave revolt in Italy with gladiators.
-Christianity emerges in Rome during the reign of Augustus. Christians would be persecuted in the empire for a couple hundred years before becoming Rome’s official religion.
-Diocletian splits the empire to make ruling it easier and Constantine moves the capitol to Byzantine (changing the name to Constantinople).
-The empire began to decline as private armies grew, politicians took bribes, the economy worsened, trade shrunk, and Germanic and Persian groups invaded.
-Rome splits into two empires, the Eastern Half would become the Byzantine Empire.
-The Western Roman Empire falls when the Visigoths, Vandals, and Ostrogoth sack Rome and take territory. The last western Roman emperor is removed in the 400s CE.
-Roman culture and technology has impacted our world significantly; ranging from the influence of the Latin language through the engineering achievements of Rome (aqueducts, roads, sewers, etc).
Vocab
Alps: large mountain range that lies to the north of the Italian Peninsula
Apennines: less rugged mountain range that runs down the middle of Italy
Tiber River: river on which Rome was founded
Latium: a plain in central Italy where Rome was located
Romulus and Remus: mythical twin brothers who were said to have founded Rome
Aeneas: mystical hero who was believed to have started Rome with a band of Trojans
Latins: people who spoke Latin and lived in central Italy
Etruscans: people from northern Italy that conquered the Latins and established a monarchy
Tarquins: Etruscan ruling family who were overthrown by the Romans
Republic: a form of government in which leaders are elected by citizens with the right to vote
Legion: a military group of about 6,000 men divided into groups of 60-120 soldiers
Patricians: wealthy landowning class in Rome
Plebeians: the lower class consisting of farmers, shopkeepers, and artisans
Consul: top government official in the Roman Republic, two were elected every year
Veto: ability of one consul to cancel the vote of the other
Praetors: judges in the Roman court system
Dictator: in Rome, a leader who took complete control of the Republic for a short period of time
Cincinnatus: well-known Roman dictator who gave up his power days after defeating Rome’s biggest threat
Twelve Tables: Rome’s written law code
Carthage: North African city-state (that was founded by Phoenicians) which created a large trading empire in the western Mediterranean Sea
Hannibal: Carthaginian general who marched elephants over the Alps into Italy during the Second Punic War
Punic Wars: series of wars between Rome and Carthage, all won by Rome
Latifundia: large farming estates
Julius Caesar: Roman general who took complete control of Rome and declared himself “dictator for life”
Triumvirate: political alliance of three people
Rubicon: small river in Italy that, when crossed by Caesar, initiated a civil war for the control of Rome
Octavian: Caesar’s grandnephew who took on the name Augustus after becoming Rome’s first emperor
Antony: one of Caesar’s top generals who fought Octavian for control of Rome after Caesar’s death
Cleopatra: Ptolemic Egyptian Pharaoh who aligned herself with Julius Caesar and, later, Mark Antony during Rome’s civil wars.
Cicero: Rome’s greatest public speaker who argued against emperors and for representative government
Pax Romana: “Roman Peace” established during the first 200 years of Rome’s empire
Caligula: mentally ill Roman emperor who was killed by his body guard after years of insane rule
Nero: vicious emperor who oversaw Rome burn, killed his mom and two wives, and ordered Christians be put to death
Hadrian: emperor who made Roman law easier to understand and created a wall along Rome’s border in Britain
Trajan: emperor who ruled over Rome when it controlled the most territory and reformed Rome’s education
Aqueduct: a human-made channel for carrying water long distances
Currency: a system of money; Rome had one for their entire government
Virgil: Roman writer who wrote the Aeneid (story about Aeneas’ founding Rome)
Horace: Roman poet who wrote satires and odes
Ptolemy: Roman scientist who placed earth at the center of the universe; this idea was followed by most Europeans for centuries to come
Forum: an open space in Rome that served as a marketplace and public square
Gladiators: enslaved people, criminals, and poor people forced to fight in the arena for entertainment
Paterfamilias: male heads of the household in Roman families
Spartacus: gladiator who led a slave revolt that crushed several Roman armies over the course of 2 years
Plague: a disease that spreads widely and quickly
Inflation: rapidly increasing prices in an economy
Diocletian: emperor who attempted to reform Rome and divided the empire into 4 sections
Constantine: emperor who converted to Christianity and reformed Rome’s economy unsuccessfully
Constantinople: formerly Byzantium, capitol city of the Roman Empire after Constantinople. Would become the capitol of the Byzantine Empire after Rome fell to Germanic groups
Theodosius: emperor who divided the empire into two separate empires after his death
Alaric: Visigoth leader who capture Rome in 410 CE
Odoacer: Germanic general who dethroned the last emperor in Rome in 476 CE
Romulus Augustulus: Rome’s last emperor
-650 BCE: Etruscans rule Rome
-509 BCE: Rome becomes a Republic
-451 BCE: Romans adopt the Twelve Tables
-312 BCE: Romans build the Appian Way
-267 BCE: Rome controls most of Italy
-264 BCE: Punic Wars begin
-146 BCE: Rome destroys Carthage
-82 BCE: Sulla becomes dictator of Rome
-73 BCE: Spartacus leads revolt of enslaved peoples
-44 BCE: Julius Caesar is killed
-27 BCE: Octavian becomes Rome’s first emperor
-10 BCE: Livy writes his History of Rome
-14 CE: Augustus dies
-30 CE: Jesus preaches in Galilee and Judaea
-64 CE: Romans begin to persecute Christians
-66 CE: Jews in Judaea rise up against Rome
-80 CE: Colosseum completed
-96 CE: Rule of the Good Emperors begins
-135 CE: Romans force Jews out of Jerusalem
-180 CE: Pax Romana ends
-284 CE: Diocletian tries to reform empire
-312 CE: Constantine accepts Christianity
-392 CE: Christianity becomes the official religion of the Roman Empire
-395 CE: Roman Empire divided into eastern and western parts
-476 CE: Western Roman Empire ends, last emperor thrown out of Rome.
-534 CE: Justinian reforms Roman law
GRAPES
Geography
-Rome develops on the Tiber River on the Italian Peninsula.
-The Alps acted as a natural barrier for the Romans while the Mediterranean Sea allowed them to trade and conquer far and wide.
-The Republic would go on to conquer Gaul, Spain, North Africa, Macedonia, and Greece.
-The Empire would conquer Egypt, Israel, Syria, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, and much of Northern and Central Europe.
-Roman roads and aqueducts allowed the Romans to spread through multiple environments.
-Agriculture was incredibly important in Rome due to their access to fertile soil in various parts of the empire.
Religion
-The Romans were polytheistic and worshiped a mix of Latin/Etruscan gods and the gods and goddess of ancient Greece.
-They believed the gods influenced all parts of their lives.
-The Republic tolerated all religions while the Empire tolerated religions as long as they agreed to worship the emperor as a god.
-Early Christians were persecuted under several emperors, Constantine adopted Christianity and legalizes it, and Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the empire.
Achievements
-The Latin language, used by the Romans, became the basis for several modern languages (French, Spanish, Italian, Romanian, and Portuguese) and the Latin alphabet has evolved into our own alphabet.
-The Greek language dominated the eastern half of the empire and aided in the spread of Christianity.
-Roman military structure and organization set the bar for militaries in years to come.
-The Republic’s representative democracy is the basis of our own.
-Romans made incredible achievements in engineering, including miles of roads for travel and aqueducts for moving water long distances. The invention of concrete allowed the Romans to make impressive bridges and buildings.
-Roman architecture produced impressive feats, like the Colosseum and Pantheon, by utilizing arches.
-Roman science and art was at its height during the Pax Romana.
Political System
-Rome was initially part of a monarchy ruled by Etruscan kings.
-Rome existed as a Republic for a long time – allowing representative government, a system of checks and balances, and a written constitution.
-Dictators were called to rule Rome for short periods of time during a crisis (example: Cincinnatus).
-Patricians and plebeians had a voice in the government in two different legislative bodies.
-Consuls were elected to rule Rome for a year in pairs while praetors served as judges.
-Roman law treated all citizens fairly and established the idea that you are innocent until proven guilty.
-The Republic lost power as emperors, like Julius Caesar and Augustus, stripped more and more power away from the Senate.
-Rome became an empire ruled by one person – essentially becoming a monarchy again.
-Roman citizenship was eventually extended to all non-slaves in the empire.
Economic System
-Most of Rome’s people worked in agriculture, farming grains and various other crops around the empire.
-Industry, or the process of during raw materials into goods, flourished in Rome’s cities. Many Romans made a living creating goods to be traded around the empire.
-Trade was a huge part of the economy. The Mediterranean Sea and road system made trade within the empire easy while the Silk Road brought in luxury items from Han China.
-The wealth brought in from the empire mostly benefitted the patricians and merchants.
-The government created a common currency that could be used anywhere in the empire, this helped facilitate trade.
-Inflation in the value of currency and the decline in trade would contribute to Rome’s downfall.
Social Structure
-Citizens held rights in Roman law and government. Conquered peoples could become citizens and, eventually, all non-slaves were given citizenship in the empire.
-Patricians were the wealthy landowning class. They could serve as consuls, be elected to the Senate, and had the most money.
-Plebeians made up the lower class. They worked as farmers and laborers, they could be elected to the Assembly.
-Slavery became more common in Rome when the empire began to expand.
-Women held few rights in Rome, some could own businesses but they were considered lesser to men in all aspects. The role of women improved in Christian communities.
Key Understandings
-Rome’s location on the Italian Peninsula allowed them to expand across the Mediterranean Sea while benefitting from the natural barrier provided by the Alps.
-Romans traced their origins to two different mythical stories: Romulus and Remus and Aeneas.
-Roman’s kicked out their Etruscan rulers and established a Republic. The Republic would go on to conquer the Latins, Etruscans, and Greeks on the Italian Peninsula.
-Rome and Carthage clashed in three wars – the Punic Wars. Rome won each war and gained control of the western Mediterranean Sea in the process.
-The Republic established a rule of law (written constitution), an idea that you are innocent until proven guilty, checks and balance, and the concept of civic duty.
-Civil wars erupted as armies became more loyal to their generals instead of their country.
-Julius Caesar defeated his rival, Pompey, in a civil war. Caesar declares himself “dictator for life” and is killed by a group of senators.
-Octavian wins a civil war following Caesar’s death, defeating Mark Antony and Cleopatra, and becomes Rome’s first emperor. He takes on the name Augustus.
-Rome experiences the “Pax Romana”, or Roman Peace, for 200 years after Augustus takes the throne. Technology, trade, and the spread of ideas flourish during this time.
-Rome experiences some bad emperors – including Nero, who murdered his mother and ordered the persecution of Christians.
-Rome experiences some good emperors – like Marcus Aurelius, who ruled with Stoic principals.
-Rome’s system of roads and aqueducts allowed their empire to grow quickly.
-The use of slaves becomes widespread as the empire grows; Spartacus led a slave revolt in Italy with gladiators.
-Christianity emerges in Rome during the reign of Augustus. Christians would be persecuted in the empire for a couple hundred years before becoming Rome’s official religion.
-Diocletian splits the empire to make ruling it easier and Constantine moves the capitol to Byzantine (changing the name to Constantinople).
-The empire began to decline as private armies grew, politicians took bribes, the economy worsened, trade shrunk, and Germanic and Persian groups invaded.
-Rome splits into two empires, the Eastern Half would become the Byzantine Empire.
-The Western Roman Empire falls when the Visigoths, Vandals, and Ostrogoth sack Rome and take territory. The last western Roman emperor is removed in the 400s CE.
-Roman culture and technology has impacted our world significantly; ranging from the influence of the Latin language through the engineering achievements of Rome (aqueducts, roads, sewers, etc).
Vocab
Alps: large mountain range that lies to the north of the Italian Peninsula
Apennines: less rugged mountain range that runs down the middle of Italy
Tiber River: river on which Rome was founded
Latium: a plain in central Italy where Rome was located
Romulus and Remus: mythical twin brothers who were said to have founded Rome
Aeneas: mystical hero who was believed to have started Rome with a band of Trojans
Latins: people who spoke Latin and lived in central Italy
Etruscans: people from northern Italy that conquered the Latins and established a monarchy
Tarquins: Etruscan ruling family who were overthrown by the Romans
Republic: a form of government in which leaders are elected by citizens with the right to vote
Legion: a military group of about 6,000 men divided into groups of 60-120 soldiers
Patricians: wealthy landowning class in Rome
Plebeians: the lower class consisting of farmers, shopkeepers, and artisans
Consul: top government official in the Roman Republic, two were elected every year
Veto: ability of one consul to cancel the vote of the other
Praetors: judges in the Roman court system
Dictator: in Rome, a leader who took complete control of the Republic for a short period of time
Cincinnatus: well-known Roman dictator who gave up his power days after defeating Rome’s biggest threat
Twelve Tables: Rome’s written law code
Carthage: North African city-state (that was founded by Phoenicians) which created a large trading empire in the western Mediterranean Sea
Hannibal: Carthaginian general who marched elephants over the Alps into Italy during the Second Punic War
Punic Wars: series of wars between Rome and Carthage, all won by Rome
Latifundia: large farming estates
Julius Caesar: Roman general who took complete control of Rome and declared himself “dictator for life”
Triumvirate: political alliance of three people
Rubicon: small river in Italy that, when crossed by Caesar, initiated a civil war for the control of Rome
Octavian: Caesar’s grandnephew who took on the name Augustus after becoming Rome’s first emperor
Antony: one of Caesar’s top generals who fought Octavian for control of Rome after Caesar’s death
Cleopatra: Ptolemic Egyptian Pharaoh who aligned herself with Julius Caesar and, later, Mark Antony during Rome’s civil wars.
Cicero: Rome’s greatest public speaker who argued against emperors and for representative government
Pax Romana: “Roman Peace” established during the first 200 years of Rome’s empire
Caligula: mentally ill Roman emperor who was killed by his body guard after years of insane rule
Nero: vicious emperor who oversaw Rome burn, killed his mom and two wives, and ordered Christians be put to death
Hadrian: emperor who made Roman law easier to understand and created a wall along Rome’s border in Britain
Trajan: emperor who ruled over Rome when it controlled the most territory and reformed Rome’s education
Aqueduct: a human-made channel for carrying water long distances
Currency: a system of money; Rome had one for their entire government
Virgil: Roman writer who wrote the Aeneid (story about Aeneas’ founding Rome)
Horace: Roman poet who wrote satires and odes
Ptolemy: Roman scientist who placed earth at the center of the universe; this idea was followed by most Europeans for centuries to come
Forum: an open space in Rome that served as a marketplace and public square
Gladiators: enslaved people, criminals, and poor people forced to fight in the arena for entertainment
Paterfamilias: male heads of the household in Roman families
Spartacus: gladiator who led a slave revolt that crushed several Roman armies over the course of 2 years
Plague: a disease that spreads widely and quickly
Inflation: rapidly increasing prices in an economy
Diocletian: emperor who attempted to reform Rome and divided the empire into 4 sections
Constantine: emperor who converted to Christianity and reformed Rome’s economy unsuccessfully
Constantinople: formerly Byzantium, capitol city of the Roman Empire after Constantinople. Would become the capitol of the Byzantine Empire after Rome fell to Germanic groups
Theodosius: emperor who divided the empire into two separate empires after his death
Alaric: Visigoth leader who capture Rome in 410 CE
Odoacer: Germanic general who dethroned the last emperor in Rome in 476 CE
Romulus Augustulus: Rome’s last emperor
Lessons by Topic |
Day 1 - Roman Geography: u9d1_roman_geography.docx
Day 2 - The Origins of Rome: u9d2_the_origins_of_rome.docx Day 3 - Birth of the Republic: u9d3_birth_of_the_republic.docx Day 4 - Republican Governsment and Cinncinatus: u9d4_repubic_government_and_cinncinatus.docx Day 5 - Roman Law: u9d5_roman_law.docx Day 6 - Daily Life in Rome and Family Structure: u9d6_daily_life_in_rome___family_structure.docx Day 7 - Roman Religion: u9d7_roman_religion.docx Day 8 - Punic Wars: u9d8_punic_wars.docx Day 9 - Fall of the Republic: u9d9_fall_of_the_republic.docx Day 10 - Julius Caesar: u9d10_julius_caesar.docx Day 11 - Review and Caesar's Murder Simulation: u9d10_review___caesars_murder_simulation.docx Day 12 - Augustus Becomes Emperor: u9d11_augustus_becomes_emperor.docx Day 13 - Emperor Augustus and the Bad Emperors: u9d12_emperor_augustus_and_the_bad_emperors.docx Day 14 - Growth of an Empire and the Good Emperors: u9d13_growth_of_an_empire_and_the_good_emperors.docx Day 15 - Roman Economy: u9d14_roman_economy.docx Day 16 - Origins of Christianity: u9d15_origins_of_christianity.docx Day 17 - Early Christians: u9d16_early_christians.docx Day 18 - Christianity in Roman Government: u9d17_christianity_in_the_roman_government.docx Day 19 - Decline of Rome: u9d18_decline_of_rome.docx Day 20 - Fall of Rome: u9d19_fall_of_rome.docx Day 21 - Legacy of Rome: u9d20_legacy_of_rome.docx Day 22 - Amazing Race: ancient_rome_amazing_race.docx |