Roman Empire

Client kingdoms

Vassal/clients of the Roman Empire who maintained some autonomy and served as buffers between Rome and their enemies.

Ruling laws of the Roman Empire

All men are equal before the law, everyone has the right to innocence until proven guilty, the right to face accusers, and right to appeal.

Forum

The Roman marketplace that was similar to the Greek agora.

Bread & Circuses

Also called “the Dole”; Free bread and grain distribution that also included public baths, chariot races, and gladiatorial battles. This eventually becomes an issue because the government spends too much money on this and the people became reliant on the government for food.

Slavery

Began to decline due to the lack of wars and being freed by masters.

Architectural Projects

Amphitheater, Colosseum, Pantheon, and Circus Maximus

Roads and Highways

The primary one was the Appian Way. It was a extensive network that improved communication, quick dispatching of troops, and improved trade.

Aqueducts

Long half-pipes that carried water into the cities of Rome. They were painted to lead paint, poisoning the people and resulting in infertility.

Religious Beliefs

They tolerated other religions, but sacrifices must be made to the Roman gods. Mithraism and the Cult of Isis were prominent.

Second Temple Period

Jews defeat the Seleucid King who tried to enforce paganism

Hasmonean Period

The Maccabee family controls Jerusalem.

Rome influence in Jerusalem

The Herod vassal king did not win the people over, resulting in Jerusalem being separated into factions.

Sadducees

A faction in Jerusalem who were made up of high priests and cooperated with the Romans and the vassal king.

Pharisees

A faction in Jerusalem made up of rabbis

Zealots

A faction in Jerusalem non-religious in motivation that revolted against foreign control.

Basics of Christianity

Jesus reformed Judaism that reinterpreted the god of the Old testament into a forgiving and loving God. Jesus was also considered the Messiah.

Judaism and Christianity Split

Jews are removed from Jerusalem by Emperor Hadrian

Edict of Decius

Stated that all Romans must sacrifice to Roman gods and get a certificate to prove it called a libellus.

The importance of Pompeii

Gave us a lot of helpful information about Roman society. Notably, a fresco of a baker and his wife indicated that literacy was widespread

Pax Romana

Means Roman peace. 200 years of Roman prosperity lasting from emperors Octavian (Augustus) to Marcus Aurelius.

Octavian (Augustus)

An Emperor during the Pax Romana who was the nephew of Julius Caesar. He established the Praetorian Guard (body guards), reorganized the treasury, increased free grain distribution, created work programs, and instituted the Julian Laws for family life and morals.

Julio-Claudian Emperors

A group of emperors who ruled during the Pax Romana who were all loosely blood-related.

Tiberius

A Julio-Claudian emperor who ruled during the Pax Romana. He was the stepson of Augustus and ruled from a distant island. He ruled with terror and fear and was eventually killed by the Praetorian Guard.

Caligula

A Julio-Claudian emperor who ruled during the Pax Romana. He was mentally imbalanced and spent the entire treasury in a year. He also thought he was an Egyptian pharaoh and named his horse Consul. He was killed by the Praetorian Guard.

Cladius

A Julio-Claudian emperor who ruled during the Pax Romana. He was the uncle of Emperor Caligula and conquered Britain. He made a public construction program to create jobs was was killed by his wife and son so his son could take over the throne.

Nero

A Julio-Claudian emperor who ruled during the Pax Romana. Son of Cladius who was the first Roman Emperor to persecute the Christians, albeit an unorganized persecution. He eventually committed suicide because he was named a public enemy by the Senate. He was also tyrannical and abusive to women.

Pax Romana Civil War

A period where 4 different emperors ruled Rome due to no clear line of succession and a power struggle between generals. Included Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian.

Flavian Emperors

A group of emperors who ruled during the Pax Romana that were all related by blood. Went from Vespasian to Domitian.

Vespasian

A Flavian emperor who ruled during the Pax Romana. He reorganized the military, limited the power of the Praetorian Guard, and began building the Colosseum.

Titus

A Flavian emperor who ruled during the Pax Romana. The oldest son of Vespasian who finished the Colosseum, ended the first Jewish revolt, destroyed the Second Temple (which forced the Jews into slavery). He also ruled when Pompeii erupted.

Domitian

A Flavian emperor who ruled during the Pax Romana. The second son of Vespasian who built the Arch of Titus in honor of his late brother. He eventually became paranoid and started a reign of terror. He was eventually murdered by slaves.

The Adoption and Inauguration of Successors

A policy created by Emperor Nerva where emperors would choose a successor that was then approved by the Senate.

Nerva

An adoptive emperor who ruled during the Pax Romana. He began the policy of “Adoption and Inauguration of Successors”.

Trajan

An adoptive emperor who ruled during the Pax Romana. One of Rome’s greatest emperors and Rome reached its greatest size under him. He built the Column of Trajan and Trajan’s Forum and put down the second major Jewish revolt.

Hadrian

An adoptive emperor who ruled during the Pax Romana. Nephew of Emperor Trajan who rebuilt the Pantheon with a dome. He also pulled back the boundaries of the empire, built Hadrian’s Wall in England, and dispersed the Jews from their homeland.

Marcus Aurelius

An adoptive emperor who ruled during the Pax Romana. The philosopher emperor who participated in stoicism and the last emperor of the Pax Romana. He fought back the first full-scale invasion of Germanic barbarians and persecuted the Christians because they refused to fight.

Septimus Severus

A post-Pax Romana emperor who reorganized provinces to increase tax yield, depreciated currency, and had overall a good administration.

Caracalla

A post-Pax Romana emperor who implemented the Constitutia Antoniniana (Edict of Caracalla). He also revamped tax collection and increased state revenues but drained the treasury by increasing soldier pay by 50%.

Edict of Caracalla

Also called the Constitutia Anotoniniana. It was made by Emperor Caracalla and made all free subjects Roman citizens.

Crisis of the Third Century

A period of Rome where armies stationed in different areas named their general emperor, leading to civil war. At one time, there were 25 different emperors at the same time, creating a period of military anarchy and political instability. Around 20 emperors ended up dying during this period.

Decius

A post-Pax Romana emperor who ruled around the Crisis of the Third Century. He was the first emperor to have an organized persecution of Christians.

Aurelianus

A post-Pax Romana emperor who ruled around the Crisis of the Third Century. He built permanent walls (which showed weakness) around Rome and pushed the Alamanni tribes out of Italy.

Diocletian

A post-Pax Romana emperor who ruled during the decline of Rome. He split up the Emperor position into three and introduced the senior/junior emperor system. He also enacted the Price Edict and the Great Persecution of Christians.

Senior/Junior Emperor System

4 senior emperors (Augusti) who each appointed their own junior (Caesar) who was their successor. This prevented hereditary succession and eventually failed. It was also called a tetrarchy.

Price Edict

Enacted by Emperor Diocletian that set max legal prices and wages for commodities.

Constantine

A post-Pax Romana emperor who ruled during the decline of Rome. He was the first Christian emperor who gave land and wealth to the church. He built the Arch of Constantine to commemorate his victory over Maxentius, a battle where he had his conversion to Christianity. He also issued the Edict of Milan and moved the capital to Constantinople.

Edict of Milan

Enacted by Emperor Constantine that issued universal religious tolerance.

Theodosius I

A post-Pax Romana emperor who ruled during the decline of Rome. He made orthodox Christianity the state religion. He gave the Goths land, legal status, and internal autonomy in the Roman Empire. Upon his death, he split the empire between his sons and this division is permanent. The Western side was more Latin-influenced and the eastern side was more Greek-influenced. He was the last full Roman emperor.

Political reasons for the fall of Rome

• No law of succession

• Incapable and corrupt leaders

• Decline of loyalty of the army

• Empire was too large

Economic reasons for the fall of Rome

• More food needed to be imported due to low food production

• Little to no money flowing into Rome

Social reasons for the fall of Rome

• Population decline due to lead poisoning from aqueduct water

• Decline of civil responsibility

• Christianity destroying Roman religion

Council of Nicea

Created by Constantine I because he wanted an official record of Christian church beliefs. This group defined heresy, punishments for heresy, Arianism, and punishments for Arianism.

Arianism

A branch of Christianity formed by a man named Arian. It stated that Jesus was a seperate and lesser god than the main Christian God. This contradicted the monotheism that helped define Christianity.

Julian the Apostate

A post-Pax Romana emperor who ruled during the decline of Rome. He was the nephew of Constantine and was the last Roman emperor to revert back to paganism.

Council of Constantinople

A group that condemned Arianism, reinforced orthodox Christianity by making it the state religion, and made the hierarchy of the chruch. This made the church more organized. The church also starts to use excommunication to control emperors and laws.

Federates

Nomadic tribes inside of the Roman empire that had autonomy but had to help protect Rome and serve in the military.

Four invading tribes

• Alamanni (Germanic)

• Visigoths (Germanic, western Goths)

• Vandals (Germanic, rebuilt Carthage)

• Huns (Asiatic)

The Battle at Adrianople

The first battle in which Rome is defeated on their own soil by the the Visigoths.

Stilichco

A Vandal and commander of the Roman armies. He was given the title “master of the soldiers and family” under Emperor Honorius. He also defeated the Visigoths in an invasion.

Alaric

A Visigoth who lead the sacking of Rome due to lack of resources provided to his people.

Attila and the Huns

Invaders of Rome who got into Gaul but were defeated at the Battle of Chalons. They lost against Aelius, the last competent Roman general

Gaiseric and the Vandals

An invading group who reached Italy and sacked Rome.

Romulus Augustulus

The last Roman emperor in the west who was replaced by Odovacar, a Germanic barbarian.

Results of the fall of Rome

• Germanic barbarians rule Italy

• Italy is not again united until the 19th century

• The eastern portion of the empire remains independent for another 1000 years