6.1 - The Roman Republic

• Rome was built on seven sloping hills near the middle of the Italian peninsula, on a bend in the Tiber River.

  • It was located halfway between the Alps and the southernmost point of Italy.

• The Italian peninsula's first people arrived in prehistoric times. Three groups inhabited the region from around 1000 to 500 B.C. and eventually fought for power.

  • The Etruscans, the Greeks, and the Latins were their names.

• Different groups of Romans fought for control in the early republic. The patricians, or wealthy landowners who wielded much of the power, were one such group.

  • The plebeians, or common farmers, artisans, and merchants who made up the majority of the population, were another prominent group.

• As the legions fought for control of the Italian peninsula, Roman authority increased slowly but steadily.

  • The Romans dominated central Italy by the fourth century B.C.

  • They eventually conquered the Etruscans in the north and the Greek city-states in the south.

6.2 - The Roman Empire

• The gap between rich and poor widened as Rome expanded.

• Many of Rome's wealthy landowners had vast estates.

  • Thousands of enslaved individuals were forced to labour on these estates, many of whom had been taken during numerous conflicts.

• A collapse of the once-loyal military added to the rising unrest within the republic. As the republic's stability deteriorated, generals began seizing more power for themselves.

  • They enlisted soldiers from the poor who were landless by promising them land.

• Caesar ruled as an absolute monarch with complete power. He did, however, initiate a number of changes.

  • Many people in the provinces were granted Roman citizenship by him.

  • He increased the size of the Senate by bringing in friends and allies from Italy and other countries.

• The Romans were able to hold together their huge empire in part due to effective government and capable rulers. Augustus was the most capable emperor of Rome.

  • He established a stable border, adorned Rome with magnificent public buildings, and established a political system that lasted for generations.

6.3 - The Rise of Christianity

• There is practically little information about Jesus in historical records from the time.

  • The Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament of the Bible, are the primary source of information regarding his teachings.

  • One or more of Jesus' disciples or classmates is supposed to have written some of the Gospels.

• Both Roman and Jewish elites were anxious about Jesus' growing popularity.

• When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem around the year 29 A.D., he was received enthusiastically as the Messiah, or king—the one who, according to the Bible, would come to save the Jews.

• The land of Jesus' birth and the Jews drew a lot of Roman attention in the early years of Christianity.

  • A group of Jews revolted against Rome in A.D. 66.

• Christians were also a source of contention for Roman authorities.

  • They refused to worship Roman gods, which was the fundamental cause.

• ​​Christians had given their religion a hierarchy, similar to the Roman Empire's.

  • Each little group of Christians was led by a priest at the local level.

6.4 - The Fall of the Roman Empire

• Several reasons contributed to the decline of Rome's economy in the third century A.D.

  • Outside the empire's borders, hostile tribes and pirates on the Mediterranean Sea hampered trade.

  • The Romans had reached their limit of expansion and needed new gold and silver sources.

• The Roman military was similarly in chaos by the third century A.D. Roman troops, in general, had become less disciplined and loyal over time.

  • They pledged their allegiance to their leaders, who were fighting for the crown among themselves, rather than to Rome.

• Since Julius Caesar's time, Germanic peoples had collected on the empire's northern boundaries and coexisted in relative peace with Rome.

• Meanwhile, the Huns, who were indirectly responsible for the Germanic invasion, were a direct threat to the empire.

6.5 - Rome and the Roots of Western Civilization

• The Greeks taught the Romans the art of sculpture.

• While Greek sculptors were recognized for their beauty and idealization, Roman sculptors were known for creating realistic portraits in stone.

  • Much Roman art served a utilitarian purpose, such as public instruction.

• The Greeks influenced much of the thinking of the Romans. The philosophy of Zeno, a Greek instructor, was particularly important.

  • Virtue, duty, moderation, and endurance were emphasized in Stoicism.

• Long after the fall of Rome, Latin, the Roman language, remained the language of learning in the West.

  • Until the twentieth century, it was the Roman Catholic Church's official language.

• The architecture of Rome drew admirers from all around the empire.

  • The Colosseum, for example, was built using a combination of the arch, the dome, and concrete.