Day 1 classwork

Main ideas:

1. Rome began as a republic, a government in which elected officials represent the people. Eventually, absolute rulers called emperors seized power and expanded the empire
2. At its height, the Roman empire touched three continents, Europe, Asia, and Africa. for several centuries, Rome brought peace and prosperity to its empire before its eventual collapse
3. out of Judea rose a monotheistic, or single-god, religion known as Christianity. Based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, it soon spread throughout Rome and beyond

Rome timeline:

• 509 BC- Rome becomes a republic
• 264 BC- first Punic war begins
• 218 BC- in the 2nd Punic war, Hannibal invaded Italy
• 31 BC- Octavian defeats the forces of Antony and Cleopatra
• ad 284- Diocletian becomes emperor of Rome
• ad 476- western roman empire falls

Page 155-159 notes

• City of Rome was founded in753 BC by Romulus and Remus
• Twins were abandoned on the Tiber river as infants and raised by a she-wolf
• Rome was built on seven rolling hills at a curve on the Tiber river, near the center of the Italian peninsula
• located near the midpoint of the Mediterranean Sea
• The Latins, Greeks, and the Etruscans battle for control over the Italian peninsula
• the Latins built the original settlements at Rome
• Greeks established colonies along southern Italy and Sicily
• The Etruscans were skilled metal workers and engineers 
• The last king of Rome was Tarquin the Proud
• Republic- Latin phrase res publica meaning public affairs
• citizenship was only granted to free-born males
• plebeians were citizens of Rome who could vote
• in 451 BC a group of ten officials began writing Rome laws on twelve tablets
• assemblies represented the more democratic side of the government
• dictators power only lasted for 6 months
• legions were divided into smaller groups of 80 men, each of which was called a century
• fighting skills and military organization were key factors to Rome’s rise to greatness
• romans dominated central Italy
• Rome did not interfere with its allies as long as they didn’t sign peace treaties with others and supplied Roman army
• Merchants traded roman wine and olive oil
• 264 BC Rome went to war with carthage (fought 3 wars)
• Scipio devised a plan to attack carthage
• 202 BC romans defeated Hannibal