Slide 2:1. Rome's Geography Rome was built on seven rolling hills at a curve on the Tiber River, near the center of the Italian peninsula. It was midway between the Alps and Italy's southern tip. Rome also was near the midpoint of the Mediterranean Sea.


Slide 3:2. The First Romans From about 1000 to 500 B.C., three groups inhabited the region and eventually battled for control. They were the Latins, the Greeks, and the Etruscans


Slide 4:3. Government The Romans established a republic. A republic is a form of government in which power rests with citizens who have the right to vote for their leaders. In Rome, citizenship with voting rights was granted only to free-born male citizens.


Slide 5:4. Patricians and Plebeians In the early republic, different groups of Romans struggled for power. One group was the patricians , the wealthy landowners who held most of the power. The other important group was the plebeians , the common farmers, artisans, and merchants who made up the majority of the population.


Slide 6:5. TRIBUNES The patricians inherited their power and social status. They claimed that their ancestry gave them the authority to make laws for Rome. The plebeians were citizens of Rome with the right to vote. However, they were barred by law from holding most important government positions. In time, Rome's leaders allowed the plebeians to form their own assembly and elect representatives called tribunes . Tribunes protected the rights of the plebeians from unfair acts of patrician officials


Slide 7:6. Twelve Tables In 451 B.C., a group of ten officials began writing down Rome's laws. The laws were carved on twelve tablets, or tables, and hung in the Forum. They became the basis for later Roman law. The Twelve Tables established the idea that all free citizens had a right to the protection of the law.


Slide 8:7. Government Under the Republic Rome had two officials called consuls . Like kings, they commanded the army and directed the government. However, their power was limited.


Slide 9:8. Senate The senate was the aristocratic branch of Rome's government. It had both legislative and administrative functions in the republic. Its 300 members were chosen from the upper class of Roman society. Later, plebeians were allowed in the senate. The senate exercised great influence over both foreign and domestic policy.


Slide 11:9. War with Carthage In 264 B.C., Rome and Carthage went to war. This was the beginning of the long struggle known as the Punic Wars . Between 264 and 146 B.C., Rome and Carthage fought three wars.


Slide 12:10. Roman expansion Rome's victories in the Punic Wars gave it dominance over the western Mediterranean. The Romans then went on to conquer the eastern half. By about 70 B.C., Rome's Mediterranean empire stretched from Anatolia in the east to Spain in the west. However, such growth and power brought with it a new set of difficulties.


Slide 14:11. The Republic Collapses As Rome grew, the gap between rich and poor grew wider. Many of Rome's rich landowners lived on huge estates. Thousands of enslaved persons–many of whom had been captured peoples in various wars–were forced to work on these estates. By 100 B.C., enslaved persons formed perhaps one-third of Rome's population.


Slide 15:12. GRACCHUS BROTHERS Two brothers, Tiberius and Gaius (GUY•us) Gracchus (GRAK•us), attempted to help Rome's poor. As tribunes, they proposed such reforms as limiting the size of estates and giving land to the poor. The brothers made enemies of numerous senators, who felt threatened by their ideas. Both met violent deaths–Tiberius in 133 B.C. and Gaius in 121 B.C. A period of civil war , or conflict between groups within the same country, followed their deaths.


Slide 16:13. Julius Caesar Takes Control Caesar governed as an absolute ruler, one who has total power. However, he started a number of reforms. He granted Roman citizenship to many people in the provinces. He expanded the senate, adding friends and supporters from Italy and other regions. Caesar also helpedthe poor by creating jobs, especially through the construction of new public buildings. He started colonies where people without land could own property, and he increased pay for soldiers.


Slide 17:14. Death of Caesar Many nobles and senators expressed concern over Caesar's growing power, success, and popularity. Some feared losing their influence. Others considered him a tyrant. A number of important senators, led by Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassius, plotted his assassination. On March 15, 44 B.C., they stabbed him to death in the senate chamber.


Slide 18:15. A Vast and Powerful Empire Rome was at the peak of its power from the beginning of Augustus's rule in 27 B.C. to A.D. 180. For 207 years, peace reigned throughout the empire, except for some fighting with tribes along the borders. This period of peace and prosperity is known as the Pax Romana — “Roman peace.”


Slide 19:16. The Rise of Christianity Roman power spread to Judea, the home of the Jews, around 63 B.C. At first the Jewish kingdom remained independent, at least in name. Rome then took control of the Jewish kingdom in A.D. 6 and made it a province of the empire. A number of Jews, however, believed that they would once again be free. According to biblical tradition, God had promised that a savior known as the Messiah would arrive and restore the kingdom of the Jews. Roughly two decades after the beginning of Roman rule, many believed that such a savior had arrived.


Slide 20:17. Jesus’ Teachings At the age of 30, Jesus began his public ministry. For the next three years, he preached, taught, did good works, and reportedly performed miracles. His teachings contained many ideas from Jewish tradition, such as monotheism, or belief in only one god, and the principles of the Ten Commandments.


Slide 21:18. A Growing Movement  Historical records of the time mention very little about Jesus. The main source of information about his teachings are the Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament of the Bible. Some of the Gospels are thought to have been written by one or more of Jesus' disciples, or pupils. These 12 men later came to be called apostles .


Slide 22:19. Christianity Spreads Through the Empire Strengthened by their conviction that he had triumphed over death, the followers of Jesus continued to spread his ideas. Jesus' teachings did not contradict Jewish law, and his first followers were Jews. Soon, however, these followers began to create a new religion based on his messages. Despite political and religious opposition, the new religion of Christianity spread slowly but steadily throughout the Roman Empire.


Slide 23:20. Paul's Mission One man, the apostle Paul, had enormous influence on Christianity's development. Paul was a Jew who had never met Jesus and at first was an enemy of Christianity. While traveling to Damascus in Syria, he reportedly had a vision of Christ. He spent the rest of his life spreading and interpreting Christ's teachings.


Slide 24:21. A World Religion Despite persecution of its followers, Christianity became a powerful force. By the late third century A.D., there were millions of Christians in the Roman Empire and beyond. The widespread appeal of Christianity was due to a variety of reasons. Christianity grew because it•embraced all people–men and women, enslaved persons, the poor, and nobles; •gave hope to the powerless; •appealed to those who were repelled by the extravagances of imperial Rome; •offered a personal relationship with a loving God; •promised eternal life after death.


Slide 25:22. Constantine Accepts Christianity In the year, A.D. 313, Constantine announced an end to the persecution of Christians. In the Edict of Milan, he declared Christianity to be one of the religions approved by the emperor. Christianity continued to gain strength. In 380, the emperor Theodosius made it the empire's official religion.


23. The Fall of the Roman Empire :23. The Fall of the Roman Empire


24. Invasions into Roman Empire :24. Invasions into Roman Empire


25. The Legacy of Greco-Roman Civilization :25. The Legacy of Greco-Roman Civilization Romans learned the art of sculpture from the Greeks. However, while the Greeks were known for the beauty and idealization of their sculpture, Roman sculptors created realistic portraits in stone. Much Roman art was practical in purpose, intended for public education.


Slide 29:26. MOSAICS Roman artists also were particularly skilled in creating mosaics. Mosaics were pictures or designs made by setting small pieces of stone, glass, or tile onto a surface. Most Roman villas, the country houses of the wealthy, had at least one colorful mosaic.


Slide 30:27. PAINTING In addition, Romans excelled at the art of painting. Most wealthy Romans had bright, large murals, called frescoes, painted directly on their walls. Few have survived. The best examples of Roman painting are found in the Roman town of Pompeii and date from as early as the second century B.C. In A.D. 79, nearby Mount Vesuvius erupted, covering Pompeii in a thick layer of ash and killing about 2,000 residents. The ash acted to preserve many buildings and works of art.


28. Learning and Literature :28. Learning and Literature


29. Roman System of Law :29. Roman System of Law Some of the most important principles of Roman law were:•All persons had the right to equal treatment under the law. •A person was considered innocent until proven guilty. •The burden of proof rested with the accuser rather than the accused .•A person should be punished only for actions, not thoughts. •Any law that seemed unreasonable or grossly unfair could be set aside.    The principles of Roman law endured to form the basis of legal systems in many European countries and of places influenced by Europe, including the United States of America.


30. Master Builders :30. Master Builders Visitors from all over the empire marveled at the architecture of Rome. The arch, the dome, and concrete were combined to build spectacular structures, such as the Colosseum.   Arches also supported bridges and aqueducts. Aqueducts were designed by Roman engineers to bring water into cities and towns. When the water channel spanned a river or ravine, the aqueduct was lifted high up on arches.