AP World History Chapter 11: Rome

- extensive land empire with centralized administration - Established links between various Mediterranean regions - Served as a vehicle for the spread of Christianity

- 8th - 5th century BCE - From Anatolia - Cities, manufacturing, metallurgy - Trade, fleet - Tremendous influence on Romans

- Two consuls, assembly, senate - Conflict/tension between plebians and patricians - Led to creation of tribunes and expansion of plebian role in gov't. - Position of dictator: 6 months

- within Italy and with Gauls

- Located in Africa - Punic Wars 264 - 146 BCE - Economic competition (especially over Sicily) - Supremacy in the Mediterranean

- Unequal distribution of wealth: Latifundia - Strain from administering conquered lands - Social conflict and civil war - Gracci brothers - Republic unfit for large and growing empire - Power struggles - Personal armies: poor soldiers loyal to general and not the state

- land reform - Marius was a reformer - Sulla was a conservative and a brutal dictator - Civil war/ "Reign of terror" lasted 5 years - More small farmers in cities - By this point, Rome is dead

- Nephew to Marius - Social Reform - Popular support - 49 BCE: marches army towards Rome - Dictator for life; never took the title of emperor - Centralized authority - Confiscated and redistributed property - Extended Roman citizenship - Assassination and power struggle

- 27 BCE - Monarchy disguised as a republic - Centralized political power - Preserved traditional Republican offices and gov't - Organized military allegiance to himself

- 117 CE

- Facilitated transportation and communication

- Twelve tables 450 BCE - Applied to all people under Roman rule - Innocent until proven guilty - Right of descendants to challenge accusers - Judges could set aside laws

- Good roads and Pax Romana - Existing cities benefited - New cities founded in conquered areas - Agricultural production for export - Commercial agriculture: regional specialization - Mediteranean: "Roman Lake" - Wealth generated from military expansion

- Concrete - Luxury goods - Elaborate sewage and plumbing systems

- Authorities

- Status, property, authority

- Challenged old nobility

- Urban unemployed masses - Riots, private armies - "Bread and Circuses"

- Rural: harsh lives; rebellions - Urban: less difficult; more possibility for freedom

- gods and goddesses - some adapted from Greeks and Etruscans - Divinations of future

- popular with Romans (Cicero) - Universal moral standards based on nature and reason - Pursuit of justice

- Mithraism and Christianity were the most popular - Appealed to the masses - Promised a future - Provided a sense of purpose

- Sun and light god of Zoroastrianism - Romans associated it with military values - Popular among soldiers, merchants, and administrators - ONLY MEN

- Problem with state cults - Tense relations with Romans: rebellions - Jewish War (66 - 70 CE)

- Dead Sea scrolls - Strict Moral Code - Ritual: Baptism and community meals - Looked for Savior

- Sought converts from non-Jewish communities - Paul of Tarsus

- Rome appears as the principle seat of Christianity - Gradual adoption of authoritative text