Rome: Importance
“successor” to Greece “carrier” of Greek civilization political model for later Europe measure of success for nations and individuals
Importance, con’t
model for later monarchies model for later, mixed constitutions
– Great Britain, U.S., etc.
model for most European legal systems model for the concept of citizenship
Roman History
The Regal Age: ca. 779-509 B.C. The Republic: 509-27 B.C. The Empire: 27 B.C.-1453 A.D.
– Early Empire: 27 B.C.-325 A.D. – Later Empire: 325 A.D.-1453 A.D.
Location
Italy Tiber River between Etruscan and Greek cities part of the Latin League
Early history
Indo-European entered Italy ca. 2000 B.C. settled south of the Tiber primitive institutions
The Kings
Seven kings Romulus historical kings?
– the Etruscan kings – the last three
The Republic
revolution patricians (2-4%) and plebeians (9698%) constitutional government
– influenced by Athens? – the constitution of Cleisthenes?
Offices
2 consuls 2 praetors aediles quaestors dictator
Important institutions
the assemblies the elective offices patron-client relationships The Twelve Tables
Struggle of the Orders
struggle for political participation plebeian institutions: the tribunes the secessions the compromises
– no political violence until 133 B.C.
Roman Expansion
conquest of Veii: Rome’s “Trojan War” gradual expansion for a century the Latin League
– extension of citizenship – Romans, half-citizens, Latins, allies – continuous expansion
Celts, Samnites, etc.
Expansion, con’t
Etruscans Greeks Carthage ???
– three Punic Wars – 254, 220, 146 B.C.
control of Western Mediterranean
Expansion, con’t
the Hellenistic Monarchies the Greek Federal Leagues lots of wars, Romans are dragged in...a lot Romans get tired of it control of most of the Med. basin by 100 B.C. but still essentially a city-state
Roman Religion
rustic Italian cults overlay of Greek religion Etruscan influences Romans as “pack rats”
Roman art
best we don’t even talk about that
Roman architecture
great skill engineers and architects roads, cities concrete
Roman Literature
copied from Greek models interests in rhetoric, law, and satire Stoic and Epicurean philosophy
The Late Republic: 133-27 B.C.
introduction of violence into domestic politics competition for status and recognition civil war
Important Figures
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus Marius and Sulla Pompey the Great, Marcus Crassus, Julius Caesar
– First Triumvirate
Marc Antony, Marcus Lepidus, Octavian Caesar
– Second Triumvirate
Gaius Marius
Gaius Julius Caesar
Cicero
Octavian Augustus
Octavian as pontifex maximus
Marc Antony
The Empire
unification of the Mediterranean basin and western Europe extended citizenship empire-wide commerce Roman law tolerance for local autonomy
The Julio-Claudians
Augustus Tiberius Caligula Claudius Nero
Changes
reduction of political competition end to expansion reduction in the army further extension of citizenship
The Flavians
Year of the Four Emperors (69 A.D.) Vespasian Titus Domitian
The Antonines: the Good Emperors
Edward Gibbon the height of the Empire the culmination of the pax Romana succession by adoption of the most competent
The Good Emperors
Nerva Trajan
– strong military leader
Hadrian
– excellent administrator – Hellenophile
Antoninus Pius Marcus Aurelius
– the embodiment of the philosopher king
The Rise of Christianity
Jesus of Nazareth
– teacher, prophet, revolutionary – the Jesus Movement
Paul of Tarsus
– cultural mixture: Jewish and Greek – founder of Christianity
Rise of Christianity, con’t
disappearance of Jewish followers: 70 A.D. growth of the Pauline church the poor, women, children, slaves no success among men, the educated, etc. benefits of Roman infrastructure and the pax Romana
Roman suspicion
the First Jewish War “eastern religion”
– corrupted the mos maiorum – that is, “traditional family values”
rumors of orgies and cannibalism Second Jewish War Trajan’s Rescript
The Crisis of the Third Century
End of the practice of adoption The Severian Emperors
– the army as a social class – abandonment of the Augustan constitution – collapse of the senate and other organs of state – collapse of the civil adminstration
Crisis, con’t
collapse of society
– breakdown of social classes
collapse of the economy
– collapse of trade and coinage
barbarian invasions civil wars
– Thirty emperors – The Danubian emperors (soldiers)
Crisis, con’t
Aurelian - restituor orbis Decius - persecutions of those who corrupt traditional family values Diocletian
Diocletian and Reform
The Tetrarchy The Annona The Edict of Maximum Prices The “new provinces” The “eastern frontiers” The “new capitals” The “persecutions”
– Edict of Toleration, 311
Constantine
The divided empire, united The Battle of the Milvian Bridge The “conversion of Constantine” The Edict of Milan - 314 The First Ecumenical Council The New Capital
– Constantinople
Books for you to read
H.H. Scullard and M. Cary. A History of Rome to 325 J.B. Bury. The Later Roman Empire A.H.M. Jones. The Later Empire J.J. Norwich. A Short History of Byzantium E. Gruen. The Last Generation of the Roman Republic Michael Crawford. The Roman Republic Colin Wells. The Roman Empire Averil Cameron. The Later Roman Empire
More Books
M. Gelzer. Caesar C. Meier. Caesar A. Everitt. Augustus E. Gruen. Diaspora: Jews among the Greeks and Romans W.G. Kummel. Introduction to the New Testament Keith F. Nickle. The Synoptic Gospels
And more books….
Joel Carmichael. The Birth of Christianity A. Schweitzer. The Quest for the Historical Jesus W. Barnes Tatum. The Quest for Jesus M. Grant. Jesus: An Historians Review of the Gospels M. Grant. The Jews in the Roman World M. Grant. St. Paul E.P. Sanders. The Historical Figure of Jesus Paula Fredrickson. Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews
More….
Bart Ehrman. Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millenium Geza Vermes. Jesus the Jew L. Michael White. From Jesus to Christianity S.G.F. Brandon. The Trial of Jesus of Nazareth Hyam Maccoby. Mythmaker: Paul and the Invention of Christianity Morton Smith. Jesus the Magician
And yet more…
www.etsu.edu/cas/history/religionsbib.ht m R. Helms. Gospel Fictions R. Helms. Who Wrote the Gospels H.Y. Gamble. The Canon of the New Testament D.A. Carson. The King James Debate: A plea for realism