Rome’s Creation of a Mediterranean Empire

Central Location

Helped contribute to its success in unifying first italy and then all the lands ringing the Mediterranean Sea.

Italy

Crossroads in the Mediterranean, and the site of Rome was a crossroads within Italy.

Land of hills and mountains.

Rome

Lay at the midpoint of the peninsula, about 15 miles from the western coast, where a north-south road intersected an east-west river route.

Tiber River on one side and a double ring of seven hills on the other afforded natural protection to the site.

Apennine range

Runs along the length of Italy like a spine, separating the eastern and western coastal plains, while the arc of the Alps shields Italy on the north.

Climate

Mild Mediterranean climate affords a long growing season and conditions suitable for a wide variety of crops.

Hillsides

Largely bare today, were well forested in ancient times, providing

timber for construction and fuel.

Region of Etruria

In the northwest, rich in iron and other metals

There is much ample arable land in the coastal plains and river valleys even though about 75 percent of the total area is hilly.

Much of this land has extremely fertile volcanic soil and sustained a much larger population than was possible in Greece.

Roman State

While expanding within Italy, they created effective mechanisms for tapping the human resources of the countryside.

A Republic of Farmers

753 B.C.E.

According to legend, the city of Rome was founded by Romulus, who as a baby, was cast adrift on the Tiber River and nursed by a she-wolf.

Archaeologist Research

Shows that the earliest occupation of the Palatine Hill took place as early as 1000 B.C.E.

Original Inhabitants

Latin speech and cultural patterns, were typical of the indigenous population of most of the peninsula.

  • Social status, political privilege and fundamental values were related to land ownership
  • Majority of early Romans were independent on their own small plots of land.
  • Roman Republic was not a democracy
  • Wealthy class votes counted for more than the poor votes
  • State of civic officials were elected each year, and hierarchy
  • Culmination of a political career was to be selected as one of the two consuls
  • Consuls presided over meetings of the senate, and commanded the army on campaigns
  • Real center of power was the Roman Senate
  • Advisory council
  • First the kings, then republican officials
  • Senators nominated their sons for public offices
  • Filled vacancies in the senate from the ranks of former officials
  • Repository of wealth, influence, political, and military experience in the state
  • Biggest unit of Roman Society was the family – many generations
  • Every member of the family was under rule of oldest living male – paterfamilias
  • Invested with auctoritas – quality that enabled man to inspire and demand
  • Patron/client relationships were connected by complex ties of obligations
  • Senator could be patron of dozens or hundreds of men
  • Could provide legal advice and representation, physical protection, and loans
  • Client should go to battle, support him in political arena, work his land, contribute to dowry of his daughter
  • Many clients waited for senator to come out of house and went with him during the day
  • A man with an especially large retinue enjoyed great prestige
  • Rome, inequality was accepted, institutionalized, and turned into a system of mutual benefits and obligations
  • Women had no public role
  • In early Rome, a woman never ceased to be a child in law
  • She started under family’s paterfamilias, then when married was under her husband’s family
  • Women could not own land or represent themselves in law situations.
  • Relied on men to advocate her interests
  • Over time, women gained greater personal protection and political freedom
  • Some women had strong influences on their husbands and sons
  • Some Roman poets confessed their love for women including, being educated and outspoken
  • Believed world was invisible, shapeless forces referred to as numina called many yimes
  • Vesta: dwelled in the Hearth
  • Janus: guarded the door
  • Penates: watched food
  • Other deities: lived in hills, caves, ect
  • Jupiter: God of sky (Zues)
  • Mars: God of agriculture and war (Ares)
  • Very concerned with keeping Pax Deorum (Peace of Gods)
  • Sacrifices to win Gods favor were performed

Expansion in Italy and the Mediterranean

  • Center of huge empire encompassing all lands around Mediterranean
  • Some credit the greed and aggression for the propelled expansion
  • Romans were quick to seize an opportunity to present themselves
  • Conquest to Italy sparked by friction between Apennines
  • Apennines, whose livelihood depended on their ability to drive their herds to seasonal grazing grounds
  • Had rose to a position of leadership within a league of Central Italian cities organized for defense against the hill tribes
  • Romans called many times to defend the cities of Campania, which had the richest farmland
  • A key to Roman’s success of Italy, was their grant of political, legal, and economical privileges
  • They demanded that Italian subjects were to be Roman soldiers for their army
  • Fought two wars against the Carthaginians, who dominated waters of western Mediterranean
  • Rome won, and acquired first overseas provinces with Sicily, Sardinia, and Spain
  • Wars came up with Hellenistic kingdoms in east Mediterranean. They were reluctant on going that far away from their territory
  • Ended up winning over admin
  • Julius Caesar led the first occupation of land in the continental heartland of Europe
  • Brought new challenges and defenses
  • Someone in the senate who had high placement, was then a governor of the province
  • Primary response: defend province against outside attack and internal disruption, oversee collection of taxes and other revenues due Rome, and decide legal cases