HST 121 - Rome's Rise to Power

I. Roman Origins [Map: Ancient Italy]
        A. located on Tiber River, 18 miles from the coast
                - controlled access to the Tiber
                - eventually will have to fend off those who want to
                        control the Tiber
        B. shepherds, farmers settled in small huts in the hills
                 surrounding future site of Rome (c. 1000 BCE)
        C. urban center developing at Rome (early 7th c. BCE)
        D. Rome absorbed by Etruscans (mid 7th c. BCE) [Map]
                - installed Etruscan king to rule Rome
        E. Rome became an important commercial center under
                Etruscan rule
        F. Romans kicked out last Etruscan king at the end of the
                6th c. BCE and set up a "republic"

II. Rome's Conquest of Italy [Map: Ancient Italy]
    A. Step 1: Build a powerful defensive alliance
        1. creation of the Latin League (early 5th c. BCE)
                - to fend off attacks
        2. defeat of the Volsci, Aequi and Sabines (5th-4th c. BCE)
        3. defeat of Veii, city-state in nearby Etruria (c. 430s-420s BCE)
    B. Step 2: Build up their defenses
        1. invasion of the Gauls (387 BCE) 
                - faster cavalry, longer swords; sacked Rome
                - Rome bought off the Gauls
                - made Rome aware of its weaknesses
        2. construction of massive defensive wall around Rome (378 BCE) [Map]
    C. Step 3: Gain respect in the region around Rome
        - war with Latins and Campanians (342-338 BCE) [Map]
    D. Step 4: Dealing with defeated enemies
        - granting Roman citizenship (or semi-citizenship)
                to defeated enemies = vested interest in fighting for Rome
                - difference with Greek city-states
                - large pool of citizens = large pool of soldiers
    E. Step 5: Border Protection
        - establishing colonies of Roman citizens to guard the borders
                of the lands under Roman control
    F. Step 6: The conquest of eastern Italy
        1. Samnite Wars (c. 327-290 BCE)
                - colonies
                - Appian Way (from Rome to Capua, then to Tarentum) [Map]
                - military innovations: legions, maniples
       2. Rome virtually controls all of Italy south of the Po River

III. From Italian Power to Mediterranean Empire [Map]
        A. Tarentum, Greek city-state in southern Italy, and Pyrrhus, 
                king of Epirus ("Pyrrhic victory") [281-267 BCE]
                        - Rome had an endless supply of troops
                        - figured out how to kill war elephants
                        - now had control of southern Italy
        B. First Punic War (265-241 BCE)
                - Carthage est. a naval base on Sicily
                        - getting too close to the Roman sphere of influence
                - long, costly naval war with Carthage
                - forced Rome to become a naval power
                        - heavy gangplanks = land battles on ships
                - Rome had more timber resources; built one more fleet
                        than Carthage = victory
        C. Second Punic War (218-202 BCE)
                - Carthage increasing its territory in Spain
                        - Rome fears this, declares war
                - Hannibal crosses Alps with 23,000 troops and 18 war elephants
                - he devastates the Italian countryside and defeats the Romans
                        in every pitched battle
                - Rome saved by Publius Cornelius Scipio who took the war
                        to Carthaginian territory
                - battle of Zama, 202 BCE -- Scipio defeats Hannibal in Africa
        D. Third Punic War (149-146 BCE)
                - very short war; Carthage overwhelmed and destroyed
        E. defeat of Philip V of Macedon (197 BCE)
        F. defeat of Antiochus III of Syria (189 BCE)

IV. Plebeians v. Patricians
        A. The Struggle of the Orders (c. 500-287 BCE)
                - wealthy plebeians want political and social equality
                        - right to hold offices, intermarriage
                - Twelve Tables = codification of Roman law (449 BCE)
                - over next two centuries, plebeians gradually gain access
                        to priesthoods, public offices and the Senate
                - Lex Hortensia (287 BCE)
                        - decisions of the plebeian assembly are binding
                                on all citizens (patricians and plebeians alike)
        B. Optimates v. Populares
                1. patricians = optimates (means "the best" in Latin)
                2. patricians become massively wealthy as a result of empire
                        - almost everyone else suffered
                3. thus, many revolts/uprisings against the patricians
                        - slave revolts (between 135-71 BCE)
                        - provincial revolts
                        - revolt of Latin allies (91-89 BCE)
                4. creation of latifundia and use of slaves on them
                        displaces massive numbers of plebeians
                5. Tiberius Gracchus (c. 163-133 BCE)
                        - first of the populares (patrician politicians who 
                                appealed to the masses)
                        - proposed land reforms: public land to be taken from
                                patricians and divided up among plebeians
                        - patrician opposition too strong; Gracchus killed
                6. Gaius Gracchus (153-121 BCE)
                        - reestablished his brother's land reform program
                        - improved supply and distribution of grain
                        - encouraged colonization
                        - strong opposition; killed by patricians