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The Electronic Passport to Ancient RomeA New Power RisesThe earliest empires had been in the east.Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, India, and Greece wereall home to at least one powerful civilization.About 387BC, a city on the Italian peninsula beganacquiring land and building an empire. That citywas Rome. For more than one thousand years,Rome controlled the western world.Rome grew into an empire in part because ofhow it treated the people it conquered. If a city wasdefeated by another empire, its citizens were forcedfrom the land if they werelucky, and enslaved ifthey were not. Initially,the Romans extended therights of citizenship to thepeople they conquered. Romeconquered many of its allies byforce, but once the new people becamecitizens, they often joined the Romanarmy. Rome managed to unify most of themodern nation of Italy by 265BC.Rome is an ideal place for a city.It is located along the banks of theTiber River. The river made it easy totravel to and from the sea. The Tiber is veryshallow near Rome. A shallow portion of a river iscalled a ford. The ford made it easier for people tocross the river. Seven hills surround Rome. Thehills make it harder for invaders to approach the cityand served as lookout areas for the Romans. Romeis also close to excellent farmland and an abundanceof wood and stone. Civilizations have grown andprospered in Rome for thousands of years, which iswhy Rome is nicknamed “the Eternal City.”Romulus and RemusThe origins of Rome are steeped in mythand legend. Many ancient Romans believed twinboys named Romulus and Remus founded the city.A king feared the twins would rob him of histhrone, so he tossed them into the frigid TiberRiver. Soon after, the brothers were rescued by ashe-wolf who nursed them back to health.Romulus and Remus decided to establish acity on the Tiber River, but the brothers could notagree on a location. Signs from the heavensdecreed that each brother wouldbuild a city, but Romulus’ citywould be much larger. Romuluscompleted his city on April 21, 753BC. Remus wasupset that Romulus had built his city, so he climbedover the wall. The enraged Romulus killed hisbrother with an ax. The city came to be known asRome, named for its legendary founder.The early Romans lived in smallcommunities that grew into city-states, often ruledby kings from wealthy families. About fifty yearsafter Romulus founded the city, the legends say theEtruscans conquered the Romans.The Etruscans were brutal rulers who rainedterror on the Roman people. They were eventuallyousted by a group of Roman aristocrats whofounded the Roman Republic.The Patricians and the PlebeiansThe patricians were the noble families ofRome. In 509BC, a group of patriciansexpelled the Etruscan king and decreed thatRome would be a republic. A republic is a form ofgovernment with elected officials. The patricianselected senators to serve their interests. The senateselected two people to serve as Consuls in place ofthe Etruscan king.The plebeians were the merchants, farmers,and artisans of Rome. They were allowed to vote,but only Patricians were allowed in the senate. In471BC, the plebeians elected a tribune. Ten menrepresented the plebeians against any politicaloppression by the consuls or the patricians. By287BC, the laws passed by the plebeians werebinding for all Romans, including the patricians.The senate met in the Forum, a marketplacein the valley among the hills that surround Rome.The senators would rule on the military and foreignaffairs, but the tribunes protected the rights of theplebeians. When a tribune objected to a law, hewould shout “veto.” Vetomeans “I forbid” in Latin, thelanguage of the Romans. Ifenough tribunes objected,they could stopthe law frompassing. 2001 Mike Dowling, www.mrdowling.com, All rights reserved.Page 1 of 7

The Punic Warsslavery, burned Carthage’s harbor, and poured salton the Carthaginian farmland. The salt made itimpossible for crops to grow and ensured thatCarthage would never again rival the Eternal City.The Romans depended on the plunder oftheir army. The Roman Senate had to keep thearmy busy, or the army might have turned againstthem. By 265BC, the army was now big enough toJulius Caesardefeat anything it faced. Rome stopped makingRome was a huge and very rich empire aftercitizens of the people it conquered. NewlythesecondPunic War, but the Senate did a poor jobconquered lands became provinces of the Romanof running the republic. The senate was designed toRepublic.govern a city, not a growing empire. The senatorsThe Romans fought three wars againstoften took bribes or were not careful about howCarthage, a city on the north coast of Africa. Thethey voted in the forum. Many Romans wanted awars are known as the Punic Wars because Punciastrong leader, and the ambitious Juliuswas the Roman name forThe Rubicon is one of the most Caesar was an obvious choice.Carthage. The first war wasfamous rivers in history, butCaesar sought the office offought over Sicily, an islandyou won’t find it on any modern consul in 60BC. He had recentlycontrolled by Carthage in themap. Nobody is quite surereturned from Spain where he served a yMediterranean Sea off thewhich of the many streamsear as governor. The two consuls at thesouthwest coast of the ItaliannearthemodernborderofItalytime were Crassus and Pompey, thepeninsula. In 265BC, Sicilyand France was once namedleaders of the war against the slavewas richer than any other landtheRubicon.revolt. Rather than become involved in ain the area and a perfect targetstruggle, Caesar convinced Crassus,for the Roman army. ThePompey,and the Roman Senate to nameRomans won the war andJulius Caesarhim a third consul. This coalition of threeforced Carthage to give updescribed one his militaryequal rulers later became known as theSicily.campaign by saying, “Veni,First Triumvirate.A generation after thevidi, vici,” which means, "IWhen Caesar’s year-long term asfirst war, Rome attackedcame, I saw, I conquered.”consulended,he used his influence to getCarthage a second time, but ahimself appointed governor of Gaul. Gaul was ayoung Carthaginian general named Hannibal nearlyterritory northwest of the Italian peninsula. He ledcaptured Rome. The Romans expected Carthage toan army that captured most of Western Europe.attack from the sea, but Hannibal commanded anCaesar’s successes on the battlefield made him thearmy from land Carthage controlled in modernmost popular man in Rome.Spain. Hannibal led his army in a daring andIn 49BC, the Senate ordered Caesar to returndifficult journey over the Alps while riding ontoRome,but to leave his army behind. Caesarelephants. Hannibal’s army might have defeatedfeared that his opponents would destroy him, so hethe Romans, but Hannibal returned home to defendignored the order and marched his army back tohis native land when Roman soldiers invaded AfricaRome. Caesar’s orders clearly told him not to bringin 202BC. The Roman army defeated Hannibal inhis army across the Rubicon River. When heAfrica and won the second Punic War.marched the army across the river, he knew heCarthage was no longer in a position to hurtfaced an important decision. Caesar knew that if heRome after the second Punic War, but in 149BC,obeyed the senate and disbanded his army, hisRoman leaders decided to destroycareer would be over; but if he marched his troopsCarthage. A Roman senator named Catoacross the river, the Senate would order Pompeyended every speech with the cry,and his army to retaliate. Today when people say“Carthage must be destroyed.” Romethey are “crossing the Rubicon,” they refer to a verydefeated Carthage after almost three yearssignificant decision that cannot be undone.of war. After a siege in 146BC, theCaesar’s army seized control of Italy whileRomans went from house to housePompey and his army fled to Greece. Caesarslaughtering the people of Carthage.hunted Pompey and defeated his army. PompeyThey sold the remaining citizens into 2001 Mike Dowling, www.mrdowling.com, All rights reserved.Page 2 of 7

then escaped to Egypt with Caesar in pursuit. WhenCaesar arrived in Egypt, the ten-year-old king ofEgypt, Ptolemy XIII, presented Caesar withPompey’s decapitated head.The Roman people admired Caesar as a warhero and a strong leader. In 46BC, they elected himdictator of Rome. A dictator is a ruler withcomplete control. In that time, dictators weretemporary rulers elected in times of crisis, butCaesar was elected because of his popularity. Thelast Roman dictator had been elected almost 150years earlier, at the end of the second Punic War.Caesar used his power to make manychanges in Rome, often without approval from theSenate. He instituted the Julian calendar of 365¼days. Caesar’s calendar is closely related to thecalendar we use today. The month of July is namedin honor of Caesar. A year after his election asdictator, the Roman people elected Caesar “dictatorfor life.”The Roman senators wereoutraged at Caesar’s power andpopularity. On March 15, 44BC,Caesar was met by a mob of sixtysenators who stabbed the dictator todeath.they worshipped him as a god.Augustus ruled Rome for 41 years, thoughhe did not call himself an emperor. He was carefulto not meet the same fate as his great granduncle.Augustus was very respectful to the senators, butthe Senate knew he controlled the army and coulddo as he pleased.The Roman army was so strong that itprotected citizens from attacks from the tribes wholived beyond the empire. The powerful,professionally trained forces were divided into largeunits called legions. Each legion would have asmany as 6,000 soldiers. The two hundred yearperiod that began with the rule of Caesar Augustuswas known as the Pax Romana, or the “Peace ofRome.”Roman TechnologyThe Romans used great public projects tomake the city the most advanced ofthe ancient world, and to create thelargest empire of the era. Many ofthe roads, bridges, and aqueducts ofancient Rome are still used today.The Romans built manyroads throughout their empire. Theroads made it easier to travel, moveCaesar Augustustroops, and trade with farawayARomanaqueductWith the death of Marcprovinces. It also made it easier toAntony in 31BC, Octavian became the sole ruler ofcollect taxes. Roman roads followed an exactRome. Octavian took measures to earn the loyaltydesign. The expression, “All Roads Lead Toof the Roman army. He encouraged the soldiers toRome” refers to the fact that Rome was the centerretire from the army by providing them with land.of ancient civilization.Once the soldiers retired, Octavian did not have toRoman engineers brought water into the citybe concerned with the army turning onby building pipelines called aqueducts.him. Further, Octavian knew he couldNine aqueducts provided the Romancount on the soldiers’ support if he waspeople with 38 million gallons of waterchallenged by the Senate.every day. Parts of the Roman aqueductOctavian restored peace andsystem still supply water to fountains inorder to Rome. He made sure the landsRome.throughout the empire were well run andThe Romans built many hugetaxes were fair. Octavian built massivestadiums called amphitheaters. Peopleroads and bridges, governmentwould gather in amphitheaters to watchbuildings, and huge public baths. Heshows with clowns, jugglers, andsaid, “I left Rome a city of marble,acrobats. Some of Roman entertainmentthough I found it a city of bricks.” Thewas very cruel. People would watchRoman people awarded Octavian withfights between wild animals andthe title Augustus, which means,gladiators. Gladiators were usually“respected one.” Many Romans deifiedslaves or criminals who fought withCaesar AugustusAugustus after his death. This meansswords against animals or one another. 2001 Mike Dowling, www.mrdowling.com, All rights reserved.Page 3 of 7