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Online Textbook for History 1111

Lesson 8: The ROman Republic and Empire

 

Online Readings

“Rome: Emperors and Poets” by Tom Holland, The Guardian

“Marcus Aurelius” by John Sellars, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

“The Battle of the Milvian Bridge” by Richard Cavendish, History Today​
Crash Course Videos & Quizzes*
Lecture: Narrated PowerPoint
  

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Learning Objectives

(Included in Power Point)

Upon successful completion of this lesson, students should be able to:

  • Trace the history of Rome from its beginnings as a small river settlement to a republic to an empire.
  • Identify key characteristics of the Roman Senate and Roman law.
  • Describe the Punic Wars and the Roman conflicts with Carthage.
  • Discuss social stratifications in Rome, including citizens, plebeians, patricians, optimates, and populares.
  • Explain the rise of the First Triumvirate and the transition of power to Augustus.
  • Examine the decline of the Western Roman Empire and the rise of the Eastern Roman Empire in Byzantium.
  • Discuss the situation of Constantine, Milvian Bridge, and the Edict of Milan.
  • List contributions of the Romans to civilization.

Terms to Know

  • Aeneas
  • Augustus Caesar
  • Battle of Milvian Bridge
  • Constantine
  • Consuls
  • Crassus
  • Diocletian
  • First Triumvirate
  • Hannibal of Carthage
  • Julius Caesar
  • Lucius Junius Brutus
  • Magistrates
  • Marcus Aurelius
  • Marcus Terentius Varro
  • Patricians
  • Pax Romana
  • Plebeians
  • Pompey
  • Punic Wars
  • Roman Senate
  • Romulus and Remus
  • SPQR (English and Latin, and what it means)
  • Tiber River
  • Twelve Tables of Roman Law
  • Edict of Milan

Thought Questions

  1. Consider Rome and its government, as well as the discussion of the meaning of republic and democracy. What was Rome? Explain your reasons with specific examples from the readings and online content.
  2. Compared to other law codes we’ve discussed, what similarities and differences do you see between the laws of Rome and those of, for example, the Babylonians? Reflect on the social system of Rome in your answer.
  3. How did Rome undergo the transformation from a small kingdom into a large empire? Include military as well as governance practices in your answer. 

Discussion Questions

  1. Read the online content and the article (from a British source) about the achievements of Rome. What do you think were the two most important and why? 
  2. Marcus Aurelius was, for all intents and purposes, an absolute ruler (some might say dictator). But he governed with a great deal of wisdom and virtue. Give three examples of how he ruled with an "iron fist" but also exercised wisdom in his decisions. Please base your answers on the online content and the analysis of his speech provided in the link in your syllabus. 
  3. What happened at Milvian Bridge? What did Emperor Constantine do? How did his decision change the course of the Romans, and perhaps the world? Please make sure you have a complete understanding of what happened at Milvian Bridge! You can't answer the question properly unless you do.

Capstone Questions, Lessons 7-8:

 Please provide an example of a primary source from Greece as well as a secondary source. Repeat for Rome. 

Further Explorations

NOTE: From time to time, these web pages may "disappear." Please send an email to library@ega.edu if you find broken links, so they may be replaced.