Valerie Friar's Human Geo Blog

I wasn't in class today because my head hurt a lot in the morning because of my concussion.

circuses” bread (free grain from the state) and entertainment (Circus Maximus, Colosseum), partly to keep them alive, and partly to keep them quiet, distracted, and docile Tiberius Gracchus recognized the advantages of courting the plebeians (even though he was ultimately unsuccessful) military generals worked that angle - lead an army that conquers a land, then give them a share in the spoils soldiers’ loyalty was to their military leader, not necessarily to Rome or the Republic Julius Caesar         (100 - 44 BCE) a highly successful general he conquered the huge territory of Gaul made common folks happy made friends in high places Pompey (a general who conquered Syria and Palestine) Crassus (the richest man in Rome, one of the richest men in all history these three men formed the First Triumvirate (“rule of three men”) Serves as consul (one year) Appoints himself governor of Gaul Pompey is jealous, becomes his rival Caesar’s armies clash wit

how did the patricians dominate? plebs had to serve in the army,       but could not hold office plebs were threatened with debt slavery plebs had no legal rights plebs were victims of discriminatory decisions in judicial trials Rome had no actual laws, just unwritten customs patricians could interpret these to their own advantage So, plebs refused to serve in the military until… laws were written out (The Law of the Twelve Tables) these laws (on tablets) were posted in public (in 450 BCE) tribunes (“tribal leaders”) were elected SPQR - Senatus Populusque Romanum designates any decree or decision made by “the Roman Senate and People” brand new republic, ready to run democracy (the people’s assembly and the tribunes aristocracy (the Senate - approx. 300 members) plus monarchy (the consuls) not a tyranny (eww… too scary… a mistake the Romans did not care to repeat) originally, the US modeled their new government on the model used by the

...Tarquin’s grandfather (the fifth king) dies… his widow names Servius Tullias king, since she liked him more than her own sons… S.T.’s daughters marry two brothers (one is Tarquin)… one of the daughters (Tullia) kills her husband and her own sister… this leaves her free to marry Tarquin but wait, there’s more... Tullia persuades Tarquin to seize the throne from her father… he sits on the throne and declares himself king… S.T. objects, and Tarquin throws him down the steps and into the street, then has him assassinated… Tullia hails Tarquin as the new king, but he sends her home for safety… on her way home she sees the body of her father in the street, seizes the reins, and drives her chariot over his corpse...Tarquin refuses to bury his body, and assassinates senators who object years later, Tarquin’s son Sextus and his friends are drinking when Sextus tries to force himself on a matron, Lucretia… she refuses, and he threatens to kill her and says he will say he found her

Etruscans came from north-central part of the peninsula metalworkers, artists, architects two foundation myths: Virgil’s Aeneid (where Aeneas escapes from Troy - sound familiar?) the story of Remus and Romulus Greeks they had many colonies around the Mediterranean Sea Romans borrowed ideas from them, such as: religious beliefs alphabet much of their art military techniques and weaponry the Latins! descendants of Indo-Europeans settled on the banks of the Tiber situated so trading ships - but not war fleets - could navigate as far as Rome, but no further a commercial port, but not susceptible to attack and... built on seven hills (esp. Palatine) many streams flowed into the Tiber there was a marshy area called the Forum,  between Palatine and Capitoline Hills Tarquin the Proud’s grandfather built the Cloaca Maxima (largest ancient drain), which channeled water into the Tiber urban legend says Washington DC was built on a swamp - but only

5000 soldiers, not in it for pay (not yet) the roman army's elite heavy infantry recruited exclusively from roman citizens   group of 80 is a century on horseback is cavalry shield, sword, dagger, and armor and tunic The Punic Wars (264-146 BCE) rome vs. carthage 3 wars First Punic War  naval battles from control of the strategically located island of Sicily rome wins  Second Punic War (218-201 BCE) 29-year-old Carthaginian general Hannibal almost does the impossible: taking rome attacks rome from the north after crossing Iberia (spain) and the Alps lays seige to much  of the peninsula for 15 years, but he can never get to rome third and final Punic war (149-146)  rome wanted to finally remove the threat of carthage scipio, Tiberius Gracchus, and others mercilessly attacked the city carthage was burned for 17 days; the city's walls and buildings were utterly destroyed when the war ended, the last 50,000 people in the city  were sold into slavery t