1/21/12 Historia magistra vitae 1 1/21/12 7th century Mediterranean world Green: Phoenicians Blue: Greeks / Hellenes Yellow: Etruscans Red: Assyrian Empire Roman Empire: 116 A.D. 2 1/21/12 Our Goals •  Historical narraIve of Roman Republic, its imperial expansion, and the civil wars that ended the Rep. and began the Empire. •  But also: Two Related QuesIons 1) How and why did Rome grow so swiQly to dominate the enIre Mediterranean? 2) Consequences (and problems) of this expansion for Rome? •  Remember: Rome’s Republic lasted >400 years before collapsing into an Empire. Our US ConsItuIon was raIfied only 224 years ago! Via Appia (Appian Way) built mid 4th cent. B. C. Roman Aqueduct Pont du Gard South of France Built 1st cent. A.D. 3 1/21/12 Vergil’s Aeneid Aeneas killing his enemy L. Giordano 17th cent. Modern Rome: A city of layers– physical, historical, and ideological Key theme: Roman resilience and reinvenIon 4 1/21/12 Three Periods of Roman History •  Monarchy 753-­‐509: Blend of myth and history 7 kings, from Romulus to Tarquin. •  Republic 509-­‐31 BC -­‐Early Republic 509-­‐264 Struggles and source problems -­‐Middle Republic 264-­‐133 external expansion, fragile internal stability -­‐Late Republic 133-­‐31 external expansion and internal crisis = civil war •  Principate 31-­‐… Augustus (63BCE-­‐14CE) the first ciIzen = princeps 5 1/21/12 Colosseum Ruins or symbols of power? Mussolini addressing a rally inside the Colosseum Circus Maximus 6 1/21/12 ReconstrucIon of Circus Maximus As it is to this day in the modern city The valley of the forum, as it is today: 7 1/21/12 NaIonal Monument to Victor Emmanuel II or Altare della Patria on slope of Capitoline Hill Forum from Capitoline Hill 8 1/21/12 Forum, looking toward Capitoline Hill— and you can see in top right corner the top of the infamous monument for Victor Emmanuel (first king of unified Italy turn of the 20th century). Told you it was a city of layers! The Forum 9 1/21/12 Piazza Navona: a beauIful tourist trap built over a stadium built by the Emperor DomiIan (1st cent. A.D.) featuring a fountain sculpted by Bernini (17th cent. A.D.) Piazza Navona Obelisk originally in center of Circus Maximus 10 1/21/12 Close up on outline of Pompey’s Theater Largo di Torre ArgenIna 11 1/21/12 Largo di Torre ArgenIna -­‐Republican Temples behind Pompey’s Theater -­‐Site of Julius Caesar’s assassinaIon in 44 B.C. -­‐Mussolini ordered excavaIons of the site -­‐Now, it is an official no-­‐kill cat shelter. No Joke. Once Upon a Time: FoundaIon Myth Romulus and Remus– and the lupa. TradiIonally 753 BC -­‐statue like this erected at center of Rome in 296 BC 12 1/21/12 A lasIng symbol of Rome… In the airport– an ad for LavAzza coffee 13 1/21/12 One more lupa KrisIn Jones, She Wolves (2005) Piazza Tevere, Rome, Italy. Photo by: Mimmo Capone 14