HIST 1011 Lecture 1: The World of the Roman Empire Lecture Notes
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The World of the Roman Empire Lecture Notes
Lecture 1: 9/1/16: The Many Faces of Rome
Significance of Latin around Harvard? Around the world?
oWe don’t all speak Latin, what is it doing for us?
What can the Romans do for us? How do we equip ourselves with the Roman past to live
better lives?
Chapter 2 – what did the Romans look like?
oStereotypes vary but all have to do with typical media portrayal
Lecture 2: Roman Imperium: What’s Not to Love? 9/6/16
Roman idea of power developed within Italy
oAlexander the Great
Imperium: derived from “empire”
oTerm imperium does not mean empire, but rather it is a terrifying word
You can translate it to ‘power’
But it is not any power, it is the power to receive obedience of exact
commands
oHigh officer of the Roman state would have imperium
“If you don’t do it, I will make you do it”
The Consul is the top political officers of the Roman state (they have imperium)
Consuls are flanked by attendants called Lictors
oLictors carry Fasces; number depends on how much power they have
Fasces: bound sticks, an axe
Imperator: “emperor” someone who holds imperium, successful General
Couldn’t be Consul under Roman rules until you were 43 years old
Alexander the Great of Macedon
oDepicted very youthful and clean in art
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oDepicted among the Gods
oCampaigns lasted 336-323 BCE
Led to him being a great leader and conqueror
Effectively conquered the Persian Empire
Everyone wanted to be like Alexander after his death
Some people tried to copy stylistic features of great leaders, while others tried to make
new trends
oAugustus: younger looking and hair style
Lecture 4: The World of the Carthaginians 9/13/16
The year 264 BC: The Romans arrived in Sicily
Carthage is relatively close to the modern city of Tunis
3 wars between Rome and Carthage
oUsually called the Punic Wars (264-146 BC)
Phoenicians: occupied the areas of modern Lebanon and Syria, eventually became the
Carthaginians
o9th Century BC is when Phoenicians became very prevalent
oBegan trading and settling at this time, and Greeks began settling around the
Mediterranean as well
Carthaginian Identities
oPolybius tries to explain where Rome came from; how does one explain that?
“If it wasn’t going to be Rome, it was going to be Carthage”
Makes Rome and Carthage seem very, very similar
o“Carthaginians accustomed to sacrifice their own little children” (Ennius, early 2nd
century BC)
Carthage was set fire to in 146 BC
Carthaginians made great friends with the people of Lepcis Magna
oPeople of Lepcis Magna wanted to be part of it but still separated
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Lecture 5: 9/15/16: The World of Hellenization
Illyrians were considered pirates, modern day terrorists
Rome vs. Teuta of Illyria, 229 BCE
oWoman leader of Illyria starts attacking Italian ships
Demitrius paired up with Philip V of Macedon, 221-179 BCE
oRoman Proconsul
oHis assistant Gnaeus Octavius (Roman Praetor)
Clash of systems, culture clash
oThe rider-less horse: a symbol of beating the Macedonians
oThe surrender was probably lost in translation at some point
Conquest of Macedon on Rome
oPolybius
Lecture 6: 9/20/19: Back Home in Rome
Starting out with how the Romans thought about their state
Ruled by 7 kings in their beginnings
oMonarchy results to tyranny
509 BCE: end of monarchy in Rome
oBegins Libertas
Rule of law and election of consulship
Res publica
o“public thing” “Public affairs” “state”
Political structures of the Roman state
Romans invented the census as we know it
oNational pastime almost
oMale Roman citizens
oTakes place very sporadically
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Document Summary
The world of the roman empire lecture notes. Lecture 1: 9/1/16: the many faces of rome. Chapter 2 what did the romans look like: stereotypes vary but all have to do with typical media portrayal. Roman idea of power developed within italy: alexander the great. Imperium: derived from empire : term imperium does not mean empire, but rather it is a terrifying word. But it is not any power, it is the power to receive obedience of exact commands: high officer of the roman state would have imperium. If you don"t do it, i will make you do it . The consul is the top political officers of the roman state (they have imperium) Consuls are flanked by attendants called lictors: lictors carry fasces; number depends on how much power they have. Imperator: emperor someone who holds imperium, successful general. Couldn"t be consul under roman rules until you were 43 years old.
