3.2: Wars of the Republic:presentation

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Lesson 3.2 Wars of the Republic

Someone gives you a Roman coin with the date
375 BC
on it. How old is the coin?

What do we call a country without a king or emperor?

B: Competitors in trade

Rome grew its influence and was even starting to expand beyond Italian territory. But there was another powerful city-state in its way: Carthage. This trading city ruled the coast of Northern Africa and Spain, and the island of the Western Mediterranean Sea. For the Romans, trade also was very important. Both powers now wanted to control the Mediterranean Sea, because it was the essential access to all seaports. Carthage had a far stronger navy than the Romans, but Rome had its great army. 

War was coming…

2. Study source 3.6

Drag the names to the correct place in the map

Rome

Carthage

Mediterranean 

Sea

true or false?

Carthage was stronger at sea than Rome.

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

true or false?

The Romans won all the wars against Carthage.

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

true or false?

Rome and Carthage were at war with each other four times.

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

When you see this symbol, take your notebook and make a note:

Summary Lesson 3.2: Wars of the Republic.

B: Competitors in trade

• Rome and Carthage were competitors
• Both wanted to control the Mediterranean Sea
• War was coming.

Rome at war with Carthage

The first war with Carthage was fought over the island of Sicily, because it was in a strategic location. After many years of bloodshed, Rome turned out to be strongest. But Carthage recovered and started a second war. Their brilliant general Hannibal surprised the Romans. Coming from Spain, he led his large army - including sixty war elephants – over dangerous mountains into Italy. Hannibal won several battles. Of course, the Romans were worried that Hannibal would attack the city of Rome. So they decided not to fight Hannibal in Italy, but to attack Carthage. Therefore Hannibal was forced to return home to help his city. At Carthage the Roman army defeated Hannibal.

Then, even a third war broke out. As before, Rome was too strong. Carthage fell and this time the Romans had no mercy: they destroyed the city completely. They even put salt on its fields, so nothing could ever grow there again. Carthage would never recover. Rome was now the only superpower in the region.

The first war was between Hannibal and Rome

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

Hannibal surprised the Romans by invading italy from the north.

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

Hannibal crossed the Alps with and army and sixty war elephants

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

Hannibal won the war. Rome was destroyed.

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

During the third war Carthage was completely destroyed.

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

Rome came out of the wars as the only superpower in the region

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

C. Rome at war with Carthage (264 - 146 BC)

• Rome fought (and won) 3 wars against Carthage:
• The 1st was over the island of Sicily
• The 2nd was against Hannibal
• In the 3rd, Carthage was completely destroyed.

Rome had become the most powerful empire in the region.

D. Julius Caesar

After the defeat of Carthage, Roman legions started to conquer Spain, Gaul (modern-day France) and Greece. They all became part of the Roman Empire. Successful Roman commanders became very mighty. One of the most famous and powerful generals was Julius Caesar. Between 58 and 50 BC, Caesar conquered Gaul, which was not easy at all. The Gallic tribes resisted strongly. It was only after a long and fierce battle at Alesia that the Gauls surrendered. Their leader Vercingetorix was taken captive and brought to Rome.

In honour of his victories, Caesar held three triumphs in Rome. A Roman triumph was a procession through Rome. Caesar was dressed as a god and the spoils of war were carried along for Rome to see. The people of Rome loved it, but some were worried. Did Caesar plan to become a new king?

Caesar conquered Gaul.
This is modern:

1. Spain
2. France
3. Germany
4. Greece

Who was Vercingetorix?

1. a Greek god
2. a Roman senator
3. a friend of Hannibal
4. leader of the Gauls

What happened to the Gauls at Alesia?
They.......against Caesar

1. won
2. lost

What happened to the Gauls at Alesia?
They.......against Caesar

1. won
2. lost

Caesar held 3 victory processions in Rome.
What is the name of such a procession?

D. Julius Caesar (100 - 44 BC)

• Julius Caesar was a successful Roman commander.
• His armies conquered Gaul (France)
• He held 3 triumphs in Rome.
• The people loved him.
• But did he want to become a new king?

E. Crisis of the Republic

In the first century BC, the situation in Rome was tense. There was a surplus of men. Crime was high and the leaders were corrupt. There was a lot of quarrelling and fighting between different groups. This period is known as the Civil Wars. Julius Caesar promised the Roman citizens that he would solve these problems. In 49 BC, he took control and assumed the title of ‘dictator for life’. Now he was the mightiest man of the Roman Empire. But some people did not trust him. A dictator for life is the same as a king, they said. And Rome did not want to become a kingdom anymore! Was the Republic at risk?

A group of senators planned to save the Republic by killing Julius Caesar. On 15th March 44 BC, the murderers attacked: Caesar was stabbed 23 times. According to a legend, Caesars last words were: ‘You too, my child?’ He is believed to have said this to Brutus, the leader of the group of murderers – and possibly, the son of Caesar.

44 BC: Caesar is murdered by senators

What is a civil war?

It is a war in which:

1. two (or more) countries fight each other
2. two (or more) groups within a country fight each other

What caused the Civil Wars?

1. group of senators killed Julius Caesar.
2. Julius Caesar became dictator for life and took all power.
3. There was a surplus of men, crime was high and the leaders were corrupt.

Caesar assumed the title "dictator for life"

This sounded much like a:

1. king
2. senator
3. president
4. consul

The Romans did not want a king anymore.
Rome was a:

1. monarchy
2. republic

Who plotted to kill Caesar?

1. his wife
2. a gang of criminals
3. a group of senators
4. the leader of the Gauls

Why did senators want to kill Caesar?

1. they were jealous of his power
2. they hated him
3. they wanted to save the republic
4. they wanted to save the monarchy

E. Crisis of the Republic

• There were civil wars in Rome
• Caesar promised to solve the problems
• He made himself dictator for life
• A group of senators feared that Caesar wanted to become king
• They killed him to save the Republic.

F. What happened to the Republic?

Caesar was dead. His nephew Octavian took revenge on the killers. After that, everyone wondered if Octavian had the ambition to become king. But Octavian had learned from Caesar’s death. He said he was happy to control just a few minor functions. But those functions gave him great power. For example, Octavian became high priest of Jupiter. The Romans believed in many different gods and Jupiter was the most important one. It was seen as an insult to the gods if you killed a high priest. Now no one dared to hurt Octavian. He also became a consul, so he could command the army.

In 27 BC, Octavian called himself Augustus (‘the honored one’) and became the first emperor of the Roman Empire. But Augustus never called himself emperor. He was, in his own words, a caesar. Under his rule the Empire would grow and prosper, but Rome was no longer a republic.

Octavian, also known as:

Augustus, the first Roman EMPEROR

Who was Octavian?

He was Caesar's:

1. son
2. mother
3. dog
4. nephew

What was the first thing Octavian did after Caesar was murdered?

1. have a party
2. take Caesar's money
3. take revenge on the killers
4. become the new king

Octavian became the high priest of which god?

1. Zeus
2. Thor
3. Mr Sanders
4. Jupiter

What does the title Augustus mean?

1. the honoured one
2. the stupid one
3. the powerful one
4. the evil one

When Octavian became emperor, Rome became a:

1. republic
2. monarchy

F. What happened to the Republic?

• Caesar was dead.
• His nephew Octavian succeeded him.
• He said he did not want to become a king
• But he became very powerful.
• In 27 BC he called himself "Augustus".
• he was, in fact, an emperor.
• And Rome was no longer a republic.