How did Rome go from monarchy, to republic, to empire and then fall? (Chapters 7-9 Test)

Founding of Rome Under Etruscan Rule

753 BCE

The legend of the origins of the Romans was created by themselves. The legend says that the city of Rome was founded in 753 BCE. During around the first 250 years of Roman existence, they were ruled by the Etruscans and Rome inherited many of their culture art from them. They fought along Greek lines. However, none of this has concrete evidence. It is all a Roman legend.

Romans Overthrow Monarchy and Establish Republic

500 BCE

The overthrow of the Roman monarchy was a political revolution in ancient Rome. The political revolution took place around 509 BC. It resulted in the expulsion of the last king of Rome, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus. The result of the political revolution was the establishment of the Roman Republic.

The Start of Roman Expansion

390 BCE

The Romans made the decision to start expanding after being ransacked by the Celts. They expanded through attacking and defeating their neighbors. An important aspect that gained the Romans a lot of power as a republic was when they would defeat a city. It would not punish them but rather offer them citizenship in exchange for loyalty.

Instability in the Republic (The Crisis of the Roman Republic)

134 BCE

The crisis of the Roman Republic refers to an extended period of political instability and social unrest. This occurred from about 134 BC to 44 BC. It culminated in the demise of the Roman Republic. The Republic needed money to run. There was also a lot of graft and corruption amongst elected officials, and crime was running wild throughout Rome.

The Fall of the Republic

27 BCE

The exact date of the Roman Republic is not certain. However, the Republic had been replaced by an empire by 14 BCE. Following the rule of Julius Caesar, those loyal to the republic kept making attempts to reinstate it. However, it just resulted in Mark Antony and later Octavian becoming the next dictator.

Julian & Flavian Dynasties

14

The Julian Dynasty happened during the first years of the Roman Empire. All of the emperors within this dynasty were descendants of Julius Caesar. After the Julian Dynasty was the Flavian dynasty. The Flavian dynasty came to power after a short civil war. During both of these dynasties, there were good and bad parts. However, generally they represent the time when Rome was rising to its peak and gaining power.

The Five Good Emperors (Nervan-Antonine Dynasty)

96

The Nervan-Antonine Dynasty was the reign of the Five Good Emperors. The five good emperors were Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antonius Pius, and Marcus Aurelius. Each of the emperor's rules were unique in their own ways. The 5 emperors are most remembered for bringing relative peace and prosperity to Rome and making Rome remembered.

Crises Weaken the Empire

235

From 235-284 CE, a combination of foreign invasions and political instability caused the Empire to weaken. During this time period, the political instability within the empire resulted in emperors lasting only a few months on the throne before being killed. This meant that the emperors weren’t focused on foreign empires. Rather they were more focused on staying alive which weakened the Empire.

Contsantine

324

Constantine I was also known as Constantine the Great. He was the Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337. Constantine was the first to convert to Christianity. Constantine was the emperor of the construction of the city Constantinople. Constantinople became the most powerful city in the world. Switching the capital to Constantinople, as well as the fact that emperor Flavius Theodosius would split the empire following Constantine’s rule, caused the downfall of the Roman Empire.

Fall of the Western Roman Empire

395

The fall of the Roman Empire is usually connected to the ending of the political unity within the empire. This was dated to about 476 CE. While there is no specific reason to pinpoint for the fall of the empire, it was likely to be a combination of many things. The fall could have been because of political instability and foreign invasions. Political instability and foreign invasions caused pressure and weakened the empire until it was taken over.