ROMAN RELIGION & POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS      WK II O’Neil

This lecture will begin from outline of Wk I on Founding legends.

NUMINA (singular = Numen) origin of term “numinous”
           divine powers in natural and household places
           sacralization of nature and daily life

  Janus: god of the doorway
  Vesta: goddess of the hearth
  Penates: guardians of the storeroom
  Ceres: goddess of grain and agriculture
  Terminus: god of the boundary stones

Household Gods = divi or dii =  “little gods”
   Lares and Penates:
         Lars familaris = ancestral spirit (male)
         Lararium: shrine in home to household gods
         Genius: creative force of an individual male person
         Juno: female version of male Genius

Temple Gods: Roman adaptations of Greek & Etruscan gods
      Jupiter, Juno, Minerva:  worshipped on Capitoline Hill
      Vesta: household gods of city of Rome; Temple of Vesta in Forum
      Venus, Mars: gods with special relationship to Julio-Claudian dynasty
      Castor & Pollux: twin gods associated with Lavinium

ROMAN FAMILY

PATERFAMILIAS:
       oldest male with extensive powers over all family members
PATRIA POTESTAS: power or authority of the father over family
GENS (sing.), GENTES (plural) = literally = people,  group of families
        refers to kinship group, common ancestor of patrician kin groups

NAMES:      Personal             Gens                Family
   Example:         Gaius              Julius               Caesar
Women: no personal name; named for Gens (eg Julia Secunda)

STATE & SOCIETY

IMPERIUM = power to rule  (held by Kings, Consuls, Generals)
                    Imperator: title of conquering general in Roman Army
FASCES  = rods & axe wrapped with cords
                    symbol of power to punish & execute
                    carried by LICTORS in front of CONSULS
SENATE: represents most powerful PATRICIAN families
        
PLEBIANS: free Roman citizens of lower social status

ROMAN REPUBLIC           (RES PUBLICA)                      WK II O’Neil

 509 BC traditional founding date LUCIUS JUNIUS BRUTUS

GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE:
            SPQR = Senatus Populusque Romanun
                        ("The Senate & the People of Rome")   
            MAGISTRATES: CONSULS, CENSORS   
            SENATE
            PEOPLE: ASSEMBLIES, TRIBUNES

STRUGGLE OF THE ORDERS:  PLEBIANS vs PATRICIANS 5^th-3^rd C BCE

449 BC   LAW OF THE TWELVE TABLES
                      posted on 12 bronze tablets in Forum;
                      laws no longer secret of priests & patricians
SECESSION  (withdrawal from the city) as political tactic by plebians
                    494 1st SECESSION of plebs to MONS SACRA
TRIBUNES OF THE PEOPLE: ten tribnues elected annually
            have right to veto legislation of magistrates or Senate
           367 one of two Consuls must be plebian
 287 AVENTINE SECESSION     plebians secede, move to Aventine hill
        PLEBISCITA = plebs legislation binding on  all citizens
                         source of modern PLEBISCITE

EXPANSION OF ROMAN REPUBLIC: ITALY (see Reader Vol I)

509-499 military struggle with surrounding tribes in Latium

LATIN LEAGUE: alliance of Roman and Latin armies
          ETRUSCANS: 405-396 struggle over VEII, conquered 396 BC
          LATIN WAR 348-40: against tribes of Volsci and Campania
          SAMNITE WAR 327-290  
                    295 battle against Samnites, Etruscans, Umbrians, Gauls;
                    wins central Italy, but not Po Valley = Cisalpine Gaul

CARTHAGE naval power (modern Tunisia)      
        FIRST PUNIC WAR  264-241
           Messina & Sicily taken by first Roman fleet
           HAMILCAR of Carthage builds up power in Spain
           218 HANNIBAL’s invasion of Italy, across Pyrenees and Alps
       SECOND PUNIC WAR   218-201 war in Italy
           216 BATTLE OF CANNAE  defeat of Roman army
           SCIPIO AFRICANUS invaded Africa in 204,
                      defeated Hannibal at Zama in 202
                      hero of Petrarch’s epic Africa in 14^th C.
       THIRD PUNIC WAR 150-146 
           final destruction of Carthage by Scipio Africanus Younger

Movie set in Punic Wars: Cabiria 1914 silent film, Italian

TERRITORIAL ACQUISITIONS: Victory over Carthage includes
           SPAIN organized as two provinces in 197 BC
           CISALPINE GAUL (Po Valley in northern Italy) Province in 81 BC
           MACEDONIA & GREECE conquered after Carthage

REPUBLICAN POLITICAL CONFLICTS & CIVIL WAR

POPULARES (poorer Roman citizens)
           GRACCHI BROTHERS program of land reform                   
           TIBERIUS GRACCHUS: elected TRIBUNE in 133 BC
                      plan to distributed state land or AGER PUBLICUS
                      assassinated with 300 supporters
            GAIUS GRACCHUS: elected TRIBUNE in 123 BC
                      colonization program for overseas territories

POPULAR MILITARY LEADERS

GAIUS MARIUS: military leader in Africa and against Germans
                          CONSUL  for 5 terms
          91-89 BC SOCIAL WAR against allies (socii)
                            result is with enfranchisement of all Italians
L. CORNELIUS SULLA: military leader in Social War, rival of Marius
           FIRST CIVIL WAR: Marius versus Sulla (victor)
           DICTATOR: 82-79       reforms  
                      CURSUS HONORUM as fixed succession of offices
                      Senate doubled from 300-600 members

POMPEY THE GREAT: military leader
           allies with OPTIMATES (wealthy) against POPULARES

JULIUS CAESAR: rises as military leader of Populares
           leads army into Italy by crossing of the Rubicon
FIRST TRIUMVIRATE: 60 BC  Pompey, Crassus and Caesar
44BC assassination of Caesar by in Theater of Pompey
          by MARCUS JUNIUS BRUTUS, CASSIUS and other Senators
                  descent from first Brutus,  509BC
                 defender of role of Senate and Republic