LESSON 5.3 How did Rome become so powerful?
LEARNING INTENTION By the end of this lesson you should be able to: • explain why Rome became the great power of the ancient Mediterranean world • describe the tactics they used to attain dominance.
Tune in Power is something that some modern nations have. It can take different forms. Australia is considered to be a middle-ranking power, similar to quite a few other countries. The United States and China are regarded as big powers. Many modern countries are not regarded as powers at all. SOURCE1 What makes some countries more powerful than others?
1. Discuss what gives a country power. Is it population size, economic strength, its education system, or is it more to do with military strength?
5.3.1 Rome’s origins Ancient Rome’s history lasted from about 753 BCE to 476 CE. The Roman Republic was from 509 BCE to 27 BCE, then came the Roman Empire ruled by emperors. The ancient Romans had myths about their origins. In one myth, twin brothers, Romulus and Remus, were raised by a she-wolf. In 753 BCE, Romulus became the ýrst ruler of Rome after he killed Remus. The wolf became a symbol of the city. The Romans and their nearby tribes were called Latins. They lived on the Latium plain, with good soil and water from the Tiber River. Rome was easy to defend and close to salt þats. In the sixth century BCE, Etruscan kings ruled Rome. In 509 BCE, the Romans rebelled, expelled the last king and became a republic , making Rome the strongest city-state in Latium. Rome’s growing power Over the next two centuries, Rome grew stronger through war. In 493 BCE, Rome made a treaty with Latin tribes to defeat the Aequi and Volsci. In 396 BCE, Rome captured the Etruscan city of Veii. Later, Gauls attacked Rome, but by 272 BCE, the Romans defeated the Etruscans , the Samnites and hill tribes, taking control of Greek colonies in the south. 5.3.2
134 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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