Download Class Notes: Chapter 7, Lesson 3 The Roman Empire The Roman

Class Notes: Chapter 7, Lesson 3 The Roman Empire
I.
The Roman Empire
A. Building an Empire
1. Rome continued to grow after the Punic Wars.
2. Rome expanded its territories to stretch across three continents.
3. Each territory was divided into separate states.
4. A governor who collected taxes and sent them back to Rome ruled each state.
B. Julius Caesar
1. Rome had powerful generals. One of the most famous generals was a patrician named Julius Caesar.
2. The Roman army was fiercely loyal to Julius Caesar.
3. Because of his many victories, the Senate made Caesar the dictator of Rome.
(a) A dictator is a ruler who has absolute power and authority.
C. The Ides of march
1. As dictator, Caesar took power away from the senate.
2. The Senate became angry at Caesar's power and believed he wanted to make himself king.
3. The Senate decided to kill Caesar.
4.
Just as the soothsayer predicted to Caesar, "Beware the Ides of March!" (March 15 th), members of
the Senate killed Caesar on march 15th, 44 B.C.
D. Octavian Augustus/Pax Romana
1. After the murder of Caesar, a civil war broke out among the Romans, and lasted 17 years.
2. Finally, in 27, BC, Caesar's nephew, Octavian, won the civil war and was called "Octavian Augustus",
or the "honored one" and ruled Rome as an emperor for 41 years.
3. Rome then had a period of peace for the next 200 years. This time is referred to as Paz Romana, or
"Roman Peace."
4. During this time, the Roman Empire reached its greatest extent.