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Bellwork
• What was the government system that
ancient Rome used? How was it similar or
different from the modern American
system?
World History
Section 3, Unit 6
Ancient Rome p. 2
Objectives
• Identify what caused a shift from the
Republic to the Empire
• Discuss the role and powers of Julius Caesar
• Discuss the Roman empire during the reign
of Augustus Caesar
• Analyze the culture and daily life of
Roman’s during the Roman Empire,
including the influence and purpose of the
colosseum.
Before we continue…
• Please draw the following in your notebook,
leaving the bottom of your chart unfinished
(don’t draw the bottom line):
Causes of the Fall of Explanation of cause
the Roman Republic
1. Wealth Disparity
2. …
(1) Wealth Disparity
• The Punic Wars and Rome’s increasing
wealth and expanding empire brought
many problems.
• The most serious was the widening gap
between the rich and the poor.
Wealth Disparity
• Rich landowners lived in
huge estates which came
from conquered lands
and taking farms left
untended by soldiers
serving in the army.
• Romans had thousands
of slaves – more an any
before them.
• Many of the slaves
worked on these estates
and, by 100 B.C., slaves
formed about one-third
of Rome’s population.
Wealth Disparity
• Small farmers found it difficult to compete
with the large estates run by slave labor.
• Many sold their lands, and both farmers
and soldiers, became homeless and jobless.
• Most stayed in the countryside and worked
as migrant laborers while others left to
Rome and other cities to find work.
Wealth Disparity
Roman Money
• Many of these workers
joined the urban-poor,
which made up about ¼
of Roman society.
• While wealthy Romans
became corrupted by
money and luxury,
discontent arose among
the slaves and poor.
Class tension sewed the
seed of the republic’s
collapse.
Wealth Disparity
• Two brothers, Tiberius and Gaius attempted
to help Rome’s poor by proposing reforms,
such as limiting the size of estates and
giving land to the poor.
“The savage beasts have their… dens…, but the men who
bear arms and expose their lives for the safety of their
country, enjoy… nothing more in it than the air and light…
and wander from place to place with their wives and
children.” --Tiberius
Question: What exactly is Tiberius talking about? What group of
the poor is he focusing on? Do you agree with him?
Wealth Disparity
• However, Roman senators strongly opposed their
measures, believing them to be a threat. Both
brothers met violent deaths and, after their deaths,
a period of civil war—or a period of internal
fighting within a country—followed.
(2) Political Instability
• As Rome grew rapidly, the republic was unable
to manage its large territory effectively.
• As well, changes in the character of the army
had led to a rise of politically powerful military
leaders.
• These generals began recruiting soldiers from
the landless poor by promising them land.
These soldiers fought for pay and owed
allegiance only to their commander, rather to
Rome.
Political Instability
• By 82 B.C., a general called
Sulla became dictator of
Rome.
• Sulla used his power to
enact a series of reforms to
the Roman constitution
and brought order to the
government.
• He did not stay in office
long after restoring the
constitution, and his
position would not be
filled again until 49 B.C.
Political Instability
• After Sulla, in 60 B.C.,
Julius Caesar joined
forces with Crassus, a
wealthy Roman, and
Pompey, a popular
general.
• Together, they formed a
triumvirate of leaders in
Rome for 10 years.
Political Instability
• Caesar was a strong
leader and a genius in
military strategy.
• Between 58-50 B.C., he
lead his legions in a
campaign to conquer all
of Gaul.
• Because he shared in the
hardships of war with
his men, Caesar was able
to win his men’s loyalty
and devotion.
Political Instability
• News of Caesar’s successes in Gaul reached
Rome and he was very popular.
• Pompey, who had become his political rival
by this time, feared Caesars ambitions.
• In 50 B.C., the senate, at Pompey’s urgings,
ordered Caesar to disband his legions and
return to Rome.
Political Instability
• Caesar defied the Senate’s orders, leading to
another civil war.
• In 49 B.C., he took his army across the Rubicon
River in Italy and marched his army swiftly
into Rome. His rival, Pompey, fled.
• Caesar’s troops defeated Pompey’s armies in
Greece, Asia, Spain, and Egypt and by 46 B.C.,
Caesar returned to Rome with the support of
the army and the masses– the people wanted a
stable leader.
Political Instability
• In the same year
Caesar was appointed
dictator by the Senate.
• In 44 B.C., he was
named dictator for life.
Question: is a “dictator” part of the
Roman Republic government?
Yes and Julius Caesar became a
dictator to try and save the dying
Republic.
Political Instability
• Caesar governed as an absolute ruler, with total
power. He made sweeping changes including:
o Granting Roman citizenship to many people in the
provinces of Rome
o He expanded the senate, including adding friends
and supporters
o Helped the poor by creating jobs, primarily
through public works projects such as construction
o He started colonies where the landless could own
land
o Increased the pay for soldiers
Political Instability
• Many nobles and senators were troubled by Julius
Caesar’s growing power, success, and popularity
and many feared losing their influence--- others
thought he was a tyrant.
• A number of important senators, lead by Marcus
Brutus and Gaius Cassius, assassinated Julius
Caesar in 44 B.C.
(3) Civil War
• After Caesar’s death, civil war broke out
again and destroyed what was left of the
Roman Republic that both Caesar and Sulla
attempted to reform.
• Three of Caesar’s supporters came together
to crush the assassins: Caesars 18-year-old
adopted son Octavian, experienced general
Mark Antony, and politician Lepidus.
Civil War
• The three men ruled
as the Second
Triumvirate and
purged Rome of
Caesars enemies.
From left to right:
Mark Antony
Octavian
Lepidus
Second Triumvirate
Civil War
• Lepidus retired (after being forced out by
Octavian), and soon after Antony and
Octavian became rivals.
• This rivalry would cause a false accusation
as Antony would soon fall in love with the
Queen of Egypt.
Civil War
• Cleopatra was a
member of the
Ptolemies, the family
following the rule of
Ptolemy after
Alexander the Great’s
death.
Civil War
Mark Antony seeking Cleopatra
• Historically, she had
ascended to the throne
at a young age and was
even known to be a
mistress of Julius Caesar
prior to his death.
• She had met Mark
Antony as he was
leading troops to
Anatolia.
• He quickly fell in love
with her and followed
her to Egypt.
Civil War
• Octavian accused Antony of plotting to rule
Rome from Egypt and another civil war
erupted.
• Octavian defeated the forces of Antony and
Cleopatra at the battle of Actium.
• After his loss, Antony committed suicide by
stabbing himself with his sword, mistakenly
believing that Cleopatra had already done so.
• His body was brought to Cleopatra, where he
died in her arms. She was allowed to conduct
Antony’s burial rites after Egypt was captured
by Octavian.
Civil War
• In response to
Antony’s death,
Cleopatra killed
herself either by a
mixture of poisons or
by an asp(a snake)bite.
• Although Cleopatra
had children, none
would be allowed to
succeed her and she
would be the last
active pharaoh of
Ancient Egypt.
(4) Emperorship
• Octavian claimed he would
restore the republic and he did
retain some of it’s forms– such
as the Senate, which he kept to
consult him on matters.
• However, he became the
unchallenged ruler of Rome
and took the title Augustus,
meaning “exalted one”.
• He also kept the name
imperator, or supreme military
commander.
– The word emperor would be
derived from imperator.
Mid-lesson Review
• What were the four causes of the fall of the
Roman Republic?
New Empire
• Rome was at the peak of it’s power from the
beginning of Augustus’ rule in 27 B.C. to
A.D. 180.
• For 207 years, peace reigned throughout the
empire, except for some fighting with tribes
along the borders.
• The period of peace is known as the Pax
Romana--- “Roman Peace”.
New Empire
• The empire also
included more than 3
million square miles
and had a population
between 60-80 million
people. The city of
Rome alone had about
1 million people within
it.
New Empire
• Agriculture was the
most important industry
in the empire.
• About 90 percent of the
people were engaged in
farming and many
bought produce locally.
• Additional foodstuffs
and luxury items were
obtained through trade.
New Empire
• Augustus had established a single currency
system, which made trade much easier and
allowed for Rome to have a vast trading
networks.
• Ships traveled throughout the Mediterranean
while land trade was done to reach China and
India.
• The Silk Roads allowed for Rome to access
luxury items from eastern nations, including
Russia and Persia.
New Empire
• The borders of the Roman empire measured
about 10,000 miles, with people all different
cultures and languages.
• The Roman army drew support upon the men
of these provinces as supporting forces. They
were not citizen’s of Rome, but they learned
Roman customs and became citizens when
they left the military. Through the military,
Roman culture was spread to non-Romans.
Government
• Augustus was an able emperor who
stabilized the frontier, glorified Rome with
splendid public buildings, and created a
system of government that existed for
centuries.
• He also set up a civil service system, in
which he paid workers to manage his affairs
in the government, such as tax collection
and postal services.
New Empire
• The Senate’s role was
greatly reduced to
mostly providing
consultation to
Augustus.
• Civil servants actually
administered the
empire.
New Empire
• After Augustus’ death in
A.D. 14, the senate chose
his adopted son Tiberius
as his successor.
• However, regardless of
the ruler, the
government stayed in
place due to the
effectiveness of the civil
service system that
Augustus had designed.
New Empire
• Rome’s peace depended on a the orderly
transfer of power. Because Rome had no
written laws for selecting a new emperor, a
civil war could erupt when a emperor died.
• The succession problem was temporarily
solved by the leaders known as a the Five
Good Emperors.
New Empire
• The Five Good Emperors
reign began after the
rule of the three bad
emperors– Caligula,
Nero, and Domitian- all
of whom committed
either heinous deeds as
emperor (such as mass
executions) or were
highly ineffective rulers.
Nero, for example, was highly vicious,
murdered many people, and persecuted
Christians.
New Empire
• Beginning with Nerva in A.D. 96, each of
them adopted an heir who was a respected
leader and had the support of the people
and military.
• The Five Good Emperors ended with
Marcus Aurelius. When he died in A.D. 180,
the decline of the Roman Empire began.
– We will discuss the decline in a future lesson.
Culture of Rome
• Merchants, soldiers, slaves, foreigners, and
philosophers all shared the crowded, noisy
streets of Rome and the empire.
• For Romans, life changed as Rome moved
from republic to an empire
Culture of Rome
• Romans valued
discipline, strength,
and loyalty.
• The Romans were a
practical people, who
valued strength more
than beauty, power
more than grace, and
usefulness more than
elegance.
Culture of Rome
• At the heart of Roman
society was the family.
• By law and custom, the
eldest man had the power
to rule the household. He
controlled all the property
and had authority over all
family members. He could
disown newborn children,
banish family members, or
even sell them into slavery
if he so chose.
Culture of Rome
• By the time the empire
became established,
women had become
nearly social equals of
men.
• They had more
personal freedoms
than the women of
Greece and most
women until the 19th
century.
Roman women
• Women could own
property, testify in
court, attend plays,
festivals and games.
• However, the women
could not vote.
Culture of Rome
• Romans favored boys
over girls, as boys would
become citizens, vote,
and carry on family
traditions.
• Girls would not receive
their own names, but
rather receive the
feminine of their fathers
name (ex: Octavian to
Octavia).
Culture of Rome
• Few children went to school. Those who did
were usually boys from noble or wealthy
families.
• Schooling continued until they were at least
16.
• Girls from any family were usually educated
at home and were prepared for marriage
and motherhood. They usually married at
12-15, to a much older husband.
Culture of Rome
• Slavery was a significant
part of Rome with the
number of slaves near
1/3 of the population.
• Most slaves were
conquered people.
• Roman law made slaves
property of their owners
and could be punished,
sold, killed, or set free at
the choice of their
owners.
Reading
Please read the
“Gladiators: 50 AD”
printout and answer the
following question:
What do you think was
the point of the Gladiator
games? Why would the
city of Rome hold such
gruesome spectacles?
Culture of Rome
• Some slaves were forced to become
gladiators or gladiatrixes and fought to the
death in public contests.
Culture of Rome
• The Colosseum was
used to host
gladiatorial shows as
well as a variety of
other events.
• The Colosseum was
extremely popular
amongst the
population.
The colosseum could hold around
50,000 people and hosted games such
as the hunt and chariot races.
Culture of Rome
• By the time of the empire, wealth and social
status had made huge differences in how
people lived.
• Classes had little in common with one another.
The rich lived extravagantly and spent large
sums of money on homes, gardens, slaves, and
other luxuries.
• They hosted banquets that lasted for hours
and included foods that were rare and costly,
such as boiled ostrich and parrot-tongue pie.
Culture of Rome
• During the time of the empire, most of the
city’s population was unemployed.
• The government supported these people
with daily rations of grain.
• In the shadow of Rome’s greatness, the poor
crowded into dangerous areas.
Culture of Rome
• To distract and control the
masses of Romans, the
government provided free
games, races, mock
battles, and gladiator
contests.
• By 250 A.D., there were 150
holidays a year.
• The Colosseum served to
ensure that the Roman
masses would not notice
the problems plaguing
Rome. To this end, the
purpose of the Colosseum
was quite successful.
Culture of Rome
• The Pax Romana brought 200 years of peace
and prosperity to Rome. During this time, a
new religion would form in the east that
would soon begin to spread across the
empire.
Review Objectives
• Identify what caused a shift from the
Republic to the Empire
• Discuss the role and powers of Julius Caesar
• Discuss the Roman empire during the reign
of Augustus Caesar
• Analyze and explain the culture and daily
life of Roman’s during the Roman Empire,
including the influence and purpose of the
colosseum.
Questions
• If you have any questions, please ask now.
Next Lesson
• In the next lesson, we are going to discuss
the beginnings of Christianity and it’s roots
in Judaism.
Closure Review
• I’m going to number everyone off, 1-4.
When I’m done, please sit with your group.
• The following group numbers correspond
with the topics:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Political Instability
Wealth Disparity
Civil War
Emperorship
Closure Review
• What we are going to do is each group is
going to create a short presentation (no
posters) arguing how their topic helped to
bring an end to the Roman Republic.
• Please use both your notes and the “Roman
Republic Collapses” info sheet– you will
have 15 minutes to find information and
organize your presentation.