Download The Height of the Roman Empire (p

The Height of the Roman Empire (p. 140)
I.
Ancient Rome
A. After Caesar’s death, a power struggle ensued between Rome’s 2
co-rulers; Marc Anthony from Egypt and Octavian in Rome.
B. Civil war began when Octavian learned that Anthony was
plotting a coup
1. Marc Anthony and his Egyptian queen committed after
accepting defeat after losing a sea battle at Actium
C. Octavian was proclaimed emperor by the senate and given the
title Augustus “great one”
D. Permanent dictatorship has officially begun and the era of a
republic has officially come to an end
1. Augustus had absolute power
2. Senate met but final decisions were made by the
Emperor
3. Emperor appointed all provincial governors and made
them answer to him
4. Appointed himself commander of the Army & Navy
a. gave citizenship to all who joined which encouraged
loyalty
b. size of Army almost doubled
c. Empire included Britain in west, Rhine & Danube in
North, Mesopotamia in east, and North Africa in south
5. Augustus was a supreme orator and Romans believed in
him to fulfill his promises:
a. To restore Rome to greatness of earlier times by:
b. reforming the administrative structure
c. increasing territory
d. bring stability and prosperity
e. establishing peace within the empire
6. By allowing people to elect the consuls, he created the
allusion that free elections still existed yet only his
friends could run for office
II.
The Augustan Age
A. Trade and business increased
B. Standard of living rose dramatically
C. Greatest Latin works in literature were produced
D. Architecture thrived
E. Caesar’s practice of written Law continued
F. PAX ROMANA (Roman Peace) lasted for 200 years
a. most powerful nation of “known” world
b. marked by stability, prosperity, and growth
III.
Rulers After Augustus:
For the next 200 years Rome had 2 bad rulers and 5 good rulers
A. Bad rulers:
1. Nero: Unjust
a. murdered mother & wife
b. blamed for Rome’s big fire
c. he blamed fire on Christians
2. Caligula: started out good but went bad (mad)
a. favorite of the army - good works
b. pardoned state prisoners
c. proposed many just & liberal measures
d. 2 years into his reign he went mad
e. wasted treasuries on luxuries then taxed heavily
f. many executions and exiles
g. proclaimed himself & sister “gods”
h. killed in 4th year by a soldier he insulted
B. Good rulers:
1. Nerva:
a. diminished taxes & distributed land to the poor
2. Trajan:
a. expanded empire by taking land from Barbarians primitive uncivilized tribes of central Europe
Romania
3. Hadrian:
a. concerned with military defenses
b. built great wall in Britain to keep out Picts
(Scottish tribe)
c. Spread Roman culture throughout empire (Gaul,
Britain, Rome) Built buildings and cities in all
4. Antoninus Pius
a. constructed Roman roads, founded schools,
repaired harbors, encouraged trade
b. Last word: equanimitas (purity, contentment,
serenity of mind) – characterized his life
c. New roads and harbors fueled trade as raw
materials, manufactured products, furs, and slaves
flowed into and out of the empire
5. Marcus Aurelius – last emperor of the Pax Romana
a. Stoic – virtue is obtained through reason……
IV.
Events foreshadowing the end of Pax Romana
1. plague broke out during the 160’s
2. Food shortage
3. 167A.D. full scale invasion by the barbarians to the
north and east attempted but put down by Aurelius
Discussion Questions for Height of the Roman Empire
1. How and when did the Roman Republic end and the Roman Empire
Begin?
2. Why was the Roman Army & Navy so loyal to Augustus?
3. Compare and/or contrast the types of elections discussed in paragraph
8 on p.44 with U.S. elections.
4. How did Rome prosper under Augustus’s rule?
5. How did the quality of life in the Roman Empire continue to improve
under the later emperors?
6. Compare and contrast Rome at it’s height with the U.S. today.
7. What enabled the Roman empire to prosper in peace for almost 200
years?