Download Triumvirates and Pax Romana

1. Tiberius Gracchus:
• Roman politician
• Trying to appeal to poor
• If they support him he will put limits on land, cattle, sheep (makes promises)
• Senators don't want him in power
• Can't get elected because Senate wouldn't do that
• If his followers kill some Senators, he might have a chance to become higher
• But, Senators and their followers go to Gracchus' house and kill him and some of his
followers, in a riot (he is killed in 133 BCE)
2. ​Gaius Gracchus:
• ~20 years later (112), his brother makes same promises (about reforms)
• Same thing happens, and he is killed ~112
Shows that during this time the poor have a lot of influence and can have a lot of power.
3. ​Civil War:
• Late 90s/late 80s
• Gaius Marius goes against Sulla
• Sulla has support of the people (because he was one of the oldest people/family)
• Gaius Marius brings army into Rome, which is illegal (soldiers don't want to say no
because they are poor and he says he wants to help them)
• Sulla kicks other army out and rules for a few years
• Soon, army leaves, Sulla dies
• Shows government is weak because there are so many rebellions
4. ​Spartacan Revolt:
• 73 BCE
• Spartacus- slave who leads revolt
• Rome sends army, but Spartacus' army crushes them
• 2nd time they send Crassus
• Crassus- richest man in Rome
• Eventually defeats Spartacus
5. ​Cataline​:
• 62
• Wants to take over
• Thinks it is unfair that new consul (Cicero) is there
• Tries to take over, but Cicero
6. ​First Triumvirate:
• 3 most powerful men in Rome decide to do something
• Will work with each other to run/stabilize Rome
• Marcus Licinius Crassus- richest man in Rome —> inherits money, conquers lots of
places, firemen- (gives choice: either sell building to us and we will help you, or don't and we
will let building burn down)
• Gnaeus Pompeius Magaus- best general in Rome
• Gaius Julius Caesar- from oldest family in Rome, and most liked/popular man in Rome
—> uses bread and circuses (buys grain and gives to poor, puts on entertainment- poor love
him). Also, can get away with this
• All are tied together. Crassus lends Caesar money and Pompeius marries Caesar's
daughter.
• For ~10 years they hold Rome together (57-47)
OH NO: Things fall apart:
• Crassus wants to conquer more places, but army gets trapped —> he gets killed
• Pompey's wife/Caesar's daughter dies
• Crassus is gone and thing that held Pompey and Caesar together has died
• Start to hate each other - end up in a large conflict.
• Caesar is out with army, Pompey convinces government that Caesar is bad (too
focused on poor).
• Tells Senate that Caesar is too powerful, so Caesar should be ordered back to Rome
and he should leave behind his army.
• Wants to kill Caesar and Caesar knows this.
• Gets army to North Italy- decision- go further into Italy with army, declare war with
Rome, or go to Rome by himself and die.
• Caesar crosses Rubicon River with his army to head back to Rome - means making a
big and significant decision and you can't go back.
• making a big decision you can’t go back on = crossing the Rubicon.
• Caesar says- "the die is cast" (singular of dice)—> crosses the Rubicon
7. Another Civil War
• Both have armies and fight on all Roman territory/Mediterranean
• Caesar gets together with Cleopatra (physically and politically).
• Finally, Caesar wins- Pompey is killed and Caesar returns to Rome.
8. Egypt
● Caesar doesn’t want to declare himself king, but has the ability to appeal to lots of
people (women, poor people) - he is very charismatic. Somewhat like Bill Clinton CARES for the poor people.
● Senate didn’t like this - what if he started stripping the Senate of their rights.
● During the Civil War, on the “Ides of March” (March 15), Caesar goes into the Senate for
a “meeting”.
○ Cassius and Brutus (One of Caesar's good friends) lead the conspiracy. 21 stab
Caesar 35 times, and he falls at the feet of Pompey’s statue (in the Senate). He
dies.
○ Result of His Death!
■ Some senators aren’t involved: the two supporters of Caesar = Mark
Antony and Octavian try to bring his two main murderers down (C+B).
■ Antony = Caesar's main general.
■ Octavian = Caesar's sister’s grandson that he adopted to be his son. He
will now be the heir of Rome! GO OCTAVIAN!
■ Both are able to win the support of the poor and some senators.
● Shakespeare - monologue of Antony trying to do this.
○ 43: A new civil war.
■ Antony and Octavian finally win.
■ Both go to the Senate and say that there needs to be a change.
■ “You’re making it so that we are going to be in charge and can settle this
down”.
○ 2nd Triumvirate (A+O) and Lepidus.
■ There is another civil war between A and O.
■ Each raise their own army.
■ Antony gets together with Cleopatra (politically and physically) and fights
against Octavian.
■ Even though Antony is a good general, this time, Octavian wins. Antony
and Cleopatra commit suicide.
○ Octavian wants to make a change!
■ Changes his name from Octavian → Octavius → AUGUSTUS!
■ Becomes imperator (commander of Roman armies) - not emperor.
■ Takes the title “Princeps” - not a king because Romans don’t like kings overstepping your bounds.
■ Become consul for life.
■ Augustus - 1st Emperor
○ Pax Romana (Roman Peace) - lasts for 200 years (peace) 30 BCE-180 BC
■ Were small invasions, but weren’t successful. Weren’t large scale wars.
■ But, in the middle of Rome was the Mediterranean Sea. Have to worry
about pirates.
■ stamp out the piracy (pirates).
■ protect inside the empire - get rid of bandits.
■ were conquering land, but some of army was focused on protecting the
inside of the land.
■ Allows for better trade, more money, people can focus on specialized
jobs. Allows them to enrich their society.
● have more art, copies of greek statues. Have money and people
who are interested in making art.
○ Roman art focuses on showing people the way they are.
● Infrastructure
○ maybe if were wealthy = running water, plumbing.
○ were toilets in houses as well as in public spaces.
○ were jails
○ build the Roman Aqueduct
■ something that moves water from one place to
another.
■ provides water by bringing it from rivers and lakes.
■ good for a city not on a river.
■ don’t have to build wells.
■ Why was the Aqueduct so good?
● Post and lintel system
○ Unstable, force goes straight down,
things collapse.
○ limit to how big of a building you can
build.
● Built arches
○ The structure of the arch draws the
force around which creates a more
stable system.
○ Can now build higher buildings.
○ Reduces weight, uses less material.
○ Start making concrete. Easier to
transport.
○ What else can you build from this?
■ Colosseum/Flavian
Amphitheatre (69-79 CE)
■ sports stadium in Rome.
■ Gladiator battles.
■ Fake naval battles.
○ Also built the Circus Maximus.
■ Lots of seats, ¼ million
people.
● Also get rid of waste in the water than in
other cities would pile up. Have sewers and
sanitation.
● Have roads - roadbed with sand, gravel and
stones. Have so many of them.
○ help the military
○ help travel and ​trade
● Had medicine
● Had education