Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download Daniel Stephens Lifelong Learning Academy Fall of the Roman
Document related concepts
Military of ancient Rome wikipedia , lookup
Roman army of the late Republic wikipedia , lookup
Structural history of the Roman military wikipedia , lookup
Ancient Roman architecture wikipedia , lookup
Education in ancient Rome wikipedia , lookup
Roman historiography wikipedia , lookup
Food and dining in the Roman Empire wikipedia , lookup
Early Roman army wikipedia , lookup
Culture of ancient Rome wikipedia , lookup
Defence-in-depth (Roman military) wikipedia , lookup
Roman agriculture wikipedia , lookup
Promagistrate wikipedia , lookup
History of the Roman Empire wikipedia , lookup
Slovakia in the Roman era wikipedia , lookup
Romanization of Hispania wikipedia , lookup
Roman economy wikipedia , lookup
Lucius Verus wikipedia , lookup
History of the Constitution of the Roman Empire wikipedia , lookup
Transcript
Daniel Stephens Lifelong Learning Academy Fall of the Roman Empire Nerva Restoring Public Order Trajan Stabilizing the Frontier Finishing off Dacia Rebuilding the Forum Expanding the Empire Trajan’s Column Hadrian Touring the Provinces Restoring Discipline Building Walls Antinoüs Frumentarii Hadrian Falls Ill Antonius Pius Pius the Pious Revamping the Circus Bringing Peace and Stability Marcus Aurelius Two Emperors Troubles abroad Cracks in the Empire Barbarians at the Boarders Get Ready for the Fall, Hear Comes Commodus! With the murder of Domitian the senate quickly looked to put someone on the throne. They looked to an old Senator, Nerva who was 62 years old and in failing health. Nerva many though would be like Galba and move to destabilize Rome, but the actual opposite occurred. Nerva would move to restore public confidence by bringing back many of Augustus’s public policies. He appeased the Praetorians by allowing them to bring Domitian’s killers to justice. Nerva would first try to rebuild some of Rome's treasury that was spent during the reigns of Titus and Domitian. He would cut back on Gladiatorial spectacles and Religious sacrifices. He would abolish the policy of how communities would have to pay for imperial posts. Nerva would introduce the alimenta, a scheme were he would skim money from the agrarian trust to finance education and welfare for poor Italian children He would spend portions of his personal treasury to buy up land allotments to hand out to poor Romans. He would restore free speech. He would institute new public works to repair Rome’s aqueduct systems. Nerva knew he had won over the people of Rome, but had not impressed the military. To appease the soldiers Nerva, who had no sons would turn to a very capable general commanding the armies of upper Germany to be his heir. Marcus Trajanus, very popular with his men was adopted by Nerva, who in turn secured the loyalty of the army. Trajan would be called to Rome were Nerva would instruct him on the political ins-and-outs of running an empire. Trajan, was born in the Roman provinces of Hispania. He rose through the ranks of the military much like Vespasian had. He gained prominence as a military commander during Domitian’s Dacian campaigns. He left Rome to put down a barbarian incursion in Germany when Nerva passed away due to a fever and illness in 98. When Nerva died Trajan stayed in Germany until 100, to insure that the province was stable. When the client king of Nabataean (Jordan) died he made it a province and established a governor and legions in the region. This would put more Roman troops into the area to handle hot-spots in Parthia and Judea. This would bring a short period of stability to the empire until Dacia and Parthia would flare up into revolt and war. Trajan would return to Rome and begin large public works projects. He would tear down and rebuild the Roman Forum. He would add in a Greek and a Latin Library in between the hills. He would add in a large covered agora or shopping complex. He would then begin a major redesign of the Circus Maximus, to give Rome’s heart two large venues for the public to use. Trajan would also order what was left of Nero’s Domus Aurea to be filled in and used as a cistern for a complex of baths constructed over the top of it. After the peace of Domitian King Decebalus was compliant for a time. In 106 Decebalus began pushing over the borders of the Danube and raided and burned Roman settlements in Moesia. Trajan would then move at the head of an army and push into Dacia itself. Building bridges across the Danube Trajan would move in and fight several costly skirmished against the Dacians and their allies. Then Trajan would move and assault the Dacian capital Sarmisegetusa. The Dacians held the Romans off for a time, but Trajan would severe the water lines leading into the city. The Romans then burnt the city and King Decebalus fled. He committed suicide while being ran to ground by Roman cavalry. Trajan would ultimately recover Decebalus’s treasure in the river Sargesia. The plunder would equal out to 165,500 kg of gold and 331,000 kg of silver. Once the province was subdued Trajan would split it into two provinces. In 113 The Parthian king Osroes Marched and displaced the Roman client king of Armenia, placing his own on the throne. Trajan would immediately march his army east to fight the Parthians. He would first push aside the Armenian forces and annex the territory for Rome turning it into a province. Then he would turn south and march into Parthia. Quickly Trajan would take Nisibis and Batnae. He would then cross the Tigris and seize Babylon. He would cross the Euphrates and take the Parthian capital of Ctesiphon. Trajan advance would continue until he stopped at the Persian Gulf. He would then depose king Osroes, and place a puppet king on the throne. He would annex much of northern Parthia and make it the province of Mesopotamia. Trajan’s army met fierce resistance in the south when his health began to fail. He would make his way back to Rome, but die before he would reach it. Upon his death Trajan was cremated, as per Roman custom. His ashes would be interned in the base. The column is about 125 ft high. with an interior spiral staircase that runs to the top. The exterior is decorated with a spiraling relief that depicts Trajan’s Dacian campaign. It shows the organization of the Roman armies, Trajan’s journey, warships sacrifices and forts, as well as the suicide of Decebalus. The reliefs have been damaged overtime due to pollution and the environment. In Roman times the great Latin library contained viewing platforms were the public could view the reliefs in detail. Today a plaster cast of the column resides in the Victoria and Albert museum in London. The top was capped with a bronze statue of Trajan but was replaced in the Sixteenth Century with a statue of St. Peter. The inscription of the base reads: SENATVS·POPVLVSQVE·ROMANVS IMP·CAESARI·DIVI·NERVAE·F·NERVAE TRAIANO·AVG·GERM·DACICO·PONTIF MAXIMO·TRIB·POT·XVII·IMP·VI·COS·VI·P·P AD·DECLARANDVM·QVANTAE·ALTITVDINIS MONS·ET·LOCVS·TANT<IS·OPER>IBVS·SIT·EGESTVS The Senate and people of Rome [give or dedicate this] to the emperor Caesar, son of the divine Nerva, Nerva Traianus Augustus Germanicus Dacicus, pontifex maximus, in his 17th year in the office of tribune, having been acclaimed 6 times as imperator, 6 times consul, pater patriae, to demonstrate of what great height the hill [was] and place [that] was removed for such great works. Before Trajan’s death, The emperor and the empress Pompeia Plotina had moved to take in Trajan’s nephew Hadrian as their ward. Plotina loved Hadrian as a son and began educating the boy in Greek philosophy and Roman politics. Upon Trajan’s death Plotina was said to have duped the senate by sending a double of Trajan to make a deathbed wish to make Hadrian the next emperor. Plotina would get her whish, the senate would approve the conformation of Hadrian as emperor. Plotina would continue to live in the palace until her death in 122, Hadrian had her and Trajan deified. Born in the Hispania provinces, Hadrian’s parents died when he was young. From a young age Hadrian had been groomed for the throne, but Trajan had possibly another in mind for the throne at the time of his death. Hadrian, given the throne by Plotina was in Syria, acting as the provinces governor at the time. Before Hadrian had returned to Rome, he had uncovered a plot to murder him by four of Trajan’s most trusted Generals. He had the Generals put to death, which sent a message that Hadrian would not tolerate any dissention. He would then demand respect from all of his subordinates and expected loyalty and punished insubordination. Hadrian saw the major problem facing the empire was that it was growing to large. Under Trajan the empire had expanded it eastern boarders to envelop the Black Sea and the Persian Gulf. In the West the Roman legions were facing opposition from the Brigantes and Picts (Scots) and Germanic tribes. The issue was that due to the size of the empire, it was becoming increasingly difficult for Roman forces to respond to problems in any force. He would order the legions to halt and make his reign about securing Rome’s present borders. To do this Hadrian would first tour the reaches of his empire and come up with solutions to the problems facing each province. Hadrian would make it his life's purpose to tour each of his provinces, the first and last emperor to do so. He would rid provinces of governors he suspected of extortion. He would review the garrisons and troops on the borders and along Rome’s roads. He would note places were the infrastructure had broken down and made actions to repair them. In Judea were another Jewish revolt sprang up, due to his edict to end circumcision, he oversaw the final dispersion of the Jewish people. He returned Armenia and Mesopotamia to Parthia and gave back the Parthian kings daughter he had been held as hostage. Hadrian would spend over a third of his reign out of Rome. In 122 Hadrian visited Britannia and surveyed the northern extent of the Roman empire. Not willing to advance further into what is present day Scotland, Hadrian surveyed and commissioned a wall to be built across a 73 mile stretch across Brittan. Taking ten years to complete the wall was in places 4.1 meters high and three meters thick. Built by three legions a fort was constructed every Roman mile (called milecastles) along the wall. Watchtowers were constructed every 1/3 mile. At it’s height 9,000 men patrolled Hadrian’s wall. The purpose of the wall was not to become a barrier but as a method to slow down enemy tribes and allow for Roman units to respond to threats. Other walls similar to the Britannic wall would be also constructed along the Germania frontier. This new frontier would mark the end of the Roman world. Wall construction would not be the only feat Hadrian would be known for. After returning from Greece Hadrian would be inspired to begin many new building projects in Rome itself. Many of these structures exist today. He would design the Roman Pantheon, A temple dedicated to the worship of all Roman gods. Today the Pantheon would be one of the few ancient Roman structures that remain 100% intact. He would commission the temple Venus to be constructed on the Capitoline He would design the Imperial mausoleum which survives today as the Castel San Angelo. In Tivoli Hadrian would construct the Villa Adriani. From here Hadrian would conduct most of his imperial business. This massive complex covered 160 acres, each building of the complex reflected Hadrian's architectural interests and the places he visited on his travels. Hadrian did not care for his wife Vibia Sabina. Their relationship was strained at the best. He would remark that if he led the life of a normal man he would have divorced her. He did treat her kindly and gave her all the honors her position deserved, but much to her pleasure she remained in Rome for mostly all of Hadrian’s journeys. Hadrian’s boon companion would be a young man from Greece named Antinoüs. Antinoüs would travel with Hadrian for several years and a close relationship would spark between the two. While in Egypt in 130 Antinoüs accidentally drowned in the Nile. Hadrian was devastated at his death and founded the city of Antinoöpolis in Egypt near were the young man drowned. The final years of Hadrian’s life was lived in abject misery. Residing in the Villa Adriana, Hadrian would suffer from oedema, a build up of water in the body. He would send edicts to be carried out by intermediaries in the senate. To keep an eye on his contemporaries Hadrian would employ imperial spies called frumentarii to report back to him. In 136 Hadrian uncovered a conspiracy against him by his brother-in-law Servanius. Ordering his execution Servanius was said to have prayed that Hadrian long fear death but be unable to die. Servanius’s wish was granted. Due to Hadrian’s illness was painful and he would try to order his slaves to kill him. In 138 Hadrian would adopt his successor Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Arrius Antoninus. He would then die shortly afterward. Hadrian’s ashes would be interred with those of his wife Sabina in the Tomb of Hadrian. Originally the frumentarii were soldiers that were put in charge of guarding Rome’s grain stores. Later they would be used as couriers for imperial business. Over the years the senators and even the emperors would begin using them as spies, reporting everything they found or saw while conducting their business. Hadrian would use the Frumentarii as official imperial spies brining him intelligence from all over his empire. Hadrian not only had the frumentarii spied on his enemies but on his friends as well. This account comes from one such report: (Hadrian's) vigilance was not confined to his own household but extended to those of his friends, and by means of his private agents (frumentarios) he even pried into all their secrets, and so skillfully that they were never aware that the Emperor was acquainted with their private lives until he revealed it himself. In this connection, the insertion of an incident will not be unwelcome, showing that he found out much about his friends. The wife of a certain man wrote to her husband, complaining that he was so preoccupied by pleasures and baths that he would not return home to her, and Hadrian found this out through his private agents. And so, when the husband asked for a furlough, Hadrian reproached him with his fondness for his baths and his pleasures. Whereupon the man exclaimed: "What, did my wife write you just what she wrote to me?“ By the third century the frumentarii were despised and would be disbanded under the reign of Diocletian. By the time of Hadrian’s death Antonius had already made a name for himself as a senator and a governor in Asia. Hadrian knew of the hardships of transitioning an empire without a declared heir, so long before his death he adopted Antonius. Antonius’s first act would be to deify Hadrian, but the Senate was resistant. Antonius was persistent and won out earning his name Pius. Antonius would rule fairly and even. The most remarkable thing about his 23 year rule was that it was very un-remarkable. Antonius kept the status quo and saved money. Antonius would not have any scandals during his rule. Unlike Hadrian Antonius stayed in Italy his whole rule, due to the high price on the province to house an emperor and their entourage. He put a slavery cap on gladiatorial games and used the surplus to build new public buildings and repair old ones. He would expand Hadrian's wall to include to Antonine wall which would move 100 miles deeper into Scotland. Ultimately this wall would fail being too far separated from the military infrastructure of the province. When there was a grain and wine shortage Antonius brought in more at his own expense and handed it out to the citizens for free. Antonius had no public vices. Historians accounted that he did not imbibe excessively. He loved his wife Faustina fervently and established an order of homeless girls in her name. When a senator confessed to killing his own father, Antonius had the man marooned on an island rather than have him executed. He passed new laws governing inheritance, adoption, and the treatment of slaves. He planned out his succession early he adopted his nephew Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, the son of Hadrian’s first chosen successor. With both Antonius trained them to run the empire, and upon his death in 161. Marcus Aurelius was the son of Antonius’s brotherin-law. Marcus had married Antonius’s daughter Faustina the younger in 141. Marcus detested violence and would avoid executing anyone, even those who conspired against him. He even detested the bloodshed in the ludi and force the gladiators to fight with blunted weapons. Marcus would respect Hadrian’s wishes event though he did not have to share anything with Lucius. In actuality, Marcus sharing rule with Lucius would come in handy when trouble broke out in Parthia and Germany. Lucius was a great general, but was said to contain the extravagance of Nero. Both men would effectively rule the until Lucius’s death from a stroke in 169. This would prompt Avidius Cassius, commander of the east to appoint himself emperor. Marcus would attempt to deal with the possible threat, but Cassius would be murdered by his own men. Marcus would not bring any of the conspirators to justice, even though his own wife could have been implicated in the plot. Shortly after Marcus and Lucius had taken control, unrest and war broke out along Rome’s borders. In Parthia, King Vologaeses invaded Armenia and began attacking and annexing Roman territories. Lucius would travel to Syrian and launch a series of campaigns led by Cassius to un-throne the king and destroy Seleucia and sacked Ctesiphon. Lucius would then haul the legions back to Rome carrying with him a great plague. Marcus would head north and deal with several rebellions and invasions by Britain, Germanic, and Samaritan tribes. Marcus was able to contain these outbreaks, but the writing was on the wall, the empire was starting to slip. By the time of Marcus Aurelius' reign several cracks that would cause the fall of the empire would begin to show. The Antonine plague (smallpox) would hit hard killing 10% of the population. The empire itself had expanded and became to large to manage. With the outbreak of war in the east and the north, the legions were spread too thin. Local populations would be adopted into the Roman legions and training of these troops would become lax. In most border provinces the legions had gone back to the citizen soldier paradigm of the early republic. With the size of the empire it was increasingly difficult for one man to rule it from Rome. The emperor would either have to travel to hotspots, and corruption would run rampant, or stay and the risk of the province being lost would be too great. As the next 100 years will show these cracks will develop and become earthquakes that will ultimately cause the empire to fall apart. While on campaign in Germania, Aurelius would bring his son Commodus along with him. Aurelius would try to train Commodus on the philosophies of being a fair and just ruler, but Commodus just didn’t get it. Commodus fancied himself to be the re-incarnation of the hero Hercules and ruled like he was a god. The Roman historian Cassius Dio would remark “our history now descends from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust.” As many historian who have came since pin the beginning of the end of the Roman Empire at the rule of Commodus, but in actuality its roots had already taken hold!
