Download Roman Leader Information

Roman Leadership (after Punic Wars):
How did the changes in leadership
have an influence on the
development of the Roman Empire?
Reformers, Generals, and Dictators
Reformer – A person devoted to bringing about
positive changes in a society.
Reformers, Generals, and Dictators
Dictator – Absolute ruler who has unrestricted
control of the a government.
Tiberius Gracchus (168-133 BC)
• Became Tribune in 133 BC
• Wanted to divide public
lands and give them to
the poor.
• Idea was vetoed by the
tribune.
• Attempted to run for a
second term as tribune,
which was illegal
– Senate staged a riot to stop
him
– They killed Tiberius and his
followers.
Tiberius Gracchus—reformer
-Time Period: 133 B.C.
-Accomplishments: 1st Roman reformer,
a person who works to change and
improve a society; became tribune &
wanted to give land back to poor
-Supporters: Gaius Gracchus (brother)
and poorer classes
-End of Term: Killed by members of the
Senate-threatened by his ideas since he
wanted to limit the amount of land a
person could own
Tiberius Gracchus
General Gaius Marius (157-86 BC)
• Became Consul in 107 BC
• Military hero
– Supported by ex-soldiers who
felt taken advantage of
– Supported by farmers who lost
their land while serving in the
army
• Set up a professional army and
allowed anyone to join.
• Provided jobs for many
unemployed Romans
• Many Romans showed more
loyalty to him than to the
Roman Republic.
General Gaius Marius
-Time Period: 107 B.C.
-Accomplishments: military hero; first lowerclass Roman to hold a high office. Opened army
to everyone as consul; offered the following to
the poor to get them to join the army: pay, land,
pensions, and booty, things taken from
enemies during war
-Supporters: Lower-class citizens; ex-soldiers
-End of Term: A rival named Lucius Cornelius
Sulla led an army and overthrew Marius.
*Even though Marius opened the
army to everyone, soldiers
became loyal to their generals
and not Rome
Gaius Marius
General Lucius Sulla
• Took control away from
General Marius in a civil
war.
• Made himself Rome’s
first dictator
– Doubled the size of the
Senate
– Gave Senators more
duties and responsibility
– Weakened the power of
the tribunes
• Retired
General Lucius Sulla
-Time Period: 82 B.C.
-Accomplishments: Overthrew Marius
when Marius tried to get the assembly to
take command away from Sulla; became
dictator, or absolute ruler. Doubled size
of Senate and weakened Tribunes
-Supporters: Legionaries and Patricians
-End of Term: Retired
Lucius Sulla
The First Triumvirate
Triumvirate – A group of three persons with
equal power
Pompey the Great
Marcus Crassus
Julius Caesar
Marcus Crassus—1st Triumvirate
-Time Period: 60 B.C.
-believed in a republic run by upper-class
senators
-Accomplishments: statesmen, financier,
and military leader; Member of the First
Triumvirate, or group of 3 leaders with equal
power; called “The Rich” because he made
much money through investments
-Supporters: Julius Caesar and Gnaeus
Pompey
-End of Term: Killed in battle
Marcus Crassus
Gnaeus Pompeius (Pompey)1st Triumvirate
-Time Period: 60 B.C.
-Accomplishments: Rome’s highest
ranking elected official; outstanding
Roman general and statesmen; Member
of the First Triumvirate, Caesar’s rival for
power after Crassus died
-Supporters: Army soldiers
-End of Term: Killed in Egypt by
supporters of Caesar
Pompey
Julius Caesar—1st Triumvirate
-Time Period: 46 B.C.
-member of the First Triumvirate
*Julius Caesar gained power in 48 B.C. after
the death of Pompey
-In 58 B.C., Caesar became governor of Gaul
and built-up a strong and loyal army
-The Senate ordered him to break up army and
return to Rome in 50 B.C.
-He instead led his army to Rome in order to
challenge Pompey
-Became dictator of Rome in 46 B.C and made
many reforms
Caesar
Julius Caesar (continued)
-Accomplishments: Member of First
Triumvirate, general, reformer, and dictator of
Rome; redistributed state lands in Italy;
founded new colonies overseas; began public
works projects; planned and paid for
gladiatorial games; doubled the size of the
Senate; cut back activities of the publicans
-Supporters: plebeians, military
-End of Term: Killed by a group of Senators
since they feared Caesar would make himself
king!
Caesar’s Reforms/Accomplishments
• Divided state land and founded new territories
• Expanded public works
– Built roads and buildings
– Drained marshes around Rome
• Made gladiatorial games free to the public
Caesar’s Reforms/Accomplishments
• Doubled the size of the Senate
• Decreased the power of the publicans
• He adopted a new calendar (Julian calendar)
(Marcus Antonius) Mark Antony
—2nd Trimvirate
-Time Period: 43 B.C.
*Married to Cleopatra of Egypt.
*Formed a Second Triumvirate
-Accomplishments: Close friend of and
military leader with Caesar who took control
of Roman territories to the East after
Caesar’s death; member of the Second
Triumvirate
-Supporters: Caesar and military
-End of Term: Octavian became emperor,
sole ruler of the Roman Empire
Mark Antony
Octavian (Augustus)—
2nd Triumvirate
-Time Period: 27 B.C.-14 A.D.
-Accomplishments: Caesar’s adopted
son, Member of Second Triumvirate;
Became first emperor of Rome after
fights broke out with Antony, ending in
Antony’s defeat in 31 B.C.
-Supporters: Caesar
***Became first Roman Emperor, sole ruler of
Rome! Reign lasted 41 years
—ended in 14 A.D.
Octavian (Augustus):
Rome’s First Emperor!
Augustus was a clever politician, who held
the offices of consul, tribune, high priest, and
senator all at the same time.
Augustus kept the assemblies and government
officials of the republic, yet strengthened his
authority in two ways:
1. For control, he had every soldier swear
allegiance to him.
2. He chose leadership positions based on
talent rather than birth.
or
part of
This gave enslaved people and freedmen,
former enslaved people, a chance to be
the government.
Augustus pushed Rome’s borders to natural
boundaries that would be easy to defend.
He gave provincial governors long terms
of office and paid them large salaries.
To make sure that people did not pay too
little or too much tax, Augustus ordered a
census, or population count, to be taken
from time to time.
He wrote strict laws to govern public
behavior, set up a firefighting and police force to protect the city, and even
built a library to encourage learning.
Augustus ruled for 41 years, bringing peace, patriotism, and pride to the
Romans. Most important, however, he reorganized the government of Rome so
that it ran well for more than 200 years.
Rule of Augustus
• This led to the Pax Romana: the peace and
prosperity that Augustus brought to Rome—
lasted over 200 years
• People prospered, civilization spread, and
cultures mixed.
Pax Romana -- Trade
• increase in trade
• same coins used throughout the empire
• No tariffs, or taxes placed on goods brought into
the country
• Goods and money moved freely along the trade
routes.
Pax Romana -- Trade
• Mediterranean was cleared of pirates, making it
safe for trade and travel.
• Shipping became a big business.
• Types of goods:
– grain from North Africa
– brick, marble, granite, and wood for building
– luxury items—amber from the north and silk from China
Pax Romana -- Trade
• Increased trade=more business for Romans
• Shopkeepers grew richer.
• Wine and olive oil were the main items bought
by other countries
• Italy became a manufacturing center for pottery,
bronze, and woolen cloth.
Pax Romana -- Law
• When Rome conquered a new territory, Roman
merchants had to do business with non-Romans.
• Roman judges wrote new laws to make them fair for
everyone.
• Juris prudentes, special lawyers and legal writers,
helped the judges.
Pax Romana -- Law
• A law was believed to be just because it was
reasonable; not because the government had the
power to make people obey it.
• Everyone was equal under the law.
• Everyone was innocent until proven guilty.
• By 125 A.D., Roman Law was standardized, which
meant that legal procedures were the same in all
parts of the empire.
• In later years, Roman legal principles formed the
basis for the laws of most western countries and of
the Christian church.