Download The Roman Empire

Rome Spreads it’s Power
* Number 1 purpose was to win control of Italy
1. Attack of the Gauls (390 BC)
2. War with Greece
3. Punic Wars- _______ vs. ____________
a. purpose- to gain control of trade in the
_____________________
b. _______- larger population, better navy, used
mercenaries
c. ________- fewer resources, more soldiers,
specialized in warfare
 133 BC: Rome has gained control of Asia Minor,
Spain, Africa, Greece, and Macedonia
Effects of the Punic Wars
• while the empire was gaining
wealth and expanding, the gap
between the rich and the poor
was _________________
• many returning soldiers were
forced to __________› this led
to the creation of a new social
class called the Proletariat
The Republic Collapses
* Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus attempted to help
Rome’s ________
elected tribunes who proposed reforms:
limit the size of ________
give ______ to the poor
both were strongly opposed by senators and
both met violent deaths
Military and Political Leaders
generals began to recruit
soldiers from the landless poor
by ________________-›
soldiers fought for pay and
owed allegiance only to their
commander, replaced the
citizen-soldier who had fought
only for ________
Maruis, Sulla, and …..
Julius Caesar- Rise to Power
• Caesar was elected _______ in
59 BC
• joined forces with Crassus and
Pompey and formed the 1st
___________ in 60 BC; ruled
for ten years
• appointed himself governor of
Gaul (now _______)-› used his
army to gain control of the area
and to expand the Roman
Empire
• his successes made him very
popular at home, but upset
_____________
Caesar Takes Power
• 50 BC-› the Triumvirate has broken; Pompey
urged the senate to order Caesar to disband
his legions and ____________
• Caesar does not follow orders-› 49 BC,
crosses the __________ River and travels
towards Rome
• Pompey flees-› _________ eventually
defeats his armies in Greece, Asia, Spain, and
Egypt
• 46 BC-› Caesar returns to Rome with the
support of the army and the people;
appointed dictator by the senate
• 44 BC-› named dictator for life (allowed him
to govern as an absolute ruler)
“Et tu, Brute?”
many nobles and
senators were
troubled by
____________
growing power,
success, and
popularity
March 15, 44 BC› stabbed to
death in the
senate chamber
(____________)
The Second Triumvirate
• ___________ broke out after Caesar’s death
• grandnephew and adopted son, _________,
joined forced with ______________(general
who married Octavian’s sister) and _________
(politician) to form the Second _____________
• took control of Rome in 43 BC and ruled for ___
years, but it ended in jealously and violence
• Octavian forced Lepidus to retire and then he
became enemies with Mark Antony, whom had
fallen in love with ________________ of Egypt
• Battle of Actium (___________)-› Antony vs.
Octavian; Octavian wins and Cleopatra and
Antony commit suicide
Augustus
• ___________ is now the
sole ruler of Rome
• 27 BC-› senate gave him
the title of Augustus, or
“exalted one”; still called
himself _________
(“supreme military
commander”)
• period of peace began
known as ____________
(time of peace and
prosperity that lasted for
207 years)
Augustus continued….
 was a good ruler- managed the
empire; set up a government that
lasted for centuries
 died in 14 BC at the age of 76-› even
though his adopted son, _________,
was chosen as his successor, there
was always a problem with
succession due to the fact that there
was no ___________ for this process
The Decline of the Roman Empire
 A _________ of Crisis
 during the 3rd century AD, Rome begins to
weaken due to a number of problems:
1. Economic Decay
- trade was disrupted
- government ________ taxes
- minted coins that contained ________
silver-› caused __________
- problems with agriculture
2. Military Decay
- constant ______
- ____________ invasions
- army discipline and loyalty no longer
existed-› gov’t was forced to hire
___________ (foreign soldiers who fought
for money)
3. Political Decay
- citizens lost their sense of ____________
- ___________ ruled
The Last Hope for the Empire

two men tried to save the empire:
1. ______________
- issued reforms:
 __________ the size of the army
 fixed costs
 ____________ of the Christians
 divided the empire- each had its
own emperor
East- Greek speaking
West- Latin speaking

his reforms slowed the decline of the empire,
but upon his retirement in AD 305, the
problems ______________
2. Constantine
- gained control of the __________ part of the empire
and tried to continue some of Diocletian’s reforms
- eventually took control of the eastern part of the
empire and restored the Roman empire for a
period of time
- moved the capital from Rome to ____________ and
renamed the city Constantinople
- upon his death, the empire would once again be
__________; the east (Byzantine Empire) would
survive until 1453, while the west would fall in
476
The Fall of the Western
Roman Empire
 caused as a result of worsening internal
problems, the separation of the Western
Empire from the wealthier Eastern part, and
outside invaders
 took place over many years
 Germanic tribes-› invaded Rome due to the
entrance of the Huns
The Huns-› led by __________, they
terrorized both halves of the Empire
 Rome’s last emperor was a ___________ who
was eventually overthrown by a German
general
End of the Western Roman
Empire
 Even though Rome’s political power in
the West ended, its cultural influence
continued to be deeply embedded in
Western civilization