Download “Second Triumvirate”. - Republic School District

The Roman Empire
From Republic to Empire
Rome After Caesar

A power struggle developed between Octavian and Mark
Antony to succeed Julius Caesar;
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No specific order of succession had been established to succeed
Julius Caesar.
Octavian, Julius Caesar’s grand nephew, was the heir to his
property.
Mark Antony was Julius Caesar’s co-consul and second in
command of the military.
Antony reads Caesar’s will at his funeral and inflames the citizens
to hunt down his assassins.
Augustus (Octavian)- Marc Antony
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Antony seizes all of Julius Caesar’s property and takes total
control of the government.
Octavian’s supporters encourage him to return to Rome and
claim his throne.
Octavian marches on Rome while Antony is suppressing a
rebellion in Cisalpine Gaul.
Before the two armies meet in battle, Antony and Octavian agree
to a joint rule in order to save the Roman state thus forming the
second Triumvirate.
The Second Triumvirate (43 BC)
Antony, Octavian and an aging senator, Lepidus, form the
“Second Triumvirate”.
 The state is divided with Octavian in charge of Italy and the
West, Antony in charge of the East including Egypt, and
Lepidus is given the rest of North Africa.
 Antony is given command of the army and ordered to hunt
down Julius Caesar’s assassins.

Second Triumvirate Con’t:
A “Reign of Terror” begins against the enemies of both
Octavian and Antony and thousands are executed.
 Octavian forces Lepidus to retire while Antony is hunting
down the assassins.
 Octavian and Antony rule in a joint but uneasy dual
consulship.
 Antony marries Octavian’s sister, Octaiea, in order to merge
the two families.

Second Triumvirate Con’t:
Antony soon falls in love with Cleopatra while in Egypt.
 Antony announces his divorce to Octavia and his intention
to marry Cleopatra and make her the “Queen of Rome”.
 Antony also adopts Cleopatra and Julius Caesar’s son
Caesarion.
 Octavian convinces the Roman citizens that Antony and
Cleopatra are conspiring to take over the government.

The Civil War

Octavian and Antony become involved in another civil war
to decide the role of Rome.
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Antony and Cleopatra build a large navy to gain control of the
Mediterranean Sea.
Antony is considered a military genius and most dispute
Octavian’s military ability.
Octavian puts Marcus Agrippa in charge of the Roman army and
navy.
The two forces meet at the sea battle of Actium in 31 BC which is
a standoff.
Civil War Con’t:
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With the battle undecided, Cleopatra and then Antony, flee and
Agrippa routs their navy.
Octavian follows Antony and Cleopatra to Egypt.
Antony is finally forced to commit suicide and Cleopatra kills
herself rather than become a “spoil of war”.
The Empire is Created

Octavian (63 BC to 14 AD) assumes control of the Roman
State.
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Octavian tells the senate he intends to restore the Roman
government, but not the Republic.
In a token gesture, he resigns all offices only to regain them all
at the “persuasion” of the senate.
Octavian assumes many new titles in his consolidation of
power; (next slide)
Roman Empire Con’t:

Octavian’s titles include;
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Princeps, or “first citizen”
Augustus, or “the exalted one”
Pontifax Maximus, or “high priest”
Proconsul of all provinces
Imperator, or “commander of all armies”
Tribune
Pater Patriae, or “father of his country”
He wisely refused the title of King
Roman Empire Con’t:
This effectively established an “autocracy” where all
power is vested in the hands of one ruler.
 Augustus (Octavian) ended chaos and brought order and
stability to the Roman state through a series of reforms;

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He reorganized the army by consolidating its power into the
hands of professional soldiers.
He restored military pensions.
Reforms Con’t:
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He restored religious holidays.
He rebuilt many temples and public buildings.
He reduced the number of senators, but increased their
powers.
He created the new office of Procurator to rule the provinces.
He even attempted to restore morality through passage of a
series of “Family Values” laws.
Reforms Con’t:
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
He established the “Praetorian Guard” to act as his personal
bodyguard.
He established a climate that encouraged the arts and sciences
to flourish.
At his death the Roman Empire was well established.
Roman Empire Con’t:

Augustus dies but his succession is a problem.
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Although he planned succession, a series of untimely deaths
and his own longevity created uncertainty.
He outlived five appointed successors.
He finally appointed his youngest stepson, Tiberius, to succeed
him.
He died a peaceful death at 76 in 14 AD.
The Julio-Claudian Emperors
Tiberius (40 BC to 37 AD), assumes the throne
 following Augustus;

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Tiberius, the stepson of Augustus, was 55 years
of age when he assumed the throne.
He was a large man who shunned public life and
is often portrayed as a mean-spirited tyrant,
living a life of luxury and perversion in villas
away from Rome.
Tiberius Con’t:
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Tiberius was a competent administrator who filled the treasury
but ignored the military, public works and the desire for
amusements from the masses.
He was married three times but his two sons, Drusus and
Germanicus, met unusual deaths which may have been
poison.
Tiberius retires to the island of Capri and turns the government
over to the head of the Praetorian Guard, Sejanus.
Tiberius Con’t:
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Sejanus attempts a coup but the plot is discovered and he is
executed.
Tiberius finally dies a suspicious death in 37 AD at the age of
79.
He is succeeded by the son of Germanicus, Gaius.
Gaius

Gaius (Caligula) (12 to 41 AD) next assumes the throne of
Rome;
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Gaius was the son of Germanicus and great-grandson of both
Julius Caesar & Mark Antony.
He was nicknamed “Caligula” (Little Boots) because he wore the
footgear of the Legionaire.
He is remembered as a capricious, cruel insecure
and psychotic young man who only ruled
for four years. (next slide)
Gaius Con’t:
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Caligula had a promising start as emperor by cooperating with
the Senate and announcing restoration of pensions, amusements
and building projects.
His behavior soon began to show signs of psychosis as evidenced
by several events including;
A. the sacrifice of 160,000 slaves to the gods,
B. increasingly sadistic games,
C.making his favorite horse a consul,
D. living openly with one of
is sisters in an incestuous relationship
Gaius Con’t:
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E. squandering the treasury on such projects as building a bridge
across the Tiber so he could race his horse,
F. trying to make himself a “living god” and assuming the
trappings of an oriental monarch.
Gaius was assassinated by the leader of the Praetorian guard
and his wife and daughter were publicly executed.
Claudius

Claudius (10 BC to 54 AD) assumes the throne;
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Claudius was the uncle of Gaius, son of Drusus, nephew of
Tiberius, brother of Germanicus and gransdon of Antony and
Octavia.
Claudius was 55 years old when he was proclaimed emperor by
the Praetorian Guard.
Although physically handicapped, he was very intelligent and
well educated.
Claudius Con’t:
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Claudius proved to be an excellent administrator who undertook
many reforms to restore stability to the government.
His public life was overshadowed by his personal life as his five
marriages were all failures.
His first wife died on her wedding day, the next two were
divorced, the third, Messalina, was a notorious adulteress who
plotted to kill him, and the last, Agrippina, was his niece.
Agrippina convinces Claudius to appoint her son, Nero, as heir to
the throne.
Clausius Con’t:
Agrippina then kills Claudius
by feeding him poison mushrooms.
– This sets the stage for Nero.
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Nero

Nero (37 to 68 AD) follows to the head of state;
Nero comes to the throne at the age of 16.
– His early years were dominated by his mother, Agrippina, Burrus
(the head of the Praetorian Guard, and Seneca ( his tutor who
was a noted stoic philosopher.
– Nero comes of age and begins to take charge, replacing Burrus,
forcing Seneca to commit suicide and killing
his mother.
– He also murders two wives and a stepbrother.
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Nero Con’t:
Nero is remembered as a self-indulgent monster as evidenced
by;
A. living openly with homosexual lovers
B. ordering sadistic games and amusements
C. Deification of himself as a god
D. squandering the treasury on building the “Golden Palace”
E. persecution of the Christians after the great fire of Rome in 64
AD which resulted in 2/3 of Rome being destroyed (thus the
saying Rome burned while Nero played the fiddle).
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Nero Con’t:
Nero was a patron of the arts and envisioned
himself as a poet and a musician.
– He was finally forced to commit suicide
when cornered by a combination of
Senators and Praetorian Guards at the age
of 30.
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Chaos and the Flavian Restoration
Rome descends into chaos and disorder after the death of
Nero.
 Three different military commanders attempt to take
control of the Roman Empire during the year of 68 AD.
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Galba, commander of the Spanish Legions, is proclaimed
Emperor by the Senate after Nero’s death. He marched to
Rome and took control only to be executed by his rival, Otho.
Chaos Con’t:
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Otho, a follower of Nero who had married his widow, seized
power after being proclaimed emperor by the Praetorian
Guard. Within a few months he was in turn overthrown and
executed by his rival, Vitellius.
Vitellius, commander of the German Legions, seizes control of
the Empire. His march to Rome was remembered as a drunken
and riotous affair. He only ruled for a few weeks after reaching
Rome. He was overthrown by troops loyal to Vespasian.
The Flavian Restoration

A new dynasty, the Flavians, restore order and stability to
the Roman Empire.
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Vespasian was a middle class Roman soldier raised in the
provinces.
He was the procurator of Judea who had razed Jerusalem in the
Zealot Revolt of 66 AD.
He was proclaimed emperor by the Eastern Legions.
His reign was marked by reforms and restoration of order in
the city of Rome
Flavians Con’t:
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He established the concept of the”Tour of Duty”, by not
allowing legionnaires or commanders to serve in one place for
an extended period of time. (WHY?)
He also instituted many building projects, most notably the
Colosseum of Rome.
He died of natural causes in 79 AD. He was the first Roman
emperor since Augustus not to die a violent and unnatural
death.
Flavians Con’t:

Vespasian’s eldest son, Titus, succeeded him to the throne;
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Titus ruled for only 2 years.
He is remembered as one of the kindest and most loved
emperors of Rome.
His great compassion for people was demonstrated by his
relief aid to the citizens of Pompeii after its destruction by the
eruption of Mt. Vesuvios in 79 AD.
He died unexpectedly at the age of 42.
Flavians Con’t:

Titus was succeeded by his younger brother, Domitian (51
to 96 AD)
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Domitian ruled for 15 years.
He was a capable administrator, but did not possess the social
skills of either his father or brother.
He became extremely paranoid after a coup on his life and
was finally executed by some Senatorial conspirators in
cooperation with members of the Praetorian Guard.
The Pax Romana

Between 96 to 235 AD the Roman Empire reached its
height of peace and prosperity.
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This period is known as the “Pax Romana” or the “Peace of
Rome”.
Rome was ruled by a group of emperors known as the “Five
Good Emperors” (from 96 to 180 AD) and the Severan
Dynasty(180 to 235 AD).
This period is characterized by emperors from several different
areas who provided for an orderly and stable succession.
Rulers of Pax Romana

Nerva (30 to 98 AD), assumes the throne after the
assassination of Domitian.
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He is appointed emperor by the Senate.
He is elderly and sickly and only rules for two years.
He did not have the support of the military at the start of his
reign but soon gained it through his appointment of Trajan as
his successor.
Nerva Con’t:
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He also gained support when he increased military pensions.
He increased the welfare payments (called the Dole) to the
masses.
He died of natural causes making the way clear for a ruler who
had been hand picked instead of picked by an outside group.
Trajan (53 to 117 AD)

Trajan succeeds to the throne in a smooth takeover of
power;
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He ruled for 19 years and is remembered as one of the most
renowned and greatest of the Roman emperors.
He was the first non-Italian emperor, being born of Roman
parents in Spain.
He was a military hero after his defeat of a Germanic invasion.
Trajan Con’t:
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He extended the Roman frontier to its greatest extent by
annexing; (See map)
 Dacia
(Romania)
 Mesopotamia
 Armenia
 Arabia
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He died of a stroke while on a military campaign in the eastern
provinces.
Hadrian (73 to 138 AD)

Hadrian follows the death of Trajan;
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He ruled for 21 years.
Like Trajan, he also was born in Spain.
He was a champion of the arts and culture who had been
tutored by the Greeks and spent much of his time in scholarly
pursuits.
He is remembered for codification of the Roman laws and
reform of the provincial governments.
He kept the provinces in line by regular visits.
Hadrian Con’t:
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He consolidated the borders of the frontier and built many
walls of fortification which still stand today (Hadrian’s Wall in
Britain) SEE NEXT SLIDE
He finaly suppressed the massive Judean revolt which
culminated in the massacre of Masada.
He died of natural causes after appointing Antoninus Pious as
his successor.
Antoninus Pious (86 to 161 AD)

Antoninus Pious ruled Rome for almost 25 years yet he
left less of a mark on the Empire than did any of his
predecessors.
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A product of the Senate, he became one of the most beloved
and honored of all Roman Emperors.
Under his reign the “Pax Romana” reached its height with little
time being spent of war efforts or internal dissention.
Antoninus Pious Con’t:
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His main effort was on centralizing the government and
making it more effective.
He soon gained the nickname “Pious” after his extraordinary
compassion.
He died after eating some “bad” cheese.
Marcus Aurelius (121 to 180 AD)

Marcus Aurelius assumed control of the empire and ruled
for 19 years;
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He is remembered as a great Stoic philosopher whose book
“Meditations” is a classic of the Ancient World.
Many thought he was the “Philosopher King” envisioned by
Plato in his “Republic”.
His reign was dominated by barbaric invasions and natural
disasters. He died from an overdose of opium used as a
painkiller of a battle wound.
Commodus (161 to 192 AD)

He ruled for 12 years and was considered the weakest
Roman emperor since Domitain.
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He abandoned many of the frontiers and neglected the duties of
state.
He envisioned himself a gladiator and often appeared before the
Senate dressed as one.
After his megalomania began to increase he was assassinated by
a group of conspirators in 192 AD.
This set the stage for the Severan Dynasty.
The Severan Dynasty

The Severan Dynasty ruled Rome for the next 43 years;
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The Severans were members of a family who attempted to
restore order after Commodus.
The most notable of these rulers was Septimius Severus (146
to 211 AD) who was the first African born emperor.
Many of the Severans, most notably Caracalla and Elagabalus,
are remembered as perverted monsters whose reigns were
characterized by every excess known to humans.
Crisis, Renewal, and Collapse
Between 235 and 476 only two emperors withstood the
barbaric invasions from the north and internal problems to
temporarily save the empire from total collapse;
 The reign of the “Barrack Emperors”
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Twenty emperors ruled during this period which lasted from
235 to 285 AD, all were military.
All but one died a violent death and during their reign Germanic
invasions increased dramatically.
Crisis, Renewal, & Collapse Con’t:

Diocletian (245 to 305 AD) followed the Barrack
emperors and ruled from 285 to his death in 305 AD.
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He totally reorganized the empire into a “Tetrarchy”, or a rule
of four.
The empire was divided into two halves, with each subdivided
into prefectures, dioceses, and provinces.
Each half of the empire was ruled by an “Augustus” who had
an appointed second-in-command and successor known as a
“Caesar”.
Diocletian Con’t:
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The tetrarchy removed much of the influence of the military
and eliminated any pretense of a republic.
Diocletian is sometimes remembered as the emperor who
attempted to systematically and brutally eliminate the
Christian sect.
He reportedly starved himself to death when he became to
weak to rule.
Crisis, Renewal, & Collapse Con’t:
An interim period (305 to 324 AD) saw a renewed
struggle to hold back the barbarians as well as increasing
pressure to split the two halves of the empire into
separate and distinct units.
 Constantine (274 to 337 AD) is Rome’s last great emperor;
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Constantine’s rule is a turning point in history in that he is the
first Christian ruler.
Constantine Con’t:
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He converted to Christianity after the Battle of Milvian Bridge
in 312 AD where he defeated a rival for the throne. It was here
that he reported seeing a vision of the cross in the sky prior to
the battle.
He issued the Edict of Milan which legalized Christianity in the
empire.
He decided to build a new capital on the Dardenelles and
named it after himself, (Constantinople).
Constantine Con’t:
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He called the first church council at Nicaea in 325 AD to
determine the nature of Jesus.
Constantine died in 327 while attempting to Christianize
Persia.
Crisis, Renewal, & Collapse Con’t:

With the death of Constantine, the Roman Empire quickly
collapses with only a few emperors leaving a lasting mark
on the empire;
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Julian (332 to 378 AD), was known as the “Apostate” and he is
remembered for trying to restore the old Roman religion.
Valens (354 to 378 AD), was the last Roman emperor to
attempt to drive out the barbarians. He was killed at the Battle
of Adrainople.
Crisis, Renewal, & Collapse Con’t:
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Theodosius (379 to 395 AD), He totally divided the empire into
two independent empires after signing a treaty with the
barbarians to preserve the eastern empire.
Romulus Augustus (C. 476 AD), was the last Roman emperor
who abdicated his throne at the age of 16.
Odovocar, a Germanic chieftan proclaimed himself emperor of
Rome in 476 AD after occupying the city.
Collapse
Although the western empire collapsed , the Eastern
empire continued on, now being known as the Byzantine
Empire, until it was overthrown in 1453 AD by the
Ottoman Turks.
 Europe and the rest of the Western Empire fell in to chaos
which has been called the “Dark Ages or the Medieval
Period”.

Causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire

Immediate causes:
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The Germanic tribes had been a constant source of pressure on
the empire for centuries.
Many tribes had moved peacefully into the empire and had
become citizens of Rome.
Britain was overran by the Franks and Burgundians.
Spain was overthrown by the Vandals.
Italy was taken over by the Ostrogoths, Visigoths and
Lombards.
Causes Con’t:
Underlying causes - While the Germanic invasions were
the obvious causes for the fall of Rome, the underlying
reasons were much more significant for historians;
 The British historian, Gibbons, identified the primary
reasons for the collapse in his “Decline and Fall of the
Roman Empire”, which is a model for future study.

Causes Con’t:
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Social Causes;
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Slavery had weakened the moral fiber of the citizens and a
large discontented mass of people had become
disenfranchised. (minorities and economically disadvantaged
in the U.S.)
There had been a decline in the traditional Roman citizenry.
(movement to make Spanish a second language in U.S.)
Causes Con’t:
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Social Con’t:
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Moral decay was evident as depicted in its literature,
amusements, and lifestyles that often portrayed gratuitous sex
and violence. (TV and movies in the U.S. today)
Patriotism declined as people lost their allegiance to the state.
(Veteran’s Day, and growth of anti government groups in the
U.S.)
Christianity emphasized the individual instead of traditional
Roman values. (selfishness and materialism in the U.S.)
Causes Con’t:
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Economic causes;
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As productivity declined, the Roman empire became more
dependent of foreign products. (foreign oil)
A break-down in the labor force occurred as the traditional
work ethic declined. (cars made on Friday and Monday are not
good quality)
The infrastructure of the cities declined and began a steady
decay. (highways and others)
Causes Con’t:
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Economic Con’t:
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A trade deficit began to occur. (trade deficit in U.S. for the past
30 years)
The cost of government, including the military and welfare,
became burdensome. (government spending for the military
and welfare programs have tripled in the last 20 years)
Class economic warfare broke out between the rich and poor.
(in the last 20 years the rich have greatly increased their value
while the poor have lost much of their purchasing power)
Causes Con’t:
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Economic Con’t;
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Parts of the empire were not taxed while others were
overtaxed. (Tax cuts that have been made in the last 20
years mainly favor the rich) Who you vote for is up to you
but check out who gets taxed and who doesn’t get taxed
before you vote.
The small farm almost disappeared. (less than 3% of
Americans farm on small farms today)
Causes Con’t:
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Political Causes;
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The Romans never solved the problem of succession except
during a brief period of time. (Constitution)
The government of the empire was not designed to rule a large,
polyglot, multi ethnic, empire and reform cane too late. (have
we lost our focus? example Christian right movement)
The government became increasingly run by the rich and the
military. ($ in politics today)
Causes Con’t:
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Political Con’t;
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Citizens lost interest in government as it became distant from
them. (low voter turnout in elections today.
The military became loyal to itself not to the empire -- it
became a job not a mission. (professional military, a job and
occupation)