Download Roman Empire

Roman Republic
Expansion
• Rome went through a period of rapid
expansion.
• Rome’s expansion led to some problems
• People became greedy and forgot the
values that made them strong
• Many slaves from conquered peoples
were sent to Rome
• The rich could afford to buy them and
expand the land they used – including
public lands
• Small family farms could not compete with
the large estates
• Many people sold their small farms and
moved to the city
• The cities had a growing landless poor
population
Bread and Circuses
• All those people without jobs posed a
serious threat – the possibility of a riot
• In order to distract the masses from their
poverty, the wealthy would give them
Bread and Circuses
• They would give free grain hand outs (for
making bread) to the jobless
• They would host entertainment on a grand
scale in the Coliseum.
Circus Maximus
Gladiators
Coliseum
Discussion Question # 1
• What effect did expansion have on Rome?
Reforms
• Some powerful people were concerned
over the plight of the small farmers
• Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus (brothers)
tried
• They proposed taking back public lands
and giving it to small farmers and lowering
the price of food to help the plebeians.
• The wealthy and powerful were angry over
this – because they would lose money and
land
• They conspired to have the brothers
murdered
• Their attempt at reforms brought in an era
of instability
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus
Discussion #2
• What were the reforms meant to do?
Army Changes
• The backbone of the Roman Army had
always been small farmers
• Since their numbers were declining, a
Roman general came up with a new way
• Marius recruited soldiers from the cities,
promising land for service
• Marius had volunteers swear an oath of
loyalty to the general, not the country
Roman Legion
• In order to get the Senate to authorize the
giving of land the Generals had to become
involved in politics.
• These changes left a powerful legacy
• With soldiers loyal to a specific general,
the Army would be the basis of power from
now on.
• Example – Sulla 82 BC
Discussion #3
• Why do American troops swear to uphold
the Constitution and defend the United
States?
From Republic to Empire
• For the next 50 years Rome was torn
apart by civil wars.
• One general, Julius Caesar, defeated all
the others and took power
• He made changes to the government
• He was made dictator (absolute ruler) in
45 BC. This was usually a temporary
position
Julius Caesar
• The Senators feared that he would keep
the position for life, so they murdered him
on the Senate floor.
• Another round of civil wars resulted.
• The victor, Octavian, was Caesar’s
grandnephew and heir (the person who
inherits your stuff)
• Even though Octavian kept the Senate, he
held all the real power
• In 27 BC he was given the title Augustus
(the revered one)
• Augustus becomes the first Roman
Emperor
• After so much war the people are happy to
have a stable government, even if it is a
dictator.
• “Those who would sacrifice essential
liberty for temporary security deserve
neither liberty nor security” – Benjamin
Franklin
Origin of the names of the months
Only a few names of the month were derived from Roman deities. Most simply came from the numbers of the months or -- in two
cases -- in honor of Roman emperors.
•
January
Named after the Roman god of beginnings and endings Janus (the month Januarius).
•
February
The name comes either from the old-Italian god Februus or else from februa, signifying the festivals of purification celebrated in
Rome during this month.
•
March
This is the first month of the Roman year. It is named after the Roman god of war, Mars.
•
April
Called Aprilis, from aperire, "to open". Possible because it is the month in which the buds begin to open.
•
May
The third month of the Roman calendar. The name probably comes from Maiesta, the Roman goddess of honor and reverence.
•
June
The fourth month was named in honor of Juno. However, the name might also come from iuniores (young men; juniors) as
opposed to maiores (grown men; majors) for May, the two months being dedicated to young and old men.
•
July
It was the month in which Julius Caesar was born, and named Julius in his honor in 44 BCE, the year of his assassination. Also
called Quintilis (fifth month).
•
August
Originally this month was called Sextilis (from sextus, "six"), but the name was later changed in honor of the first of the Roman
emperors, Augustus (because several fortunate events of his life occurred during this month).
•
September
The name comes from septem, "seven".
•
October
The name comes from octo, "eight"
•
November
The name comes from novem, "nine".
•
December
The name comes from decem, "ten".
Discussion #4
• How did Rome go from a Republic to an
Empire?
Pax Romana 27 BC – 180 AD
• The next four Emperors were from
Augustus line
• (Caligula)
• After the last of Augustus line died/was
killed (69 BC), another round of civil wars
followed
• This was part of the problem with their
system of government, if your power is
based on the Army, you have to make
sure you have a good man take your place
• Around 100 AD, a series of five good
emperors began.
• These included Trajan, Hadrian, and
Marcus Aurelius
• They made good choices, expanded the
empire, selected good heirs, were tolerant
of others
Height of the Roman Empire
• The time period starting with Augustus and
lasting through the five good emperors
was known as the Pax Romana or Roman
peace.
• It was a period stable government and
relative peace.
Discussion #5
• Why did the Pax Romana last so long?