Download roman empire

• Through trade and conquering, the Roman Empire became
incredibly wealthy.
• With this new wealth came new problems
– Discontent among the lower classes of society
• As Rome grew, the gap between rich and poor grew wider.
– Many rich landowners lived on large estates and had
thousands of enslaved workers.
– Small farmers found it difficult to compete
• Many of these farmers were retired soldiers
• Many of these small farmers sold their lands to the
wealthy
One fourth of Rome’s population were the urban poor
Two Tribunes set out to defend these people.
*Remember, Tribunes were the Plebeian representatives*
– Two brothers: Tiberius and Gaius
Tiberius and Gaius spoke out against the mistreatment of the
poor and especially the mistreatment of these former soldiers
who could no longer make any kind of living.
– The Senate felt threatened by the two brothers’ abilities to
reach the public
• Tiberius was murdered in 133 B.C.
• Gaius was murdered in 121 B.C.
– A period of civil war broke out through out Rome
• The Republic was in turmoil.
– Many wealthy Generals hired men to form their own
personal armies
– These men were loyal only to the military leader who
was paying them.
• Instead of having soldiers who were loyal to the Roman
republic, it was possible for a person to take over by using
personal force
Julius Caesar
Eventually, one man would do that.
In 60 B.C., a military leader by the name of Julius Caesar
joined forces with a wealthy Roman named Crassus, and a
popular General named Pompey.
– The three men formed the first triumvirate.
– Triumvirate: a group of three leaders
• Caesar was a strong leader and a genius at military
strategy.
– He served one year as a Consul
• He appointed himself governor of Gaul (now France)
– From 58 – 50 B.C., Caesar conquered all of Gaul
• Caesar’s successes in Gaul made him very popular to
the Roman citizens.
• Pompey, who had become Caesar’s rival, was nervous
about Caesar’s support from the Roman civilians
In 50 B.C., Pompey and the senate ordered Caesar to disband
his army and return to Rome
Caesar refused
– January 10, 49 B.C., Caesar and his army marched toward
Rome
Pompey fled the city, but Caesar and his forces followed.
The two forces met in Greece, Asia, Spain, and Egypt
– Caesar was victorious
In 46 B.C., Caesar returned to Rome and was greeted with a
celebration
• In 44 B.C., Caesar was named dictator for life.
• He governed Rome as an absolute ruler
– One who has total power
Caesar’s Reforms
• Caesar granted citizenship to many people in the
Roman provinces
– Territories that Rome claimed after battles
• He expanded the senate by adding supporters from
other regions outside of Rome.
• He helped the poor by creating new jobs through
construction and public buildings
• He started new colonies where people without land
could afford it.
• He also increased pay for Roman military men
• Though Caesar became a popular figure with the Roman
public, many senators feared the power he was gaining
– Some feared that they’d lose their authority
– Others thought Caesar was simply a tyrant
• A number of senators decided that it was time to remove
Caesar from office.
– His best friend Marcus Brutus and a senator name Gaius
Cassius plotted Caesar’s assassination
• On March 14, 44 B.C., Julius Caesar was stabbed multiple
times in the senate chamber.
Civil War broke out once again after the death of Caesar (just
like the deaths of Tiberius and Gaius)
– What remained of the republic was pretty much
destroyed.
Three of Caesar’s supporters joined forces to crush his
assassins
The Second Triumvirate
• Octavian: Caesar’s 18 year old Grandson
• Mark Antony: an experienced General
• Lepidus: a powerful politician
• The three men joined forces and ruled Rome for the next
ten years.
• Their alliance ended in jealousy and violence
Octavian forced Lepidus to retire
Octavian and Antony went to war
While at war in Anatolia, Mark Antony met the Egyptian
Queen Cleopatra
– The two fell in love Antony followed Cleopatra back to
Egypt
Octavian accused Antony of plotting to rule Rome from
Egypt
– Another civil war broke out in Rome
• In 31 B.C., Octavian defeated the combined forces of
Antony and Cleopatra
– Later Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide
• Octavian became the unchallenged ruler of Rome
– He restored some aspects of the Republic, but still chose
to rule as a dictator
Octavian accepted the title Augustus
– Augustus means the “Exalted one”
– He also kept the title of imperator which means “supreme
military commander”  the term emperor derives from
this word
Rome was now an empire ruled by one man
– First time since Tarquin the Proud
• Rome was at the peak of its power from the
beginning of Augustus’s rule in 27 B.C. to
A.D. 180
• For 207 years, peace reigned throughout the
empire.
• This 207 year period of peace is known as
the Pax Romana (Roman Peace)
• During Pax Romana, the Roman Empire
included more than 3 million square miles.
• Its population numbered between 60 and 80
million people.
• About one million people lived in the city
of Rome itself