Download The Roman Empire - Wando High School

The Roman Empire
The creation of the Roman Empire transforms
Roman government, society, economy and
culture.
Numbers
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I
X
V
D
M
C
L
Calculate: IV
VI
MMVI
CDVII
DCVII
41
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I=I
X=10
V=5
D=500
M=1000
C=100
L=50
IV=4
VI=6
MMVI=2006
CDVII=407
DCVII=607
41=XLI
The Republic Collapses
• Expanding wealth and borders creates
problems
1. Discontent among lower classes
2. Breakdown in military order
Economic Turmoil
•
Gap between rich and poor widens
as Roman Republic grows
• By 100 BC slaves formed 1/3 of
the Roman population
• Farmers, former soldiers, lose to
large estates, become homeless
and jobless
• The poor people in the cities make
up about ¼ of the population
Reforms for Lower Classes
• Two tribunes, Tiberius and Gaius
Gracchus want to help the poor.
– They propose reforms and want to give
land to the poor
– What happens to these reformers in 133 BC
and 121 BC?
• Assassination
• Civil War follows: Conflict between groups
within same country
Military Upheaval
• Military becomes less
disciplined and disloyal
• Soldiers recruited from
poor
• Show loyalty only to their
generals
• Caesar is an example of
one that would use his
popularity to take over by
force
Rome ruled as a Triumvirate
• 60 BC
• Julius Caesar,
Crassus, and Pompey
• Ruled together for 10
years
• Pompey married to
Julia, Caesar’s only
daughter
Julius Caesar
• Makes himself governor of
Gaul where he leads a
successful military
campaign
– Becomes hugely popular in
Rome
• Crassus dies and so does
Julia
• Pompey threatened by his
popularity in Rome
convinces the Senate to
order him back to Rome
and to leave his troops in
Gaul
• Which do you think threatened
Caesar’s rivals more, his power
or his popularity?
“Crossing the Rubicon”
• Caesar refuses
and comes back
with troops.
• He crosses the
Rubicon River on
the outskirts of
Rome.
•“Crossing the Rubicon” means
today being unable to turn back.
• Act of war
Death of Pompey
• Pompey flees Rome
and eventually goes
to Egypt where he is
killed.
– Caesar given the head
of Pompey
• Caesar defeats
Pompey’s armies in
Greece, Asia, Spain,
and Egypt.
Caesar ‘s Reforms in Power
• 46 BC-Caesar appointed
dictator
• 44 BC-Caesar is made
dictator for life.
• Makes reforms to help
poor
1. Increases pay for
soldiers
2. Expands the Senate
3. Starts colonies where the
landless can own land
4. Julian calendar(July
named for Julius Caesar)
Death of Julius Caesar
• March 15, 44 BC Ides of March
• Assassination in the Senate (stabbed 23
times)
• Led by Crassius and Caesar’s friend
Brutus (“You, too, Brutus?”)
Second Triumvirate
• Civil War breaks out and
destroys the Republic
• Second Triumvirate for
10 years
1. Octavian
–
Grandnephew of Julius
Caesar)
2. Mark Antony
3. Lepidus
Marc Antony
• Supporter of Caesar
• Gave Caesar’s eulogy
• Uneasy alliance w/
Octavian
• Married to Octavian’s
sister
• Allied and fell in love
w/ Cleopatra
• Octavian defeats him
in battle
• He commits suicide by
the sword
Cleopatra
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Queen of Egypt
Spoke 9 languages
Wrapped herself in rug to meet
w/ Caesar
Had a son w/ Caesar: Cesarion
After Caesar’s assassination, she
fell in love with Mark Antony
After Antony committed suicide,
she pleaded to have Cesarion king
of Egypt
Octavian refused (Later had
Cesarion killed)
Cleopatra commits suicide
–
“She put on her royal robes…and
lay down in a richly perfumed
coffin beside her Antony. Then
she applied poisonous snakes to
her veins and passed into death as
though into a sleep.”
Second Triumvirate
• Lepidus---retires
• Mark Antony
– ---suicide
• Octavian---becomes Augustus Caesar
which means “exalted one”
• He ushers in the Pax Romana or Roman
Peace which lasts for 207 years
Caesar Augustus-First Emperor
• Under Augustus,
Rome moves from
a republic to an
empire
• Power no longer
resides with
citizens, but a
single ruler
• Creates lasting
system of
government
Augustus
63 B.C. –A.D. 14
• Stabilized frontier
• Sets up civil service to
administer the empire
– Paid workers to manage
gov’t
• Tax collection, grain
supply, postal system
• Glorifies Rome w/
beautiful public
buildings
– Sets up Temples, baths,
aqueducts, theaters
Agriculture and Trade
• Agriculture most
important industry in
empire;
• 90% of Romans farm
• Common coin,
denarius, makes trade
within empire easier
• Rome has vast trading
network in
Mediterranean Sea
– Includes China and
India
• Network of Roman
roads links empire to
Persia, Russia
• What effect did the system of roads have
on the Roman Empire?
• Connected the vast empire, enabled
trade and military action
• “All roads lead to Rome.”
Next Emperors
• Augustus died in 14 AD.
• Tiberius, his adopted son, as his
successor.
Bad Emperors
• Caligula
– Known for his cruelty
– Mentally disturbed
– Made horse consul
– Will be assassinated
• Nero
• Domitian-feared treason;
executed many
Nero
AD 54-68
• Killed anyone who
got in his way
including mother
and wife
• Persecuted
Christians
• Watched as Rome
burned while
playing the lyre
• Reportedly
committed suicide
Domitian
A.D. 81-96
• Ruled dictatorially
• Feared treason everywhere
• Executed many
Good Emperors during Pax Romana
• Nerva
• Trajan
– Empire reached its greatest extent
• Hadrian
– Hadrian’s wall built in Britain
• Antoninus Pius
• Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius
• Last of the five good
emperors
• Died in 180 AD
• His death marked the
beginning of the
empire’s decline and
the end of the Pax
Romana.
Slaves and Captivity
• Slavery is a significant
part of Roman life in
both cities and farms
• Some slaves become
gladiators; forced to
fight to death
• Could be bought, sold,
punished, rewarded,
set free or put to
death by owners
Gods and Goddesses
• Early Romans honor
guardian spirits, the
Lares
• Most important gods
Jupiter, Juno,
Minerva
• Worship of emperor
becomes part of
official religion of
Rome
Jupiter and Juno
Mercury and Venus
Neptune and Diana
Apollo
• Sun and music
Bacchus
Pluto
Mars and Minerva
Society and Culture
• Rich live well; most
people are poor,
receive grain from
government
• 150 holidays and
Colosseum (held
50,000 people) events
created to control the
masses
• Free games, races,
battles, and gladiator
contests
Colosseum
Circus Maximus
• Chariot racing
Society and Classes
• 1. Rich lived extravagantly. (Large
homes, many slaves, gardens, lavish
banquets)
• 2. Much of the city was unemployed.
Lived in tenements.
Roman Atrium
Wealthy Roman House
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A-Atrium
Al- “wings”
C-Bedroom
Cu-Kitchen
E-Garden room
P-Garden
T-Shop
Ta-Office
Tri-Dining Room
V-Entrance