Download Here are the most important things to know about Roman imperial

Here are the most important things to know about Roman imperial success. Also, I forgot to
mention in class that you will need a large scantron (of the ones with a fold-over page). Any of the
smaller ones will not have enough space for you to write your essay.
5 Reasons for Imperial Roman Success
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Imperial success was at its height during the time of the Five Good Emperors
Dated roughly between the reign of Augustus and that of the 5 Good Emperors (so 31 BCE to 180
CE)
The five reasons were:
1) The military
 held the empire together
 served not only as protection against invaders, they were also the police force, keeping
order within the empire itself
May also add: effectively run; backed by road system
2) Sustained efforts at expansion and colonization
 continued efforts of expansion meant continuous intake of booty – a real source of wealth
and prosperity for all of Rome
3) The real benefits of government to most Romans
 Being Roman was a good thing
 political order and army secured peace, which translated into safer roads, increased
commerce, and therefore a higher standard of living for all.
 Also, by 202 CE all free persons living within the empire were given citizenship.
4) A significant degree of local autonomy
 Each province was given the right to rule itself in internal matters
 But three main requirements needed to be met: 1) provincials had to respect (not
necessarily worship) the Roman pantheon of gods (which Romans believed were the
ultimate source of Roman greatness); 2) provincials had to recognize and accept Roman
laws and supremacy in foreign affairs; and 3) provincials had to pay taxes to the central
imperial government.
5) The establishment of a successful, common culture
 a common education, set of religious beliefs, language, etc.
May also add:
So what? cohesion within the empire, and thus the recipe for success, had undergone a
transformation in the period of the Good Emperors: from using brute force and coercion to
dominate its subjects, the empire moved to offering real benefits to citizens, giving them a vested
interest in its the success.