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Roman Leadership (Reformers, Generals, and Triumvirates)
How did Roman leaders try to fix the issues that
Rome faced after the Punic Wars?
Over the next 100 years after the decline of the Roman
Republic as a result of the Punic Wars, many different popular
leaders tried to improve conditions in Rome. The following
leaders were reformers, generals, or members of triumvirates
who made attempts to fix the problems in Rome. Only one of
them was completely successful.
 Tiberius Gracchus
 Gaius Gracchus
 General Gaius Marius
 General Lucius Sulla
 Marcus Crassus
 Gnaeus Pompeius (Pompey)
 Julius Caesar
 Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony)
 Marcus Amelius Lepidus
 Octavian (Augustus)
vocabulary: terms to know
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reformer
booty
dictator
triumvirate
emperor
Pax Romana
freedmen
census
province
tariff
juris prudentes
standardized
Tiberius Gracchus—reformer
-Time Period: 133 B.C.
-Accomplishments: 1st Roman reformer,
a person who works to change and
improve a society; became tribune &
wanted to give land back to poor
-Supporters: Gaius Gracchus (brother)
and poorer classes
-End of Term: Killed by members of the
Senate-threatened by his ideas since he
wanted to limit the amount of land a
person could own
Tiberius Gracchus
Gaius Gracchus—reformer
-Time Period: 123 B.C.
-Accomplishments: 2nd reformer;
followed in his brother’s footsteps to
carry out his plans to help the poor
-Supporters: poorer classes
-End of Term: Just like his brother, he
was also killed by members of the
Senate-threatened by his ideas since he
wanted to limit the amount of
land a person could own
Gaius Gracchus
General Gaius Marius
-Time Period: 107 B.C.
-Accomplishments: military hero; first lowerclass Roman to hold a high office. Opened army
to everyone as consul; offered the following to
the poor to get them to join the army: pay, land,
pensions, and booty, things taken from
enemies during war
-Supporters: Lower-class citizens; ex-soldiers
-End of Term: A rival named Lucius Cornelius
Sulla led an army and overthrew Marius.
*Even though Marius opened the
army to everyone, soldiers
became loyal to their generals
and not Rome
Gaius Marius
General Lucius Sulla
-Time Period: 82 B.C.
-Accomplishments: Overthrew Marius
when Marius tried to get the assembly to
take command away from Sulla; became
dictator, or absolute ruler. Doubled size
of Senate and weakened Tribunes
-Supporters: Legionaries
-End of Term: Retired
Lucius Sulla
Marcus Crassus—1st Triumvirate
-Time Period: 60 B.C.
-believed in a republic run by upper-class
senators
-Accomplishments: statesmen, financier,
and military leader; Member of the First
Triumvirate, or group of 3 leaders with equal
power; called “The Rich” because he made
much money through investments
-Supporters: Julius Caesar and Gnaeus
Pompey
-End of Term: Killed in battle
Marcus Crassus
Gnaeus Pompeius (Pompey)1st Triumvirate
-Time Period: 60 B.C.
-Accomplishments: Rome’s highest
ranking elected official; outstanding
Roman general and statesmen; Member
of the First Triumvirate, Caesar’s rival for
power after Crassus died
-Supporters: Army soldiers
-End of Term: Killed in Egypt by
supporters of Caesar
Pompey
Julius Caesar—1st Triumvirate
-Time Period: 46 B.C.
-member of the First Triumvirate
*Julius Caesar gained power in 48 B.C. after
the death of Pompey
-In 58 B.C., Caesar became governor of Gaul
and built-up a strong and loyal army
-The Senate ordered him to break up army and
return to Rome in 50 B.C.
-He instead led his army to Rome in order to
challenge Pompey
-Became dictator of Rome in 46 B.C and made
many reforms
Caesar
Julius Caesar (continued)
-Accomplishments: Member of First
Triumvirate, general, reformer, and dictator of
Rome; redistributed state lands in Italy;
founded new colonies overseas; began public
works projects; planned and paid for
gladiatorial games; doubled the size of the
Senate; cut back activities of the publicans
-Supporters: plebeians, military
-End of Term: Killed by a group of Senators
since they feared Caesar would make himself
king!
(Marcus Antonius) Mark Antony
—2nd Trimvirate
-Time Period: 43 B.C.
*Married to Cleopatra of Egypt.
*Formed a Second Triumvirate
-Accomplishments: Close friend of and
military leader with Caesar who took control
of Roman territories to the East after
Caesar’s death; member of the Second
Triumvirate
-Supporters: Caesar and military
-End of Term: Octavian became emperor,
sole ruler of empire, of Rome
Mark Antony
Marcus Amelius Lepidus
—2nd Triumvirate
-Time Period: 42 B.C.
-Accomplishments: One of Caesar’s top
officers took over the rule of Africa after
Caesar’s death; member of the Second
Triumvirate
-Supporters: Caesar and military
-End of Term: died in 13 B.C. (not in
battle)
Marcus Lepidus
Octavian (Augustus)—
2nd Triumvirate
-Time Period: 27 B.C.-14 A.D.
-Accomplishments: Caesar’s adopted
son, Member of Second Triumvirate;
Became first emperor of Rome after
fights broke out with Antony, ending in
Antony’s defeat in 31 B.C.
-Supporters: Caesar
***Became first Roman Emperor, sole ruler of
Rome! Reign lasted 41 years
—ended in 14 A.D.
Octavian (Augustus):
Rome’s First Emperor!
Rule of Augustus
• In 27 B.C., Octavian told the Senate that he had
restored the republic and offered to resign as sole
ruler.
• The Senate refused his offer and gave him several
titles.
• Octavian took the title of Augustus, meaning “revered
one,” and became the first emperor of Rome.
Rule of Augustus
• Augustus implemented numerous policies that
led to the Pax Romana, a 200-year time
period of peace and prosperity in Rome.
• Even after the empire collapsed, Roman
influence would survive in much of the world.
• Augustus was a clever politician and held the
offices of consuls, tribune, high priest, and
senator.
Rule of Augustus
• The following were ways in which Augustus
strengthened his authority while keeping the
assemblies and government officials of the republic.
 For control, he had every soldier swear allegiance.
 He gave enslaved people and freedmen, or former
enslaved people, a chance to be a part of the
government.
 He pushed Rome’s borders to natural boundaries
that would be easy to defend.
Rule of Augustus
• This led to the Pax Romana: the peace and
prosperity that Augustus brought to Rome—
lasted over 200 years
• People prospered, civilization spread, and
cultures mixed.
Pax Romana-Rule of Augustus
How did life in Rome improve
during the Pax Romana?
• During the 41 years of his reign, Augustus brought
peace, patriotism, and pride to the Romans.
• He gave provincial governors long terms of office
and paid them large salaries.
• province: an area controlled by Rome but not given
Roman rights
Pax Romana-Rule of Augustus
• He made Roman citizenship available to
people in the provinces.
• To make sure that people did not pay too little
or too much, Augustus ordered a census, or a
population count, to be taken from time to
time.
• Most important, he reorganized the
government of Rome so that it ran well for
more than 200 years.
Pax Romana-Trade
• increase in trade
• same coins used throughout the empire
• No tariffs, or taxes placed on goods brought into
the country
• Goods and money moved freely along the trade
routes.
Pax Romana-Trade
• Mediterranean was cleared of pirates, making it
safe for trade and travel.
• Shipping became a big business.
• Types of goods:
– grain from North Africa
– brick, marble, granite, and wood for building
– luxury items—amber from the north and silk from China
Pax Romana-Trade
• Increased trade=more business for Romans
• Shopkeepers grew richer.
• Wine and olive oil were the main items bought
by other countries
• Italy became a manufacturing center for pottery,
bronze, and woolen cloth.
Pax Romana-Law
• During the Pax Romana, Roman law went through
many changes since the original Twelve Tables were
written.
• When Rome conquered a new territory, Roman
merchants had to do business with non-Romans.
• Roman judges wrote new laws to make them fair for
everyone.
• Juris prudentes, special lawyers and legal writers,
helped the judges.
Pax Romana-Law
• A law was believed to be just because it was
reasonable; not because the government had the
power to make people obey it.
• Everyone was equal under the law.
• Everyone was innocent until proven guilty.
• By 125 A.D., Roman Law was standardized, which
meant that legal procedures were the same in all
parts of the empire.
• In later years, Roman legal principles formed the
basis for the laws of most western countries and of
the Christian church.
Emperors of Pax Romana
• Augustus
(27 B.C.-14 A.D.)
• Tiberius
(14 A.D.-37 A.D.)
• 1st emperor of Roman Empire;
reorganized government of Rome;
brought peace to Rome
• reformed taxes and improved
financial state of government
• Caligula
(37 A.D.-41 A.D.)
• repaired roads and began
construction of two aqueducts;
nominated his horse for office
• Claudius
(41 A.D.-54 A.D.)
• conquered most of England;
extended citizenship to many
people outside of Rome; set up
ministries to handle government
administration
Emperors of Pax Romana
• Nero
(54 A.D.-68 A.D.)
• blamed for starting the great fire of
Rome in 64 A.D. – rebuilt the city
and gave it a city plan
Flavian Emperors
(69 A.D.-96 A.D.)
• Vespasian
• Titus
• Domitian
• brought people from the provinces
into the Senate; secured frontier
regions; brought Rome new
prosperity; built the Colisseum
Five Good Emperors
• built aqueducts, bridges, and
(96 A.D.-180 A.D.)
harbors; extended citizenship to
• Nerva
more provinces; cut dishonesty in
• Trajan
business and government
• Hadrian
• Antonius Pius
• Marcus Aurelius