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ROME
From Republic to Empire
The Roman Republic
•
According to legend, Rome was founded by Romulus
and Remus.
•
Rome developed into a republic in which people elected
leaders to govern.
•
Rome’s republic was governed by three branches called
a tripartite that had checks and balances preventing one
branch from becoming too powerful.
•
Rome’s written law code was the Law of the Twelve
Tables.
The Call for Change
By the first century BC Rome was growing and
changing rapidly.
Politicians and generals went to war to increase
their power while political order broke down in
Rome.
Unemployed Romans rioted in the streets,
because they couldn’t get enough food.
More people from all around the republic kept
coming to the city adding to the confusion.
Julius Caesar’s Rise to Power
Julius Caesar was probably the most powerful general
in Roman history.
Caesar’s military successes made him a powerful man
in Roman politics. He was a good leader and an
excellent speaker.
He also had powerful friends. He was allied with two of
the most powerful men in Rome, Pompey and Crassus.
The three agreed to fight against the Senate.
The Death of Julius Caesar
Caesar forced the Senate to name him
dictator for life.
Some people resented the way Caesar
came to power fearing he was trying to
make himself king.
Some Senators who were angry with
Caesar attacked and killed him on March
15, 44 BC - the Ides of March.
Augustus the Emperor
A civil war began after Julius Caesar’s death.
Octavian, Julius Caesar’s adopted son, was
named Augustus or “revered one.” He was
Rome’s first emperor.
Historians mark this as the end of the Roman
Republic and the beginning of the Roman
Empire.
The Roman Empire
Once Rome became an empire, its rulers continued to
expand its power. Soldiers and settlers carried Roman
culture to distant provinces such as Britannia (Britain).
At its height, Rome ruled one of the largest empires in all of
history.
However, some countries that shared borders with Rome
were threatening Rome, so Rome conquered them.
Some territories were conquered for economic reasons.
They had vast amounts of gold, good farmland, and other
resources.
Roman Expansion
By the early 100s AD, the Romans had conquered Gaul
and most of central Europe.
Later at the time of Emperor Hadrian, the Romans had
conquered most of the island of Britain.
In the east, the empire stretched all the way into
Mesopotamia and Asia Minor.
In fact, Rome controlled everything that bordered the
Mediterranean Sea.
The Pax Romana (Roman Peace)
The first 200 years of the Roman Empire were a time
of general peace and prosperity.
Characteristics of the Pax Romana were a stable
government and an organized military.
There were no major wars or rebellions in the empire.
The empire’s trade increased, the population grew,
and there was an improvement in the quality of life
throughout the empire.
Summary
In 27 BC Rome became an empire. Emperors
ruled with complete power, and Roman armies
conquered new territories.