Download The Fall of the Republic

The Fall of
the Republic
Chapter 8
Section 3
World History
Deborah Thompson
The use of enslaved labor hurt farmers,
increased poverty and corruption,
and brought the army into politics.
Rome’s
armies were
victorious
wherever
they went, but
problems were
building at
home:
Dishonest
officials
stole money
Thousands of
Farmers
faced ruin.
The gap
between rich
and poor
was growing.
Cities were
becoming
overcrowded
and
dangerous.
Wealthy
patricians
owned large farms
worked by
slaves that the
common farmers
could not compete
with.
What caused problems
in the Republic?
Patricians ran
the Senate
and held
governmen
t jobs.
Patricians
handled the
Republic’s
finances
and directed
the wars.
Many plebeians became
unhappy about this situation.
Why?
Privileged
citizens
were a
minority.
Small farmers were
sinking into poverty
because they were busy
fighting Rome’s wars
and many farms
were destroyed by
Hannibal.
Small farmers
could
not compete with
large farming
estates
called latifundia
because they used
slave labor.
Many farmers sold their land,
went to the cities,
and worked for low wages, which caused anger.
Roman politicians
began
providing bread and circuses
to win the support
of the poor, but
not all wealthy
people ignored
Rome’s problems.
Two brothers,
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus,
asked the Senate
to take land from
the rich and divide
it among the
landless poor.
The brothers were murdered by Senators.
Things changed when Marius
became consul in 107 B.C.
Various
generals
became
very
powerful
and used
their armies
to seize
power.
The Army
enters
Politics
He began to recruit
soldiers from the poor
and offered them wages
and land for their
service.
Marius changed
the Roman army
from citizen
volunteers to
paid professional
soldiers who
fought for
money.
Soldiers became more loyal to their
generals than to
the Republic.
Main Idea:
Military Hero Julius Caesar
seized power and made reforms
In 82 B.C. Sulla
drove his enemies
out of Rome and
made himself
dictator.
A triumvirate is
a political alliance
of three people.
In 60 B.C. Julius Caesar
joined with Pompey and
Crassus to form the
First Triumvirate
to rule Rome.
Each member of the Triumvirate
had military commands in far-away
areas of the Republic.
Caesar became a hero
by defeating the Gauls.
Crassus was killed
in battle.
The Senate feared
Caesar chose to march to
Caesar was
Rome by crossing the
Rubicon, a small river
on the boundary
of his command area.
becoming too popular, so
they chose Pompey
to rule Rome.
They ordered Caesar to
give up his army.
Today “Crossing the Rubicon means
making a decision you can’t take back.
Caesar drove
Pompey’s
forces from Italy,
destroyed his army,
and was made
dictator of Rome
for one year.
To strengthen his
Caesar broke the
power, he filled the
Roman tradition
Senate with his
by declaring
supporters. This
himself dictator
made him
for a longer
unpopular.
period of time.
He granted
citizenship
to people living
in Rome’s
territories.
He started new
colonies to
provide
land for the
landless.
He created work
for Rome’s
jobless.
He ordered
landowners
to hire more
free workers.
He created a new
calendar with 12
months, 365
days, and
1 leap year.
http://www.history.com/videos/julius-caesar
Caesar’s enemies, led by
Brutus and Cassius, feared he
wanted to be king and plotted
his assassination.
He was
warned to
“Beware the
ides of
March”
( March 15th )
Caesar’s
DEATH
He was
stabbed to
death by
Senators in
44 B.C.
The Roman Republic,
weakened by civil war, became an
empire under Augustus
Caesars death plunged
Rome into civil wars.
Senate forces battled
Caesar’s grandnephew,
Octavian and Caesar’s
two top generals, Antony
and Lepidus for power.
After defeating
Caesar’s
enemies, these three
men created the
Second Triumvirate.
Soon, these three
were in conflict
with one another.
Lepidus retired
from politics.
Octavian took the west and Antony took the east. Antony
formed an alliance with the Egyptian queen, Cleopatra.
Rome
becomes
an
Empire
Octavian declared war on
Antony and Cleopatra
and crushed their army and navy
at the Battle of Actium.
The couple fled to Egypt
and killed themselves
a year later.
Octavian took all power
and laid the foundation
for a new system
of governmentthe Roman Empire.
Rome
becomes
an Empire
Octavian took
over the entire
Republic at the age of 32.
He had the support
of Cicero, Rome’s
greatest public speaker.
Octavian appointed
himself “imperator”
which means
commander in chief.
He also took
the title
Augustus which means
“the revered or
majestic one”.