Download without his army

Rome Unit Section 3 - The Roman Empire
The Gracchus Brothers
• Two brothers attempt reforms to help the poor and landless but are
killed by the senate and their supporters
• From this point on violence became a primary tool of Roman politics,
replacing respect for the law
Marius
• Revolutionized the Roman Army by:
– Signing up any citizen, rich or poor
– Soldiers served not only for pay but also for loot & riches
– When they were discharged, soldiers expected land as a reward
* As other generals followed these practices, armies became
loyal to their leaders instead of the Roman Government
*Rome transitions from a republican form of government
to an empire ruled by an emperor with the creation of…
The First Triumvirate (Rule of Three)
~ Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey initially attempt to run
the government together
Caesar
Crassus
Pompey
~ To win a loyal army Caesar fights for 10 years
in Gaul(today’s France)
~ Meanwhile, Crassus dies in battle and Pompey
gains control in Rome
~ Pompey orders Caesar to return to Rome from Gaul
(today’s France) without his army in 52 B.C.
~ Caesar Crosses the Rubicon, a river between Gaul & Rome,
and decides to march on Rome with his legions, making a bid
for power
*To this day the phrase “Crossing the Rubicon” means
making an irreversible decision…
~ Pompey flees Rome, but Caesar
chases him and defeats Pompey’s army
in Greece & chases Pompey to Egypt
where he finds the Egyptians have killed
him
~ Caesar then places Cleopatra, a daughter of the Ptolemaic
Dynasty, on the throne of Egypt
~ Caesar returns to Rome in 46 B.C. and is declared
“dictator for life” by the Senate
~ Caesar’s reforms include:
~ citizenship to more people from the provinces
~ land to retired veterans
~ grain to the poor
~ an improved calendar, which is used in Europe until 1582 A.D.
The Ides of March 44 B.C.
~ Some 60 senators, opposed to his power, stab Caesar
on the steps of the senate
“Et tu Brute”?
The Second Triumvirate
~ Caesar’s supporters oust & punish conspirators and gain control
of the government
~ Octavian – Caesar’s great nephew/adopted son & heir
~ Marc Antony – general loyal to Caesar
~ *And Marcus Lepidus – another general (who will get pushed aside…)
~ At first Octavian rules west and Antony rules east
~ Becomes civil war between Octavian and the alliance of
Antony & Cleopatra
~ Deciding battle is fought at Actium off the coast
of Greece in 31 B.C. with Octavian’s navy winning
~ Antony and Cleopatra are believed to have committed suicide
~ Octavian eventually given title “Augustus” or “revered one” by
the Senate in 27 B.C.
~ *Octavian (or Augustus) is considered the first true emperor
of Rome
~ Under Augustus, Rome’s territory extends from Spain in the
West to Syria in the East and from the Sahara in the South to the
Rhine and Danube rivers in the North
The Julian Emperors (all related to Julius Caesar)
Caligula A.D. 37-41
~ Brutal, cruel, and ultimately insane, he once names
his horse to the government position of consul
~ “Let them hate
me so long as
they fear me”
~ Eventually assassinated
by his own Imperial
guard
Claudius A.D. 41-54
~ Wise ruler, Rome conquers much of Britain during his rule
~ *Assassinated by his 2nd
wife (who was also his
niece) to make way for
her son, Nero
Nero A.D. 54-68
~ Cruel leader who persecutes Christians following A.D. 64 fire
that sweeps Rome (that many suggest he ordered be started)
~ Commits suicide to avoid being assassinated
The Good Emperors
From A.D.96 – A.D.181 five strong and capable emperors rule
Trajan A.D. 98-117
~ Spanish born, the empire is at its largest size during his reign
~ “Felicior Augusto, melior Traino” (may he be luckier than Augustus and better
than Trajan)
Hadrian A.D. 117-138
~ Stops expansion & establishes permanent borders
Exs. Hadrians’s Wall in Britain, forts along the
Rhine & Danube Rivers
~Also builds the Pantheon building in Rome
Marcus Aurelius A.D. 161-181
~ A Stoic scholar, he’s forced to spend his reign
fighting invaders
~ *Last of the Good Emperors. Rome will begin to decline after his
reign (though they don’t know it at the time…)