The Roman Empire

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The Roman Empire
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The Pax Romana

• After the murder of Julius Caesar many years of
  civil war erupted.
• Octavian marches into the Senate and tells them
  he is restoring the Republic.
• Senators grant him a new title of Augustus, or
  one who is beloved above all people.
• Although he doesnt have the title, he has all
  the powers of an emperor.
• Rome is an empire.

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The Pax Romana

• For the next 500 years emperors would rule Rome.
• Rome is the most powerful empire.
• Augustus ruled from 27 B.C.- A.D. 14.
• Brought order and stability to Rome.
• Improved the economy.
• Started a fire brigade and a police force.
• Added new territories to the empire.

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The Pax Romana

• Long period of peace
• Trade and business grew
• Life improved for everyone.
• Conquered people became more loyal to Rome.
• Kept this period of peace for almost 200 years.
• Romans called it the Roman Peace, or Pax Romana

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The Pax Romana

• Roman Army became the worlds most powerful
  fighting force.
• Expertly trained.
• Survive long marches
• Live off the land
• Also carried tools to build trenches, bridges,
  roads, forts.
• Rome controlled an empire on three continents.

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The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

• Some emperors were good like Augustus, but some
  were very poor.
• Caligula- became emperor in A.D. 37
• Cruel and unstable
• Declared himself a god
• Tried to make his horse a senator
• Rule ended in A.D. 41 when he was assassinated

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The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

• Claudius-a better emperor that followed Caligula
• Returned artwork
• Worked hard to improve the conditions in the
  empire.
• Granted citizenship to many people in the empire.
• Made improvements to Romes Laws

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The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

• Nero-followed Claudius and was as bad of an
  emperor as Caligula
• Poisoned his stepbrother and murdered his wife
  and his mother.
• After Neros death a civil war broke out.
• Rome had four emperors in a one-year period.

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The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

• A.D. 96 Rome entered a more stable period.
• Five Good Emperors ruled Rome for the next 84
  years.
• Enjoyed a period of long peace and prosperity
• Greatest of these was Marcus Aurelius.

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Government and Law

• Empire stretched from Britain and Spain in the
  west to Iran in the east.
• People spoke many different languages and
  followed different religions.
• Rome offered citizenship to all of them.
• People throughout the Empire all spoke the common
  language of Latin.
• Traveled Roman roads, used Roman measures, obeyed
  Roman laws, and were defended by Roman armies.

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Government and Law

• United States legal system based on Roman
  priciples.
• All free people have equal rights before the law
• A person must be considered innocent until proven
  guilty.
• Accused people should be allowed to face their
  accusers and defend themselves.
• Judges must interpret the law and make decisions
  fairly.
• People have rights that no government can take
  away.

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Entertainment

• Holidays marked by plays in theaters and
  religious ceremonies.
• Crowded into sports arenas
• Most famous is the Colosseum.
• Could seat 50,000 people
• Most popular events involved gladiators, or
  professional fighters.
• Most prisoners or slaves
• Fought animals
• Most often fought each other to the death

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Entertainment

• Gladiators entered to cheers of crowd.
• Spectators cheered the victors and booed the
  defeated.
• If a losing gladiator fought bravely his life was
  spared.
• If the spectators didnt think so he got the
  thumbs down, which signaled the death sentence.
• Seneca said The fighters have nothing to
  protect them. Their bodies are utterly open to
  every blow. Death is the fighters only exit.

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Roman Arts

• Took great pride in their skills as builders.
• Some sports stadiums resemble the Colosseum.
• Built elevated, or raised aqueducts.
• Some stretched hundreds of miles.

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Roman Arts

• Roman rule led to the growth of cities throughout
  the Empire.
• Many cities in Europe, Western Asia, and North
  Africa were founded during Roman times.
• Wherever the army went Roman style buildings
  followed.

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Roman Arts

• Language helped to unite Roman Empire
• Romans brought their Latin language with them.
• Basis for many European languages spoken today.
• Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian