Caesar and Rome Background

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Caesar and Rome Background
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• Two thousand years ago, the world was ruled by
  Rome. From England to Africa and from Syria to
  Spain, one in every four people on earth lived
  and died under Roman law.

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The Roman Empire at 44 BCat the death of Caesar
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Compare these two maps. The one on the left shows
territories held by Rome before Caesar came to
power the map on the right shows how much Caesar
expanded Roman territory.
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Monarchy to Empire

• Rome could not handle its own size and power
• Romans spent centuries debating and fighting
  civil wars while trying to decide on the most
  effective type of government

Roman Forum
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A Brief History of Roman Government

• Monarchy overthrown in 509 BCE
• Republic 509 100 BCE
• Triumvirate (3-man rule) 60-48 BCE
• Dictatorship 48 BCE until fall of Rome (apx. 476
  CE/AD)

Question Which forms of Roman government lasted
the longest?
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Roman Republic

• Being a citizen of the Roman Republic meant that
  you could travel and trade throughout the entire
  area ruled by Rome.
• All conquered people had the opportunity to
  become citizens.

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Republican Government

• SPQR Senatus Populus Que Romanus
• (Senate and the People of Rome)
• Patricians wealthy nobles
• Plebians everybody else
• The Roman Republic was ruled by a Senate and the
  People

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• Senate (Patricians)
• Headed by 2 elected Consuls (1 year term)
• Proposed laws, oversaw officials, and elected the
  consuls
• Dealt with foreign affairs and the military
• People (plebians)
• organized by tribes
• elected 10 tribunes
• governed local affairs

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Corruption in the Senate

• Expanded wealth and territory through a series of
  foreign wars
• Generals became more powerful, they began to
  ignore the Senate
• Internal corruption conflict wracked the Senate

EnterJulius Caesar!
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Julius Caesar

• Born into an aristocratic family around 100 BCE
• Entered military and rose quickly through the
  military and political ranks
• General
• Consul
• Governor of Gaul
• Was a ruthless conqueror
• Wanted to return Rome to an uncorrupt republic.

Veni, Vidi, Vici
I came, I saw, I conquered
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First Triumvirate
Crassus

• Caesar allied himself with two other political
  figures
• Crassus - wealthy nobleman
• Pompey the Great - general
• Crassus and Pompey were rivals, but Caesar was
  able to bring them together
• Caesar was Governor of Gaul (modern-day France)
  recruits soldiers subdues rest of population
• Crassus killed in battle, sets off a power
  struggle between Pompey Caesar

Pompey
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Civil War

• A nervous Senate calls on Caesar to resign and
  disband his army or risk being declared an 'Enemy
  of the State'.
• Caesar marches on Rome, throwing the empire into
  civil war.

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Civil War, continued

• No legions were allowed in city of Rome, so
  Caesar settled his legions outside city walls. He
  defeat Pompey
• Generous in victory, gives rivals amnesty and
  allows them to return to government positions
• What might be the advantages and disadvantages of
  Caesar allowing his rivals to return to
  government positions?

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Caesar as Dictator

• Position insecure
• No heir- does not adopt great nephew Octavian
  (widely known as Augustus) until after his death.
  Created many enemies due to civil war
• Reformed the Roman Calendar
• Restructured local governments
• Settled veteran soldiers into new homes
• Granted citizenship to foreigners
• Dictator for 2 years

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Julius Caesar Characters
Marcus Brutus- friend of Caesar, high-ranking
nobleman, idealist, conspirator
Portia- Brutus's wife confidante, daughter of a
political figure
Calpurnia- Caesars wife, superstitious and
ambitious
Julius Caesar- Roman general and senator, aspires
to benevolent dictatorship
Cassius- general, unscrupulous shrewd,
organizes conspiracy
Octavius Caesar -(Augustus), nephew, heir to
throne
Mark Antony- general, loyal follower of Caesar,
passionate impulsive
M. Aemilus Lepidus- trusted by Octavius, easily
controlled
Decius- conspirator
Casca- conspirator, cynical poseur for Caesar
Soothsayer-oracle or seer, warns Caesar "beware
the Ides of March"