Section 2 The Roman Empire

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Section 2The Roman Empire
2
The Republic Collapses
3
Economic Turmoil

• Unrest among the poor/small farmers and soldiers
• Why?
• Tiberius and Gauis Gracchus (Tribunes) fought for
  equality.
• What happened to them?
• Civil War ensued

A band of senators, failing in an attempt to have
Tiberius disqualified from standing, charged out
of the senate, broke up an electioneering meeting
which Tiberius was addressing, and clubbed him to
death with stools and cudgels.
The supporters of Gaius Gracchus held a mass
rally on the Aventine Hill, but made the mistake
of carrying weapons. The consul, Lucius Opimius,
armed with a law, senatus consultum ultimum,
which gave moral backing to a senior official to
take action against those who were endangering
the stability of the state, raised a levy (wall)
of citizens augmented by a company of soldiers
and archers, to disperse the demonstrators. Gaius
escaped the first wave of violence, but then,
recognizing that the cause was hopeless, ordered
his personal slave to stab him to death. It is
said that three thousand of his supporters were
rounded up, thrown into jailed, and strangled.
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Military Upheaval

• Loyalty lied to commanders not to the republic

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Julius Caesar Takes Control

• Caesar elected consul in 59 B.C.
• Caesar, Crassus, Pompey form the first
  triumvirate
• Rule over Rome for 10 years
• After his one year is over, Caesar became
  governor of Gaul (France)
• His success made him popular with the people of
  Rome

• Fear of Caesar's power led Pompey to get the
  Senate to tell Caesar to disband his army, which
  was located in Gaul.
• Caesar refused and heads toward Rome, crossing
  the Rubicon.
• Pompey Flees
• 46 BC senate appointed him dictator.
• 44 BC Caesar chosen's dictator for life.

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Caesar's Reforms

1. Granted Roman citizenship to people in provinces
2. Expanded the senate
3. Created jobs
4. New colonies were started
5. Increased pay for soldiers

• Many feared his growing power.
• Brutus and Cassius plan his assassination.
• Caesar is stabbed to death in the Senate chambers

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Beginning of the Empire

• Civil war ensued, Roman Republic destroyed
• Octavian, Mark Antony, Lepidus joined together to
  get rid of the assassins.
• They also formed the second Triumvirate
• Did not end well
• Octavian forced Lepidus to retire
• Octavian and Mark Antony became rivals

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Beginning of the Empire Cont.d

• Mark Antony met Queen Cleopatra of Egypt while in
  Anatolia.
• Follows her to Egypt.
• Octavian accuses Antony of trying to rule Rome
  from Egypt.
• Civil war occurs.
• Octavian defeats Antony and Cleopatras forces.
• Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide
• Octavian became the ruler of Rome and accepts
  title of Augustus

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Important Facts

• Cleopatra was born in 69 B.C. in Alexandria,
  Egypt. She died August 12, 30 B.C.
• She was a daughter of Pharaoh Ptolemy XII
  Auletes. Cleopatra married her younger brother
  Ptolemy XIII and after his death, married her
  younger brother Ptolemy XIV. Later she married
  the Roman Mark Antony.
• Cleopatra had one son by Caesar, named Caesarion.
  She had twins with Mark Antony, Alexander Helios
  and Cleopatra Selene, and later, a son, Ptolemy
  Philadelphos.
• She was actually Cleopatra VII, the last pharaoh
  of Egypt, because Rome took control of Egypt
  following her death.
• After Mark Antony committed suicide, so did
  Cleopatra. The story is that she took an asp to
  her breast and let the poisonous snake bite her.
• Although her family had adopted Egyptian customs,
  like having pharaohs marry their siblings,
  Cleopatra and her family were really Macedonians
  who had gone to Egypt with Alexander the Great.

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Rome is now an empire ruled by one man
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A Vast and Powerful Empire

• Peace lasts in Rome for over 200 years, called
  Pax Romana

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A Sound Government

• Efficient government and able rulers held Empire
  together
• Augustus made many reforms including establishing
  a civil service
• Empire continued to run smoothly after his death

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Agriculture and Trade

• Ag most important industry
• 90 involved in farming
• Common coinage (denarius) used
• Rome had vast shipping and road networks that
  allowed for trade

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The Roman World

• Virtue of gravitas was important
• Having the values of discipline, strength and
  loyalty
• Honored strength more than beauty, power more
  than grace, and usefulness more than elegance

• Most people lived in the country and worked on
  farms

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The Roman World Cont.d Slaves and Captivity

• Important to the Roman economy
• 1/3 of the population made up of slaves
• Conquered people
• Seen as property
• Some strong slaves forced to become gladiators
• (Movie suggestions Gladiator or Spartacus)

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The Roman World Cont.d Gods and Goddesses

• Earliest Romans worshipped numinas
• Lares, guardian spirits of each family
• Government and religion were tied together
• Most important gods Jupiter, Juno, Minerva

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The Roman World Cont.d Society and Culture

• Social classes had little in common
• Rich and Poor Romans
• Most wealthy city dwellers also had country
  estates, called villas, with libraries, art
  galleries, swimming pools, and athletic courts.
  In provinces such as Gaul, North Africa, and
  Britannia, these estates grew much of the
  empires food.
• In stark contrast, poor families lived in crowded
  wooden tenements up to seven stories high.
  Thousands of such buildings filled Rome's slums.
  The tenements were so poorly built that roofs and
  ceilings sometimes collapsed, killing all inside.
• Common people didnt even have the necessities to
  live.
• To distract and control them, free entertainment
  was offered.