The Fall of the Roman Republic

The Republic Collapses Republic expanded, but it caused problems After the Punic Wars- Increasing wealth and expanding empire brought many problems Major problems included; Widening gap between the rich and poor Soldiers came home with no jobs or land/homes Corruption was growing in the government Slaves captured in battle were also unhappy Forced to work on Latifundias = huge estates.

Attempts to Save Rome Two brothers try to solve Rome’s problems Suggest that land should be split up Both Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus are killed Rome falls into civil war- rich v. poor Generals start creating armies themselves No longer care about Rome as a whole Power begins to change to the most powerful instead of the ones chosen

Julius Caesar Comes Julius Caesar comes to power with the help of two other people Crassus and Pompey Creates a triumvirate- rule by 3 people Caesar takes control of Gaul (France) He then turns his army on Rome to take power from Pompey- Pompey flees Rome Caesar gained the support of the Romans They name him dictator for life in 44BC

Julius’ Changes Increased citizenship to more Romans Created jobs for the poor Expanded Senate positions; filled w/ friends All these things make Caesar very popular Senators begin to worry about his popularity Feel they will be losing power/ influence Julius Caesar is killed March 15, 44 BC Stabbed by friend Marcus Brutus and others “E tu Brute” Julius

Life After the Death of Julius Caesar Civil war breaks out again after assassination Destroys what is left of the Roman republic Octavian is quick to come into power Was Julius’ grand-nephew and adopted son Comes to power with two others-2nd Triumvirate Octavian, Marc Antony and Lepidus The 2nd Triumvirate will end much like the first

Breakdown of the 2nd Triumvirate They took power in 43 BC but quickly fell apart Lepidus forced to retire from service by Octavian Marc Antony and Octavian begin to fight Marc Antony goes to fight in Anatolia While there he meets Cleopatra- Queen of Egypt Falls in love with her and travels back to Egypt Octavian accuses him of trying to rule Rome from Egypt- some people do not like that idea The Battle of Actium (31BC) Octavian battles Antony and Cleopatra for control Octavian wins; Cleopatra and Anthony commit suicide

Octavian Controls the Empire Alone The Roman Empire was now Octavian’s He promised to bring back parts of the republic He kept the Senate Later accepted the title of Augustus or “exalted one” Also took title of imperator or Emperor Octavian’s rule starts the Roman Empire Different from the Roman Republic - only 1 ruler He takes power alone in 27 BC A new period of peace and prosperity begins Pax Romana – means “Roman peace” Lasts from 27 BC – 180 AD

Life During the Pax Romana Contained 200 wonderful years for Rome Had excellent leaders/ emperors Plenty of food, jobs and money Trade increased as well as the size of the empire Had 60-80 million people in the empire City of Rome grew to over 1 million people Trading became a major part of the empire Traded by land to China, India and the Middle East Used the Silk Roads to reach into Russia as well Roads were built for army, but were also used for trade Traded by sea with the protection of the Roman navy

Protecting and Glorifying the Empire Defending such a large area was difficult Over 10,000 miles of border to protect Roman Legion had to defend on support armies Armies trained by the Romans Got to become citizens when their service was up Octavian glorified the empire by… Building new buildings Using civil servants to collect taxes, mail, and grain Stabilizing the empire Creating a SILVER coin monetary system Called denarius, denaris (plural)

Emperors that followed Octavian 5 great emperors followed Octavian Gave them the great years of the Pax Romana Emperors had a plan for when they died If they didn’t a civil war could start again They picked an heir to the throne before they died Marcus Aurelius was the last great emperor He does not choose an heir before death This leads to the beginning of the fall of Rome

Life in the Roman Empire Many people filled the streets of Rome daily Few lived in the city limits;many lived in countrysides Romans valued certain personal qualities Power, strength, and usefulness Life was focused around the family Eldest males ran the home; had complete control Could disown family members or sell them into slavery Boys were favored over girls – they could vote Also held family traditions and got original names Daughters got female version of fathers name Education was usually for the richer boys Women taught at home; married at 12-15 to older men

Women and Slaves In Rome As the empire came to power, women were close to equals socially in Rome Given more freedom than women of Greece Allowed to own property and testify in court Were NOT allowed to vote or educated outside home Attended fairs, festivals, and public baths Slavery very important to Roman society Romans use slaves more than any other civilization Slaves were property, could be bought, sold, killed Some forced to be gladiators for entertainment

Roman Religion- Roman Mythology Romans were polytheistic Roman religion helped to explain 3 things Life events, natural phenomena, human characteristics Held ceremonies and rituals to Gods – like Greeks Religion also connected to government Ceremonies were to be both public and private Worship of the emperor also part of the religion By 100 AD, Romans are interested by Asian religions – felt a more personal connection to them Movie

Entertainment in Rome Entertainment very different b/w rich and poor Rich had fancy parties, banquets and fancy homes Poor were usually unemployed and fed on bread rations from the Roman government To distract the poor from revolting they held games Gladiator games, races, mock battles all free By 250 AD, there were 150 holidays in Rome Used the Colosseum for the games- sat 50,000 people Live animals used in games as well, lots of death Movie