Pax Romana
Roman Peace A long period of peace in Rome. Not entirely peaceful: Rome went to war with other countries during this time period. No Civil Wars
After the death of Julius Caesar there was a great position of power that needed to be filled. Rome went through a series of rulers known as the “12 Caesars”. After each Caesar died Rome would plunge into a civil war between two people struggling to become Emperor of Rome
The power struggle in Rome continued till the 5 “Good” Emperors. Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus, and Marcus Aurelius. During the reign of the 5 “Good” Emperors power was handed from one Emperor to the next peacefully.
Inherited Power: Before power was passed on to an Emperor’s son, regardless Adoptive Succession: each emperor adopted a person that they thought would be a good ruler. Adopted were chosen based on merit. This allowed for qualified individuals to run Rome during this time period.
1 st of the 5 “Good” Emperors. Started adoptive succession. Gave a lot of power to the Senate: Promised never to execute Senators No military experience = no Roman expansion Instituted Social Welfare programs Gave food and money to the poor to help them. These programs continued through the 5 Emperors. Very well liked by the Senate
Adopted into the Imperial Cult. Deified: celebrated with the Roman Gods
Strong military background; Served as a great General for Nerva. Was Adopted by Nerva to become the next Emperor. Ran the gov’t similar to the way a military is run. Delegated smaller responsibilities to officials Only made the big important decisions Favored by the Senate Considered the model Emperor: expansion and ruled justly.
Gave up a lot of Trajan’s conquered territory. Made him very unpopular Felt that it would be too expensive to keep. Wanderlust: felt a great need to travel the empire. Inspected borders and used natural geographic defenses to maintain Roman territory Hadrian’s Wall in Britain. Patron of the arts and architecture.
Time of economic prosperity and military strength Unlike Hadrian, focused most of his work in the City of Rome. Rebuilt the city finishing most of the works the previous Emperors had started. This made him very popular. Gave out of his own pocket in times of crisis to help the poor.
Philosopher- King Stoic: dedication to logic; believed that emotion clouded judgment. Faced many challenges during his reign Plague, famine, wars, and usurpations: uprisings against him. Was very popular