1. The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire

2. Question
Like Rome, the US is a republic. The Roman Republic prospered for roughly 400 years before Julius Caesar, who was extremely popular with the poor thanks to his generous welfare programs, seized power and turned the Republic into an Empire. Could the same thing happen to the US? Why or why not?

3. Octavian Augustus
27 BC – 14 AD (reign)
Took the title “princeps” or “first citizen” – Octavian was careful to never use the title “rex” (Latin for king)
Also held positions of “pontifex” (high priest) and “imperator” (commander of all armies)

4. The Imperial Cult
Roman emperors were believed to be mortal manifestations of the divine and were worshipped as gods
Some emperors made worship of themselves mandatory, a problem for monotheistic groups like the Jews and, later, the Christians

5. Tiberius Octavian’s step-son
14 AD – 37 AD (reign)
Octavian’s step-son
Forced to marry his step-sister by Octavian
Left Rome out of paranoia in his later years and lived on the island of Capri
All his sons died before he did, so no clear successor

6. Caligula Was adopted grandson of Tiberius
37 AD – 41 AD (reign)
Was adopted grandson of Tiberius
Extremely popular and fair until he fell ill 6 months into his reign (epileptic), then mentally unstable
Supposedly tried to appoint his horse as consul, sold his sisters into prostitution
Assassinated, along with his wife and baby daughter, by his own guards

7. Claudius Caligula’s uncle Did he suffer from cerebral palsy?
41 – 54 AD (reign)
Caligula’s uncle
Did he suffer from cerebral palsy?
Declared emperor by the same guards who killed Caligula, but served capably
Conquered Britain
Married 4 times, each ended badly
Died from poisoning, probably by his 4th wife

8. Nero Step-son of Claudius
54 – 68 AD (reign)
Step-son of Claudius
Enjoyed singing, dancing, acting, and poetry (not very “manly” activities then)
Had his mother & 2 of his wives executed
When Rome burned in 64, many blamed Nero but Nero blamed the Christian minority
Committed suicide after senate ordered his arrest for abuse of power

9. Question:
Given what you’ve just learned, what are some major disadvantages of rule by hereditary kings?

10. Vespasian
69 – 79 AD (reign)
Roman general who was declared emperor by the senate to end civil war (68 AD – the “Year of 4 Emperors”)
Built the Coliseum
Died from severe diarrhea, with his last words being “Vae, puto, deus fio” (“$*!#, I think I am becoming a god!) – remember emperors were worshipped as gods after their deaths

11. The Jewish Rebellion 66 – 73 AD
About 1 million Jews were killed in the war
Jewish population was forcibly scattered across the Empire (diaspora), many became slaves
Judea would not be predominantly Jewish again until the creation of the Israeli state after WWII (1948)

12. The Flavian Amphitheater

13. Titus 79 – 81 AD (reign) Vespasian’s son
Destroyed the Jewish Temple as part of crushing the Jewish revolt
Emperor when Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii, Rome burned, and plague hit
Died of a fever (although the Talmud reports that an insect ate his brain!)

14. Eruption of Mt. Vesuvius (79 AD)

15. Eruption destroyed cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum

16. Mt. Vesuvius TODAY 2 million people live near Vesuvius today
“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” – George Santayana
“Those who sleep in World History are doomed to repeat it.” – Mr. Phillips

17. Have WE learned?

18. Rome at its largest (116 AD)

19. Marcus Aurelius
161 – 180 AD (reign)
Pax Romana ended as Rome fought wars with both the Parthians in the east and the Germans in the north
Great philosopher, but an enemy and persecutor of Christianity
After his death, Rome began long decline

20. Constantine
306 – 337 AD (reign)
Edict of Milan (313 AD) granted freedom of religion throughout the Roman Empire, ended persecution of Christians
Called Council of Nicea (325 AD) to give formal structure and unified dogma to the Christian church

21. Theodosius 379 – 395 AD (reign)
Made Christianity the official religion of the empire in 380 AD
Opened the way for the banning of all competing religions, especially the “mystery cults” and unsanctioned forms of Christianity

22. Why did Rome decline?

24. Growth of Christianity
Despite heavy persecution, Christianity continued to grow
Represented a major shift in Roman morality which further deepened the values gap between the rich and the poor

25. The Western Roman Empire was overrun by “barbarians”: (Goths, Vandals, Visigoths, & Huns)

26. The city of Rome fell to invaders in 476 AD, ending the Western Empire

27. Eastern (or Byzantine) Empire survived until 1453 AD

28. The Byzantine Empire

29. Capital at Constantinople

30. Constantinople grew wealthy because it sat astride the trade routes connecting Europe, Africa, and Asia

31. Justinian 527 – 565 (reign) Wanted to restore the full Roman Empire
Collected and reformed all old Roman law into the standardized “Corpus Juris Civilis” or “Body of Civil Law” (sometimes called the Code of Justinian)
After death of his wife Theodora, he turned to a deep interest in the church, and poured his energies into building the Hagia Sophia

32. Hagia Sophia

33. Hagia Sophia (interior)

34. Hagia Sophia (today)