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Octavian Julius Caesar’s adopted son Octavian ruled as Rome’s first emperor Augustus Was given the name Augustus which means the revered or exalted one Put an end to the chaos and power struggles that had occurred within the empire after his father’s assassination Also expanded the empire
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provinces The lands and peoples captured by the empire were organized into provinces, or territories, of Rome. Maintained peace in its provinces by allowing individuals to continue living and working as usual Appointed governors to rule the provinces and make sure that Roman law was enforced there Benefits of provinces 1.Territories acted as a buffer zone 2.Produced food and other goods for the city of Rome 3.People of provinces paid taxes which supported the government and the army *Because Rome was strong, the empire was peaceful and stable, which benefited everyone in it. roads *The gov’t built roads that connected the provinces to Rome aqueducts *Also funded the construction of aqueducts *Used to pipe drinking water from wells and springs to the people in the cities Roman Aqueduct #1 Roman Roads #1
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barbarians Along the empire’s borders lived tribes of Germanic peoples who were not content to live peacefully with Rome and were called barbarians Many barbarian men joined the Roman army and helped to defend the frontiers against invasion and received land and a yearly salary in return Some took refuge within the empire to escape the Huns! Huns The Huns were a fierce group of nomad warriors who conquered everyone in their path *In addition to barbarians entering the empire there was a struggle for political control *Many generals attempted to take the throne by force, backed by their armies Combination of barbarian invasion and fighting ruined the countryside *ruined land=no food able to be grown= food shortage
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Diocletian divided the Roman empire Diocletian became emperor in 284 and divided the Roman empire into Eastern and Western halves. Established 4 capital cities, instead of just one Hoped this division of power, land, and resources would prevent civil wars Increased the size of the army from 300,000 to 500,000 men
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Constantine Diocletian’s successor, Constantine attempted to stabilize the empire Created a new capital in the city of Byzantium Byzantium was surrounded by water on 3 sides and mountains on the 4 th and was a major trade center Completely rebuilt Byzantium to resemble Rome Constantinople Had the city renamed after himself, Constantinople Theodosius I the empire should be split into 2 separate empires Emperor Theodosius I declared that the Eastern and Western sections of the empire should be split into 2 separate empires *Western Empire= Roman Empire *Eastern Empire= Byzantine Empire
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Persia, India, & China
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Armenia Fought often with Romans over borders and political control over Armenia Important “buffer zone” between the two empires- as long as both empires had a little control in Armenia, both empires were happy First country to make Christianity its state religion Fell under the rule of the Ottomans Declared modern-day independence in 1991 Who were the Persians?
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fighters- Excellent fighters- constantly defending borders Soldiers fought on horseback and wore armor to protect themselves Built large walls around their towns and fields which allowed them to be able to maintain possession of their foody supply and shelter whilst under attack traders- Excellent traders- all trade routes to China, India, and Rome ran through Persia Established a common currency throughout the country Maintained the roads and assigned soldiers to patrol them to keep travelers safe Set up resting places for travelers who came from long distances Charged a tax on any goods that were carried in or out of the country education- Excellent in education- they behaved like a “great cultural sponge” King Khusru Anusharvan studied Plato and Aristotle and had it translated Welcomed Greek and Syrian scholars and founded the University of Jundishapur Christians opened up a medical school
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Maintained the roads into and out of India Did not subject its people to heavy taxes and thusly had a decent standard of living Engaged in prosperous trade with the Eastern Roman Empire, Persia, China, and Southeast Asia Sold brassware, ivory, jewels, and even monkeys Profited from this trade by taxing imports and exports Arts and sciences were given much attention and both painting and writing flourished Very famous poet, Kalidasa, flourished during this time period Created a number system, developed the concept of zero, and discovered that the earth rotates on an axis Were conquered by the Huns in 525
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The Silk Road, major overland trade route, ran through northwest China Chinese junks (ships) sailed to India to trade silk for glass and pearls Learned the teachings of Buddhism from Indian traders and missionaries they encountered Imported grapes, beans, and nut trees for their gardens from Middle East & horses from Central Asia Fought bitterly against the Huns before Chinese generals and upper class families fought each other for control of the country Remained in state of disunity for 360 years
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Christianity was its state religion In an effort to unite the people, Christianity was forced on non-believers Emperor Justinian Emperor Justinian treated Jews and other non-Christians brutally Not allowed to build synagogues or join in city life Forbidden to study the works of the rabbis Force conversions and anti-Jewish massacres Rebuilt Hagia Sophia with columns and walls of polished marble and mosaics, colored fragments of glass or quartz embedded in plaster Added a dome- 18 stories high and 108 feet wide Justinian Code Condensed Roman law into a new, well-organized system known as Justinian Code Extended the rights of children, women, and slaves Harsher penalties for crimes- criminals could have their property taken away, lose an eye or a hand, or be put to death Temporarily defeated by the Persians, but Emperor Heraclius defeated the Persian army and reinstated the Byzantine empire in 627 Remained an important center of commerce, or trade, until 1453 when their empire finally fell
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