The Birth of the Roman Empire

1. The Birth of the Roman Empire

2. A Weakening Republic • Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus saw need for reform • Known as Gracchi • Tiberius named Tribune in 133 B.C. • Instituted land reforms • Popular with people • Senators were threatened by his popularity • Senators murdered Tiberius • Gaius named Tribune in 123 B.C. • Bought grain with public funds • Sold it to poor at low price • Angered senators and was killed • Violence became a key political tool

3. The Social War • Italian allies rebelled against Romans • Wanted Roman citizenship for help in Punic Wars • One of the bloodiest wars in Roman History • Were finally granted citizenship • All Italians became Roman • Gaius Marius was elected consul in 107 B.C. • Brought major changes • Created army of volunteers • Rewarded with money, land, and war loot • Sula was elected Consul • Marched on Rome after his term was over • Brought civil war to Rome • Sulla won • Tried to increase power of senate • However, military power ruled Rome

4. Caesar in Power • Julius Caesar • Popular general • Used money to gain influence • Good public speaker • Won right to rule through military success • The First Triumvirate – Rule by Three • Caesar joined with other popular generals • Crassus & Pompey • Caesar took command of army in Gaul (France) • Took control of all of Gaul • Pompey, elected Consul in 52 B.C. • He was jealous of Caesar and called him home from Gaul • Told him to leave his army • Caesar declared war on the republic, defeated Pompey • Made himself Consul for life, but was killed in the Senate

5. The Roman Empire • The Second Triumvirate • Octavian – Caesars grandnephew • Forced Lepidus to resign • Divided Empire with Antony • Built power in Italy • Antony – Drove the conspirators out • Defeated Brutus and Cassius in Asia Minor and Syria • Controlled Eastern half of empire • Lepidus – Caesar’s right hand man

6. Octavian: the first Augustus • Called himself the first Citizen or princeps • People gave Octavian the title Augustus • Revered One • 63 B.C. – 14 B.C. • Captured Alexandria • Rome reached its height under Octavian

7. The Pax Romana (Roman Peace) emperors • Julio-Claudian Emperors • Tiberius – adequate but disliked • Caligula – insane and brutal, murdered • Claudius – intelligent and managed wisely, poisoned by wife • Nero • Brutal to Christians • Thought to have been responsible for great fire that burned Rome • Killed himself

8. Army Emperors • Four different emperors ruled in 69 because the army wouldn’t accept any of them • Flavian Emperors • Vespasian Last of the Army and first of the Flavian • Titus put down rebellions in Germania and Jerusalem • Domitian

9. The Five Good Emperors • Nerva • Trajan • Hadrian • Built Hadrian’s Wall • Protected the frontier • Antoninus Pius • Marcus Aurelius

10. Roman Society and Culture

11. Building a Strong Empire • Government and laws • Changed Twelve Tables • Made laws as necessary • Made Twelve Tables applicable to current needs • Trade and transportation • Most trade centered around: • Exports: • Grain • Wine • Oil (olive) • Food stuffs • Linen • Pottery • Glassware • Romans built many roads wherever they went • Imports: • Ivory • Spices • Silk • Sand

13. The Roman Army • Citizens soldiers served for 16 – 20 years • Stationed in large fortified camps • Towns were often built around these • Most men living on the border enlisted • Would become Romans Citizens

14. Life in the Empire • Daily life • Wealthy had a city home and country home • Running water and exotic food for rich • Many dinner parties • Crowded apartments • Simple meals for most Romans • Slaves and slavery • Gladiators – conquered warriors • Household slaves • Entertainment • Catamites- Young boys sold to men for perversity • Prostitutes

15. The roles of the family • Men – father held power • Women – mother managed household • Children – education at home • Religion – state religion • Fun and games • Roman Bath • Theater • Comedies and Satire • Arena • Chariot Races – Circus Maximus • Gladiators • Lions

16. Science and the Arts • Science, engineering, and architecture • Galen – wrote several volumes on medicine • Ptolemy – taught that the world was geocentric • Roman built many roads, coliseums, and bridges • Aqueducts – carried water from mountains to cities • Used arch and vaulted dome • Literature • Virgil – Aeneid tells about the prince of Troy, poetry • Horace – odes, satires and epistles • Ovid – wrote lyrics and Metamorphoses • Tacitus – Annals, history of Rome • Plutarch – Greek, wrote Parallel Lives, a collection of bios • Language • Latin is the parent of modern Romance languages

17. The Rise of Christianity

18. The Beginning of Christianity • Jews revolted and were banned from Jerusalem • The teachings of Jesus • Grounded in Jewish traditions • Claimed to be Messiah (Savior) • The death of Jesus • Crucifixion • Resurrection

19. The Spread of Christianity • Spread through his apostles • Christianity was for everyone • Paul’s letter to the Romans said, “call upon the name of the Lord and be saved” • Martyrs were put to death for beliefs in Christianity • Roman efforts could not stop the spread of the religion

20. Roman law accepted Christianity as a religion • Constantine was tolerant, converted before he died • Theodosius made it official Roman Religion • Church became organized with Bishops, Priests and Congregations • Bishops of Empirical Cities were called Patriarchal Bishops • Council of Mycenae • Gave us the Bible • Council of Nicaea • Canonized the main religion beliefs

21. The Fall of the Western Empire

22. Troubled Times Arise • Rising inflation • Citizenship granted to all free people in the empire • Done to increase tax base • Silver coin was in shortage • Similar to the gold standard of U.S. economy • Used less silver to make coin • Result was inflation • Increasing insecurity • Attacks from invaders continued • Costs of defense went up • Small business were forced to sell to large ones • Less jobs available for common man

23. Two Able Emperors Attempt Reform • Diocletian • appointed a co-emperor and two caesars (assistants) • Diocletian ruled the eastern empire • Tried to control prices and wages • Constantine – supported Christianity • Not supported by Diocletian • Civil war broke out • Received a vision before he defeated Diocletian • Supported Christianity after the vision • Created a new capital in the East called Constantinople • Empire remained strong for 50 years after his death • Empire divided • Eastern half became the Byzantine Empire

25. The Final Invasions • The Goths and the Vandals • Eastern Germanic tribes • Treated poorly by Rome • Goths with a large heavy army won the battle at Adrianople • Rome allowed them to settle in Roman borders under own leadership • The Goths sacked Rome after a short peace

26. The Huns • Followed the Goths into Rome • Defeated by a Roman / Goth Army • Too late to save Western Half of Empire • Overthrown in A.D. 476 • Results of the invasions • People were displaced • Instability • Destruction of cities

27. Causes of the decline • Political and military weaknesses • Empire grew to fast and too large to manage and protect • Economic decline • Heavy taxes took cash flow out of the economy • Social change • Most early Romans believed in “Rome” • New generations care more about self than country • People were no longer concerned with morals and politics