Roman ExpansionCLASS NOTES

1

• Roman Expansion CLASS NOTES
• Between 264 B.C. and 133 B.C., the Roman Republic
  through the defeat of the city-
• state of Carthage (N. Africa) in the three Punic
  Wars was able to control the entire
• Mediterranean region. Rome then took control of
  Spain, Greece, and the western
• portion of Turkey (Asia Minor).
• (Punic is the Latin word for Phoenician. The
  Punic Wars were so
• named because Carthage was a colony founded by
  the Phoenicians.)
• All of these years of fighting brought about
  social and economic decline and eventually
  contribute to the demise of the Roman Republic.
  Many farmers lost everything, while wealthier
  citizens had become enriched by the spoils of
  war. This caused a much greater gap between the
  rich and the poor.

2

• During the next 100 years, leaders and generals
  of Rome such as Tiberius
• Gracchus, Gaius Gracchus, Gaius Marius, and
  Julius Caesar, brought about
• many different reforms to bring stability to the
  Roman Republic. After
• coming to power through the First Triumvirate,
  Julius Caesar later assumed
• the positions of both dictator and consul of
  Rome. Although he continued to
• keep up the appearance of a Roman Republic, he
  in fact, wielded absolute
• power.
• Caesar was assassinated on March 15, 44 B.C. by
  Senators who feared his
• growing power. A second triumvirate was formed
  with Mark Antony, Gaius
• Octavius, and Marcus Lepidus. By 32 B.C., their
  alliance broke down, and
• Octavian took control. By 27 B.C., all
  semblance of a true Roman Republic
• had been abandoned.

3

• Between 27 B.C. and 14 A.D., Octavian (now called
  Augustus, consolidated his power and laid the
  foundation for a Roman Empire. He became the
  first
• Roman Emperor (or absolute ruler of an empire).
  His main goal as emperor
• was to establish the empire as stable and
  peaceful.
• Rome experienced a 200 year period of peace known
  as the Pax Romana,
• in which people prospered, trade increased, and
  Roman law was
• standardized (the same everywhere).
• --Laws were more fair to everyone
• --A person was innocent until proven guilty
• --Same money was used throughout the empire
• --No taxes on goods coming into the empire

4

• The Pax Romana ended due to the increasing
  political and economical decline of the empire.
• From about 190 to 284 A.D., most Roman Emperors
  were chosen by the Roman Army.
• Some of the main causes for the Fall of the Roman
  Empire were
• 1)After Commodus, throne sold to highest
  bidder, Legions fought for their emperor
• 2)Political poor leadership
• 3)Economic problems (inflation, higher taxes)
• 4)Foreign enemies Germanic invasions
• By 476 A.D., there was no empire left. The
  eastern part of the Roman Empire continued as the
• Byzantine Empire and lasted for about 1,000
  years.