Preview

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From Republic to Empire

• Preview
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• Problems in the Late Republic
• Rome Becomes an Empire
• Map The Roman Empire
• The Pax Romana

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From Republic to Empire
Main Idea Governmental and social problems led to
the end of the Roman Republic and the creation of
a new form of government.

• Reading Focus
• What problems did leaders face in the late Roman
  Republic?
• How did Rome become an empire?
• What helped tie the Roman empire together during
  the Pax Romana?

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Problems in the Late Republic
By the mid-100s BC, Rome had no rival anywhere in
the Mediterranean world. However, the
responsibilities of running their vast holdings
stretched the Roman political system to its
limits.
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The Military in Politics

• 107 BC, social unrest reached new level
• General Gaius Marius elected consul
• Eliminated property restrictions
• Accepted anyone who wanted to join army
• Armies, private forces devoted to general
• Poor hoped to share plunder at end of war
• Ruthless generals realized loyalty of troops
  could be used as political tool

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Social and Civil Wars
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Summarize What challenges faced Rome in the late
Republic?
Answer(s) slave revolts, social unrest, the
Social War, and a civil war in which Sulla became
dictator
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Rome Becomes an Empire
Sulla paved the way for major changes in Romes
government. The end of the Republic resulted from
the ambitions of a few individuals.
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• The Second Triumvirate
• Caesars murder did not save the Republic
• 43 BC, Second Triumvirate took powerCaesars
  adopted son, Octavian loyal officer Marc Antony
  high priest Lepidus
• Lepidus pushed aside Antony, Octavian agreed to
  govern half the empire each, Octavian in west,
  Antony in East

• Civil War
• Civil war between Octavian, Antony broke out
• Octavian defeated Antony and his ally, Egypts
  Queen Cleopatra
• Cleopatra, Antony committed suicide Octavian
  alone controlled Rome
• Republic effectively dead new period in Roman
  history beginning

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From Octavian to Augustus

• Octavian Takes Power
• Octavian faced task of restoring order in empire
• Had no intention of establishing dictatorship
  when he took power

• New Political Order
• Octavian decided it impossible to return Rome to
  republican form of government
• Created new political order, known today as the
  empire

• Principate
• Octavian careful to avoid title of king or
  emperor
• Called himself princeps, first citizen
• Government called Principate

• New Title
• 27 BC, Senate gave Octavian title Augustus, the
  revered one
• Title a religious honor able to wear laurel and
  oak leaf crown

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The Augustan Age

• New Imperial Government
• Augustus head of state more than 40 years, made
  smooth transition to new imperial government with
  power divided between him and Senate
• Most financial, administrative matters under
  Augustuss control

• Foreign Affairs
• Started program to bring peace to west,
  particularly to Gaul, Spain
• Began series of conquests that pushed border
  eastward to Danube River
• Also took special care of Rome itself

• Legacy
• Created police force, fire brigades stockpiled
  food, water
• Began building program presided over moral,
  religious reforms
• Great period of cultural creativity great
  writers like Horace, Ovid, Virgil

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Julio-Claudians and Flavians

• Augustus died AD 14, empire ruled by Caesars
  relatives for 54 years
• Julio-Claudian Emperors abilities varied widely
• Tiberius a good soldier, competent administrator
• Caligula, brutal, mentally unstable appointed
  favorite horse as consul
• AD 68, last of Julio-Claudians, Nero committed
  suicide

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The Good Emperors

• Empire grew tremendously under Good Emperors
• Reached limits of expansion under Trajan
• Added what are now Romania, Armenia, Mesopotamia,
  and the Sinai Peninsula
• Successor Hadrian thought empire too large
• Withdrew from almost all eastern additions
• Built defensive fortifications to guard against
  invasions
• Built wall 73 miles long in northern Britain

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Explain How did Rome grow and change after it
became an empire?
Answer(s) The Roman Empire reached the limits of
its territorial expansion and made developments
in building, government, and culture.
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The Pax Romana
The period from the beginning of Augusts reign
in 27 BC until the death of the last of the Good
Emperors in AD 180 is often called the Pax
Romanathe Roman Peace. This era was
characterized by stable government, a strong
legal system, widespread trade, and peace.
Empire brought uniformity to the cities of the
Mediterranean world, which were governed in
imitation of Rome.
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Legal System

• Laws
• Roman law unified the empire
• Laws specified what could, could not be done
  penalties for breaking law
• Same laws applied to everyone in empire, wherever
  they lived

• Agriculture
• Agriculture remained primary occupation
  throughout Pax Romana
• Most farms, independent with little, no surplus
  to sell
• Tenant farmers began to replace slaves on large
  farms

• Manufacturing
• Manufacturing increased throughout empire
• Italy, Gaul, Spainartisans made cheap pottery,
  textiles
• Fine glassware made in eastern cities like
  Alexandria

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Opportunities for Trade

• Trade
• Italy imported grain, meat, raw materials from
  provinces
• Merchants brought silks, linens, glassware,
  jewelry, furniture from Asia
• Rome, Alexandria became commercial centers

• Transportation
• Commercial activity possible because of empires
  location around Mediterranean and extensive road
  network
• Ultimately about 50,000 miles of roads bound
  empire together

• Military and Merchant Routes
• Most roads built, maintained for military
  purposes
• Cheaper to transport grain by ship from one end
  of Mediterranean to other than to send it
  overland most goods went by sea

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Analyze How did government, law, and trade tie
the Roman people together?
Answer(s) The Roman government was the strongest
unifying force, maintaining order, enforcing the
laws, and defending the frontiers. Roman law
provided stability and, with few exceptions, the
same laws applied to everyone in the empire.
Trade provided opportunities for commerce between
people in different parts of the empire.