Roman Empire

1
Roman Empire
2
End of the Republic

• Plebeians wanted more freedoms, led to 100 years
  of civil war
• In 60 BCE Julius Caesar, Pompey and Crassus
  formed the First Triumvirate (group of three
  sharing power)
• Caesar gathered popularity by fighting the Gallic
  Wars (v. Gauls)
• Crassus killed fighting in Asia
• Pompey had the senate order Caesar back to Rome
  and disband
• Caesar defeated Pompeys army and became dictator
  of Rome
• Caesar did a lot of reforms for the poor,
  eventually killed because too powerful (Ides of
  March 44 BCE)

3
Triumvirate

• Octavian, Caesars nephew, (after fighting Brutus
  and Cassius with Caesars friend Marc Antony)
  became the absolute ruler of Rome
• 27 BCE Republic replaced by an absolute monarchy
• Augustus (27 14 BCE)
• Octavian takes the name Augustus, sacred
  majesty
• Reforms
• maintained peace
• stable Government
• reformed administration
• fair taxes
• encouraged trade, science, art, and literature
• built roads and buildings

4
Pax Romana

• Beginning of the Pax Romana Peace of Rome
• 200 years, ended with Marcus Aurelius
• social cohesion, classical civilization reached
  entire empire
• arts and sciences thrived

5
The Fall of The Roman Empire

• Political Causes
• inefficient and corrupt Government
• empire too big
• succession problems led to civil wars

6
SOCIAL CAUSES

• interested in luxury instead of patriotism
• sharp class distinctions
• cities declined

7
ECONOMIC CAUSES

• small farmers abandoned land to big estates
  (latifundia), less productive
• economic decline due to large estates
  self-sufficiency
• heavy taxation destroyed peoples willingness to
  work
• slaves led to unemployment

8
MILITARY CAUSES

• Warlike spirit weakened by Christian teachings of
  peace
• Barbarian mercenaries in army
• armies set government policy

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Dictators

• Diocletian (284-305 CE)
• Divided the empire into two halves to simplify
  running it
• last emperor to persecute Christians
• Constantine (312-337 CE)
• moved capital from Rome to Byzantium (which he
  renamed Constantinople)
• converted to Christianity

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Barbarians

• Barbarians
• 1st 4th C. CE, Germanic tribes attack because
  of fertile lands and wealth, Rome withstood
• 4th 5th C. CE.
• Huns invade from Asia, many Germanic tribes fled
  to Rome
• Germanic tribes invade, overthrow last emperor in
  476
• 476 a Germanic Chieftain claims the throne of
  Rome

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Contributions

• Roman Law
• all equal
• guaranteed legal protection
• Architecture
• roads, aqueducts, bridges
• arch, dome, concrete
• Latin
• Romance languages Spanish, French, Italian
• ½ of English words