Transcript Chapter 11.3 and 11.4 The End of the Republic and Rome Builds an

Chapter 11.3 and 11.4
The End of the Republic and Rome Builds an
Empire
• 1. The Roman army won victories abroad, but the
republic faced mounting economic troubles at home.
The gap between the rich and the poor grew wider.
Farmers faced financial ruin. Cities were becoming
overcrowded and dangerous.
• 2. Plebeians farmed small plots of land but they still
lacked power. The patricians or upper class held
government jobs and ruled the Senate.
• 3. In the 100’s B.C. farmers began to fall into poverty.
• 4. Farmers did not work in their fields due to military
duties. Carthaginians destroyed other fields. As a
result, they could not pay back their loans.
• 5. Poor farmers could not compete against the
wealthy Romans who owned “latifundia” or large
farming estates.
• 6. Poor farmers could not find jobs either due to
prisoners doing all the work.
• 7. Prisoners were not paid so rich farmers became
richer.
• 8. The poor farmers left to work in the cities because
they could not find jobs in the country sites.
However, even in the cities the slaves did all the
work. Any jobs left over they were low paying jobs.
• 9. Roman leaders worried about a rebellion. To
prevent this they offered cheap food and free
entertainment to the poor.
• 10. Not all wealthy Romans ignored the poor.
• 11. Tiberious and Gaius Gracchus (brothers) asked
the Senate to give some latifundia’s back to the poor.
• 12. The Senate did not like this because they were
the land owners.
• 13. They even killed Tiberius in 133 B.C. and Gaius
was killed 12 years later.
• 14. Eventually, military leaders began to seek
political power. In 107 B.C. a general named Marius
became consul.
• 15. He was not a patrician but a plebeian.
• 16. He let the poor join the military and paid them
wages.
• 17. The soldiers felt loyal to the general. This
gave the general a huge force to back them.
• 18. In 82 B.C. a general named Sulla drove his
enemies out of Rome and named himself
dictator.
The Rise of Julius Caesar
• 1. In 60 B.C. three men ruled the Roman Republic:
Crassus, Pompey, and Julius Caesar. Crassus was a
general. Pompey and Caesar were rich. They formed
the “First Triumvirate” to rule Rome. A triumvirate is
a political group of three people who share equal
power.
• 2. By 50 B.C. the First Triumvirate no longer existed.
Crassus had died in battle, and Pompey emerged as
Caesar’s main rival.
• 3. In 44 B.C. Caesar took over the Roman
government and declared himself dictator for life.
• 4. He introduced a new calendar. It had 12 month,
365 days, and a leap year. This was known as the
Julian calendar. It was used in Europe until A.D.
1582. Then the Gregorian calendar is based on the
date of the birth of Jesus.
• 5. Brutus and Cassius plotted to kill him. In 44 B.C.
his opponents gathered around him as he entered
the Senate and stabbed him to death.
• 6. He did on March 15, also known as the “Ides of
March.” This murder was made famous in the play
Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare. In the play,
Caesar was warned to “Beware the Ides of March.”
• 7. After his death, civil war broke out. His 18 year
old grandnephew Octavian joined two of Caesar’s
top generals, Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus.
They defeated those who killed Caesar.
• 8. In 43 B.C. they formed the Second Triumvirate.
• 9. Next, they divided the Roman empire among
themselves. Octavian took command of Italy and the
west. Antony ruled in Greece and the east. Lepidus
took control in North Africa.
• 10. The Second Triumvirate did not last long.
Lepidus retired from politics, Octavian and Antony
became rivals. Antony fell in love with the Egyptian
queen Cleopatra and together they formed an
alliance.
Chapter 11.4
Rome Builds an Empire
• 1. For nearly 200 years the Roman enjoyed peace
and growth. This period lasted until about A.D. 180.
It is know as the Pax Romana or “Roman Peace.”
• 2. Emperor, Augustus created an army of about
150,000.
• 3. He also created a special unit known as the
Praetorian Guard of about 9,000 men.
• 4. Augustus used natural features such as rivers,
hilltops, desert area in order to protect his empire.
• 5. A famous quote by Augustus indicates, “ I found
Rome a city of brick, and left it a city of marble.
• 6. A proconsul, or governor was chosen to oversee
each of Rome’s provinces.
• 7. Augustus often inspected these areas to ensure
the proconsul’s did their jobs.
• 8. Augustus feared that people were unhappy with
his rule. To avoid the fear, he imported grain from
Africa and distributed it to the poor.
• 9. Augustus ruled Rome for almost 40 years. After
he died, his son, Tiberius became emperor. After
Tiberius died, three other emperors from the family
took over.
• A. Caligula (cruel ruler) spent money wildly. He
appointed his horse to the consul. The Praetorian
Guard killed him placing Claudius in charge.
• B. Claudius
• C. Nero (cruel ruler) Killed many people, especially
his mother and two wives. He committed suicide
after the Senate sentenced him to death for treason.
• 10. In A.D. 79, the volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted,
destroying the city of Pompeii.
• 11. Five good rulers in the early 100’s A.D.:
• A. Nerva, A.D. 96-98
• B. ATrajan, A.D. 98-117
• C. Hadrian, A.D. 117-138
• D. Antoninus Pius, A.D. 138-161
• E. Marcus Aurelius, A.D. 161-180
• 12. Trajan made money available so that the poor
children could receive an education.
• 13. Hadrian made Roman laws easier for ordinary
citizens to understand.
• 14. They improved Roman cities. They spent tax
money to build arches and monuments, bridges,
roads, and harbors. They also built extensive
aqueducts to bring water from the country to the
city.
• 15. By the A.D. 100’s the Roman Empire was
one of the largest empires in history. The land
area was about 3.5 million square miles,
almost the size of the U.S.
• 16. By A.D., all Romans were considered
citizens and were treated fairly.