Transcript Change from Republic to Empire

Change from Republic to Empire
Attempted Reforms
• Significant disparity between rich and poor.
• Latifundia – huge land holding of rich
• Poor moved off land and into city – No
work – Rich used slaves.
• Tiberius and Gaius Graccus (Pleb
Tribunes) attempt reforms
– Tiberius – demands land reforms – killed
– Gaius institute grain doles -- Killed
Civil War!!
• General Marius and subordinate Sulla
• Marius – reforms – very popular – Consul
7x in a row
• Sulla – Status quo – becomes consul – sent
to Asia Minor to put down revolt
• Marius supporters attempt coup
• Sulla returns to quell revolt – Civil War
• Sulla wins, becomes Dictator for life
First Triumvirate
• Illegal division of power among three
political rivals in Rome.
• Pompey – popular general who put down
revolt in Spain
• Crassus – Puts down slave revolt in Italy
– Sparticus – Leads army of 60,000
• When defeated, 6000 crucified along Appian way
•Julius Caesar – Popular general
Rise of Caesar
• Caesar returns to Gaul
as Governor
• Pompey becomes sole
consul of Rome
• Pompey fears Caesar,
demands return to
Rome
• Caesar returns…with
Army
Caesar Continued
• Caesar battle tested
army defeats
Pompey’s rookie army
in Greece
• Pompey flees to Egypt
and it executed.
• Caesar presented P’s
pickled head
Dictator and Death
• Becomes “Dictator for
10 years” and later for
life.
• Permanently controls
army, Sacro-sanct,
“Paterpatriae”
• Reduces doles, intense
colonization, changes
calendar
Beware of the Ides of March
• Senate fears Caesar as
a dictator or tyrant.
• Senators assassinate
him on March 15th, 44
BC
• Stabbed 23 times
• “Et tu, Brute?”
• Sends Rome into
disarray.
Civil Part Deux
• Civil war erupts
between supporters of
the republic and
supporters of Caesar.
• Three supporters of
Caesar prevail:
Octavian (C’s
Nephew), Lepidus
(politician), & Marc
Antony (General)
Second Triumvirate
• Legal division of power of
Roman Empire
• Lasts 10 Years
• Octavian forces Lepidus
to retire
• Oct and Antony Rivals
• Antony falls in love
Cleopatra
• Octavian defeats Antony
at naval battle of Actium
First Emperor
• Octavian unchallenged
ruler of Rome
• Changes name to
“Augustus” or exalted
one.
• Takes on “Sacro Sanct,
Paterpatire, and Imperator
(Emperor).
• The start of the Pax
Romana – Peace of Rome