Transcript Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome
Chapter 5 Section 2
Ruling the Mediterranean
• The Romans were committed to a policy of imperialism
• While Rome was fighting Carthage it was also expanding
east
• Rome confronted the remains of Alexander the Great’s
Greek Empire
• By 133 B.C. Rome called the Mediterranean “Mare
Nostrum”
– “Our Sea”
Impact at Home
• Rome gained riches through conquest and trade
• A new class of wealthy Romans emerged
– built huge estates (latifundia)
– forced conquered peoples to work their land
• Slave labor hurt small farmers
– Grain prices dropped when grain was brought in from
conquered lands
• Gap between rich and poor grew
• Increased corruption
Attempts at Reform
• Gracchus Brothers (Tiberius and Gaius)
• Reforms of the Gracchus brothers angered the
Senate
– Distribute land to poor farmers/feed the poor
– seen as a threat
– killed in street violence
• Failure of reforming the Government lead to the
decline of the Republic
Decline of the Republic
• Rome went into a series of civil wars because they could
not solve their problems peacefully
• Julius Caesar rises to power
– ambitious military commander
– dominated Roman politics with General Pompey
– set out with his army
• Pompey persuades Senate to order Caesar to disband
• Caesar defied, led army back towards Rome
Caesar Cont.
• Crushed Pompey, forced senate to make him dictator
– kept features of Republic
• Caesar’s Reforms
– 1) program of public works
– 2) gave public land to the poor
– 3) reorganized the gov't of the provinces
– 4) granted Roman Citizenship
– 5) calendar=most lasting achievement
Assassination and Civil Wars
• Caesar’s enemies worried about him becoming king
• stabbed to death by the senators in order to save the
republic
• Caesar’s death brought new civil war
• Mark Antony and Octavian (Augustus) joined forces
• fought and struggled for power
• Octavian defeats Antony and Cleopatra
Roman Empire and Roman Peace
• Senate gave Octavian the title of Augustus
–exercised absolute power
–began the Roman Empire
• A Stable Government
–Well trained civil service enforced the laws
–High level jobs are open to men of all classes
–allowed the provinces to self govern
Augustus Economic Reforms
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ordered a census to make taxes fair
postal service
new coins made trade easier
Had the unemployed build roads, temples, and farm
Augustus’ government functioned for over 200 years
– who would rule after the emperor died
– Death of an emperor lead to violence
Good Emperors and Bad Emperors
• Caligula
– Evil
– Appointed a horse as consul
• Nero
– Evil
– Blamed Christians for setting the great fire
• Hadrian
– Good
– Codified Roman Law
The Pax Romana
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200 years of peace from Augustus to Marcus Aurelius
Peace, order, unity, and prosperity
Legions protected the roads and fleets chased pirates
Trade flowed freely
People spread ideas and knowledge
Bread and Circuses
Rich and poor loved spectacular entertainment
Bread and Circuses
• Circus Maximus = Rome’s largest racecourse
• Gladiator Contests
– Many were slaves who had been trained to fight
– A good fighter might win his freedom
– Thumbs down = he should be killed
• Emperors paid for these events with the taxes they
collected
• Provided free grain for the poor
• Policy of “bread and circuses”
• Vocab pg 155, 3-5 pg 160