Transcript Ancient Rome

Roman Empire
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 Pompey’s 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)
Triumvirate
Octavian, Caesar’s nephew, (after fighting Brutus and
Cassius with Caesar’s 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
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
The Fall of The Roman Empire
Political Causes
inefficient and corrupt
Government
empire too big
succession problems led
to civil wars
SOCIAL CAUSES
interested in luxury
instead of
patriotism
sharp class
distinctions
cities declined
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
MILITARY CAUSES
Warlike spirit
weakened by
Christian teachings of
peace
Barbarian
mercenaries in army
armies set
government policy
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
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
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
Dailies: Fall of Rome
Which emperors began and ended the Pax
Romana?
What is a latifundia?
Why are Spanish, French, and Italian
known as Romance languages?
What date was the fall of Rome? What
happened?
What did Diocletian do? Why?