Transcript The Early Empire

The Early Empire
The Emperor Augustus
Augustus
 A long period of peace began with
Augustus known as the Pax Romana, or
Roman Peace. This lasted 200 years.
 To make the empire strong and safe,
Augustus built a professional army.
 The legions conquered new territories.
 Augustus rebuilt Rome with palaces,
fountains, and splendid public buildings.
Augustus
 He improved the government through the
appointments of governors to each of
Rome’s provinces.
 He also reformed the tax system and the
legal system.
Caligula
 Mental illness
caused Caligula to
act strange and treat
people cruelly.
 He had many people
murdered.
 He even appointed
his horse as consul.
Nero
 Nero was vicious
man.
 He killed his mother
and two of his wives.
Nero
 He is best
remembered for
having “fiddled while
Rome burned.”
 He was playing
music miles from
home when a fire
destroyed much of
the city.
Vespasian
 When Vespasian
took the throne,
Rome finally was
restored to peace
and order.
 He put down several
rebellions in the
empire.
Vespasian
He began the construction of the Colosseum.
The “Good Emperors”
The “Good Emperors”
 At the beginning of AD 100s, a series of
rulers came into power who were not
related to Augustus or Vespasian.
 These five emperors---Nreva, Trajan,
Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus
Aurelius were known as the “good
emperors.”
The “Good Emperors”
 Agriculture flourished, trade increased,
and the standard living rose.
 The emperors supported public building
projects.
 They built arches, bridges, and
aqueducts.
Hadrian
 Hadrian was known
as one of the good
emperors.
 He made Roman
laws easier to
understand and
apply.
Hadrian’s Wall
Hadrian had a wall built to mark the boundaries of the
Roman Empire in the north.
Rome in A.D. 100s
 The Roman Empire was at its largest.
 People spoke different languages and
practiced different customs.
 The people were united through Roman
law and Roman rule.
 The economy was based on agriculture,
industry, and trading.
Roman Roads
 Roman road system
reached a total
length of 50,000
miles.
Roman Money
 Rome’s trade was
helped my a
common currency.
 The Romans also
created a standard
system on weights
and measures.
Roman Empire: Trade and
Expansion
Some Romans built great fortunes and
lived in luxury.
However, most city dwellers and
farmers remained poor, and many
remained enslaved.