Transcript Growth and Expansion of Rome

Growth and Expansion of Rome
World History A
Forest Lake High School
Mr. Koch
Government
• Republic – officials chosen by people
• keep individual from gaining too much power
Government
• Early government based around Senate
(life term)
– Patricians – landholding upper class
– Consuls (2) – supervise govt/command armies (1
term)
– Dictator – if necessary, rule very short (6 months)
– Plebians – “common folk” (farmers, merchants,
etc)
– Tribunes – officials elected by plebians
– Protect their interests and veto against laws
– Gained power over time
Military
•Army comprised of legions of citizen-soldiers
•Allowed conquered areas to maintain way of life
•In return:
•Must acknowledge Roman rule
•Pay taxes
•Offer soldiers
•Some become citizens
Punic Wars
• Series of 3 wars fought with Carthage
• 1st – Romans win Sicily, Corsica, and Sardinia
Punic Wars
• 2nd – Hannibal marches elephants from north
– Rome victorious – take all Carthage, except Africa
Punic Wars
• 3rd – Rome completely destroys Carthage
• Rome continues to expand and build its empire
– Eventually controls most of Mediterranean region
• Captured peoples killed or forced to work as slaves
Power Struggles
• Rome begins declining into civil war
• Julius Caesar
– One of many
powerful generals
– After conquering Gaul,Crossing the Rubicon
returned to Rome and
defeated Pompey
Power Struggles
• Julius Caesar (cont’d)
– Eventually forced senate to name him dictator
• Senate remains, but powerless
– Afraid of his power, he’s assassinated in senate
Power Struggles
• Rome slides back into civil war – renewed power struggles
– Octavian eventually emerges – renamed Augustus
• Set up many lasting reforms
• Series of good & bad rulers follow him
• Period of “Pax Romana”
(“Roman Peace”)