Transcript Chapter 7 Continued: The Roman Republic 753 BC to 27 AD

Mr. King
J110
 133
BC Rome is the most powerful state in
the Mediterranean because it controls all
Greek city-states and Asia Minor
 The
Romans even call the sea “Mare
Nostrum” which means “Our Sea”
 Roman
soldiers were actually farmers,
merchants, and laborers when not at war
 Because
Rome gained so much new
territory, soldiers had more land to protect
 When
soldiers did return home, they found
their homes were sold by the government
because they did not pay taxes
 Another
big problem existed:
 Jobs
were hard to find because slaves were
doing most of the work in Rome
 At
this point in time, slaves actually made 1/3 of
the entire Roman population
 Some
people received money to vote for
people running for office: this made the poor
stay poor and the rich become even more rich
 134
BC tribune Tiberius Gracchus gives
public land to the poor and stands up for
the rights of soldiers
 Plebeians
support Gracchus, but
patricians in the senate do not
 They
start a riot and Gracchus is killed
 The
brother of Tiberius, named Gaius, is
elected tribune in 123 BC
 He
lowers the price of grain for the poor
and assists people who wish to be citizens
 Again
senators do not approve of his
behavior and oppose the reform
 Gaius
Gracchus is killed with his followers
 Plebeians
and tribunes want reform
 110
BC general Marius forms an army of the
poor
 He
promises to share profits from conquering
others
 His
army has victories in North Africa and in
Gaul; these soldiers are now more loyal to
Marius than to Rome
 88
BC general Lucius Sulla challenges
Marius; the result is a civil war
 Thousands
 Sulla
 Law
of people die
defeats Marius and becomes dictator
stated that dictators could only rule for
6 months at a time; Sulla changes the law so
he can rule longer
Lucius Sulla
Gaius Marius
 60
BC 3 men agree to rule Rome:
Crassus, a wealthy politician
Pompey, a general
Caesar, a general
 Pompey
is scared of Caesar and makes
the senate limit his power; they order him
to return to Rome without his army
 Caesar
marches his army through the
Rubicon River back to Rome
 Caesar
now has more power than Rome
because people fear him and his men
 Caesar: gives
jobs to the poor, orders rich
people to stop wearing extravagant items,
and passes tougher laws for criminals
 Caesar
makes the Roman calendar more
accurate; this is used for the next 1500 years
in Europe
 Caesar
forgives his old enemies and hires
them as government officials
 44
BC senate makes Caesar a dictator for life
 Statues
of him are all over Rome and his face is
even on coins
 Senators
fear because of his popularity with the
people, he might try to become king and this
would end the republic
 On
March 15 44 BC he is assassinated in order
to “save the republic”


Caesar’s adopted son Octavian and two generals,
Mark Antony and Marcus Lepidus form the
second Triumvirate
They divide Rome into 3 areas:
Octavian rules the west
Antony rules the east
Lepidus rules North Africa




Lepidus retires as a leader which leaves Mark
Antony and Octavian to fight for total control of
Rome
Antony forms an alliance with Cleopatra, the queen
of Egypt
Octavian fears these two will form their own
empire so he asks the senate to take power away
from Antony
Octavian declares war on Antony and Cleopatra
 Antony
and Cleopatra find out about the plans
of Octavian who will attack Egypt
 They
decide to kill themselves
 Then
in 31 BC the Romans defeat the Egyptians
 The
 The
Roman Republic ends in 27 BC
senate appoints Octavian the Emperor of
Rome; kings rule Rome for the next 500 years