Transcript 7th The Roman Empire

The Roman Empire
First Roman Emperor
• The First Roman Emperor was Octavian Caesar
• Became Emperor in 27BCE
• Ruled until 14CE
Rise of Augustus
• Was adopted by Julius Caesar from a distant
branch of his family known as the Octavii
– Chosen for his intelligence and charisma
– Became Pontifex Maximus at Caesar’s insistence
at a young age
Post-Assassination
• Octavian unites with Marc Antony and Marcus
Lepidus, two of Caesar’s generals
– Muster his legions against the Senate
– Succeed in hounding Brutus and the coconspirators to their deaths
The Second Triumvirate
• Changed Roman constitution to abolish title of
Dictator
– Officially created a second Triumvirate with
himself, Lepidus and Antony in charge
– Vastly reduced the power of the Senate
• In essence, replaced one dictator with three
Octavian gains power
• The Triumvirates restored their personal
wealth and the wealth of Rome through
proscriptions
– Definition: Declaring someone an enemy of the
state, allowing the state to seize them and their
personal wealth
• The Triumvirates used proscription to remove
their enemies and get wealthy from the spoils
Collapse of the Triumvirate
• Antony detested Octavian
– Spent most of his time away from Rome
campaigning
• Octavian manipulates Lepidus
– Lepidus is jealous of his more powerful peers
– Octavian convinces him to join him against
Antony, gives him command of some legions
• On cue, Lepidus attempts to betray Octavian and lead
his legions against him
• Octavian strips him of his power
Collapse of the Triumvirate
• Octavian moves the full force of Rome against
Antony after proscribing him
– Antony vastly underestimates Octavian’s skill as a
general
– Attempts to form an alliance with Egyptian Queen
Cleopatra
• Octavian destroys his navy at the Battle of Actium,
forces Cleopatra and Antony to kill themselves
Augustus the Emperor
• Took as his official title: Princeps, which meant
First Citizen
• Why choose that instead of Imperator
(Emperor), Rex Maximus (Greatest King) or
something along those lines?
• Senate bestowed Octavian with the title
Augustus meaning “majestic” which Octavian
took as his new name
Pax Romana
• re-organized empire into 40 Provinces
• Each Province had its own governor or Rector,
chosen from the Senate
– These Rectors were paid personally by Augustus
Pax Romana 27BCE-180CE
• Pax Romana means Roman Peace
• Definition: A continuous period of growth,
and unity for the Empire that marked the
height of Roman power
Great Buildings
• Augustus began several building projects
around the Empire to make it stronger
• ROADS: to move goods, and more importantly,
armies
– Maintained by a professional builders
• Many of these roads are still usable today
Why are Roman Roads so good?
Great Buildings
• AQUEDUCTS: For channeling water to
croplands and cities.
– Augustus vastly expanded the aqueduct network
– Made water freely available to all citizens
Great Buildings
• FORUMS: For governing and trade
– Each provincial capital got its own forum
– Roman forum was rebuilt and expanded
Great Buildings
• Colosseums: For entertainment, sports and
culture
– The Colosseum was built with money from
Augustus’ personal fortune
• Featured gladiatorial combat, typically free to citizens
Famous Quote
• Augustus famously said
– “I found Rome a city of brick and left it a city of
marble.”
Military Campaign
• Augustus began a campaign to expand the
Empire
• Took a new first name Imperator
– Meaning “victorious”
– This would later become the official title of all
Roman leaders to follow
– Base of the word Emperor
Military campaign
• Forcefully converted all client kingdoms into
provinces, removing their leaders
– Including the son of Herod the Great
• Successfully negotiated for the return of all
battle standards lost by Crassus at Parthia
– Restored the old legions
Limits of the Empire
• Augustus forced to stop expansion into
Germany because of the Battle of Teutoberg
Forest
– Augustus’ forces under Publius Varo was
massacred by German tribes led by Arminius
– First time an entire Roman legion was destroyed
– Roman Empire would never expand into Northern
Germany
The Battle
Making the Empire Last
• Augustus chose his stepson Tiberius to be his
successor. Making him his assistant so he
could learn how to be a good ruler.
• Known as a brilliant general but a gloomy man
in person
• Made little effort to protect his legacy
Caligula
• Took over after Tiberius
• Spent 27 million pounds of gold on parties and
riches for himself, bankrupted Rome
• Conquered all of Egypt
• Went insane after a famine, tried to make his
horse a Senator
• Assassinated by the Praetorian Guard
– Elite troops that guarded the Empire
– Last of the Caesar line, replaced by Claudius
Caligula
Claudius
• Led Praetorian guard that killed former
Emperor
• Ruled after Caligula, had a short reign
– Finished conquest of Britain
– Expanded transportation with a series of canals
– Known for his humility
• Sat with the Senate, waited his turn to speak
• Assassinated: Claudius died of poison, likely
by his wife to make way for her son Nero
Nero
• Took throne as young man, initially controlled
by mother and advisors, before he had them
assassinated.
• Great Fire of Rome
– Roman historian Seutonius claims Nero started
Fire
– Used fire to consolidate power, spending money
to aid poor and building a massive new palace
– Blamed fire on Christians and Jews, used it as an
excuse to persecute
The Great Fire and Nero
Nero’s Death
• Nero commits suicide after governor’s rebel
against his harsh taxes
– Kills himself before the Praetorian Guard can
arrest him on the Senate’s orders
Emperor Titus
• Military commander, took control after Nero
– Most famous for brutally putting down Jewish
rebellion
– Delighted in torturing prisoners according to
Josephus
The Kanaim/Zealot Rebellion 66-70
• Under Caligula, Roman Emperor declared a
God, required a statue of Emperor displayed in
all temples
• War averted with Caligula’s death
• Under Nero, persecution of Jews and
Christians common
– Refused to include worship of Caesars in religion
The Kanaim/Zealot Rebellion
66-70 BCE
• Uprising began when a Roman official stole
silver from the Temple
• Jewish residents attacked and burned a
nearby Roman garrison
• Rome responded by sending 60,000 troops to
besiege Jerusalem
– Tens of thousands killed
– Temple burned
– 100,000 Jews sold into slavery
Death of Titus
• Titus is assassinated by his brother Domitian
while travelling the country-side
– Assassination sets off a brief civil war followed by
the interregnum
The 5 Good Emperors 96-180
• Titus’ death followed by an interregnum
– A period without a King or Emperor
– Rome ruled by the Praetorian Guard
• 96BCE saw rise of the first of 5 Good Emperors
– Nerva
– Trajan
– Hadrian
– Antoninus Pius
– Marcus Aurelius
Nerva
• Made peace with Senate, highly popular with
Roman People
• Gave land to the poor, established fair tax
system
– Unlike previous emperors, Nerva maintained a
balanced budget
Trajan
• Conquered Eastern Europe and Arabia
• Created welfare program for widows and
orphans
• Created standard weight for money
– Why is this important
– Created the office of Curator to safeguard the
money supply
Hadrian
• Recognized the Empire was growing too large
to maintain
• Retreated back to defensible positions and
built massive walls in Britain, Germany and
Eastern Europe
• Built massive art projects for people of Rome
• Created law code forbidding torture and
protecting slaves
Hadrian’s Wall in Britain
Religious persecution
• Jews of Palestine rebelled after Hadrian
attempted to make Roman religion supreme
– Forbade circumcision, and worship on the Sabbath
• Jewish revolt violently put down, estimated
slaughter: 50,000 men, women and children
• Erected a temple to Jupiter on the remains of
the Temple
Antoninus Pius
• Spread Roman law throughout Empire
• Strengthened system of governors
• Brought in philosophers from around world to
teach in Rome
– Open Roman Academy
Antoninus and the Jews
• Jewish people sent an emissary including a
Rabbi to negotiate for improved conditions
with Pius
– Emperor met and befriended Rabbi, Pius’ reign
saw a renewal of Jewish culture and scholarship
– Learned from Rabbi and debated Jewish law
– Allowed the erection of a Jewish altar, though he
never reportedly converted
Marcus Aurelius
• Protected Rome from invasion from Germany
and Western Russia
• Worked as a philosopher, wrote several books
on logic and morality
• Murdered by his son Commodus
• Death marks the end of Good Emperors,
beginning of the Fall of Rome
Emperor Commodus
The Disastrous rule of Commodus
• Spent lavishly on himself
– Devalued Roman Currency in order to spend more
money
• Believed himself to be an incarnation of
Heracles
– Dressed in lion-skins and carried a club
– Often participated in battles in the Colosseum
– Attempted to rename Rome and the months of
the calendar after himself
Commodus’ Assasination
• The Senate and the Praetorian guard form a
conspiracy to remove Commodus
– He is strangled in his bathtub by his own wrestling
coach
• After his death, Senate declares him an enemy
of the state
• Damage is done
After Commodus
• The Roman Empire now begins a slow period
of decline, which will eventually end in its
splitting apart and eventual collapse