Transcript Republic to Empire

Republic to Empire
Decline of the Empire
• Senate becomes real governing body of Rome
• Members chosen mostly from wealthy landowners (served for life)
• Took control of foreign/domestic policy and financial affairs
• Small farmers begin losing their land to wealthy land owners
• Many small landless farmers begin moving to city of Rome creating large class
of “landless poor”
• Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus -> “cause of Rome’s problems was the
decline of the small farmer”
• Asked gov’t to take back land from wealthy and distribute it poor
• Affected group of Senators kill them as a result of anger
New Role for Rome’s Army
• Rome had been recruiting army from male landholders of small farms
• General Marius begins new role for army
• Begin to recruit volunteers from “propertyless” urban and rural poor
• Causes oath of loyalty to general not to the state (promise of land)
• General Sulla next to take advantage of power
• Given command for war in Asia Minor by the Senate
• Council of plebs tried to transfer command to Marius = Civil War
• Sulla wins and restores all power back to the Senate and eliminated power of
popular assemblies
C’Ya Republic, What’s Up Empire
• Roman not characterized by 2 features:
• Competition for power
• Civil war caused by these conflicts
• 3 individuals begin competing for all power: Crassus (richest man in
Rome), Pompey (military hero), and Julius Caesar (military hero)
• Join together to create the First Triumvirate (equal power)
First Triumvirate
• Position of power allowed them dominate political/military scene
• Pompey receives command in Spain, Crassus command in Syria, Caesar
command in Gaul (France)
• Crassus killed in battle
• Leaders begin to fear Caesar’s success, name Pompey sole ruler
• Caesar crosses Rubicon River illegally into Italy
• Defeated Pompey in Civil War and gained sole power
• Caesar officially made himself dictator for life
• Gave land to the poor and increased the Senate to 900 members who supported
Caesar (limited power of Senate)
• Granted citizenship to people in provinces that helped him
• Reformed Roman calendar to 365 days (Egyptian)
• Caesar assassinated by numerous senators led by Marcus Brutus (Ides of
March)
The Second Triumvirate
• After Caesar’s death, 3 new men created the Second Triumvirate
• Octavian (Caesar’s heir and grandnephew), Antony (Caesar’s ally and
assistant), and Lepidus (commander of Caesar’s calvary)
• Eventually power landed in the hands of 2 -> Octavian took the Western part,
Antony the East
• Roman Empire too small for 2 rulers
• Octavian vs. Antony/Cleopatra = defeat of Antony/Cleopatra at the Battle of
Actium
• Octavian stands as lone ruler and the beginnings of the Roman Empire starts