The Birth of the Roman EmpireThe Birth of the Roman Empire

I. A Weakening RepublicA. Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus saw need for

reform1. Known as Gracchi

2. Tiberius named Tribune in 133 B.C.a. Instituted land reforms

i. Popular with people

ii. Senators were threatened by his popularity

iii. Senators murdered Tiberius

3. Gaius named Tribune in 123 B.C.a. Bought grain with public funds

b. Sold it to poor at low price

i. Angered senators and was killed

4. Violence became a key political tool

B. The Social War1. Italian allies rebelled against Romans

a. Wanted Roman citizenship for help in Punic Wars

2. One of the bloodiest wars in Roman History3. Were finally granted citizenship

a. All Italians became Roman

4. Gaius Marius was elected consul in 107 B.C.a. Brought major changesb. Created army of volunteers

i. Rewarded with money, land, and war loot

5. Sula was elected Consula. Marched on Rome after his term was overb. Brought civil war to Romec. Sulla wond. Tried to increase power of senatee. However, military power ruled Rome

II. Caesar in PowerA. Julius Caesar

1. Popular general2. Used money to gain influence3. Good public speaker4. Won right to rule through military success

B. The First Triumvirate – Rule by Three1. Caesar joined with other popular generals

a. Crassus & Pompey

2. Caesar took command of army in Gaul (France)a. Took control of all of Gaul

3. Pompey, elected Consul in 52 B.C. a. He was jealous of Caesar and called him home from Gaulb. Told him to leave his army

C. Caesar declared war on the republic, defeated PompeyD. Made himself Consul for life, but was killed in the

Senate

III. The Roman EmpireA. The Second Triumvirate

1. Octavian – Caesars grandnephewa. Forced Lepidus to resign

b. Divided Empire with Antony

c. Built power in Italy

2. Antony – Drove the conspirators outa. Defeated Brutus and Cassius in Asia Minor and Syria

b. Controlled Eastern half of empire

3. Lepidus – Caesar’s right hand man

B.B. Octavian: the first AugustusOctavian: the first Augustus1. Called himself the

first Citizen or princeps

2. People gave Octavian the title Augustusa. Revered One

3. 63 B.C. – 14 B.C.4. Captured Alexandria5. Rome reached its

height under Octavian

C. The Pax Romana (Roman Peace) emperors1. Julio-Claudian Emperors

a. Tiberius – adequate but disliked

b. Caligula – insane and brutal, murdered

c. Claudius – intelligent and managed wisely, poisoned by wife

d. Nero

i. Brutal to Christians

ii. Thought to have been responsible for great fire that burned Rome

iii. Killed himself

2. Army Emperorsa. Four different emperors ruled in 69 because

the army wouldn’t accept any of them

3. Flavian Emperorsa. Vespasian Last of the Army and first of the

Flavianb. Titus put down rebellions in Germania and

Jerusalemc. Domitian

4. The Five Good Emperorsa. Nervab. Trajanc. Hadrian

i. Built Hadrian’s Wallii. Protected the frontier

d. Antoninus Piuse. Marcus Aurelius

Roman Society and CultureRoman Society and Culture

I.I. Building a Strong EmpireBuilding a Strong EmpireA. Government and laws

1. Changed Twelve Tablesa. Made laws as necessaryb. Made Twelve Tables applicable to current needs

B. Trade and transportation1. Most trade centered around:

a. Exports:– Grain– Wine– Oil (olive)– Food stuffs– Linen– Pottery– Glassware

C. Romans built many roads wherever they went

b. Imports:IvorySpicesSilk Sand

D. The Roman Army1. Citizens soldiers served for 16 –

20 years

2. Stationed in large fortified campsa. Towns were often built around these

3. Most men living on the border enlisteda. Would become Romans Citizens

II.II. Life in the EmpireLife in the EmpireA. Daily life

1. Wealthy had a city home and country home

2. Running water and exotic food for richa. Many dinner parties

3. Crowded apartments

4. Simple meals for most Romans

B. Slaves and slavery1. Gladiators – conquered warriors

2. Household slaves

3. Entertainmenta. Catamites- Young boys sold to men for perversity

b. Prostitutes

C. The roles of the family1. Men – father held power

2. Women – mother managed household

3. Children – education at home

D. Religion – state religion

E. Fun and games1. Roman Bath

2. Theatera. Comedies and Satire

3. Arenaa. Chariot Races – Circus Maximus

b. Gladiators

c. Lions

F. Science and the Arts1. Science, engineering, and architecture

a. Galen – wrote several volumes on medicine

b. Ptolemy – taught that the world was geocentric

c. Roman built many roads, coliseums, and bridges

d. Aqueducts – carried water from mountains to cities

e. Used arch and vaulted dome

2. Literaturea. Virgil – Aeneid tells about the prince of Troy, poetry

b. Horace – odes, satires and epistles

c. Ovid – wrote lyrics and Metamorphoses

d. Tacitus – Annals, history of Rome

e. Plutarch – Greek, wrote Parallel Lives, a collection of bios

3. Language a. Latin is the parent of modern Romance languages

The Rise of ChristianityThe Rise of Christianity

I. The Beginning of ChristianityA. Jews revolted and were banned from

JerusalemB. The teachings of Jesus

1. Grounded in Jewish traditions2. Claimed to be Messiah (Savior)

C. The death of Jesus1. Crucifixion 2. Resurrection

D. The Spread of Christianity1. Spread through his apostles

E. Christianity was for everyone1. Paul’s letter to the Romans said, “call upon the name

of the Lord and be saved”

F. Martyrs were put to death for beliefs in Christianity1. Roman efforts could not stop the spread of the

religion

G. Roman law accepted Christianity as a religion1. Constantine was tolerant, converted before he died2. Theodosius made it official Roman Religion3. Church became organized with Bishops, Priests and

Congregations4. Bishops of Empirical Cities were called Patriarchal

Bishops

5. Council of Mycenae a. Gave us the Bible

6. Council of Nicaea

a. Canonized the main religion beliefs

The Fall of the Western The Fall of the Western EmpireEmpire

I. Troubled Times AriseA. Rising inflation

1. Citizenship granted to all free people in the empirea. Done to increase tax base

2. Silver coin was in shortagea. Similar to the gold standard of U.S. economy

3. Used less silver to make coina. Result was inflation

B. Increasing insecurityA. Attacks from invaders continuedB. Costs of defense went upC. Small business were forced to sell to large onesD. Less jobs available for common man

C. Two Able Emperors Attempt Reform1. Diocletian

a. appointed a co-emperor and two caesars (assistants)b. Diocletian ruled the eastern empirec. Tried to control prices and wages

2. Constantine – supported Christianitya. Not supported by Diocletian

i. Civil war broke out

b. Received a vision before he defeated Diocletiani. Supported Christianity after the vision

c. Created a new capital in the East called Constantinople

d. Empire remained strong for 50 years after his deathi. Empire divided ii. Eastern half became the Byzantine Empire

II.II. The Final InvasionsThe Final InvasionsA. The Goths and the Vandals

1. Eastern Germanic tribesa. Treated poorly by Rome

b. Goths with a large heavy army won the battle at Adrianople

c. Rome allowed them to settle in Roman borders under own leadership

d. The Goths sacked Rome after a short peace

B. The Huns1. Followed the Goths into Rome

2. Defeated by a Roman / Goth Army

3. Too late to save Western Half of Empire

4. Overthrown in A.D. 476

C. Results of the invasions1. People were displaced

2. Instability

3. Destruction of cities

D. Causes of the decline1. Political and military weaknesses

a. Empire grew to fast and too large to manage and protect

2. Economic declinea. Heavy taxes took cash flow out of the economy

3. Social changea. Most early Romans believed in “Rome”

b. New generations care more about self than country

c. People were no longer concerned with morals and politics