Republic to Empire Decline of the Empire Senate

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