Rome was in a dangerous place in the

Rome was in a dangerous place in the 70 s BC • Generals and politicians wanted to increase their power • The unemployed rioted • People flooded into the city

Cicero, a gifted philosopher and orator (public speaker) called on Romans to make Rome a better place • He wanted to limit the power of the generals and restore the checks and balances • He was unsuccessful

He was probably the greatest general of Roman history His soldiers respected him because he treated them well Between 58 and 50 BC he conquered nearly all of Gaul and part of Britain

Caesar’s military success gave him political power He was also a skilled speaker He had powerful friends in Pompey and Crassus Together, they fought against the senate

Eventually, Caesar’s power made his friends jealous In 50 BC Pompey’s allies in the senate ordered Caesar to give up his legions and return to Rome In 49 BC Caesar “crossed the Rubicon, ” which led to civil war

Upon getting to Rome, he forced the Senate to name him dictator Many resented this and feared he was trying to become a king On March 15, 44 BC, a group of Senators, including Brutus, killed him in the Senate house

Caesar’s murderers were forced to flee for their lives Two leaders emerged to take control • One was Marc Anthony, a former assistant of Caesar • The other was Caesar’s nephew, Octavian, later called Augustus

In 43 BC, Antony and Octavian defeated Caesar’s killers at Philippi Antony went to Egypt, met Cleopatra, and divorced his wife, Octavian’s sister This behavior led to civil war in

Octavian’s fleet defeated Antony’s at Actium As a result, Antony and Cleopatra fled to Egypt and committed suicide Octavian became Rome’s sole ruler

In 27 BC Octavian announced that he was giving up his power to the Senate But, in reality, he kept most of it He took the title of princeps, first citizen The Senate gave him the title Augustus, “revered one”

Modern historians consider this to mark the end of the Roman Republic… …and the beginning of the Roman Empire