The Roman Empire From Republic to Empire Rome

The Roman Empire From Republic to Empire

Rome After Caesar n A power struggle developed between Octavian and Mark Antony to succeed Julius Caesar; – – No specific order of succession had been established to succeed Julius Caesar. Octavian, Julius Caesar’s grand nephew, was the heir to his property. Mark Antony was Julius Caesar’s co-consul and second in command of the military. Antony reads Caesar’s will at his funeral and inflames the citizens to hunt down his assassins.

Augustus (Octavian)- Marc Antony

– – Antony seizes all of Julius Caesar’s property and takes total control of the government. Octavian’s supporters encourage him to return to Rome and claim his throne. Octavian marches on Rome while Antony is suppressing a rebellion in Cisalpine Gaul. Before the two armies meet in battle, Antony and Octavian agree to a joint rule in order to save the Roman state thus forming the second Triumvirate.

The Second Triumvirate (43 BC) Antony, Octavian and an aging senator, Lepidus, form the “Second Triumvirate”. n The state is divided with Octavian in charge of Italy and the West, Antony in charge of the East including Egypt, and Lepidus is given the rest of North Africa. n Antony is given command of the army and ordered to hunt down Julius Caesar’s assassins. n

Second Triumvirate Con’t: A “Reign of Terror” begins against the enemies of both Octavian and Antony and thousands are executed. n Octavian forces Lepidus to retire while Antony is hunting down the assassins. n Octavian and Antony rule in a joint but uneasy dual consulship. n Antony marries Octavian’s sister, Octaiea, in order to merge the two families. n

Second Triumvirate Con’t: Antony soon falls in love with Cleopatra while in Egypt. n Antony announces his divorce to Octavia and his intention to marry Cleopatra and make her the “Queen of Rome”. n Antony also adopts Cleopatra and Julius Caesar’s son Caesarion. n Octavian convinces the Roman citizens that Antony and Cleopatra are conspiring to take over the government. n

The Civil War n Octavian and Antony become involved in another civil war to decide the role of Rome. – – Antony and Cleopatra build a large navy to gain control of the Mediterranean Sea. Antony is considered a military genius and most dispute Octavian’s military ability. Octavian puts Marcus Agrippa in charge of the Roman army and navy. The two forces meet at the sea battle of Actium in 31 BC which is a standoff.

Civil War Con’t: – – – With the battle undecided, Cleopatra and then Antony, flee and Agrippa routs their navy. Octavian follows Antony and Cleopatra to Egypt. Antony is finally forced to commit suicide and Cleopatra kills herself rather than become a “spoil of war”.

The Empire is Created n Octavian (63 BC to 14 AD) assumes control of the Roman State. – – – Octavian tells the senate he intends to restore the Roman government, but not the Republic. In a token gesture, he resigns all offices only to regain them all at the “persuasion” of the senate. Octavian assumes many new titles in his consolidation of power; (next slide)

Roman Empire Con’t: n Octavian’s titles include; – – – – Princeps, or “first citizen” Augustus, or “the exalted one” Pontifax Maximus, or “high priest” Proconsul of all provinces Imperator, or “commander of all armies” Tribune Pater Patriae, or “father of his country” He wisely refused the title of King

Roman Empire Con’t: This effectively established an “autocracy” where all power is vested in the hands of one ruler. n Augustus (Octavian) ended chaos and brought order and stability to the Roman state through a series of reforms; n – – He reorganized the army by consolidating its power into the hands of professional soldiers. He restored military pensions.

Reforms Con’t: – – – He restored religious holidays. He rebuilt many temples and public buildings. He reduced the number of senators, but increased their powers. He created the new office of Procurator to rule the provinces. He even attempted to restore morality through passage of a series of “Family Values” laws.

Reforms Con’t: – – n He established the “Praetorian Guard” to act as his personal bodyguard. He established a climate that encouraged the arts and sciences to flourish. At his death the Roman Empire was well established.

Roman Empire Con’t: n Augustus dies but his succession is a problem. – – Although he planned succession, a series of untimely deaths and his own longevity created uncertainty. He outlived five appointed successors. He finally appointed his youngest stepson, Tiberius, to succeed him. He died a peaceful death at 76 in 14 AD.

The Julio-Claudian Emperors Tiberius (40 BC to 37 AD), assumes the throne n following Augustus; n – – – Tiberius, the stepson of Augustus, was 55 years of age when he assumed the throne. He was a large man who shunned public life and is often portrayed as a mean-spirited tyrant, living a life of luxury and perversion in villas away from Rome.

Tiberius Con’t: – – – Tiberius was a competent administrator who filled the treasury but ignored the military, public works and the desire for amusements from the masses. He was married three times but his two sons, Drusus and Germanicus, met unusual deaths which may have been poison. Tiberius retires to the island of Capri and turns the government over to the head of the Praetorian Guard, Sejanus.

Tiberius Con’t: – – – Sejanus attempts a coup but the plot is discovered and he is executed. Tiberius finally dies a suspicious death in 37 AD at the age of 79. He is succeeded by the son of Germanicus, Gaius.

Gaius n Gaius (Caligula) (12 to 41 AD) next assumes the throne of Rome; – – – Gaius was the son of Germanicus and great-grandson of both Julius Caesar & Mark Antony. He was nicknamed “Caligula” (Little Boots) because he wore the footgear of the Legionaire. He is remembered as a capricious, cruel insecure and psychotic young man who only ruled for four years. (next slide)

Gaius Con’t: – – – – Caligula had a promising start as emperor by cooperating with the Senate and announcing restoration of pensions, amusements and building projects. His behavior soon began to show signs of psychosis as evidenced by several events including; A. the sacrifice of 160, 000 slaves to the gods, B. increasingly sadistic games, C. making his favorite horse a consul, D. living openly with one of is sisters in an incestuous relationship

Gaius Con’t: – – – E. squandering the treasury on such projects as building a bridge across the Tiber so he could race his horse, F. trying to make himself a “living god” and assuming the trappings of an oriental monarch. Gaius was assassinated by the leader of the Praetorian guard and his wife and daughter were publicly executed.

Claudius n Claudius (10 BC to 54 AD) assumes the throne; – – – Claudius was the uncle of Gaius, son of Drusus, nephew of Tiberius, brother of Germanicus and gransdon of Antony and Octavia. Claudius was 55 years old when he was proclaimed emperor by the Praetorian Guard. Although physically handicapped, he was very intelligent and well educated.

Claudius Con’t: – – Claudius proved to be an excellent administrator who undertook many reforms to restore stability to the government. His public life was overshadowed by his personal life as his five marriages were all failures. His first wife died on her wedding day, the next two were divorced, the third, Messalina, was a notorious adulteress who plotted to kill him, and the last, Agrippina, was his niece. Agrippina convinces Claudius to appoint her son, Nero, as heir to the throne.

Clausius Con’t: Agrippina then kills Claudius by feeding him poison mushrooms. – This sets the stage for Nero. –

Nero n Nero (37 to 68 AD) follows to the head of state; – – Nero comes to the throne at the age of 16. His early years were dominated by his mother, Agrippina, Burrus (the head of the Praetorian Guard, and Seneca ( his tutor who was a noted stoic philosopher. Nero comes of age and begins to take charge, replacing Burrus, forcing Seneca to commit suicide and killing his mother. He also murders two wives and a stepbrother.

Nero Con’t: Nero is remembered as a self-indulgent monster as evidenced by; A. living openly with homosexual lovers B. ordering sadistic games and amusements C. Deification of himself as a god D. squandering the treasury on building the “Golden Palace” E. persecution of the Christians after the great fire of Rome in 64 AD which resulted in 2/3 of Rome being destroyed (thus the saying Rome burned while Nero played the fiddle). –

Nero Con’t: – – Nero was a patron of the arts and envisioned himself as a poet and a musician. He was finally forced to commit suicide when cornered by a combination of Senators and Praetorian Guards at the age of 30.

Chaos and the Flavian Restoration Rome descends into chaos and disorder after the death of Nero. n Three different military commanders attempt to take control of the Roman Empire during the year of 68 AD. n – Galba, commander of the Spanish Legions, is proclaimed Emperor by the Senate after Nero’s death. He marched to Rome and took control only to be executed by his rival, Otho.

Chaos Con’t: – – Otho, a follower of Nero who had married his widow, seized power after being proclaimed emperor by the Praetorian Guard. Within a few months he was in turn overthrown and executed by his rival, Vitellius, commander of the German Legions, seizes control of the Empire. His march to Rome was remembered as a drunken and riotous affair. He only ruled for a few weeks after reaching Rome. He was overthrown by troops loyal to Vespasian.

The Flavian Restoration n A new dynasty, the Flavians, restore order and stability to the Roman Empire. – – Vespasian was a middle class Roman soldier raised in the provinces. He was the procurator of Judea who had razed Jerusalem in the Zealot Revolt of 66 AD. He was proclaimed emperor by the Eastern Legions. His reign was marked by reforms and restoration of order in the city of Rome

Flavians Con’t: – – – He established the concept of the”Tour of Duty”, by not allowing legionnaires or commanders to serve in one place for an extended period of time. (WHY? ) He also instituted many building projects, most notably the Colosseum of Rome. He died of natural causes in 79 AD. He was the first Roman emperor since Augustus not to die a violent and unnatural death.

Flavians Con’t: n Vespasian’s eldest son, Titus, succeeded him to the throne; – – Titus ruled for only 2 years. He is remembered as one of the kindest and most loved emperors of Rome. His great compassion for people was demonstrated by his relief aid to the citizens of Pompeii after its destruction by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvios in 79 AD. He died unexpectedly at the age of 42.

Flavians Con’t: n Titus was succeeded by his younger brother, Domitian (51 to 96 AD) – – – Domitian ruled for 15 years. He was a capable administrator, but did not possess the social skills of either his father or brother. He became extremely paranoid after a coup on his life and was finally executed by some Senatorial conspirators in cooperation with members of the Praetorian Guard.

The Pax Romana n Between 96 to 235 AD the Roman Empire reached its height of peace and prosperity. – – – This period is known as the “Pax Romana” or the “Peace of Rome”. Rome was ruled by a group of emperors known as the “Five Good Emperors” (from 96 to 180 AD) and the Severan Dynasty(180 to 235 AD). This period is characterized by emperors from several different areas who provided for an orderly and stable succession.

Rulers of Pax Romana n Nerva (30 to 98 AD), assumes the throne after the assassination of Domitian. – – – He is appointed emperor by the Senate. He is elderly and sickly and only rules for two years. He did not have the support of the military at the start of his reign but soon gained it through his appointment of Trajan as his successor.

Nerva Con’t: – – – He also gained support when he increased military pensions. He increased the welfare payments (called the Dole) to the masses. He died of natural causes making the way clear for a ruler who had been hand picked instead of picked by an outside group.

Trajan (53 to 117 AD) n Trajan succeeds to the throne in a smooth takeover of power; – – – He ruled for 19 years and is remembered as one of the most renowned and greatest of the Roman emperors. He was the first non-Italian emperor, being born of Roman parents in Spain. He was a military hero after his defeat of a Germanic invasion.

Trajan Con’t: – He extended the Roman frontier to its greatest extent by annexing; (See map) n Dacia (Romania) n Mesopotamia n Armenia n Arabia – He died of a stroke while on a military campaign in the eastern provinces.

Hadrian (73 to 138 AD) n Hadrian follows the death of Trajan; – – – He ruled for 21 years. Like Trajan, he also was born in Spain. He was a champion of the arts and culture who had been tutored by the Greeks and spent much of his time in scholarly pursuits. He is remembered for codification of the Roman laws and reform of the provincial governments. He kept the provinces in line by regular visits.

Hadrian Con’t: – – – He consolidated the borders of the frontier and built many walls of fortification which still stand today (Hadrian’s Wall in Britain) SEE NEXT SLIDE He finaly suppressed the massive Judean revolt which culminated in the massacre of Masada. He died of natural causes after appointing Antoninus Pious as his successor.

Antoninus Pious (86 to 161 AD) n Antoninus Pious ruled Rome for almost 25 years yet he left less of a mark on the Empire than did any of his predecessors. – – A product of the Senate, he became one of the most beloved and honored of all Roman Emperors. Under his reign the “Pax Romana” reached its height with little time being spent of war efforts or internal dissention.

Antoninus Pious Con’t: – – – His main effort was on centralizing the government and making it more effective. He soon gained the nickname “Pious” after his extraordinary compassion. He died after eating some “bad” cheese.

Marcus Aurelius (121 to 180 AD) n Marcus Aurelius assumed control of the empire and ruled for 19 years; – – – He is remembered as a great Stoic philosopher whose book “Meditations” is a classic of the Ancient World. Many thought he was the “Philosopher King” envisioned by Plato in his “Republic”. His reign was dominated by barbaric invasions and natural disasters. He died from an overdose of opium used as a painkiller of a battle wound.

Commodus (161 to 192 AD) n He ruled for 12 years and was considered the weakest Roman emperor since Domitain. – – He abandoned many of the frontiers and neglected the duties of state. He envisioned himself a gladiator and often appeared before the Senate dressed as one. After his megalomania began to increase he was assassinated by a group of conspirators in 192 AD. This set the stage for the Severan Dynasty.

The Severan Dynasty n The Severan Dynasty ruled Rome for the next 43 years; – – – The Severans were members of a family who attempted to restore order after Commodus. The most notable of these rulers was Septimius Severus (146 to 211 AD) who was the first African born emperor. Many of the Severans, most notably Caracalla and Elagabalus, are remembered as perverted monsters whose reigns were characterized by every excess known to humans.

Crisis, Renewal, and Collapse Between 235 and 476 only two emperors withstood the barbaric invasions from the north and internal problems to temporarily save the empire from total collapse; n The reign of the “Barrack Emperors” n – – Twenty emperors ruled during this period which lasted from 235 to 285 AD, all were military. All but one died a violent death and during their reign Germanic invasions increased dramatically.

Crisis, Renewal, & Collapse Con’t: n Diocletian (245 to 305 AD) followed the Barrack emperors and ruled from 285 to his death in 305 AD. – – – He totally reorganized the empire into a “Tetrarchy”, or a rule of four. The empire was divided into two halves, with each subdivided into prefectures, dioceses, and provinces. Each half of the empire was ruled by an “Augustus” who had an appointed second-in-command successor known as a “Caesar”.

Diocletian Con’t: – – – The tetrarchy removed much of the influence of the military and eliminated any pretense of a republic. Diocletian is sometimes remembered as the emperor who attempted to systematically and brutally eliminate the Christian sect. He reportedly starved himself to death when he became to weak to rule.

Crisis, Renewal, & Collapse Con’t: An interim period (305 to 324 AD) saw a renewed struggle to hold back the barbarians as well as increasing pressure to split the two halves of the empire into separate and distinct units. n Constantine (274 to 337 AD) is Rome’s last great emperor; n – Constantine’s rule is a turning point in history in that he is the first Christian ruler.

Constantine Con’t: – – – He converted to Christianity after the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 AD where he defeated a rival for the throne. It was here that he reported seeing a vision of the cross in the sky prior to the battle. He issued the Edict of Milan which legalized Christianity in the empire. He decided to build a new capital on the Dardenelles and named it after himself, (Constantinople).

Constantine Con’t: – – He called the first church council at Nicaea in 325 AD to determine the nature of Jesus. Constantine died in 327 while attempting to Christianize Persia.

Crisis, Renewal, & Collapse Con’t: n With the death of Constantine, the Roman Empire quickly collapses with only a few emperors leaving a lasting mark on the empire; – – Julian (332 to 378 AD), was known as the “Apostate” and he is remembered for trying to restore the old Roman religion. Valens (354 to 378 AD), was the last Roman emperor to attempt to drive out the barbarians. He was killed at the Battle of Adrainople.

Crisis, Renewal, & Collapse Con’t: – – – Theodosius (379 to 395 AD), He totally divided the empire into two independent empires after signing a treaty with the barbarians to preserve the eastern empire. Romulus Augustus (C. 476 AD), was the last Roman emperor who abdicated his throne at the age of 16. Odovocar, a Germanic chieftan proclaimed himself emperor of Rome in 476 AD after occupying the city.

Collapse Although the western empire collapsed , the Eastern empire continued on, now being known as the Byzantine Empire, until it was overthrown in 1453 AD by the Ottoman Turks. n Europe and the rest of the Western Empire fell in to chaos which has been called the “Dark Ages or the Medieval Period”. n

Causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire n Immediate causes: – – – The Germanic tribes had been a constant source of pressure on the empire for centuries. Many tribes had moved peacefully into the empire and had become citizens of Rome. Britain was overran by the Franks and Burgundians. Spain was overthrown by the Vandals. Italy was taken over by the Ostrogoths, Visigoths and Lombards.

Causes Con’t: Underlying causes - While the Germanic invasions were the obvious causes for the fall of Rome, the underlying reasons were much more significant for historians; n The British historian, Gibbons, identified the primary reasons for the collapse in his “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, which is a model for future study. n

Causes Con’t: n Social Causes; – – Slavery had weakened the moral fiber of the citizens and a large discontented mass of people had become disenfranchised. (minorities and economically disadvantaged in the U. S. ) There had been a decline in the traditional Roman citizenry. (movement to make Spanish a second language in U. S. )

Causes Con’t: n Social Con’t: – – – Moral decay was evident as depicted in its literature, amusements, and lifestyles that often portrayed gratuitous sex and violence. (TV and movies in the U. S. today) Patriotism declined as people lost their allegiance to the state. (Veteran’s Day, and growth of anti government groups in the U. S. ) Christianity emphasized the individual instead of traditional Roman values. (selfishness and materialism in the U. S. )

Causes Con’t: n Economic causes; – – – As productivity declined, the Roman empire became more dependent of foreign products. (foreign oil) A break-down in the labor force occurred as the traditional work ethic declined. (cars made on Friday and Monday are not good quality) The infrastructure of the cities declined and began a steady decay. (highways and others)

Causes Con’t: n Economic Con’t: – – – A trade deficit began to occur. (trade deficit in U. S. for the past 30 years) The cost of government, including the military and welfare, became burdensome. (government spending for the military and welfare programs have tripled in the last 20 years) Class economic warfare broke out between the rich and poor. (in the last 20 years the rich have greatly increased their value while the poor have lost much of their purchasing power)

Causes Con’t: n Economic Con’t; – – Parts of the empire were not taxed while others were overtaxed. (Tax cuts that have been made in the last 20 years mainly favor the rich) Who you vote for is up to you but check out who gets taxed and who doesn’t get taxed before you vote. The small farm almost disappeared. (less than 3% of Americans farm on small farms today)

Causes Con’t: n Political Causes; – – – The Romans never solved the problem of succession except during a brief period of time. (Constitution) The government of the empire was not designed to rule a large, polyglot, multi ethnic, empire and reform cane too late. (have we lost our focus? example Christian right movement) The government became increasingly run by the rich and the military. ($ in politics today)

Causes Con’t: n Political Con’t; – – Citizens lost interest in government as it became distant from them. (low voter turnout in elections today. The military became loyal to itself not to the empire -- it became a job not a mission. (professional military, a job and occupation)