• Through trade and conquering, the Roman Empire became incredibly wealthy.
• With this new wealth came new problems– Discontent among the lower classes of society
• As Rome grew, the gap between rich and poor grew wider.
– Many rich landowners lived on large estates and had thousands of enslaved workers.
– Small farmers found it difficult to compete
• Many of these farmers were retired soldiers• Many of these small farmers sold their lands to the
wealthy
• One fourth of Rome’s population were the urban poor• Two Tribunes set out to defend these people.
*Remember, Tribunes were the Plebeian representatives*
– Two brothers: Tiberius and Gaius
• Tiberius and Gaius spoke out against the mistreatment of the poor and especially the mistreatment of these former soldiers who could no longer make any kind of living.
– The Senate felt threatened by the two brothers’ abilities to reach the public
• Tiberius was murdered in 133 B.C.• Gaius was murdered in 121 B.C.
– A period of civil war broke out through out Rome
• The Republic was in turmoil. – Many wealthy Generals hired men to form their own
personal armies– These men were loyal only to the military leader who
was paying them. • Instead of having soldiers who were loyal to the Roman
republic, it was possible for a person to take over by using personal force
Julius Caesar
• Eventually, one man would do that.• In 60 B.C., a military leader by the name of Julius Caesar
joined forces with a wealthy Roman named Crassus, and a popular General named Pompey.– The three men formed the first triumvirate.– Triumvirate: a group of three leaders
• Caesar was a strong leader and a genius at military strategy. – He served one year as a Consul
• He appointed himself governor of Gaul (now France)– From 58 – 50 B.C., Caesar conquered all of Gaul
• Caesar’s successes in Gaul made him very popular to the Roman citizens.
• Pompey, who had become Caesar’s rival, was nervous about Caesar’s support from the Roman civilians
• In 50 B.C., Pompey and the senate ordered Caesar to disband his army and return to Rome
• Caesar refused– January 10, 49 B.C., Caesar and his army marched toward
Rome
• Pompey fled the city, but Caesar and his forces followed.• The two forces met in Greece, Asia, Spain, and Egypt
– Caesar was victorious
• In 46 B.C., Caesar returned to Rome and was greeted with a celebration
• In 44 B.C., Caesar was named dictator for life.
• He governed Rome as an absolute ruler
– One who has total power
Caesar’s Reforms• Caesar granted citizenship to many people in the
Roman provinces– Territories that Rome claimed after battles
• He expanded the senate by adding supporters from other regions outside of Rome.
• He helped the poor by creating new jobs through construction and public buildings
• He started new colonies where people without land could afford it.
• He also increased pay for Roman military men
• Though Caesar became a popular figure with the Roman public, many senators feared the power he was gaining
– Some feared that they’d lose their authority– Others thought Caesar was simply a tyrant
• A number of senators decided that it was time to remove Caesar from office.
– His best friend Marcus Brutus and a senator name Gaius Cassius plotted Caesar’s assassination
• On March 14, 44 B.C., Julius Caesar was stabbed multiple times in the senate chamber.
• Civil War broke out once again after the death of Caesar (just like the deaths of Tiberius and Gaius)
– What remained of the republic was pretty much destroyed.
• Three of Caesar’s supporters joined forces to crush his assassins
The Second Triumvirate
• Octavian: Caesar’s 18 year old Grandson• Mark Antony: an experienced General• Lepidus: a powerful politician
• The three men joined forces and ruled Rome for the next ten years.
• Their alliance ended in jealousy and violence
Octavian forced Lepidus to retire
Octavian and Antony went to war
• While at war in Anatolia, Mark Antony met the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra– The two fell in love Antony followed Cleopatra back to
Egypt • Octavian accused Antony of plotting to rule Rome from
Egypt– Another civil war broke out in Rome
• In 31 B.C., Octavian defeated the combined forces of Antony and Cleopatra– Later Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide
• Octavian became the unchallenged ruler of Rome– He restored some aspects of the Republic, but still chose
to rule as a dictator
• Octavian accepted the title Augustus– Augustus means the “Exalted one” – He also kept the title of imperator which means “supreme
military commander” the term emperor derives from this word
• Rome was now an empire ruled by one man– First time since Tarquin the Proud
• Rome was at the peak of its power from the beginning of Augustus’s rule in 27 B.C. to A.D. 180
• For 207 years, peace reigned throughout the empire.
• This 207 year period of peace is known as the Pax Romana (Roman Peace)
• During Pax Romana, the Roman Empire included more than 3 million square miles.
• Its population numbered between 60 and 80 million people.
• About one million people lived in the city of Rome itself
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