Section+6-2+The+Roman+Empire

Section 6-2 The Roman Empire


 * Bold:**
 * civil war-** a conflict between groups within the same country.
 * Julius Caesar-** a strong leader and a genius in military strategy.
 * triumvirate-** a group of three leaders
 * Augustus-** means "exalted one."
 * Pax Romana-** means "Roman peace"


 * Key People/ Key events:**


 * Setting the Stage:**
 * -** as Rome grew their republican government became unstable. They dropped the republican government to help continue the spread of Rome's influences.


 * The Republic Collapses:**
 * -** as Rome's wealth and territory grew it rose powers. The lower classes were not happy and the military order was breaking down. These problems lead to a new political system.


 * Economic Turmoil:**
 * -** as Rome's wealth grew the richer, higher classes became more and more distant from the lower less wealthy classes. The upper classes lived on huge estates and the lower classes who were mainly enslaved people, who were captured in various wars. The lower classes made up about one third of Rome's population.
 * -** the smaller farms could not compete with the larger estates that were run by the enslaved peoples so they often sold their land to the estates and became homeless and jobless. Most of them stayed in the country side and worked as seasonal migrant laborers. Some headed to Rome and other places in search of work. They joined the urban poor rank that made up about one fourth of Rome's population.
 * -** Two brothers Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus tried to help Rome's poor. As tribunes they proposed the idea to limit the size of the estates and to give land to the poor.
 * -** These acts gave the brothers many enemies that were mainly senators who felt threatened by their ideas. They both faced violent deaths Tiberius in 133 BC and Gaius in 121 BC. Soon after there deaths a civil war began.


 * Military Upheaval:**
 * -** the growing turmoil in the republic began to break down the once-loyal military. As the government became weaker the military's generals started to seize more power for themselves. They recruited soldiers by offered the poor land for them to fight. The soldiers fought for pay and were loyal to the commander. They replaced the citizen soldiers who were loyal to the republic. It was now possible for the military leader to take over by force which did happen.


 * Julius Caesar Takes Control:**
 * -** Julius Caesar joined forces with Crassus, a wealthy, Roman who was a popular general. With their help Caesar was elected consul in 59 BC. for the next years these man dominated Rome with a group of three rulers or a triumvirate.
 * -** Caesar was a string leader and a good military strategist and only served one year in consul like he was suppose to. He then appointed himself as governor of Gaul, current day France. Caesar led his legions in a war to conquer all of Gaul. This victory got his men's loyalty and devotion.
 * -** Caesar's successes in Gual made him very popular in Rome. Pompey became Caesars rival in politics, they feared Caesars ambitions. in 50 BC Pompey's senate made Caesar disband his legions and return home.
 * -** Caesar defied the senates orders. On January 10, 49 BC he took his army across the Rubicon River in Italy to the southern limit of the area that he had conquered. He marched towards Rome and Pompey fled. Caesars armies beat Pompey's in Greece, Asia, Spain and Egypt. In 46 BC he returned to Rome where he had support from army masses. That year he was appointed dictator by the senate and in 44 BC he was made dictator for life.


 * Caesar's Reforms:**
 * -** Caesar was a great leader. He did start a number of reforms. He granted Roman citizenship to many people, he expanded the senate, he helped the poor by creating jobs by constructing public buildings and he started colonies where people without land could own property and he also increased pay for soldiers.
 * -** Many nobles and senators were concerned with Caesar growing in power success and popularity.They feared they would loose their influence. A group of senators led by Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassius planned his assassination. They stabbed him to death in the senate chamber.
 * Beginning of the Empire:**
 * -** After Caesars death another civil war happened and the rest of the Roman Republic was destroyed. Three of Caesar's supporters banded together to crush the assassins. Caesar's 18 year old grandnephew and his adopted son joined with a general named Mark Antony, and a powerful official named Lepidus. in 43 BC they control Rome and ruled it for ten years as a Second Triumvirate.
 * -** Their alliance ended due ti jealousy and violence. Octavian forced Lepidus to retire. He and Mark Antony then became rivals. While mark was leading his troops against Rome's armies in Anatolia he met the Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. He fell in love with he and followed her to Egypt. Octavian accused Antony of plotting to rule Rome from Egypt so another civil war started. Octavian defeated the combining forces of Antony and Cleopatra at the navel battle of Actium in 31 BC and Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide**.**
 * -** This did restore some the republic and Octavian became the unchallenged ruler of Rome. He eventually excepted the name Augustus. He also kept the name imperator or "supreme military commander." Rome iks now an Empire ruled by one man.


 * A Vast and Powerful Empire:**
 * -** Rome was at peace for 207 years except for some fighting with some tribes along the border. This time was called Pax Romana.
 * -** During this time the Roman Empire ruled over 3 million square miles. It population was between 80 and 60 million people. And about 1q million in the city of Rome.


 * A Sound Government:**
 * -** Rome was held together by efficient government and able rulers. Augustus was Rome's most able ruler. He stabilized the frontier, glorified Rome with nice public buildings and created a government that existed for centuries. He set up a civil service he paid workers to manage the affairs of the government such as the grain supply, tax collection and the postal system. The senate still functioned civil servants drawn from plebeians and even former slaves.
 * -** When Augustus died the system of government he made maintained the empire's stability. This was because of the civil service. The Roman controlled an empire that from the second century AD reached from Spain to Mesopotamia from North Africa to Britain.


 * Agriculture and Trade:**
 * -** Agriculture was the most important industry for the Roman empire. About 90% of people were engaged in farming. Most Roman survived of the produce of the local areas. Other food was obtained through trade. In Augustus's time the currency was a silver coin similar to the trading industries making trading easier**.**
 * -** Rome had a large trading network. Ships from the east sailed along the Mediterranean protected by the Roman navy. Cities like Corinth in Greece, Ephesus in Anatolia grew wealthy. Rome also traded with India and Asia.
 * -** Roads connected Rome to places as far as Persia and southern Russia. The roads were originally built for Roman military purposes. Trade brought Roman ways to provinces and beyond.


 * The Roman World:**
 * -** Throughout history the Romans honored discipline, strength and loyalty. People with these value were considered to be a important virtue of gravitas. The roman honored strength more than beauty power more than grace and usefulness more than elegance.
 * -** Most people who lived in the Roman Empire were farmers who lived on the country side. In Rome and smaller cities were occupied by merchants, soldiers slaves foreigners and philosophers. It was very crowded. People from all over created a diverse society.


 * Slaves and Captivity:**
 * -** Slaves were important to Roman life and Economy. They used the slaves the most out of all previous civilizations. The number of slaves could have made up one third of the population. Most slaves were peoples that the Romans conquered. Slaves were bought and sold. Kids born from slaves were made slaves. Roman laws said slaves were the owner property. They could be set free, punished, set to death and rewarded however the owner pleased.
 * -** Slaves worked on the farmer and the city most were treated badly and worked all day. Some strong men were forced to become gladiators who fought to the death. Some slaves like the ones who worked in the wealthier houses where treated better. Sometimes slaves would rebel none were a success, more than a million slaves lost their life trying to gain freedom


 * Gods and Goddesses:**
 * -** Early Roman worship spirits called numina. They also believed in Lares or guardian spirits of each family. They worshiped the powerful gods by rituals.
 * -** In Rome government and religion were linked. The deities were symbols of the state. Roman were expected to honor them not only in private rituals but also with shrines. The most important roman gods were Jupiter farther of gods; Juno his wife who apparently watched over all women; and Minerva goddess of wisdom and the arts and crafts.

- Most people didn't have the necessities of life. During the time of the empire much of the population were unemployed. The government supported the people by daily rations of rice.
 * Society and Culture:**
 * -** The classes were very different and different classes lived differently. The rich lived extravagantly. They spent a lot of money on homes, gardens, slave and luxuries.
 * -** To distract and control the masses in Rome free games, races, mock battles and gladiator contests were held. By 250 AD there were over 150 holidays a year. A large arena could hold 50,000 people. They would watch things with braver and cruelty, honor and violence.
 * -** Romans started to practice Christianity. The followers were very brutal and hardship in their beliefs. But the religions spread throughout the empire.