Pax Romana

27 BC – 180 AD

Julius Caesar Takes Julius Caesar Takes PowerPower

• 60 B.C. – Named Consul• ALLIANCE: –The TriumvirateThe Triumvirate •A Rule of 3

–Controls Rome w/Pompey & Crassus

The TriumvirateThe Triumvirate

Crassus PompeyJulius

Caesar

Caesar’s Absolute Caesar’s Absolute PowerPower

• Crassus dies in 53 BCECrassus dies in 53 BCE• Pompey convinces Senate Pompey convinces Senate

to ask Caesar to relinquish to ask Caesar to relinquish command of troops.command of troops.

• ““Crossing the Rubicon”Crossing the Rubicon”• Civil War in Rome: Civil War in Rome: Caesar Caesar

vs. Pompeyvs. Pompey–Caesar is VictoriousCaesar is Victorious

Caesar The RulerCaesar The Ruler• Caesar elected Dictator in 49

BCE (10 yr. term)• Massive reform of tax, land, and

legal code.• Extended citizenship.• Re-organized town gov’t.• Public works program = jobs

Death of Caesar

• In 44 BCE named dictator for life.• Senate worried about new powers and the

end of Senatorial rule.• Killed Caesar

Civil War….again

• Plunged the countryside into war over power.• Cassius and Brutus sought power• Were defeated by a triumvirate of Lepidus,

Mark Anthony (two of Caesars’ trusted generals) and Octavian, his adopted son.

Rise of OctavianRise of Octavian

• Caesar’s nephew• Forms the Second Second TriumvirateTriumvirate with Marc Antony and Lepidus

The Second TriumvirateThe Second Triumvirate

Marc Antony Lepidus Octavian

TROUBLE IN ROMETROUBLE IN ROME: : Marc Antony meets Marc Antony meets

CleopatraCleopatra

Octavian accuses them of plotting Octavian accuses them of plotting to overthrow Rometo overthrow Rome

Octavian vs. Octavian vs. AntonyAntony

• Civil War: Octavian is Civil War: Octavian is Victorious! At Battle of ActiumVictorious! At Battle of Actium

• Renamed: Renamed: EMPEROREMPEROR

AUGUSTUS!!!AUGUSTUS!!!• The Republic is The Republic is deaddead!!!!!!• Rome is now an Rome is now an EmpireEmpire!!!!!!

The Rule of Octavian

• Created a façade of ruling with the Senate and patricians

• Senate and Magistrates held some powers and advised him.

• After purging Senate of opposition, gave power back, only to have Senate ask for him to stay.

• Becomes principate (first citizen) and Augustus (Senate conferred)

• Creates divine role for leader.

“The First Citizen”

• Restored classical citizen ruler ideal• Reformed military– Standing professional army– Well paid for 25 yr contracts

• Building Projects in Rome• Reformed forced extortion of territories• Reformed tax code to be equal to citizens• Bureaucracy becomes a group of capable leaders.

Julio-Claudian Dynasty• 14 AD – 68 AD• Relatives of Octavian or his third wife Livia• Tiberius – poor judgment, fumbled from 14-37 ACE,

killed rivals and Germanicus. Set up for…• Caligula – went mad, paraded as God-King, emptied

treasuries, killed by advisors• Claudius – good ruler (reform military, building

projects, conquered Brits), bad taste in women, • Nero – mother Agrippa sought power over him, but

instead he became tyrannical. Killed ppl at random, may have been a pedophile. Great Fire. Killed self in the middle of a revolt against him.

Flavian Dynasty• Three Emperors rule in a period of one year, each

died under suspicious circumstances or outright murder.

• Elected Vespasian, whose ten year reign was strong.– Built Coliseum– Put down revolts in Judea and Gaul– destroyed Second Jewish temple during revolt in 70

AD– Raised taxes and reclaimed land – refilled Rome’s

coffers.– Insisted children rule after him, not chosen “son”,

caused huge problems.– Flavians ended with his son Domitian

Nerva makes key decision• Even though the next

Emperor’s reign was short, Nerva makes the decision to appoint the next ruler before death AND base it upon merit.

• He chooses Trajan.• It is with Nerva that we

get the time of the “Five Good Emperors” lasting from 96 ACE to 180 ACE.

Trajan• Conquered Dacia (Bulgaria)

and Partha (Persia) and gained great wealth.

• Eased tax burdens on people.

• Fought poverty with grain handouts

• Established program to help poor children, welfare like.

• Began the process of Romanization

Hadrian• Pulled back on some of

Trajans conquests, but solidified boundaries in Brittany (Hadrians Wall)

• Put down second Jewish revolt and scattered Jews out of lands, renaming it Syria Palestine.

• Sought to make Athens the cultural capital of the Empire.

Antoninius Pius

• Peaceful time in empire• Limited ability of master

to torute slaves• Innocence until proven

guilty• Efficient and just ruler

who stayed in Italy almost whole time.

Marcus Aurelius• Stoic Philosopher• Wrote “Meditations”• Fought constantly in

Germany and Parthia• Constantly reassuring

borders.• Herodes and Fronto

become teachers of young man.

• Devalued Roman Currency• Pandemic in 165 AD –

ruined city and economy• Passed power to his son

Commodus – therefore the end of the great period.

Roman Culture• Architecture

– Aqueducts – developed to bring water into cities. Work done by slaves.

– Roads Developed – Appian Way

– Triumphal Arches – Titus and Trajan to commemorate victories

– Forums – built in each major city as the center of culture and society. (primarily basilicas)

• Architecture– Temples – set to different

gods –more of a meeting place than a worship house

– Coliseum• Construction started in 72 AD

– finished in 80 AD• 50,000 spectators • Mock sea battles

– Circus Maximus• Built over time by Romans

starting in 400 BC.• Could seat 120,000 ppl

• ““All ROADS lead to All ROADS lead to ROME”ROME”–Built Roads throughout Built Roads throughout EmpireEmpire•Unity, Strength, TradeUnity, Strength, Trade

Roman Contributions

•AqueductsAqueducts–Plumbing system Plumbing system that carried that carried water to citieswater to cities

Roman Contributions

• Literature– Romans focused on

history and poetry more than dramatics and fictional literature

– Cato (160 BC) – first history of Roman states

– Gaius Lucilius – poetry “30 Satires”

– Cicero – described Roman life through philosophy and oratories

• Virgil – The Aeneid – epic poem that describes history of Rome

• Tacitus – great historian of Rome – Julius Caesar to Domitian

• LATINLATIN–Root of Modern LanguageRoot of Modern Language–All did not speak Latin, All did not speak Latin, but it developed into but it developed into other languagesother languages

Roman Contributions

• Philosophy– Dominated by

Epicureanism and Skepticism early on• Cicero• Seneca• Later on – St. Augustine

with Christianity

• Science– Most advances

surrounding architectural developments (example: concrete developed)

– Mining and metellurgy– Galen contributed to

treating symptoms

• Law– 12 Tables

• Set up in center of Roma

– Set up a class of professional jurists and judges

– Established jus naturale (natural laws)

– Habaes Corpus, checks and balances, separation of powers,

– Stare Decisis

Bread and Circuses

• Events set up during the later Roman period in order to maintain control on the large urban populations being created by expansion of latfundia.

• Poor Romans were entertained and gained bread rations to go.

•

Religious Impact