Roman Empire
description
Transcript of Roman Empire
Roman Empire
Decline of the Roman Republic
• Main causes for the decline of the republic
• Spread of slavery in agriculture• Migration and unemployment of
small farmers• Inflation• Civil war over power of Julius
Caesar
Civil war
• First triumvirate takes power (60 BCE)
• Fall of triumvirate
• Julius Caesar• Crassus• Pompey
• Crassus dies• Pompey becomes consul
Civil war
• Caesar marches on Rome, starting civil war
• Pompey is killed in Egypt• Caesar gains complete control of Rome• Julius Caesar passes popular reforms• Senators later assassinate Julius Caesar
Second triumvirate
• Officially in power (43-33 BCE)
• War between Octavian and Antony
• Octavian (Augustus Caesar)• Lepidus• Marc Antony
• Octavian wins• Becomes first emperor of Rome –
Augustus Caesar
Roman Empire
• Augustus unifies and enlarges empire
• Issues of emperor
• Using imperial authority• Military
• No peaceful transition process
Expansion of Roman Empire
• Rome expands to: • Secures expansion of Republic
• Asia Minor• British Isles
Expansion of Roman Empire
Pax Romana
• What was the Pax Romana?
• Begins under Augustus Caesar• Two centuries of peace and
prosperity• Expansion and solidification of
Roman Empire
Pax Romana
• Economic impact of Pax Romana
• Uniform money system• Expanded trade• Very good road• Safe travel• Prosperity and stability
Pax Romana
• Social impact of Pax Romana
• Political impact of Pax Romana
• Returned stability to social classes
• Increased emphasis on family
• Created civil service• Uniform rule of law
Cultural Contributions - Pantheon
Temple in Rome honoring all the Roman gods and goddesses. Today it is a church
Cultural Contributions – Colosseum
Home of popular spectacle, such as gladiator battles and chariot races.
Cultural Contributions - Forum
Center of commerce and government in Rome.
Cultural contributions – Aqueducts
Aqueducts were bridges used to transport water. They supplied water for drinking and baths.
Cultural Contributions - Roads
Cultural Contributions - Arches
Cultural Contributions
• Science
• Public Health
• Ptolemy
• Public health• Public water systems• Medicals schools
Cultural Contributions
• Language
• Literature
• Latin• Romance languages
• Virgil’s Aeneid
Cultural Contributions
• Law • Twelve Tables – Innocent until proven guilty
Christianity
• Founder
• Roots in Judaism
• Holy Book
• Jesus of Nazareth (Jesus Christ)
• Monotheistic religion• First followers were Jewish
• The Bible • New Testament – accounts of Jesus’
life and teachings of early Christians
Christianity
• Foundational Beliefs
• Jesus was son and incarnation of God
• Life after death exists• Peace, love, and justice• God loves the poor and lowly
Christianity
• Spread of Christianity
• Message very popular with the poor• Apostles spread word though Roman
Empire• Paul of Tarsus main preacher
Christianity
• Persecution of Christians
• Conflicted with polytheism of Roman Empire
• Martyrs inspired others
Christianity
• Christianity becomes legal in 313
• Emperor Constantine converts• Later becomes official state religion
Christianity
• Christianity as an important moral force
• Church councils establish doctrine• Church (Pope) becomes more
important than Emperor• Unifying force in Western Europe
Fall of Rome
• Large size
• Economy
• Military
• Hard to defend and control large area
• Falling value of Roman money• Expensive to defend
• Non-Romans in Army were not loyal to Rome
Fall of Rome
• Moral decay
• Political issues
• Invasion
• Loss of faith in Rome by people
• Conflicts in government• Weak rulers
• Attacks on borders• Eventual attack on Rome itself
Fall of Rome
• Rome is divided in two
• Fall of Western Roman Empire
• Emperor Constantine moves capital to Byzantium, renames it Constantinople
• Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire)
• Last Roman Emperor in Rome in 476 CE