The Late The Late Roman RepublicRoman Republic“From Republic to Empire”“From Republic to Empire”

Transition from Transition from Republic to EmpireRepublic to Empire

• Social Class Conflict (Rich vs. Poor)– Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus

• Civil War – Marius and Sulla

• Slave Revolts– Spartacus

The First TriumvirateThe First Triumvirate

• Crassus

• Pompey

• Julius Caesar

Marcus Licinius CrassusMarcus Licinius CrassusMARCVS·LICINIVS·CRASSVSMARCVS·LICINIVS·CRASSVS

• Wealthiest man in Rome– Fire department

• Term “crass” named for him– adjective, 1.without

refinement, delicacy, or sensitivity; gross; obtuse

• 53 BC – Killed by the Parthians– His head was used as a prop

in a play

Pompey the GreatPompey the GreatCNAEVS·POMPEIVS·MAGNVSCNAEVS·POMPEIVS·MAGNVS

• 48 BC – Caesar defeated him at the Battle of Pharsalus; Pompey fled to Egypt and was assassinated– King Ptolemy presented

Pompey’s head as a gift when Julius Caesar arrived in Egypt

Julius CaesarJulius CaesarCAiVSCAiVS··IVLIVSIVLIVS··CAESARCAESAR

• General, politician, and historian • Wanted to be like Alexander the

Great• Loved by the commoners

– generous– smart– was human suffered occasional

epileptic seizures

Julius CaesarJulius CaesarCAiVSCAiVS··IVLIVSIVLIVS··CAESARCAESAR

• Reforms / Accomplishments– Increased Roman controlled lands– Made Rome, and himself, wealthy– Gave public lands to the poor – Granted citizenship to people in the

provinces– Public works programs (roads, aqueducts,

temples, arenas, other public buildings, etc.)

– New calendar set up with 365 days + extra day for leap year

– Helped end the Republic and establish an Empire (killed before becoming emperor)

Julius CaesarJulius CaesarCAiVS·IVLIVS·CAESARCAiVS·IVLIVS·CAESAR

• 44 BC – Ides of March (March 15), Assassinated by “friends” in the Senate

Julius CaesarJulius CaesarCAiVS·IVLIVS·CAESARCAiVS·IVLIVS·CAESAR

– “Beware the Ides of March!”

– Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus led the assassination

– Et tu, Bruté?

The Second TriumvirateThe Second Triumvirate

• Lepidus

• Marc Antony

• Octavian

Second TriumvirateSecond Triumvirate• Second Triumvirate was formed to hunt down

Brutus and Cassius• Brutus and Cassius both chose suicide after defeat

at Phillipi rather than humiliation and execution

OctavianOctavianCaivs•IVLIVS•CAESAR•OCTAVIANVSCaivs•IVLIVS•CAESAR•OCTAVIANVS

• General and politician• Great-nephew of Julius

Caesar• In his will, Caesar adopted

Octavian as a son and heir to his estate

• Hunted down Caesar’s assassins

Marcus LepidusMarcus LepidusMarcvs·AEMILIVS·LEPIDVSMarcvs·AEMILIVS·LEPIDVS

• General and politician• Supported Julius Caesar

against Pompey• Caesar made him dictator• Octavian forced Lepidus out

of Rome and out of the Triumvirate to gain power

• 36 BC – Exiled from Rome

Marc AntonyMarc AntonyMarcvs·ANTONIVSMarcvs·ANTONIVS

• General and politician• Excellent athlete• Julius Caesar’s true friend• Delivered a famous speech at

Caesar’s funeral– “Friends, Romans, countrymen,

lend me your ears…”

• Helped Octavian hunt down Caesar’s assassins

Marc AntonyMarc AntonyMarcvs·ANTONIVSMarcvs·ANTONIVS

31 BC – Went to Egypt to escape the power-hungry Octavian– Fell in love with Cleopatra

The Battle of ActiumThe Battle of Actium31 BC - In the Gulf of Actium (near Greece)

• Roman Navy– Small, fast ships

• Egyptian Navy– Antony & Cleopatra– Large, slow ships

• Victory for Rome– Egypt is now just

another Roman province

Marc AntonyMarc AntonyMarcvs·ANTONIVSMarcvs·ANTONIVS

30 BC – Fell on his sword– Heard a rumor that Cleopatra was

dead, so he committed suicide– Cleopatra was still alive …. Oops!– She then committed suicide too– Octavian killed Caesar and

Cleopatra’s son Caesarion

Octavian Octavian Augustus Caesar Augustus Caesar

Caivs•IVLIVS•CAESAR•OCTAVIANVS Caivs•IVLIVS•CAESAR•OCTAVIANVS IMPerator•CAESAR•DIVI•AVGVSTVSIMPerator•CAESAR•DIVI•AVGVSTVS

• Promised the Senate that he would restore peace

• Offered to give up his power• Senate proclaimed him

– princeps (first citizen)– Augustus (revered one; exalted

one)

• 27 BC – Octavian became Augustus Caesar, Rome’s first emperor

Augustus CaesarAugustus CaesarIMPerator•CAESAR•DIVI•AVGVSTVSIMPerator•CAESAR•DIVI•AVGVSTVS

• Began the Pax Romana (Roman Peace)

• Ruled as emperor during the birth of Jesus

• 27 BC – AD 14

The Roman RepublicThe Roman Republic

509 BC – 27 BC509 BC – 27 BC

The Roman Empireand its comparison with

Star Wars

= ?

• Began as a republic and later became an empire

• Began as a republic and later became an empire

• Rebellion against the oppressive government

• The Rebel Alliance against the evil Empire

• General Octavian Caesar Augustus– Kills off his opponents

to become emperor to “restore peace to the Republic”

• Anakin Skywalker Darth Vader

OR• Senator Palpatine

The Emperor

• The Roman Military– Could conquer entire

empires (Carthage, Egypt, etc.)

• The Death Star– Could destroy planets

• Battle of Actium– Smaller, faster Roman

ships defeated the powerful, yet bulky, Egyptian ships

• Death Star Battle– Smaller, faster X-Wing

fighters defeat the Death Star

• Rome– Largest city on Earth at

the time

• Coruscant

• Pod Race • Chariot Race