Homework:

• “Who was Julius Caesar?”– Use the T-chart to identify examples of times

you would identify Caesar as a HERO and time you would categorize him as a VILLAIN!

The Rise of Caesar & The Making of Rome’s Empire

THE ROMAN REVOLUTION• Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus– Descended from aristocracy– Military hero– Political goals:• introduce certain reforms in order to take care of

veteran soldiers and improve the quality of active soldiers • Went to Senate to get his Land Act passed

– Senate wouldn’t grant this because they owned most of this land

THE ROMAN REVOLUTIONPolitical goals:• Elected as a Tribune to bypass the Senate

– Senate persuaded other Tribune to veto this bill– Tiberius’ men carried this Tribune out before he could veto it,

so the Land Act passed

And so begins the Revolution…

THE ROMAN REVOLUTION

• The Senate was furious at being circumvented

• Tiberius knew that they would drag their feet on implementing the land reform, so he did something unprecedented… he ran for tribune again

• Senators killed Tiberius and of his supporters

Take that Tiberius!!!

Little Brother to Finish It

• By 123 B.C.E. - Gaius Gracchus ran for tribune– Wanted land act passed and

instituted– Wanted other social reforms– Very popular with the

people– Ran again for Tribune in 122– Mob was too powerful for

Senate

I handled them brother!

Little Brother to Finish It

• Senate changed the tide of the mob when Gaius proposed granting citizenship to all Italian allies.

• The Senate issued an emergency decree, the senatus consultum ultimum. – This suspended due process and yielded

power to the consuls, allowing them to bring the army into the city.

– The Gracchan partisans realized that their number was up and they took a desperate action: they occupied the Aventine Hill and fortified it.

– The army, however, besieged them and Gaius and followers were overwhelmed and killed in 122.

My number is up too,

brother!

Who’s NextGaius Marius• Self- made man who made his way up the ranks through his

military career and became Consul• Won his victories partly on his own skill and partly on the

strength of his reforms of the army• But a faction in the Senate despised him

• Saturninus (Marius political advocate) acquired his own ambitions. – He went too far and Marius was forced to return and crush him in 99.

At this time, Marius' army was in Rome; he could have used it to get anything he wanted. No one dared stand against him. He could have brought the Republic down and established himself as a tyrant.

Who’s NextL. Cornelius Sulla • Senate gave Marius’ right hand man power to defeat

Italian allies that began rebelling in 90 BCE– Crushed the rebels by 87BCE and Senate awarded him an army

to defeat a king in East– Angered Marius and was able to get Senate to change orders– Sulla marched his army into Rome and had Senate outlaw Marius– Marius marched on Rome with his army and occupied it until his

death– Senate raised an army, but to no luck

Monarchy of Sulla• Sulla was not like Marius and did not disband his

army in Rome• Called Senate into Session

– Had them declare him dictator because Republic was in trouble ( By Him)

– After the six-month period, Sulla called the Senate back into session His cronies again declared a national emergency, and Sulla was duly elected dictator again.

– The next time, he was elected dictator for life. Although this was not part of the Roman constitution, since the Senate passed the decree, all was legal.

Monarchy of Sulla• Sulla was not like Marius and did not disband his

army in Rome• Called Senate into Session

– Had them declare him dictator because Republic was in trouble ( By Him)

– After the six-month period, Sulla called the Senate back into session His cronies again declared a national emergency, and Sulla was duly elected dictator again.

– The next time, he was elected dictator for life. Although this was not part of the Roman constitution, since the Senate passed the decree, all was legal.

Monarchy of Sulla• Sulla went after anyone he felt was an enemy but…• He showed regard for Republican forms, keeping carefully

within the law with the exception of himself. He instituted sweeping reforms -- of the Senate, finances, the army, and the provinces -- all carried through in proper form, though none were left to defy him.

• Once he had implemented all the reforms he thought necessary, the dictator resigned in 79 and retired to his estates. He returned control of Rome to the Senate and refused to be drawn back into politics. He died the following year.

•

Uprisings throughout the Republic

• 73-71 B.C.E.- Slave revolt led by gladiator Spartacus – Estimated that of the 6million

people on the peninsula 2 million were slaves

– Marcus Crassus puts down Spartacus' revolt

I am Spartacus!

The First Triumvirate

• 60 B. C. E.- Pompey, Julius Caesar, and Crassus formed an alliance that became the First Triumvirate – A government by three people with equal power)

• Crassus – known as the richest man in Rome• Pompey – hero of successful military

command in Spain• Julius Caesar – military commander in Spain

Crassus

Some may say I’m crass…but the bling

gets the ladies!

Pompey

Who’s my celeb look-a-

like?

??

?

Julius CaesarThe Caesar

salad was name for me…not

him!

The First Triumvirate

• After forming the First Triumvirate, each focused on expanding Rome through pursuits in the following:– Crassus – Syria • Killed in battle in 53 B.C.

–Pompey- Spain–Caesar- Gaul and Illyria

• 58-51 B.C.E- Julius Caesar conquered Gaul (France) and moved north into Britain– Soldiers fiercely loyal to him– Caesar went back to Rome to seize power

• After death of Crassus, Pompey is fearful, aligns himself with Senate in hopes to overpower Caesar– Caesar is told to disband his army– Refused, and illegally crosses Rubicon River

Just across the river

men…

I crossed the Rubicon with Caesar and all I got

was this stupid shirt

Caesar Takes Control

• 49 B.C.E. – Marches into Rome and began civil war with Pompey

• 49-45 B.C.E. – Caesar wins civil war; Pompey flees to Egypt where he is killed by Pharaoh Ptolemy

• 45-44 B.C.E. – Caesar declares himself dictator for life– Reforms:

1. Building roads, draining marshes

2. Free gladiatorial games

3. Gave land to the poor

4. Doubled the Senate (less power to each)

5. Gave citizenship to Greeks, Spaniards, and Gauls

6. Adopted the Julian calendar

7. Reformed currency

Beware the Ides of March

• Caesar begins growing strong even making his former friends leery that he would lead to Roman monarchy again

• Sixty men conspire to assassinate him– March 15th 44BCE– Stabbed and killed by senators at the Theater of

Pompey. – Died at the bottom of the statue of his rival, Pompey.

• Citizens of Rome were not happy about losing this strong, forceful dictator– Rioted and burned the senate house.

April Fools?

No! Ides of March!

Revenge is sweet!

LET’S INVESTIGATE CAESAR’S DEATH