The Roman Empire

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The Roman Empire World History – Libertyville HS

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The Roman Empire. World History – Libertyville HS. Octavian, First Emperor (r. 27 BC-14 AD). Adopted by Julius Caesar at age 19 Fought in civil war vs. Senate & others for control of Rome Upon victory, focused on consolidating his power Senate declared him “Augustus” (emperor) - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transcript of The Roman Empire

Page 1: The Roman Empire

The Roman Empire

World History – Libertyville HS

Page 2: The Roman Empire

Octavian, First Emperor (r. 27 BC-14 AD)

• Adopted by Julius Caesar at age 19

• Fought in civil war vs. Senate & others for control of Rome

• Upon victory, focused on consolidating his power• Senate declared him

“Augustus” (emperor)• Kept tabs on rivals through

spies• Kept control over army

Page 3: The Roman Empire

Octavian, First Emperor• Octavian reorganized

the state / empire• Frontier provinces were

designated “Imperial”• No Senators Allowed! –

Why?• 28 legions stationed

• Interior Provinces• “Romanized” areas• Senate controlled• NO legions stationed

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The Roman Empire• Pax Romana =

“Roman Peace”• Lasted 200 years, from

27 BC to 180 AD• Few civil wars & no

invasions• Legal system helped to

Romanize regions

• Empire covered 2.2 million square miles with 120 million pop.

Mediterranean called “Mare Nostrum” (Our Sea)

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Government of the Empire• Emperor had total

control over the government & army

• Senate still met, but had little real power (no legions)

• Maintained bureaucracy, like the Han• Government was fairly

corrupt – tax farming• Bribing elected officials

standard practice

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Economy of the Empire• Trade

• Traded throughout Europe, SW Asia, North Africa – even China (226 AD)

• Road network very important to trade (quick / cheap)

• Mediterranean was pirate free (not again = 19th C.)

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Life in the Roman Empire

• Life in Rome• City of 1 million+,

mostly unemployed plebeians

• “Bread & circuses”• Bread = daily dole of

food• Circuses = games,

theater, etc.

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Life in Rome

• Haves and the have nots• Haves =Patricians,

equestrians were decadent

• Have nots = plebeians• Desperately poor• Lived in cramped

apartment buildings prone to fires, collapse

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Life in the Roman Empire

• Life in the provinces• Security of Pax

Romana meant hundreds of towns, cities sprang up

• Simpler life than in the cities- where people farmed, raised families, and lived their lives

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Life in the Roman Empire• Life along frontiers

• Use of client states, esp. in Europe, as buffers to protect against invasion (sound familiar?)• Transformed German border

tribes into semi civilized states

• In later Roman Empire, Germans provided most troops of army

• Roman army was primary means by which new citizens were added to empire (part of retirement)

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Reasons for Decline of Imperial Rome • #1: Difficulty maintaining

borders• Army on frontier gradually

became less Roman and more “barbarian”

• People outside Empire crossed borders to get to (relative) safety of Empire and away from Huns, others

• #2: Cost of bureaucracy• Taxes paid by citizens, but rich

tended to avoid taxes• Land, local power went to rich• Tribute and taxes couldn’t

keep up with costs of Empire

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Reasons for Decline• Reason #3: Size of

Empire• Emperor Diocletian (284-

311 AD) divided Empire into four parts

• East was “Hellenized”• West was Germanic• Leaders of North, South

were “Caesar”, or junior emperors

• Emperor Constantine (307-337 AD) moved capitol to Constantinople

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Fall of the Western Empire• After 337 AD, while

the Eastern Empire recovered and advanced, the West continued to decline• Generals stripped the

frontiers of troops to fight in civil wars or declare self emperor

• Assassins killed emperors

• Meanwhile, outsiders migrated into Roman Europe, Africa

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End of the Empire• Attila the Hun (434-454 AD)

• Came out of steppes of Western Asia leading a horde of horsemen

• Laid siege to Constantinople, bought off

• Went to Italy, laid siege to Rome, but suddenly retreated (Pope claimed miracle)

• In 476 AD, Odoacer, a German mercenary, deposed the last Roman Emperor, a child, and became King of Italy

Last Emperor (L) giving crownto Odoacer (R)