Get Ready to Read

Section OverviewThis section describes the expansion and contributions of the Roman Empire.

The Early Empire

Get Ready to Read (cont.)

Focusing on the Main Ideas

The Early Empire

• By expanding the empire and reorganizing the military and government, Augustus created a new era of prosperity.

• Rome’s system of roads, aqueducts, ports, and common currency made the empire rich and prosperous.

Get Ready to Read (cont.)

Locating Places• Rhine River (RYN)

• Danube River (DAN·YOOB)

• Puteoli (pyu·TEE·uh·LY)

• Caligula (kuh·LIH·gyuh·luh)

Meeting People

• Nero (NEE·roh)

• Ostia (AHS·tee·uh)

• Hadrian (HAY·dree·uhn)

The Early Empire

Get Ready to Read (cont.)

Building Your Vocabulary• Pax Romana (pahks roh·MAH·nah)

• aqueduct (A·kwuh·DUHKT)

• currency (KUHR·uhn·see)

Reading Strategy

Cause and Effect Use a chart like the one on page 286 of your textbook to show the changes Augustus made in the Roman Empire and the effect of each change.

The Early Empire

The Emperor Augustus

• The Pax Romana is the long era of peace that began with Augustus.

• Augustus built a permanent, professional army and created a special guard called the Praetorian Guard, who guarded him.

(pages 287–288)

• Augustus restored Rome’s splendor and fed the hungry poor of Rome with imported grain.

The Early Empire

The Emperor Augustus (cont.)

• Augustus appointed a proconsul, or governor, for each province, replacing politicians appointed by the Senate.

• Augustus reformed the tax system by making tax collectors permanent workers, and he reformed the legal system by creating a set of laws for people who were not citizens.

• The Julio-Claudian emperors were the rulers who followed Augustus: Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero.

The Early Empire

(pages 287–288)

The Emperor Augustus (cont.)

• Caligula and Nero were cruel leaders, and Tiberius and Claudius were competent rulers.

The Early Empire

(pages 287–288)

What lands did Augustus conquer during his reign?

Augustus’s army conquered Spain, Gaul, and lands today known as Austria, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.

The Early Empire

Unity and Prosperity• Vespasian restored order to Rome after

the chaos following Nero’s death.

(pages 290–294)

• The Jewish temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by Vespasian’s armies in the effort to put down a Jewish rebellion.

• Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the city of Pompeii in A.D. 79.

• The rulers known as the good emperors were Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius.

The Early Empire

Unity and Prosperity (cont.)

• The Roman Empire flourished under their rule.

• Aqueducts are human-made water channels for carrying water long distances.

• They were created during the prosperous times of the good emperors.

• The Roman Empire became one of the largest empires in history during the reign of the good emperors.

The Early Empire

(pages 290–294)

Unity and Prosperity (cont.)

• The different people of the Roman Empire were united by Roman law, Roman rule, and their shared identity as Romans.

• Most people were farmers who grew olives, grapes, and grain.

• Other people were artisans who traded with others inside and outside the Roman Empire.

The Early Empire

(pages 290–294)

Unity and Prosperity (cont.)

• Roads and currency—a system of money—were important to the prosperous trade that developed.

• A gap existed between rich merchants, shopkeepers, and skilled workers and poor farmers and city dwellers.

The Early Empire

(pages 290–294)

Why were aqueducts important?

The aqueducts were the source of water for most people in Rome.

The Early Empire

The Early Empire

What was the Pax Romana?

a period of peace and prosperity lasting 200 years

The Early Empire

What products came from the farms of Italy, Gaul, and Spain?

grapes and olives

Sequencing Information Describe the sequence of emperors who ruled Rome, from Augustus through the “Good Emperors.”

Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius

The Early Empire

Analyze Why was Rome’s creation of a common currency important?

A common Roman currency advanced trade throughout the empire.

The Early Empire

Evaluate Who do you think was a more important leader, Julius Caesar or Augustus? Explain.

Answers will vary. You may note that Julius Caesar conquered new territories. Augustus became the first emperor and carried out many improvements.

The Early Empire

Creative Writing Write a short play in which several Roman citizens discuss one of the emperors mentioned in this section and his accomplishments.

Plays should note accomplishments based on the text.

The Early Empire

Discuss the influence of geography and the sea on Roman trade.

The Early Empire