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 roads• Safe travel• Prosperity and stability

Pax Romana

• Social impact of Pax Romana

• Political impact of Pax Romana

• Returned stability to social classes

• Increased focus 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.

Cultural Contributions - Forum

Center of trade 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

Support in buildings and monuments.

Cultural Contributions

• Science

• Public Health

• Ptolemy– Astronomy– Geography

• Public baths• 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• High unemployment

• 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