cyber day #24

                                                             The Roman Empire

Main idea: empire building the creation of the Roman Empire transformed Roman government, society, economy, and culture.
why it matters now: The Roman Empire has served throughout history as a model of political organization and control.
terms and names: civil war Julius Caesar triumvirate Augustus Pax Romana

The Republic collapses

• Romans increasing wealth and expanding boundaries brought many problems including: growing disconnect among the lower classes of society and a breakdown in military order.

Economic Turmoil 

• as Rome grew, the gap between rich and poor grew wider 
• rich land owners lived in huge Estates 
• thousands of enslaved persons were forced to work on these Estates 
• by 100 BC enslaved persons formed 1/3 of Rome's population 
• small farmers found it difficult to compete with the large Estates (many of these farmers were former soldiers)
• these farmers had to sell their lands to wealthy land owners and become homeless and jobless 
• they soon joined the ranks of the urban poor (a group that totaled about 1/4 of Roman society)
• Tiberius and Gaius Attempted to help Rome's poor 
• they proposed reforms like: limiting the size of a state San giving land to the poor and speaking out about the plight of the landless former soldiers 

Military Upheaval 

• as the Republic grew more unstable, generals began seizing greater power for themselves 
• they recruited soldiers from the landless poor by promising them land 
• they fought for pay and owed allegiance only for their commander 
• they replaced the citizen-soldiers whose loyalty had been to the Republic 

Julius Caesar Takes Control 

• he joined forces with Crassus  and Pompey to help himself get elected council in 59 BC 
• the next 10 years these three men dominated Rome 
• Caesar was a strong leader and a genius at military strategy 
• he served only one year counsel 
• he then appointed himself governor 
• from 58-50 BC, Caesar led his legions in a grueling but successful campaign to conquer all of Gaul 
• from this, he won his men's loyalty and devotion 

Caesar's Reforms

• Caesar are governed as an absolute ruler who has total power 
• he did start a number of reforms like: granting Roman citizenship to many people in the provinces, expanding the Senate adding friends and supporters from Italy and other regions, helped the poor by creating jobs, started colonies where people without land could own property, and increased pay for soldiers 

Beginning of the Empire 

• after Caesar's death civil war broke out and destroyed what was left of the Roman Republic 
• the alliance is ended 
• Octavian became the unchallenged ruler of Rome well he restored some aspects of the Republic 
• Rome was now an empire ruled by one man 

A Vast and Powerful Empire
A Sound Government 

• The Romans held their empire together with the help of their efficient government enable rulers 
• Augustus was Rome's ablest emperor, he stabilized the frontier, glorified Rome with splendid public buildings, created a system of government that survived for centuries, and set up a civil service 

Agriculture and Trade 

• agriculture was the most important industry 
• about 90% of the people were engaged in forming 
• additional food and luxury items for the rich were obtained through trade 
• Rome had a vast trading network 
• a complex network of roads linked the empire to such far-flung places as Persia and southern Russia 

The Roman World

• Rome emphasized the values of discipline, strength, and loyalty 
• they honored strength more than beauty, power more than grace, and usefulness more than elegance 
• most people in The Roman Empire lived in the countryside and worked on farms 
• in Rome and smaller cities, merchants, soldiers, slaves, foreigners, and philosophers all shared the crowded, noisy streets 

Slaves and Captivity

• slavery was a significant part of Roman life 
• Romans made use of slaves 
• numbers of slaves may have reached as high as one third of the total population 
• slaves worked both in the city and on the farm 
• many were treated cruelly and worked at hard labor all day 
• some were forced to become gladiators or professional fighters
• occasionally, slaves would rebel but would not succeed 

Gods and Goddesses

• they gave names to these powerful gods and goddesses and honored them through various rituals, hoping to gain favor and avoid misfortune 
• government and religion were linked 
• during the empire, worship of the emperor also became part of the official religion of Rome 

Society and Culture

• wealth and social status made huge differences in how people lived 
• classes had little in common 
• the rich lived extravagantly 
• most people in Rome barely had the necessities of life 
• much of the city's population was unemployed 
• to distract and control the masses of Romans, the government provided free games, races, mock battles, in gladiator contests 
• these were held in the Colosseum which could hold 50,000 people and would fill with the rich and the poor alike 
• other contests include: gladiators engaging in combat with animals or with each other until one of them was killed 
• during the time of Pax Romana, the practice of a new religion known as Christianity emerged 
• early followers would meet with much brutality and hardship for their beliefs 
• their religion would endure and spread throughout the empire, and eventually become one of the dominant faiths of the world