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THE ROMAN EMPIRE

THE ROMAN EMPIRE. The Birth of the Roman Empire. After Caesar’s assassination= civil war ensued Second Triumvirate : Octavian, Marc Antony and Lepidus in 43 BCE and divided the Republic between them (sealed with a marriage between Octavian’s sister and Marc Antony)

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THE ROMAN EMPIRE

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  1. THE ROMAN EMPIRE

  2. The Birth of the Roman Empire • After Caesar’s assassination= civil war ensued • Second Triumvirate: Octavian, Marc Antony and Lepidus in 43 BCE and divided the Republic between them (sealed with a marriage between Octavian’s sister and Marc Antony) • Lepidus was pushed from power • Marc Antony met and married Cleopatra in 36 BCE, but Octavian defeated Antony’s armies and Anthony and Cleopatra committed suicide • Octavian was left as master of Roman world

  3. From Octavian to Augustus • Octavian claimed he would return control of republic to the Senate (really gave Senate power over provinces with weak military, while he kept provinces with large armies for himself) • He was given semi-divine name of Augustus and portrayed he was a descendant of Venus • Expanded his power by becoming Tribune to the People to bridge the gap between the rich and poor • Only took the title of Princeps (first among the equals or First Citizen) but was in fact Rome’s first emperor • Emperors were the commander in chiefof the army and head of the priesthood • Senate continued to exist to suggest and approve the Emperor’s decisions

  4. Rome under Augustus • Period of Augustan peace called Principate • Flourishing of “Romanity” (arts, religion, civil service, literature, state sponsored architecture, mosaics and sculptures ie. 82 temples) • Had an imperial force of 9000 men known as Praetorian Guard to protect Rome • A great statesman and his system of bureaucracy lasted for 200 years • Massive building program that turned Rome from a ‘city of brick to a city of marble’ (2 circuses, 2 amphitheatres, 4 gladiatorial schools, 11 imperial baths, 926 private baths, 2000 fountains, 700 public pools and 37 monumental gates) • Estimated Rome population grew from 180 000 inhabitants in the Republic ( c. 270 BCE) -375 000 (130 BCE) to 1 million people under Augustus • At its peak, there could have been as many as 54 million people within the Roman empire (based on Roman census taken every 5 years as a basis for taxation)

  5. Successors to Augustus: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly • Of the first 12 emperors- seven died violently by poison, stabbing or suicide. After Augustus, several emperors were violent, insane or both. • Second Century AD brought a succession of “good emperors” many of whom were born out of Italy. Hadrian (from Spain)- rebuilt Pantheon, Hadrian's Wall, and created special departments to control things such as correspondence, justice, taxes and records. The good emperors developed a larger civil service and separated the governing of the empire into military and civil affairs. TRAJAN • CONSTANTINE HADRIAN DIOCLETIAN NERO

  6. SLAVES & ECONOMY • By time of Augustus, more than one quarter of the people living in Italy were slaves from other parts of the empire • Slaves built roads, monuments and public works, farming • Some slaves were well educated people who worked as doctors, dentists, writer and educators • At height of empire, slaves made up an estimated 1/3 of population and were used as gladiators, dictation, worked in masters’ estates • During Roman Empire, free grain had to be distributed to almost 200 000 people (lack of jobs; heavy reliance on slaves) • More than ¾ of food came from Sicily, North Africa and Egypt= paid for by taxes from rest of empire (Rome paid no taxes) • Wine, oil and pottery were the most important goods sent from Italy to the rest of the empire but more goods came from throughout the empire

  7. Architecture • Roman sculptures developed own styles with triumphal arches, columns and symbols and figures that celebrated the victories of conquering emperors • Hadrian’s Wall • Roman Aqueducts • Pantheon • Thermal Baths • Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheatre) built in 80 CE by Emperor Titus • Circus, theatres Arch of Titus

  8. Arch of Constantine

  9. Religions in the Roman Empire • Cult of Isis- Egypt religion that worshiped Isis (wife of Osiris and mother of Horus) was very popular in Roman Empire (Pompeii there was a temple) • Mithraism- Persian deity was popular among soldiers and merchants as they traveled to far East (ritual killing of bull) • Christianity- became popular as it preached equality (slave, noble ) could achieve salvation but Christians were the most persecuted among the rising religions (ie. Nero and Great Fire in Rome) • Judaism- Diaspora (dispersion) in 586 BCE spread out Jews but by 4th century CE, there were 11 synagogues in Rome

  10. Bread and Circuses: Daily Life in the Roman Empire • Pax Romana (Roman peace) occurred in 2nd century CE under reigns of Hadrian and Pius (117-161 CE) • Daily life: Bread and Circuses: poor people of city were given free grain, while both the rich and poor enjoyed chariot races, gladiator duels and other spectacles of the Circus Maximus • Legal punishments varied depending on class and wealth • Luxury- theatre, public baths and diversity of goods

  11. The Problem of Greed… • By time of Hadrian- (117-138 CE) Romans had an empire that stretched from Britain to middle of Asia • Why would Rome want to continue to expand its territories? • $ $ $: more taxes to generate and to push back tribes that threatened empire • What problems would arise the larger the empire became? • was difficult and expensive to control regions far from Rome • Provinces want independence • Tribes in north threaten Roman provinces • Spreading of disease as soldiers traveled in Egypt and Asia and returned to Rome

  12. Seeds of the Fall of the Empire • Diocletian – promoted to Emperor in 284 CE by his fellow soldiers in Praetorian Guard • 293 CE, Diocletian made some fateful reforms: • 1. due to size of empire, he divided the rule of the Roman Empire into two parts (East and West); then divided into four2. dismantled Christian churches and burned holy scriptures and many Christians died as martyrs3. administrative, economic and military reforms • split of the Roman Empire became permanent and Western part of Empire lost its Roman nature, while Eastern developed into the Byzantine Empire • Problems of high inflation • Christianity was still spreading

  13. Christianity and Constantine • Christianity gained influence in from the 2nd – 4th century CE (despite the great persecutions in the 3rd century CE) • Had a defined bureaucratic structure of church elders and bishops as well as coherent holy scriptures and rituals • First Christian Emperor of Rome was Constantine (after he was victorious in battle he accredited it to God) • Passed the Edict of Milan (Edict of Toleration) in 313 CE, proclaiming Christians free from persecution • Favoured Christian communities and established Byzantium as major seat in Roman government (called the New Rome or Constantinople) given equal authority to Rome (set to replace Rome as centre of Empire

  14. Fall of West • By 5th century CE, successive invasions by the barbarians fromnorth (Germanic tribes consisting of Goths, Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Franks,Vandals and Huns) that conquered land • Effort by Roman Emperors to accommodate and settle them, but eventually the barbarians swept through the Roman empire creating smaller kingdoms run by Germanic monarchs • 410 CE, Visigoths sacked Rome; 455 CE Vandals sack Rome • Roman Empire fought Attila the Hun • German barbarian Odoacer deposed the historic line of emperors in Rome in 476 CE • 1200 years after the founding of Rome, the Western Empire came to an end, but eastern Empire still thrived

  15. Reasons for the Fall • Reliance on colonies for raw materials and goods: reliance on products such as grain, wine, olive oil, gold, stone, cloth stagnated Roman production and innovation as Italy produced less and less (became poorer as other provinces became richer; Rome became depended on resources from colonies) • Decline of farming and prestige of army: Diocletian increased size of army which took people away from farms= decrease in food production; emperors recruited foreigners in colonies to fight for Roman army= taught them techniques which worked against them • High inflation and taxes (growing cost of defence was a great burden on economy as soldiers had to be fed, clothed and armed= distribution of coins made of less valuable metal= caused inflation and in time there was no $ to support army). Heavy taxes imposed on population which were difficult to pay. • Dependence on slavery: reliance of slaves for agricultural production in single large farms; once empire stopped growing there was a shortage of slaves resulting in system of tenant farming (collection of small farms) which was less efficient

  16. Insecurity of Emperors: army had huge influence on how emperors were chosen which resulted in rivalry, murder plots and power struggles • Rise of Christianity: growing influence of Christianity caused changes in Roman culture, practices and ideology; Edict of Milan passed in 313 CE under Constantine, but became legal and state religion under Theodosius in 380 CE • Menacing movements of barbarians: constant invasions and the spreading of plagues contributed to the break up of the empire; invading barbarians used the Roman roads to move quickly and gained more territory in Roman Empire All led to the decline of idea of an eternal Rome and Roman supremacy

  17. A New Era • After the fall of the West, the Roman Empire centred in Constantinople and was transformed into Byzantium (until 1453) • Despite the fall of Rome, its influences transcended to the Middle Ages (language of Latin, laws, religion of Christianity and culture) • Ironically, the people of Europe became more “Romanized” after Rome fell than ever before

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