The Fall of the republic

The Fall of the republic Chapter 8, Section 3 Pg. 277-283

Trouble in the Republic • Problem building homes • Dishonest officials stole money • Gap between the rich and the poor • Farmers faced ruin • Cities became overcrowded an dagerous

Rich VS Poor • Many Romans were farmers of small plots of land. • In the 100s B.C. the began to sink in to debt. Why?? • Many were fighting in Rome’s war and could not tend to their land • Others had suffered damage to their farm during Hannibal’s invasion of Italy • Most of all small farmers could not compete with wealthy Romans buying land to create latifundia

Latifundia • Is a large farming estate • There was a new source of labor used to farm the land. • Prisoners brought to Italy during the wars. • This forced small farms out of business

Moving to the City • They famers moved to the city but had trouble finding jobs due to the slaves working for free. • If they were lucky to get hirer they worked for low wages. • This created a widespread anger among the Romans • Roman politicians began to worry and turned the situation to their advantage by winning the votes of the poor. • They provided cheep food and entertainment called “bread and circuses”

Why did reform Fail? • Brothers Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus believed many of Rome’s problems came from the loss of small farms. • They asked the Senate to give back the public land and divided it among the Romans • The Senates however were investors of the public land and did not was to loss their wealth • The senators killed Tiberius in 133 B.C. and 12 years later killed Gaius

The Army Enters Politics • A military leader named Marius changed the way of the military. • Because soldiers were small farm owners these men were beginning to drifting way. • Marius began to recruit soldiers from the poor and in return afford them wages and promised land. • Soldiers began to be motivated by materials then by a sense of duty.

New Military System • Soldiers began to become loyal to generals not the Roman Republic • This lead to military becoming involved in politics to get laws passed to provided promise land to the soldiers • However this new system lead to power struggles. • Marius was faced with a rival from a general within his army Sulla

Sulla • Sulla drove his enemies out of Rome in 82 B.C. and made himself dictator. • Over the next three years he changed the government. • Weakened the Council of the Plebs and strengthened the Senate • After he stepped down Rom plunged in to an ear of civil wars for the next 50 years.

Stop and Think • What Changes did Marius make to the Roman Army??

Stop and Think • What Changes did Marius make to the Roman Army?? • Marius changed Rome’s army from citizen volunteer to paid professional. They were loyal to their generals, not to the republic.

Julius Caesar • After Sulla left office Roman leaders battled for power • In 60 B.C. three men were at the top: • Crassus, Pompey, and Julius Caesar • Crassus was one of the richest men in Rome • Pompey and Caesar were not as rich but successful military men • These three formed the First Triumvirate to rule Rome • A political alliance of three people

First Triumvirate • The three men had a military command in remote area of the republic • Pompey was in Spain • Crassus in Syria • Caesar in Gaul (Today’s France)

Caesar’s Military Campaign • Caesar became a hero to Rome’s lower class. • Senator and others feared he would become to popular and seize power like Sulla • Crassus was killed in batter in 53 B.C. In 49 B.C. Senate decided Pompey should return to rule Rome. • Orders were given to Caesar to give up his army and come home. • He had a decision to make come home and risk being killed by his rivals or stay with his army and risk a civil war….

Caesar’s Dicision • Caesar decided to stay loyal to his 5,000 soldiers. • Caesar and his army marched into Italy by crossing the Rubicon, a small river at the southern boundary. • Pompey tried to stop Caesar; however, he drove Pompey’s forces from Italy and then destroyed his army in Greece is 48 B.C.

Caesar’s Rise to Power • 44 B.C. Caesar declared himself dictator of Rome for life. • To strengthen his hold of power he filled the Senate with new members who were loyal to him • He created a new calendar with 12 months, 365 days, and a leap year. • This was called the Julian calendar and was used throughout Europe until A.D. 1582

Becoming Popular with the Poor • Caesar was aware that Rome needed Reform • He granted citizenship to people living in Rome’s territories outside the Italian peninsula • Started new colonies to provided land for the landless and work for the jobless • He ordered landowners using slave labor to hire more free workers

Caesar’s Enemies • Many believed Caesar was a strong leader and brought peace and order to Rome. • Others feared he would want to become King • Of these enemies were Brutus and Cassius who plotted to kill him • On March 15 44 B.C. Caesar was stabbed to death by his enemies at the Senate building.

Rome Becoming an Empire • After Caesar’s Death Rome dove into another Civil War • On side was lead by the men who had killed Caesar • The other side was Caesar’s grandnephew Octavian • Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus created the Second Triumvirate in 43 B.C.

The Second Triumvirate • These three men began fighting at once • Octavian soon forced Lepidus to retire from politics • Octavian took the West and Antony took the East • Antony fell in love with the Egyptian queen Cleopatra Vii and formed and alliance • Octavian told the Romans that this alliance was to make Antony sole ruler of the republic • This lead to the Romans and Octavian to declare war on Antony

Battle of Actium • This battle took place in 31 B.C. off the west coast of Greece. • Octavian defeated Antony and Cleopatra’s army and navy • The couple fled to Egypt a year later killing themselves before Octavian reached them. • This made Octavian at the age of 32 at the top of the Roman world. • The civil wars and republic was over and Octavian set a new system of government call the Roman Empire

Octavian’s Rule • Octavian chose not to make himself dictator for life as his great uncle had. He know the people favored a republican form of government • Cicero a political leader, writer, and rome’s greatest public speaker encouraged this decision • Octavian gave some power to the Senate and the rest of the power to himself. His title became imperator meaning commander in chief later to be called emperor. • He then changed his name to Augustus

Stop and Think • Who was the First Triumvirate?? • Who was the Second Triumvirate??

Stop and Think • Who was the First Triumvirate?? • Crassus, Pompey, Julius Caesar • Who was the Second Triumvirate?? • Octavian, Antony, Lepidus

The Fall of the republic