Bries, Madrid, Kabigting III-Rb: The Beginning of the Roman Empire

1. The Roman Empire
Its Rise and Its People

2. Flashback:
The End of the Republic
From Sir Erin’s Last Lecture:
What led to the Republic’s end
• The assassination of Julius Caesar
led by Brutus and Gaius Cassius
(stabbed to death in the Senate)
• Another civil war in Rome
•The formation of the 2nd
Triumvirate
(Mark Antony, Lepidus and Octavian)
•Octavian defeats the combined
navies of Antony and Cleopatra

3. OCTAVIAN (63 B.C.-14
A.D)
Aka Augustus, the New Emperor•AUGUSTUS = honored and majestic
• belief: REPUBLIC = FAIL
1.Won Senate’s support
2.Controlled the ARMY (via getting the
loyalty of soldiers)
3. improved government in the
PROVINCES (supervised governors)
4.Granted CITIZENSHIP to more people
5.Sponsored building of roads, water
systems + other improvements

4. OCTAVIAN (63 B.C.-14
A.D)
•Octavian: "I transferred the Republic
from my own power to the authority
of the Senate and the Roman
people."
• disguised his absolute power
• end of civil war = MAJOR
ECONOMIC REVIVAL
(controlled coinage, taxation, etc.
but allowed the economy to operate
freely)

5. PAX ROMANA (27 B.C. to 180 A.D.)
The Roman Peace
•The empire was generally “trouble-free” for 200
years. (to be discussed in detail by the second group)

7. ROMAN VIRTUES
(principles as a people)

8. THE ROMAN FAMILY
(the heart of Roman society)
PATERFAMILIAS
- The eldest man in the
family has the power
to rule the household
-Pater (father)
- can disown
newborns, banish
relatives or even sell
them to slavery

13. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
•Adopted external Greek
architecture
• used concrete and
bricks, which facilitated
the building of
aqueducts
•Insulae – multi-story
apartment blocks (dated
from Trajan)
• Colosseum (right) &
Pantheon (next slide)
•Adopted external Greek
architecture
• used concrete and
bricks, which facilitated
the building of
aqueducts
•Insulae – multi-story
apartment blocks (dated
from Trajan)
• Colosseum (right) &
Pantheon (next slide)

14. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE

17. THE EMPERORS OF ROME

18. JULIO-CLAUDIAN DYNASTY
• mentally disturbed
•Assassinated by
members of the
imperial guard after
short, brutal reign
•Claudius’ stepson, who was a
vicious but effective administrator
•Blamed the Fire in Rome (64 A.D.)
on Christians and began to
persecute them
•68 A.D.  The army rebelled
against him. He committed suicide.

19. FLAVIAN DYNASTY
• ruled as a dictator
•Feared treason everywhere
•Executed many
•Assassinated in 96AD

20. DYNASTY OF THE 5 GOOD
EMPERORS
• was chosen because
he was well-
respected in the
Senate
•Began the custom of
adopting heirs to
•Nerva’s Spanish born son
•A military governor of Northern
Italy
•During his rule, the empire
reached its greatest extent
•Enlarged social welfare
•Undertook vast building program

21. DYNASTY OF THE 5 GOOD
EMPERORS
•Focused on empire’s SECURITY,
not expansion
•Admired Greek culture –was
himself a poet and architect
•Encouraged citizens to guard
borders (in provinces)
•Consolidated earlier conquests
•Reorganized bureaucracy
•Suppressed Jewish revolt in Judea
*HADRIAN’S WALL  defensive
wall in the province of Britain

22. DYNASTY OF THE 5 GOOD
EMPERORS
• Rule was peaceful
and prosperous
•Contributed to
maritime laws
•Followed the ideas of Stoicism
•Concentrated on border wars,
defeated Germanic tribes
•Abandoned Nerva’s adoptive
system
•Brought Rome to peak economy

23. • Chronical of the Roman Emperors by Chris Scarre
• http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/oldworl
d/europe/ancient_roman_culture.html
• History of the World (Our textbook)
• Chronical of the Roman Emperors by Chris Scarre
• http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/oldworl
d/europe/ancient_roman_culture.html
• History of the World (Our textbook)