Cyber #26

Matteo Scotto
5/18

The Empire (pp. 160-165)


Rome’s expanding saw many problems.  

Rich landowners lived on immense estates where they had slaves (peoples captured during the various wars) to work the land. 

Small farmers, once soldiers, found it difficult to compete with these large estates.  They sold or lost their land to wealthy landowners. They (one fourth of the Roman society) became poorer or jobless.  

Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, two brothers, attempted to help the poor by limiting the size of the estates and giving land to the poor.  The brothers made enemies and were seen as a threat.  

They saw violent death which was followed by a period of civil war. 

Julius Caesar, a military leader,  joined forces with Crassus and Pompey.  He was elected consul in 59B.C.  The three dominated Rome as a triumvirate, a group of three rulers.

After Caesar conquered Gaul, he defied the senate’s orders and became Pompey’s political rival.  He defeated Pompey’s army in Greece, Spain and Egypt.  In 46 B.C. he was appointed dictator. Caesar started a number of reforms to help the poor by creating jobs.  He started colonies giving landless people to own property, and he increased pay for soldiers.  His popularity and power were threatening to some.  He was assassinated in 44 B.C.

After more civil war, Caesar’s grandnephew, Octavian joined by Marc Antony and Lepidus, ruled for ten years as the Second Triumvirate. Their alliance did not last.  Lepidus was forced to retire. Marc Antony and Cleopatra were defeated at the naval battle of Actium in 31 B.C.  Octavian took the title of Augustus (“the exalted one”) and imperator or emperor. He ruled from 27 B.C. to  to 180 A.D.  Augustus, as the ablest emperor, stabilized the frontiers, had many public buildings built, and created a system of government that lasted for centuries.

The empire saw peace for the next 207 years.  This period was called Pax Romana for “Roman Peace”. The Romans managed to control an empire that reached from Spain to Mesopotamia, from North Africa to Britain. Agriculture was the main industry with 90% of the people in farming. A common monetary system made trade within the empire easier. Rome had a vast trading network. Slavery played an important role in the economy as it was a significant part of the Roman life. In Rome Government and religion were linked. The deities were honored not only in private, but also in public ceremonies conducted by priests in temples. Worship of the emperor also became part of the official religion of Rome. Social classes during the empire saw a huge difference in the way they lived.  The rich living extravagantly with luxuries, and the poor with barely the necessities. 


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