Conrad Demarest Model of Empires Roman Empire

What is an Empire??? Write down your ideas about what characteristics are needed to qualify as an empire…

Necessary preconditions for the rise of empires… State-level government High agricultural potential in the area An environmental mosaic Several small states with no clear dominant state Mutual antagonism among those states Adequate military resources Republic Wheat, grapes, cattle Alps, Mediterranean Sea, forests, Tiber and other rivers, hills City-states on Italian peninsula; other states in Mediterranean Rivalry bet. Pastoralists and agriculturalists Soldiers first recruited from peasants State-level government What government was in place before the empire was founded? High agricultural potential in the area What did they grow? An environmental mosaic What geographical features influenced the region? Several small states with no clear dominant state Power vacuum Mutual antagonism among those states Internal conflicts or external interruptions or invasions. Adequate military resources (or a military or technological advantage) Where did the army come from? In Rome: Republic Wheat, grapes, cattle Alps, Mediterranean Sea, forests, Tiber and other rivers, hills Rome and other city-states on Italian peninsula; surrounding states in Mediterranean Rivalry between pastoralists in hills and agriculturalists in plains Soldiers first recruited only from peasant class on Italian peninsula

Building the Empire and a Unifying Ideology… “Republic” based on citizenship of free men Citizenship = loyalty Taxes paid to treasury Emperor-dictators must support the republic – follow Senate, Development of bureaucracy. What ideas did they have about government? How did the government get the people to buy into their system and their rule? How did the government get and keep the loyalty of the people? States succeeded in building an empire when they have an ideology(set of beliefs) that promotes personal identification with the state, empire, leader, conquest, and/or militarism. In Rome: “Republic” based on citizenship of free men Citizenship ensured loyalty to the state and brought taxes into the state treasury Emperor-dictators had to support the idea of the republic and pretend to follow what the Senate, council of elder wealthy men, decreed. Development of bureaucracy helped run the empire.

Major Rewards of an Empire… Citizenship = place in society, Positions of leadership Opportunities for merchants Urbanism for new towns and cities. Population increased New lands conquered. Economic Rewards… Relative stability and prosperity. Population increase Economic Rewards, especially in the early years, redistributed to the elite and trickles down to the other classes (especially merchants, scribes, etc.) In Rome: Citizenship led to recognition of place in society, possible government and military positions of leadership, opportunities for merchants, Roman-style urbanism for new towns and cities. Population increased as new lands with more people were conquered.

An Empire is MOST like… A BASKETBALL TEAM A BEEHIVE A PACK OF WOLVES A CORPORATION

Empires Fall Because… Inability to maintain peace within the empire Military service less desirable Soldiers lost land “Foreigners” = dissatisfaction Soldiers not paid Safety declined Farmers seek safety from landowners Soldiers loyal to generals not state . Attack by Germanic tribes Political instability within Population decline. Inability to maintain peace within the empire Failure of leadership… Ideology of expansion… Lack of new conquest… Rebellions/challenges Over-expansion leads to an inability to maintain peace within the empire (riots, invasions) Failure of leadership; focus on wealth and not on the needs of the state Ideology of expansion and conquest leads to attempting new conquests beyond a practical limit; overstretching of bureaucracy, military resources, communications Lack of new conquest erodes economic base and lessens faith in ideology that supported the empire Rebellions from within/challenges from without In Rome: Military service became less desirable as soldiers lost land; recruits of “foreigners” to keep numbers of soldiers up led to dissatisfaction; tax revenues fell, so government failed to pay soldiers fully; safety within the empire and on borders declined. Tenant farmers looked to landowners of latifundias for security; soldiers’ loyalty shifted to generals and officers rather than the state. Germanic tribes sacked cities near borders and finally Rome; political instability within Rome itself; population decline.

Characteristics of Well-Ran Empires Build roads and transportation systems, canals, ports, etc. Trade increases Cosmopolitan cities – arts and education flourish Effective bureaucracy to ensure communication, collect taxes, oversee coinage, ensure the emperor’s laws are enforced Common official language (communication) System of justice, law for entire empire Citizenship or rights extend in some degree to conquered; must be some buy-in