The Collapse of the Roman Republic Civil Wars, Slave Revolts, and Dictatorships (133-27 B.C.)

The Roman Republic c. 100 B.C. By 100 B.C., Rome controlled a vast Mediterranean empire that stretched from Spain in the west to Asia Minor in the east Although Romans admired Greek culture, they saw themselves as superior to Hellenistic Greeks, who they believed had grown “soft” and who they now enslaved by the thousands Rome’s conquests fed a growing appetite for the spoils of war (including gold, silver, jewels, land, and slaves) that eroded traditional Roman virtues of honesty, respect for the law, and simplicity

Gracchan Reforms Even as Rome’s empire grew, poverty increased as poor farmers found it harder to compete with large estates (latifundia) that used slave labor Returning soldiers often found it difficult to start over and ended up without land or a job Plebeians found a set of champions in Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, tribunes who sought to bring about land reforms Patricians felt threatened by these reforms and conspired to murder the Gracchi and their supporters in 133 B.C. and 121 B.C. Tension between plebeians and patricians destabilized the republic and contributed to the rise of …

MARIUS A New Army and Civil War In response to multiple threats on Rome’s frontiers, the consul Marius opened army service to plebeians who would be paid for service Roman soldiers now owed their allegiance more to their generals than to the republic Marius and one of his generals, Sulla, fought for control of Rome from 88 to 82 B.C., causing horrific bloodshed and the restoration of the Senate’s authority under the victorious Sulla The examples set by Marius and Sulla inspired a new generation of leaders who were motivated by personal ambition rather than loyalty to the republic SULLA

The Spartacus Revolt (73-71 B.C.) After viewing the video clips, be prepared to discuss how the Spartacus Revolt and the subsequent rise to power of Crassus revealed weaknesses in the Roman Republic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZO2QrDzcHc

The First Triumvirate Created in 60 B.C. by three political rivals Crassus achieved power after the defeat of the slave revolt; he was later killed in battle against the Parthians in 53 B.C. Pompey conquered Syria and Judaea and had returned in triumph to Rome in 62 B.C., he married Caesar’s daughter Julius Caesar, an ambitious leader popular with the plebeians, was elected consul in 59 B.C.

Julius Caesar: Master of the Roman World Conquered the Gauls, 58-50 B.C. Invaded Britain, 54 B.C. Crossed the Rubicon River, 49 B.C. Defeated Pompey at the Battle of Pharsalus, 48 B.C. Supported Queen Cleopatra of Egypt in her civil war against her brother, 47 B.C. Returned to Rome and appointed dictator in 46 B.C. Defeated his last opponents in Spain, 45 B.C. Appointed as “dictator for life” and assassinated by a Senate conspiracy, 44 B.C.

BEWARE the Ides of March! March 15, 44 B.C.

The Second Triumvirate Mark Antony, Caesar’s “right hand”, claimed power in the wake of the assassination and formed a triumvirate with Caesar’s heir, Octavian, and Lepidus, a Roman general They pursued the Senate forces and defeated Brutus and Cassius at the Battle of Philippi in 42 B.C. Their purge resulted in the deaths of over 300 senators, including Cicero, who had tried unsuccessfully to preserve the ideals of the old republic in the face of Caesar’s ambitions Mark Antony & Octavian (left) led the forces that destroyed the leaders of the Senate conspiracy, including Rome’s greatest orator and champion of the republic, Cicero (right)

Antony & Cleopatra Mark Antony and Octavian split control of the empire between them, with Antony taking command in the east and Octavian in the west Mark Antony fell in love with Cleopatra and the couple attempted to assert their authority over the empire Octavian’s forces destroyed Antony and Cleopatra’s fleet in the Battle of Actium off the coast of Greece in 31 B.C. Antony and Cleopatra separately chose to commit suicide rather than suffer humiliation as prisoners of Octavian

Augustus Establishes the Empire Octavian vowed to restore the republic but, in reality, secured absolute authority for himself as imperator In 27 B.C., the Senate named Octavian princeps (first citizen) and he later took the title of Augustus (“exalted one”) The new emperor wisely pursued a policy of peace and internal order, ushering in the Pax Romana, which lasted over 200 years