The Roman Empire

The Result of the Assassination After Caesar’s assassination, three men took control of Rome forming the 2nd Triumvirate. Mark Antony, a supporter of Caesar and a strong general. Octavian, Caesar’s adopted son. Marcus Lepidus, a patrician and one of Caesar’s greatest supporters.

Reaction to Julius Caesar’s Death Many people were very angry after Caesar’s death The Roman middle and lower classes had respected Caesar. They were upset that other leaders had killed him.

First Things First The 1st goal of the new Triumvirate was to punish the men who killed Caesar. The murders thought they were going to be heroes instead they had to flea for their lives. Antony & Octavian set out to kill the murders. By 42 B.C. they were all killed or they had killed themselves.

Octavian & Antony After the last of the conspirers were killed Octavian returns to Rome while Antony continues to head east and fight. During which time Antony marries Octavian’s sister, Octavia.

An Insult 8 years later, Antony divorces her to marry the queen of Egypt, Cleopatra. This was a huge insult to Octavian and his sister. Antony’s behavior led to a civil war in Rome.

The Battle In 31 B.C. Octavian sends a fleet to Egypt to attack Antony. This was known as the Battle of Actium. Antony’s fleet was defeated, but he escapes back to Egypt with Cleopatra. There they both commit suicide so they wouldn’t be taken as prisoner by Octavian.

Octavian Becomes Emperor Octavian becomes Rome’s sole ruler and over the next few years he gains nearly limitless power. Octavian used his power as emperor to bring order and stability to Rome. For this the Senate gave him a new name; Augustus meaning the “Great One” His naming marks the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire.

Augustus Biography What did he do? As the leader of Rome, Augustus made many improvements in the city. He created a fire department and a police force to protect the city’s people. He built new aqueducts and repaired old ones to increase Rome’s water supply. Augustus also worked on improving and expanding Rome’s road network. Why is he important? As Rome’s first emperor, Augustus is one of the most significant figures in Roman history. Almost singlehandedly, he changed the nature of Roman government forever. But Augustus is also known for the great monuments he had built around Rome. He built a new forum that held statues, monuments, and a great temple to the god Mars. In writing about his life, Augustus declared, “I found Rome a city of brick and left it a city of marble.” KEY EVENTS 45 BC Julius Caesar adopts Octavian as his son and heir. 44 BC Octavian moves to Rome when Caesar dies. 42 BC Octavian and Antony defeat Brutus. 31 BC Octavian defeats Antony. 27 BC Octavian takes the name Augustus and becomes emperor of Rome.

Rome’s Empire Grows

Based on the map, why do you think the Romans called the Mediterranean “Our Sea”?

Rome’s Growing Empire When Rome began as an Empire it already controlled most of the Mediterranean Sea. Later Emperors expanded even more. In Rome’s conquests they gained control of gold, farmland, and other resources. This control also promoted trade. Nearly everyone accepted Roman coins, which helped trade grow even more.

Pax Romana The 1st 200 years of the Roman Empire was generally peaceful, helping Rome grow wealthy. We call this peaceful period Pax Romana, or Roman Peace. During this time population grew, trade increased, and people got richer. This lasted till 180 A.D.

Emperors: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly Some of Rome’s emperors were good such as Augustus. Others were very poor leaders. Caligula = Very cruel. Declared himself a god. Tried to make his horse a senator. Claudius = After Caligula. Returned stolen artwork. Improved laws. More citizenship. Nero = After Claudius. Poisoned step bro, killed mom and wife. Thought to burn down Rome. Vespasian = Created the Colosseum Marcus Aurelius = Fair ruler. Lowered taxes. Sold his own stuff to help the poor. Built schools & Hospitals.