The Collapse of the Roman Republic
Rape of Sabine Women
Gov’t in the Roman Republic
What caused the Roman Republic to fall? Why is this significant?
I. The Punic Wars When? Where? Who? What? Why?
map_punic_wars.gif See map in Noble p. 156
First Punic War ( ) Begins over Sicily; imitatio and corvus Second Punic War ( ) Hannibal’s march; Fabian strategy; Scipio Africanus attacks at Zama Third Punic War ( ) Carthago delenda est (Cato)
First Punic War
Second Punic War
Hannibal’s March
Third Punic War ( BC)
The main spurt of Roman expansion occurred between 264 and 133 B.C., when most of the Mediterranean fell to Rome, followed by the conquest of Gaul and the eastern Mediterranean by 44 B.C. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved. Roman Expansion Under the Empire ‘View Show' to view and zoom map
II. Tiberius & Gaius Gracchus (died 133, 122 BC) “But the men who fight and die for Italy enjoy nothing but the air and light; without house or home they wander about with their wives and children.... [T]hey fight and die to protect the wealth and luxury of others; they are styled masters of the world, and have not a clod of earth they can call their own.” Reformist Tribunes Land reform, debt relief, new colonies, etc. Murdered by Senators
III. The Generals Control Rome Marius Sulla Julius Caesar [Octavian (Augustus)] See Noble, pp
Marius, “The First Man in Rome” Equestrian popularis Military success Repeated consulships
Giovanni Tiepolo, The Triumph of Marius
Sulla Patrician optimas Political contradiction
Julius Caesar See Noble, pp
From Republic to Empire: Julius Caesar & Augustus
Julius Caesar ( BC) General, dictator, orator, historian, reformer... “the sole creative genius ever produced by Rome” As famous in death as in life...
Caesar’s career First Triumvirate (60-53 BC) Pompey, Caesar, Crassus Military victories in Gaul (60-53) Commentaries on Gallic War Crossing the Rubicon (49) Civil War (49-45) Dictator in Rome (45-44) Assassinated Ides of March, “et tu, Bruti?”
Map of Julius Caesar’s career
Caesar’s accomplishments Expanded Roman citizenship to provinces Expanded Senate Founded colonies for soldiers Public building program in Rome Julian calendar
Caesar in popular culture “Veni, vidi, vici” Shakespeare’s play Caesarian birth Caesar/Kaiser/Tsar Caesar salad Little Caesar’s pizza