The Fall of the Roman Republic

After the Punic Wars 100+ years of instability thanks to Hannibal ◦ Governing new provinces ◦ Social and economic problems

A) Governing New Provinces Roman Senate ruled the provinces ◦ Governor appointed annual (usually a Praetor) but not paid Private companies of professional tax collectors (publican) bid for tax contracts Over-taxation caused the provinces to be in a constant state of revolt against Roman rule

B) Social & Economic Problems Ruin of the small Roman (plebeian) farmer ◦ Hannibal physically destroyed southern Italy ◦ Because many Roman farmers served in army, they returned home to ruined farms ◦ Rome offered no compensation for damages ◦ Wealthy patricians bought up large estates ◦ Large patrician-owned farms able to undercut few remaining farmers due to economy of scale

Social & Economic Problems, cont’d Creation of the unemployed city mob ◦ Farmers migrated to Rome for work but no gainful employment to be found ◦ Unemployed mob tried to survive by selling their vote to wealthy patricians  Patricians offered “bread and circuses” in return

Social & Economic Problems, cont’d Slavery ◦ 2/3 people in Italy were slaves ◦ POWs and criminals  Main source of slave labour ◦ Slavery was hereditary ◦ Republic lived under constant threat of slave revolts  Spartacus Discontent of new middle class ◦ Some plebeians became wealthy businessmen but Senate denied them positions as senators or governors

Social & Economic Problems, cont’d Discontent of Italian allies ◦ After Punic Wars, allies permitted to  Have some form of local gov’t  Trade with Rome  Inter-marry with Romans ◦ But they lost their land after the wars and had no vote to sell to the patricians (not citizens) ◦ therefore., allied plebeians demanded Roman citizenship to they would have a vote to sell

Brothers Gracchi Reformers? Socialists? Read Echoes, p.176 and describe who the Gracchus Brothers are and what they hoped to accomplish

Growing Power of Generals Lucius Cornelius Sulla 138 – 78 BCE Gaius Marius 157 – 86 BCE VS

Marius & Sulla 100 BCE: Marius formed Roman citizen army ◦ 16 years service + 4 in reserve; retirement pension 91 BCE: Italian allies rebel due to Senate refusing them enfranchisement 87 BCE: Sulla (Marius’ right-hand man) crushes last of rebels – results in political power

Growing Power of Generals Senate gives Sulla command in war against Mithradates (eastern king); Marius jealous and angry and convinces Senate to change orders Sulla refuses to disband troops and marches on Rome ◦ Passes reforms to protect position and has Senate outlaw Marius While Sulla is off fighting Mithradates, Marius marches on Rome ◦ Bloody reprisals and enemy purge 87 BCE: Marius dies and his ally, Cinna, controls Rome until his death in 84 BCE

First Triumvirate (62-54 BCE) Caesar PompeyCrassus These three men acted in concert because their individual demands were met with stiff opposition in the Senate

First Triumvirate Players Julius CaesarMarcus CrassusPompey the Great

Julius Caesar Born in 100 BCE Aristocrat Quaestor in Spain Popular with mob b/c offered free grain Unusually fair to opponents Waited until 42 yrs to be elected Consul Grievance: Senate refused to make him a governor

Marcus Crassus Born to patrician family Wealthiest man in Rome Leader of the Equities Ran private fire dept Crushed slave revolt of Spartacus Grievance: Senate refused to aid troops who suffered losses in Asia Minor

Pompey the Great Lead general in Rome Cleared Mediterranean of pirates Put down Spanish revolt Made Syria and Palestine Roman provinces Landless soldiers became loyal to general rather than state Grievance: Senate refused to give land to his veterans

Agreement of First Triumvirate Crassus’ wealth got Caesar elected co- consul with Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus (silenced by intimidation) Caesar passed laws to give Crassus and Pompey what they wanted Caesar’s daughter, Julia, married Pompey

Breakdown of First Triumvirate Point form notes from Echoes p Crassus: defeated by Parthians and killed (53 BCE) Pompey: started opposing Caesar and agreed to senatorial demand (50 BCE) that Caesar disband his army ◦ Caesar refused (would leave him defenseless) and crossed the Rubicon (49 BCE) with army, thus entering Italian territory ◦ Pompey beaten back to Alexandria; defeated and decapitated

Civil War

Caesar as Dictator 46 BCE: Julius Caesar had himself appointed Dictator for 10 years 45 BCE: Dictator appointment extended “for life”; became Pontifex Maximus (Chief Priest)… now has all responsibility for decision making ◦ Now acting more like a king than a guardian of the Republic 15 March 44 BCE: The Ides of March ◦ Brutus, Cassius, et al. stab him to death

After Caesar’s Death Brutus Cassius

The Second Triumvirate Republic plunged into civil war after Caesar’s assassination Power struggle: ◦ Octavian: Caesar’s 19-year-old great nephew; adopted as his son and named chief heir ◦ Marc Antony: Caesar’s best friend and loyal general ◦ Lepidus: former general in Caesar’s army and leading lieutenant of Antony

The Second Triumvirate (43-33 BCE) OctavianMarc AntonyMarcus Lepidus

Final Battle for Supremacy 40 BCE: Triumvirate divided Republic: Antony in east, Octavian in west, Lepidus in Africa (pushed out and made Pontifex Maximus within 5 years) 36 BCE: Octavian’s admiral, Marcus Agrippa, defeated Sextus Pompey (son of Pompey the Great) in naval battle Marc Antony met, fell in love with, and married Cleopatra ◦ Ruler of Egypt, descendent of Ptolemy, former lover of Caesar (had his son Caesarion) 34 BCE: Antony and Cleopatra divided Roman East between their family (Caesarion + 3 children) 2 Sept 31 BCE: Octavian and Agrippa defeated forces of Antony and Cleopatra at Battle of Actium off west coast of Peloponnese Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide; Caesarion (political threat) killed Octavian (AKA Augustus) now master of the Roman world