1. The Fall of the Republic
Main Idea: The use of enslaved labor hurt farmers, increased poverty and corruption, and brought the army into politics.
Trouble in the Republic
In Rome the rich landowners ran the Senate and held the most powerful government jobs.
They handled all the money and planned the wars.
Problems for Farmers
The owners of small farms could not compete with the new latifundia, large farming estates created by the rich Romans.
The latifundia were tended to by the slaves captured during Rome’s wars.
This allowed them to sell their crops cheaper and drive the small farms out of business.

2. Latifundia

3. Problems for Farmers
There were a lot more poor people than rich people in Rome.
The small farmers were forced to sell their farms and move to the city to find work.
Jobs were hard to find and the pay was low because most of the labor was being done by the slaves.
This angered the poor.
Roman politicians used the policy of “bread and circuses” to win the votes of the poor.
They bribed the poor people with food and entertainment.

4. The Army Enters Politics
The army changed from volunteers to paid soldiers who were more loyal to their general then the Roman Republic.
Marius’s new military system led to power struggles and soon another general named Sulla drove his enemies out of Rome and made himself dictator.
In 3 years Sulla changed the government by weakening the Council of the Plebs and strengthening the Senate.
For the next 50 years Rome was in civil war as one general after another tried to take over.

5. Sulla

6. Julius Caesar Julius Caesar
Main Idea: Military hero Julius Caesar seized power and made reforms.
Julius Caesar
In 60 B.C. 3 generals held most of the power: Crassus, Pompey and Julius Caesar.
All were military men and Crassus was one of the richest men in Rome.
These men formed the First Triumvirate to rule Rome.
A triumvirate is a political alliance of three people.

8. Crassus
Pompey

9. Caesar

10. Julius Caesar (continued…)
Caesar’s Military Campaigns
Each member of the Triumvirate controlled a part of Rome’s land.
Pompey was in Spain, Crassus in Syria and Caesar was in Gaul (France).
While in Gaul Caesar invaded Britain and became a hero to Rome’s lower classes.
Senator’s back home were afraid Caesar was becoming too popular and would try to take over like Sulla.
Crassus was killed in battle and the Senate asked Pompey to come back to Rome and rule alone.

13. Julius Caesar (continued…)
The Senate asked Caesar to give up his army and return home.
If Caesar agreed his enemies might kill him or throw him in jail so he risked civil war and marched his 5,000 loyal soldiers back to Rome.
They crossed the Rubicon, a small river and by doing so Caesar knew he was starting a civil war and there was no turning back.
Pompey tried to stop him but Caesar was a better general and won.

14. Julius Caesar (continued…)
Caesar’s Rise to Power
In 44 B.C. Caesar declared himself dictator of Rome for life.
He strengthened his power by filling the Senate with people loyal only to him.
He made many changes that helped the poor such as forcing landowners to hire free workers.
Caesar created a new calendar with 12 months, 365 days, and a leap year.
This was called the Julian calendar which was changed slightly and is now used by most of the world today.

15. Julius Caesar (continued…)
Caesar’s supporters saw him as a great leader who brought peace to Rome.
His enemies feared he wanted to be king.
On March 15, 44 B.C. (the “Ides of March”), Caesar’s enemies led by the senators Brutus and Cassius stabbed him to death?

16. Beware the Ides of March! 44 BCE

17. Rome Becomes an Empire After Caesar’s death another civil war began.
Main Idea: The Roman Republic, weakened by civil wars, became an empire under Augustus.
Rome Becomes an Empire
After Caesar’s death another civil war began.
On one side were the forces who killed Caesar and on the other Caesar’s grandnephew Octavian, and his top 2 generals Antony and Lepidus.
After killing Caesar’s assassins these 3 men formed the Second Triumvirate.

18. Octavian

19. Rome Becomes an Empire (continued…)
The Second Triumvirate
The members of the Second Triumvirate began to fight.
Octavian convinced Lepidus to retire and he divided the empire in 2.
Octavian took the west and Antony the east.
Antony fell in love with the Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII and formed an alliance with her.
Octavian declared war on Antony.
In 31 B.C. at the Battle of Actium off the west coast of Greece Octavian crushed the army and navy of Antony and Cleopatra.
They fled to Egypt an a year later killed themselves leaving Octavian at the top of the Roman world.

20. Rome Becomes an Empire (continued…)
Who Was Augustus?
A political leader and writer named Cicero was a public speaker who argued against dictators and called for a representative government with limited powers.
Octavian listened to Cicero and in 27 B.C. he restored the republic.
He gave some power to the Senate but really put himself in charge.
His title imperator means “commander in chief” but came to mean “emperor”.
He took the title of Augustus meaning the “revered or majestic one”.

21. Cicero
Augustus Octavian

22. The First Roman Dynasty

23. The Greatest Extent of the Roman Empire – 14 CE