Ancient Rome and the Origins of

Christianity

Lesson 2: The Roman Empire: Rise and Decline

BELLWORK

Answer the following question with your neighbor:

What events led to Rome becoming an empire?

Lesson 2 Objectives

● Identify the events leading to the decline of the Roman Republic

● Summarize the fundamental ideas and institutions of Western civilizations that originated in Rome

● Explain how and why the Roman empire divided● Identify the factors that led to the decline and fall of

Rome

Empire Building Through Conquest

Rome began building an empire around the Mediterranean Sea after the republic was stable

It brought Rome wealth

Yet it created conflicts that divided Roman society and weakened the republic - eventually causing it to fall apart

The Roman Empire arose from those ashes

Carthage

A city-state on the coast of North Africa

Settled by the Phoenician traders and

the people of North Africa

Ruled over a vast trading empire that

stretched across North Africa and the

western Mediterranean

This territorial “grab” caused

competition between Carthage and

Rome

The Punic Wars

264 B.C.E. to 146 B.C.E. Rome and

Carthage fought three wars

1st Rome defeated Carthage and

won the islands of Sicily, Corsica, and

Sardina

2nd Hannibal attacked Rome in an

elaborate northern invasion, winning

battles for 15 years

Yet Rome counter attacked Carthage

itself, which was unexpected

The Punic Wars

Rome won all of Carthage’s lands

outside of Africa, paid a huge tax to

Rome, giving Rome control of the

Mediterranean

3rd Rome completely destroyed

Carthage, the survivors were sold as

slaves or killed

Carthage became a province of Rome

Ruler of the Mediterranean

Romans followed the policy of

imperialism in Carthage and much of

the Mediterranean

Rome fought Carthage in the west

In the east Rome confronted the

Hellenistic rulers of those who had

divided up the empire of Alexander

the Great

War With Purpose

Rome would start war for the gain of

the wealth of the area

Provinces like Macedonia, Greece,

and other parts of Asia Minor came

under Roman control

Egypt and other areas became their

allies

Impacts to Rome

Increased territory and the greatly

expanded trade brought incredible

wealth to Rome

Generals, officials, and traders

became wealthy - creating a new

social class

They built mansions and imported

goods from the east

They also created latifundia

Impacts to Rome

Rome acquired new slaves with every

new province

Well educated Greeks and highly

skilled workers were prized and well

cared for

They were welcome in the homes and

often were there to educate the

children

Slaves Change Things

Slave labor hurt the independent

farmers who could not compete in

the market against slave driven farms

They had to sell their lands because

of debt, leaving them homeless, and

many flocked to Rome

Here angry people began to riot

Social Changes

The newly found wealth of the new

Rome changed society as well

The gaps between rich and poor grew

wider and wider with this wealth

Also corruption increased as well

Greed and self-interest replaced the

virtues of the early republic

Reforms

Tiberius was elected as tribune called

on the state to distribute land to the

poor farmers

Gais wanted to use public funds to

buy grain to feed the poor

These reforms angered the Senate

Hired thugs killed the brothers and

thousands of their supporters

The Republic Declines

100 years of civil war kept Rome

fighting itself

The fight was focused on if the senate

should hold power or popular

political leaders should rule

Slave uprisings at home and

provinces revolted as well

The army becomes loyal to their

commanders only

Julius Caesar

An ambitious military commander

He and Pompey dominated Roman

politics for a time

Caesar conquered Gaul after nine

years which scared the Senate

because of the power he wielded

He was ordered to disband his army

and return to Rome - he defied the

order and started another civil war

Caesar’s Reforms

He took control of Rome, forcing the

Senate to make him dictator

He became absolute ruler of Rome

He tried to deal with Rome’s

problems

Public works to employ the jobless,

fixed the governments of the

provinces, changed citizenship

He also created a new calendar

Caesar’s Death

Many feared that Caesar was

becoming to powerful, like a king

His enemies stabbed him to death on

the floor of the Senate - to save the

republic

This plunged Rome into another civil

war - with Octavian rising as the

victor

The Roman Empire

Octavia was given the title Augustus

“Exalted One” and declared him

princeps - first citizen

He had absolute power over Rome

He became the first emperor of Rome

Reforms for Government

Moderate policies created a stable

government, ending the civil wars

The Senate was in power still and a

well-trained civil service was used to

enforce the laws

High level jobs were open to all men

of talent, regardless of their class

Provinces were given a high level of

self government

Reforms to Economics

The tax system was adjusted for

equality

A census was created to record who

should be taxed

A postal service was created to ship

goods

Jobless were given labor jobs to build

roads and temples and others were

sent to farm the land

Problems of Leadership

For over 200 years the empire

functioned well

The only problem that keeps coming

up is the only question:

Who would rule after an emperor

died?

There was always intrique and

violence when a new emperor was

needed

Emperors

Not all emperors were as good as

Augustus with some weak and others

incompetent

There were those that have been

proved to be insane as well

Good emperors made Rome strong,

codified laws, and unified the

provinces

The Pax Romana

The 200 years from when Augustus

unified Rome under his leadership to

the end of Marcus Aurelius’s reign

Peace, order, unity, and prosperity of

land expanded over a vast area of

land

The military provided peace and

maintained roads, trade was

profitable

Bread and Circuses

Entertainment of the people of Rome

Circus Maximus held chariot racing

Gladiator competitions

These were distractions from the

social and economic problems of

Rome

The Roman Empire Splits

Rome faced threats from the inside

and the outside

Politics, economic problems, foreign

invasions all hurt the empire

This began at the end of the republic

and the emperors were only able to

slow down the decay

Politics

Power struggles and violence

replaced order

Ambitious generals seized power

using the legions, but there were only

able to hold power for a few months

or years

Economic and Social Issues

High taxes were used to support the

army

The bureaucracy placed heavy

burdens on business people and small

farms

Many farms were over cultivated and

under producing

Farmers were tied to the land even

though they were technically free

The Empire Divided

In 284 the emperor Diocletian

decided to restore order

To handle governing the empire he

decided to divide it into two parts

He remained ruler of east, and

appointed a ruler for the west

He fixes priced to slow inflation, and

forced families to stay in the same

professions to promote stability

Constantine

A talented general

He granted Christians toleration

He set up a new capital in Byzantium,

Constantinople

Made the east very popular

Rome Faces Invasion

The Germanic people invaded the

borders, yet eventually these people

became allies

They had a common enemy - the

Huns

United bands of Visigoths,

Ostrogoths, and other Germanic

peoples fought the Huns across the

Roman empire

Loss of Territory

Rome struggled to hold these people

off and had to pull back from the

border areas

Rome began to slowly crumble away

Rome lost their lands all over Gaul,

Spain, and North Africa

Other peoples begin to occupy the

lands Rome once controlled