Fall of the Republic, Rise of an Empire

Roman SocietyEntertainment

• Theatres

• Circus Maximus– Chariot races

• Roman Coliseum– Could hold about 50,000 spectators– Held gladiator fights– Mock naval battles– Exotic animal hunts– Christian executions

• Free entertainment help keep the people of Rome happy. – It also kept their minds off of the problems of the empire.– Prevented them from becoming rebellious.

Problems for the Republic

• Size of Empire

• The Senate was designed to govern a city, not a large empire.

• Senators became corrupt.– Took bribes, were not careful how they voted.

• Social Conditions Change.– Spread of slavery in agricultural system.

• small farmers cannot compete with large landowners who used slave labor.

• Migration of small farmers into cities and unemployment.

• Economic Conditions Change.– Roman currency (money) loses value.

Fall of the Republic• Many Romans were tired of poor leadership and wanted a

strong leader.

• Julius Caesar – political leader and general in military– very popular with the Roman people.

• Ordered by Senate to return to Rome, but to leave his army behind.

• Suspected that he would be killed by his political enemies.

• Led his army into Rome.• Caesar invaded Rome and took power.

Fall of the Republic

• Most popular man in Rome because of his military victories.

• Elected “dictator for life” by the Roman people.

Dictatorship - A single person with absolute power who rules a country.

• Assassinated by a group of Senators who stabbed him to death.

Rise of an Empire• Augustus – “Respected One”

– Julius Caesar’s nephew– restored order and peace to Rome.– Kept taxes fair, but built Rome into

a magnificent city.– Kept a good relationship with the Senate.– Began a 200 year period called “The Pax

Romana” – (Roman Peace)

Pax Romana - A 200 hundred year period of relative peace throughout the Roman Empire. Occurs during the first two centuries C.E. Rome’s Golden Age – marked by cultural achievements in literature, and engineering.

Rise of an EmpireEconomic impact

– Common coinage – Secure trade and travel– Built bridges, roads, government buildings– Trade grew

Rise of an EmpireSocial impact

• Created programs to help the poor– Food– Education– Free Public Spectacles (Coliseum)– Public Health Programs: One program

distributed free bread to workmen on their way to work in the morning.