The Fall of the Republic

Chapter 8Chapter 8Section 3Section 3

World HistoryWorld HistoryDeborah ThompsonDeborah Thompson

The use of enslaved The use of enslaved laborlabor hurt farmers, hurt farmers, increased increased povertypoverty and corruption, and corruption, and brought the and brought the armyarmy into politics. into politics.

Dishonest Dishonest officials officials

stole moneystole money

Thousands of Thousands of FarmersFarmers

faced ruin.faced ruin.

Rome’s Rome’s armies were armies were victorious victorious wherever wherever

they went, but they went, but problems wereproblems were

building atbuilding at homehome:: CitiesCities were were

becoming becoming overcrowded overcrowded

and and dangerous.dangerous.

The gap The gap between between richrich

and and poorpoor was growing.was growing.

PatriciansPatricians ran ran the Senate the Senate and held and held governmengovernment t jobs.jobs.

PatriciansPatricians ran ran the Senate the Senate and held and held governmengovernment t jobs.jobs.

What caused problems What caused problems

in the Republicin the Republic??

Patricians Patricians

handled the handled the

Republic’s Republic’s

financesfinances

and directed and directed

the the wars. wars.

Wealthy Wealthy

patricians patricians

owned large farmsowned large farms

worked by worked by

slaves that the slaves that the

common farmerscommon farmers

could not compete could not compete

with.with.

Many plebeians became Many plebeians became unhappy unhappy about this situation.

Why?

Privileged Privileged citizens citizens were a were a

minorityminority..

Small farmers were Small farmers were sinking into sinking into povertypoverty

because theybecause they were busy were busy fightingfighting Rome’s wars Rome’s wars

and many farms and many farms were destroyed by were destroyed by

HannibalHannibal..

Small farmers Small farmers could could

not not compete compete with with large farming large farming

estates estates called called latifundialatifundia

because they used because they used slave labor.slave labor.

Many farmers sold their land, Many farmers sold their land, went to the cities, went to the cities,

and worked for low wages, which caused anger.and worked for low wages, which caused anger.

Two brothers, Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus,

asked the Senate to take land from

the rich and divide it among the landless poor.

Roman politicians began

providing bread and circuses to win the support

of the poor, but not all wealthy people ignored

Rome’s problems.

The brothers were murdered by Senators..

The Army enters Politics

Things changed when Things changed when MariusMarius became became consul consul in 107 B.C.in 107 B.C.

Various Various generals generals became became very very powerful powerful and used and used their armies their armies to seize to seize power.power.

He began to recruit He began to recruit soldierssoldiers from the poor from the poor and offered them and offered them wageswages and and landland for their for their service.service.

Marius changed the Roman army from citizen volunteers to paid professional soldiers who fought for money.

Soldiers became more loyal to their Soldiers became more loyal to their generals generals than to than to the the Republic.Republic.

Main Idea:Main Idea:Military Hero Military Hero Julius CaesarJulius Caesar

seized power and made reformsseized power and made reforms

In 82 B.C. In 82 B.C. SullaSulla drove his enemies drove his enemies out of Rome and out of Rome and

made himself made himself dictatordictator..

In 60 B.C. In 60 B.C. Julius CaesarJulius Caesar

joined with joined with PompeyPompey and and

CrassusCrassus to form the to form the

First TriumvirateFirst Triumvirate

to rule Rome.to rule Rome.A A triumviratetriumvirate is is

a political alliance a political alliance

of three people.of three people.

Each member of the Each member of the TriumvirateTriumvirate had had military commandsmilitary commands in far-away in far-away

areas of the Republic.areas of the Republic.

Caesar became a hero Caesar became a hero by defeating the by defeating the GaulsGauls..

Crassus was killed Crassus was killed in battlein battle..

Caesar chose to march to Caesar chose to march to

RomeRome by by crossing thecrossing the RubiconRubicon, a small river , a small river

on the boundary on the boundary

of his command area.of his command area.

The The SenateSenate feared feared

Caesar was Caesar was

becoming too becoming too popularpopular, so , so

they chose they chose PompeyPompey

to rule Rome.to rule Rome.

They ordered Caesar to They ordered Caesar to

give up his give up his armyarmy..

Today Today “Crossing the Rubicon“Crossing the Rubicon means means

making a decision you can’t take back.making a decision you can’t take back.

Caesar drove Caesar drove Pompey’s Pompey’s

forces from forces from ItalyItaly, , destroyed his army, destroyed his army,

and was made and was made dictatordictator of Rome of Rome

for one yearfor one year..

Caesar broke the Caesar broke the

Roman Roman traditiontradition

by declaring by declaring

himself dictator himself dictator

for a for a longer longer

period of time.period of time.

To strengthen his To strengthen his power, he filled the power, he filled the

SenateSenate with his with his supporters. This supporters. This

made him made him unpopular.unpopular.

He granted He granted

citizenshipcitizenship

to people living to people living

in Rome’s in Rome’s

territoriesterritories..

He ordered He ordered

landowners landowners

to hire more to hire more

free workers.free workers.

He started new He started new

coloniescolonies to to

provide provide

land for the land for the

landless.landless.

.

He created He created workwork

for Rome’s for Rome’s

jobless.jobless.

He created a new He created a new

calendar with 12 calendar with 12

months, 365 months, 365

days, and days, and

1 leap year.1 leap year.

Caesar’s DEATH

He was warned to “Beware the ides of March” ( March 15th )

Caesar’s enemies, led by Caesar’s enemies, led by Brutus and Cassius, feared he wanted to be king and plotted his assassination.

He was stabbed to death by

Senators in 44 B.C.

http://www.history.com/videos/julius-caesar

The Roman Republic, weakened by civil war, became an

empire under Augustus

Caesars death plunged Caesars death plunged Rome into Rome into civil warscivil wars..

Senate forces battled Senate forces battled Caesar’s grandnephew, Caesar’s grandnephew, OctavianOctavian and Caesar’s and Caesar’s

two top generals, two top generals, AntonyAntony and and LepidusLepidus for power. for power.

After defeating After defeating

Caesar’s Caesar’s

enemies, these three enemies, these three

men created the men created the

Second Triumvirate.

Soon, these three Soon, these three

were in were in conflict

with one another.with one another.

Lepidus retired retired from politics.from politics.

OctavianOctavian took the west and took the west and AntonyAntony took the east. Antony took the east. Antony formed an alliance with the Egyptian queen, formed an alliance with the Egyptian queen, CleopatraCleopatra..

Rome become

s an Empire

Octavian declared war on Octavian declared war on Antony and Cleopatra Antony and Cleopatra

and crushed their army and navy and crushed their army and navy at the Battle of at the Battle of ActiumActium..

The couple fled to The couple fled to Egypt Egypt and killed themselves and killed themselves

a year later.a year later.

OctavianOctavian took all power took all power and laid the foundation and laid the foundation

for a new system for a new system of government-of government-

the the Roman EmpireRoman Empire..

Rome becomes an Empire

Octavian took Octavian took

over the entire over the entire

Republic at the age of Republic at the age of 32.32.

He had the support He had the support

of of CiceroCicero, Rome’s, Rome’s

greatest greatest public speaker.public speaker.

Octavian appointed Octavian appointed

himself “imperator” himself “imperator”

which means which means

commander in chiefcommander in chief..

He also took He also took

the title the title

AugustusAugustus which means which means

“ “the revered or the revered or

majestic onemajestic one”.”.