Power Point 7 Slides--The Growing Roman Empire Flashcards
Under what ruler does the Roman Republic officially end?
Note: Professor Eagen’s lecture notes say Julius Caesar but the textbook says the official date of the beginning of the Empire is the date that Caesar Augustus is given that title–27 BCE
How did the Roman empire grow over the years?
It grew gradually. The Romans saw their neighbors as threats and kept conquering them.
What happens to cultures who resist the Romans taking over their territories.
All who resisted were crushed.
Can you name some areas the Romans had conquered by 44 BCE?
Gaul, Spain, Greece, Carthage, Anatolia–just to name a few!
Who did Rome battle in the Punic Wars?
Carthage
What did Rome and Carthage battle over?
Shipping lanes in the Mediterranean Sea and especially, the island of Sicily.
Who was the famous Carthaginian general?
Hannibal
Which Roman general finally defeated Hannibal? What year?
Scipio Africanus in 202 BCE
What did Rome do after defeating Carthage?
They severely punished Carthage as an example to others and then further expanded their control of the Mediterranean region.
How would you describe Roman diplomacy?
They believe their culture is superior, they believe ‘you’ should join it, and they are good at using Force (War) to achieve their aims.
Was there a central plan for the growth of the Roman Empire?
The Roman Empire Grew out of Necessity, not a Central Plan
Another culture was perceived as a threat and eliminated / imperialized
What group of people in Roman society made the empire possible?
Slaves
Rome could not have become an Empire without them.
Many slaves came from Rome’s conquests and provided labor for the fields, mines, and cities.
To the Romans slavery was a misfortune that befell some people, but it was not based on any racial theories.
For loyal slaves, the Romans always held out the possibility of freedom, and manumission — the freeing of individual slaves by their masters — became common.
Many slaves signed contracts; could “earn” freedom through service
What was the role of the Senate under the Empire?
It remained but without the same powers.
It continued to act as a court of law but all real power for making decisions was with the Emperor.
The generals and the Army also had more control over what happened as Rome became an empire.
As the Roman republic expanded, especially after the Punic Wars, how were the outlying areas governed?
The Senate could no longer effectively rule all the territories.
Rome began to create a political and administrative machinery to hold the Mediterranean together.
There was a system of provinces ruled by governors sent from Rome.
How is Julius Caesar an example of the new power structure in Rome?
Roman leaders must now be POPULAR and POPULIST
He used Popularity to Declare himself “Dictator for Life”
