The Empire at its Height
Chapter 1 Section 2
Rome becomes a Republic
• A government in which
citizens have the right to
vote and elect officials
• Worked while Rome was
small – not when big
– Many different cultures
– Languages
– Beliefs
• With each new conquest,
life got harder
– Conquered people became
slaves
– Jobless Romans had even less
work
– Riots and revolts were
common
The end of the Republic
• Needed a strong leader
to restore order
• Julius Caesar
– War hero
– Popular with the people
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Marched into Rome
Started a civil war
He won
Senate declared him
“Dictator for Life”
Assassination of Caesar
• Senators unhappy about
this
– Caesar wanted too much
power
– Spelled the end of the
republic
• Senator’s had him
assassinated – had him
murdered
• Rome falls into civil war
again
• Octavian – adopted son of
Caesar – becomes ruler of
Rome
• No more republic
Age of Augustus
• 27 B.C. Octavian takes
title of “Augustus –
great and holy one”
• Made many reforms to
government
• Conquered and spread
the empire
• Pax Romana – period of
peace and prosperity
The Good Emperors
• The next 100 years Rome
prospered
• Trajan –
– respected military leader
– Expanded the Empire to its
greatest size
– Built roads, bridges, harbors
– Made life better for the poor
• Hadrian
– Respected military leader
– Built wall to protect Empire
– Fair and wise ruler, cared about the
people
• Marcus Aurelius
– Peace loving scholar
– Spent most of his time fighting to
defend the empire
– After his death, Pax Romana ended
Empire is Divided
• After Marcus Aurelius:
– Wars on the borders
– Civil wars
– Empire was just too big
• Diocletian takes power
– Divided the empire into
two parts
– Appointed officials to help
him govern and rule
– Looks like a good solution
– In the end, empire is
weaker