The Roman Empire
World History – Libertyville HS
The Roman Empire• “Pax Romana” =
Roman Peace• Lasted 200 years, from
27 BC to 180 AD• Few civil wars & no
invasions• Legal system helped to
Romanize regions• Empire covered 2.2
million square miles with 120 million pop.
Government of the Empire
• Emperor had total control over the government
• Senate still met, but had little real power (no legions)
• Efficient bureaucracy, like the Han Chinese
• Army socialized non-citizens to become loyal Roman citizens
Economy of the Empire• Based on trade and
farming• Trade
• Traded throughout Europe, SW Asia, North Africa – even China (226 AD)
• Road network very important to trade (quick / cheap)
• Mediterranean was pirate free (19th C.)
Infrastructure
• Roads• Built for and by the
Army• Encouraged trade and
defense of Empire• Over 55K miles of roads• Many towns that sprung
up at road intersections exist today (Paris; London)
• Aqueducts delivered water to cities
Life in the Roman Empire
• Life in Rome• City of 1 million+,
mostly unemployed plebeians
• “Bread & circuses”• Bread = daily dole of
food• Circuses = games,
theater, etc.
Life in Rome
• Haves and the have nots• Haves =Patricians,
equestrians were decadent
• Have nots = plebeians• Desperately poor• Lived in cramped
apartment buildings prone to fires, collapse
Life in the Roman Empire
• Life in the provinces• Security of Pax
Romana meant hundreds of towns, cities springing up
• Simpler life where people farmed, raised families, and lived their lives
Life in the Roman Empire• Life along frontiers
• Use of client state as buffers to protect against invasion
• Transformed German border tribes into semi civilized states
• Germans provided most troops of army
• German people wanted to move into Empire
• Led to tension, invasion
Octavian, First Emperor (27 BC-14 AD)
• Adopted by Julius Caesar at age 19
• “Restored” Republic in 27 AD; Senate promptly named him emperor (“Augustus”)
• Focused on consolidation of his own power • Kept tabs on rivals • Kept control over army
Octavian, First Emperor
• State of Empire, under Octavian• Frontier (“Imperial”)
provinces (28 legions, no senators)– why?
• Interior Provinces (Romanized; Senate control, NO legions)
Octavian’s Plans for Expansion
• Expansion plans included invasion of Bohemia
• Setbacks• 3 year revolt in Balkans• Loss of 3 legions in
Germany (Teutoburg Forest story)
• After Teutoburg Forest, Octavian switched strategy to defense
Succession of Emperors• Julian Emperors (27 BC
to 68 AD) • 5 emperors, from Octavian
to Nero• Post Julian Emperors
• Lots of insanity, amorality• “Five Good Emperors”
(96-180 AD)• Good because they were
not insane• Long reigns• Militarily successful
Decline of Imperial Rome
• From 180 to 284 AD, 30 Emperors ruled in succession• Short reigns led to political
paralysis• Civil wars by contenders for
the throne weakened frontier
• Army, especially Praetorian Guard, began deciding who would be emperor
• Some of the emperors were insane or had short reigns
Decline of Imperial Rome• Difficulty maintaining
borders• Army on frontier gradually
became less Roman and more “barbarian”
• Migratory pressures from outside empire
• Increasing cost of bureaucracy• Taxes paid only by citizens
(212 AD: citizenship)• Subject population paid tribute• Rich tended to avoid taxes• Land, local power went to rich
Partial Recovery and Reform (284-337 AD)
• Diocletian (284-311 AD)• Great organizer• Recognized that
empire was too big• Split empire into four
parts• East was “Hellenized”• West war Germanic• Leaders of North, South
were “Caesar”, or junior emperors
• Doubled size of army (300k to 600k)
Partial Recovery and Reform
• Diocletian’s reforms• Excluded patricians from
military command• Imposed rigid direction
of labor on all people• Constantine “The Great”
(307-337 AD)• Time of great unrest in
West• City populations shrinking• Trade declined• Farmland not cultivated
Partial Recovery and Reform
• Constantine moved capital from Rome to Byzantium
• Renamed city Constantinople
• Allowed for free worship of Christianity throughout empire (converted on deathbed)