The Roman Empire Part 2

Section 2

PAX ROMANA

A Vast and Powerful Empire Pax Romana

Under Augustus, Rome changes from a republic to an empire. Power no longer resides with citizens, but a single ruler. Rome enjoys 200 years of peace and prosperity known as Pax Romana

The size of the Roman Empire under Augustus

A Sound Government • Augustus created an effective & lasting system

of government where paid government employees called civil servants did government jobs instead of senators.

• He glorified Rome with beautiful public buildings & baths

Trevi Fountain, Rome

Colosseum

Aqueducts

A Great Population 70 million residents in the Roman Empire; 1 million living in Rome.

(As a reference, the city of Athens was at 100,000 at its peak, Carthage at its peak was 700,000)

(The Persian Empire at its peak was at 50 million)

Agriculture and Trade •Agriculture most important industry in empire; 90% of Romans farm •Common coin, denarius, makes trade within empire easier •Rome has vast trading network, includes China and India

Pax Romana This long period of peace and economic prosperity lasted until 180AD (over 200 years) and ended after the death of Marcus Aurelius, the last of the five good emperors. AKA, the last

“Great Emperor”

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Chapter 6

Ancient World History: Patterns of Interaction

FROM Chapter 6 Section 2

FROM Chapter 6 Section 2

CALIGULA

Caligula handout reading coming

soon

Caligula

Emperor from 37-41AD

Popular at first (freed political prisoners from the previous emperor, staged lavish events) He considered himself as a living god Made parents watch the executions of their children Made his horse a senator and declared war on Poseidon By 41AD, people were sick of Caligula’s rule and ambushed him. He was stabbed 30 times.

Roman gods were

derived from Greek gods.

GodsandGoddessesWorship of emperor became part of official religion of Rome.

Although Roman mythology was similar to Greek, they were different in key ways:

1. Roman mythology doesn’t have as many imaginative stories of Gods interacting with humans and causing mayhem on earth.

2.Roman gods had less personality. They represented abstract ideas.

HERCULES- Hercules was a demigod, and a symbol of Romans adopting Greek myths. -Emperor Commodus liked to depict himself as Hercules. He liked Hercules so much that he renamed the month of September and October as Menis Hercules.

Emperor Commodus dressed as Hercules

The Roman World Slaves and Captivity

Slavery is a significant part of Roman life in both cities and farms. Some slaves become gladiators; forced to fight to death.

Gladiators-A person engaged in a fight to the death as public entertainment for ancient Romans (Merriam Webster Dictionary) -Some gladiators were there by free will and some were forced into becoming one.

Why hold these events?

Society and Culture • Rich live well; most people are poor, receive grain from government. • 150 holidays and Colosseum events created to entertain & control the masses.

MINUTES: 42:30-60:00

1:04:00-1:11:00 1:11:45-1:17:00 1:26:30-1:33:30 1:37:30-1:41:00 1:56:30-1:59:00 2:38:30-2:43:40

Major Accuracies/Inaccuracies Accuracies: Commodus’s personality. The role of Gladiators. The atmosphere of the colosseum. Marcus Aurelius’s personality.

Inaccuracies: Commodus did not kill his father. Maximus does not exist. Gladiator armor. Reel v Real