• By the 3rd century B.C., the Romans conquered the Italian peninsula & began to exert power in the Mediterranean world 

  • But, the growth of Rome threatened Carthage, the superpower of the Mediterranean world

  • In a series of battles known as the Punic Wars, Rome defeated Carthage & began the dominant power in the Mediterranean

 

  • The primary cause was the conflict over the control of Sicily, which was strategically located and valuable for trade.

  • After the Punic Wars, Rome conquered new territories & gained great wealth 

One of the generals who led Rome’s expansion was a politician named Julius Caesar

Rome’s expansion brought wealth, but also created problems:

  • The addition of new lands & sources of slave labor increased the gap between the rich & poor

  • Senate Struggles for power led to a series of civil wars in Rome

  • Generals who controlled the armies became more powerful than the politicians in the Senate

     

Generals became more powerful than the ___________

The addition of new land and resources increased the gap between the ________ and ___________

Struggles for power led to a series of __________________ in Rome

The Rise and Fall of Julius Caesar

  • Julius Caesar took advantage of the chaos in Rome & was named dictator in 46 B.C.

 

  • He initiated a series of reforms that offered Roman citizenship to conquered people & created new jobs 

- Many Senators feared Caesar’s popularity & power as dictator of Rome 

What was Julius Caesar’s role in the Roman government before he became dictator?

  • A. General

  • B. Tribune

  • C. Senator

  • D. Governor

The Punic Wars were a series of battles between _________ and ____________

  • In 44 B.C., Senators assassinated Julius Caesar

  • The assassination led to another civil war led by Caesar’s adopted nephew Octavian & his best general, Marc Antony 

  • Caesar’s death changed Rome:

    • People no longer trusted the Senate to rule Rome & the Roman Republic came to an end & the empire began

The Rise of the Roman Empire

  • Octavian emerged as the unchallenged leader of Rome, was given the title Augustus (“Exalted One”), & became Rome’s first emperor 

  • Under Augustus, Rome was ruled as an empire; the Senate still met but the emperor had all the real power

Augustus’ 41 year reign marked the beginning of a 207-year era of peace, wealth, & expansion known as the Pax Romana (“the Roman Peace”) from 27 B.C. to 180 A.D.

  • The Pax Romana became the “golden age” of Rome as emperors like Augustus built roads & a merit-based bureaucracy to rule the empire

  • Roman architects used new styles like domes & concrete to beautify cities 

Emperors built arenas & used chariot races, gladiator events, & theater to entertain the poor

Rome expanded from a city, to a republic, to an empire

  • The era of the Roman Republic introduced representative democracy

  • The era of the Roman Empire  sparked the Pax Romana & the “golden age” of Roman innovation & culture