Week 12 Schedule
Week 12 Schedule:
| Due Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| Apr 8 |
Read & Examine: Week # 12 Module Textbook: Chapter 8 Watch: All Videos |
| Discussion: None | |
| Assignment: None | |
| Apr 8 | Quiz # 7 |
Image: Augustus
Topic:
Rome, from Republic to Empire
The republican government of Rome was unable to withstand the debilitating social and political divisions that intensified in the first century BCE. Patricians and plebeians alike turned against traditional rule and sought to undermine the Senatorial authority. Julius Caesar, Pompey the Great, and Crassus formed the First Triumvirate with the aim of achieving personal wealth and power. Their actions increased the size and power of the Rome, but this expansion deteriorated the bonds that held the Republic together. The collapse of the First Triumvirate led to a major Civil War between Pompey and Caesar. After the disastrous battle of Pharsalus and the death of Pompey in Egypt, Julius Caesar emerged as the sole victor. A group of Senators led by Brutus and Cassius, conspired against Caesar and murdered him on the Ides of March (March 15) of 44 BCE. Unwittingly, the murder of Caesar marked the transformation of Rome from a republic to an empire. Although interpretations of his rule vary, his murder solved none of the social or political problems of Rome. The violence would continue until a new leader established another form of government that would last even longer than the Roman republic.
A Second Triumvirate was formed by Caesar's heir and two of Caesars Generals. Octavian, Marc Antony, and Lepidus unleashed a new wave of violence and war that dismantled the old Senatorial power and essentially destroyed the Republic. After turning on his allies in a violent civil war, Octavian (known as Augustus) seized power and transformed the Roman government into a new system, the principate, which combined the absolute power of the emperor with the administrative talents of the Senate.
Goals:
Learning Objectives:
- Examine the major historical events that transformed the Republic into the Roman Empire
- The Civil Wars and decline of the Republic
- The Rise of Augustus and the Empire
- The Decline of the Empire