CHAPTER FOCUS
SECTION 1 The Rule of Augustus
SECTION 2 Pax Romana
SECTION 3 Daily Life
SECTION 4 Fall of the Empire
CHAPTER SUMMARY & STUDY GUIDE
CHAPTER ASSESSMENT
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Overview
• Chapter 15 traces the Roman Empire from
the rule of Augustus to the fall of Rome. 
– Section 1 summarizes the rule
of Augustus. 
– Section 2 describes Roman
contributions to trade and law during the
Pax Romana. 
– Section 3 discusses the daily life
of Romans. 
– Section 4 analyzes the causes of the
fall of the Roman Empire.
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Objectives
After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
• explain how Augustus ruled the Roman
Empire. 
• analyze what happened to trade and law
during the Pax Romana. 
• describe daily life during the Pax Romana. 
• summarize why the Roman Empire
declined. 
• discuss efforts to save the Roman Empire.
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Read to Discover
• How Augustus ruled the Roman Empire 
• What happened to trade and law during
the Pax Romana 
• What daily life was like during the
Pax Romana 
• Why the Roman Empire declined
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the information. The Chapter Focus is on page 233 of your textbook.
Terms to Learn
• emperor 
• census 
• tariffs 
• gladiators 
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People to Know
• Augustus 
• Marcus Aurelius 
• Diocletian 
• Constantine I 
• Alaric 
Places to Locate
• Circus Maximus 
• Constantinople 
• Adrianople 
• Danube River
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Why It’s Important
In 27 B.C., Octavian told the Senate that he had
restored the republic, and he offered to resign
as sole ruler of Rome. The Senate turned down
the offer and gave him several titles. In the
end, Octavian took for himself the title of
Augustus, or “revered one.” That is what he is
generally called in history books.
In practice, Octavian became the first Roman
emperor, or absolute ruler of an empire. His
policies paved the way for more than 200 years
of peace. Even after the empire collapsed,
Roman influence would survive in much of
the world.
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The Rule of Augustus
• Augustus was a clever politician, who held
the offices of consul, tribune, high priest,
and senator all at the same time. 
• Augustus kept the assemblies and
government officials of the republic, yet
strengthened his authority in two ways: 
– For control, he had every soldier swear
allegiance to him. 
– He built up his imperial household to take charge
of the daily business of government.
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The Rule of Augustus (cont.)
• He gave enslaved people and freedmen, or
former enslaved people, a chance to be part
of the government. 
• Augustus pushed Rome’s borders to natural
boundaries that would be easy to defend. 
• He gave provincial governors long terms of
office and paid them large salaries. 
• To make sure that people did not pay too
little or too much tax, Augustus ordered a
census, or population count, to be taken
from time to time.
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The Rule of Augustus (cont.)
• Augustus ruled for 41 years, bringing peace,
patriotism, and pride to the Romans. 
• Most important, however, he reorganized
the government of Rome so that it ran
well for more than 200 years.
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Section Assessment
Why did Augustus refuse to be
crowned emperor?
He knew most Romans would not
accept one-person rule unless it was
in a republic.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
How did Augustus try to make the
Roman Empire like a republic?
He kept assemblies and government
officials, made senators feel honored,
talked of tradition and the need to
bring back “old Roman virtues,” and
made the official religion important
again.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
Demonstrating Reasoned Judgment
Which of Augustus’s improvements
do you think was the most important?
Explain.
Answers will vary.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
Draw the diagram found on page
234 of your textbook, and use it to
show the achievements of
Augustus.
Augustus won the loyalty of soldiers, gave
enslaved people and freedmen a chance to be
part of the government, rounded out the empire
to its natural frontiers, reformed provincial
government, ordered a census, wrote strict laws
to control public behavior, set up a fire brigade
and police force, built Rome’s first library, and
so on.
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Pax Romana
• The peace that Augustus brought to Rome,
called the Pax Romana, lasted for
200 years. 
• Rome and its people prospered,
civilization spread, and cultures mixed.
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the information. Section 2 begins on page 234 of your textbook.
Trade
• With peace came increased trade as goods
moved freely and safely along trade routes. 
• There were no tariffs, or taxes placed on
goods brought into the country. 
• Shipping became a big business, and
increased trade meant more business for
Romans.
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Law
• During the Pax Romana, Roman law went
through major changes. 
• In writing new laws that would be fair to
non-Romans and Romans, Roman judges
were helped by special lawyers and legal
writers called juris prudentes. 
• Everyone was considered equal before
the law and innocent until proven guilty. 
• By about 125 A.D., Roman law was
standardized, making legal procedures
the same in all parts of the empire.
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Section Assessment
What happened to trade during
the Pax Romana?
Trade increased.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
What happened to law during the
Pax Romana?
Certain principles of fairness were
developed, including the idea that
everyone is equal before the law and
that a person is considered innocent
until proven guilty. By about 125 A.D.
the law was standardized.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
Evaluating Information Do you think
the term Pax Romana was a good
term for this 200-year period in
Roman history, or would you explain
it with another term? Explain.
Answer will vary but it can be noted
that it was a time of Roman
prosperity, few battles took place,
civilization spread, and cultures
mixed.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
Draw the diagram on page 236 of
your textbook, and use it to show
the effects of Pax Romana.
Effects of Pax Romana were that Rome
prospered, cultures mixed, trade
increased, pirates cleared from the
Mediterranean, shipping became big
business, Roman businesses grew, new
laws were written and old ones revised,
laws became standardized, and so on.
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Daily Life
• In the early years of the empire, about 1
million people lived in Rome. 
• A rich person in Rome lived in a domus,
or house, with marble walls, colored stone
floors, and windows made of small panes
of glass, furnace heating, and running
water. 
• Most Romans, however, were not rich. 
• They lived in high-rent apartment houses
called islands that were six or more
stories high.
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The Family
• In Rome, the family was all-important. 
• The father was head of the household; his
word was law. 
• After the age of 12, the sons of poor
families went to work, while the sons of rich
families began their formal education. 
• After the age of 12, the daughters of the rich
were given private lessons at home. 
• Wealthy women had enslaved people to do
their housework to free themselves to study
the arts, literature, and fashions.
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At Leisure
• The Romans enjoyed dice gambling and
public bathhouses. 
• Under the empire, the government staged
free public games, including circuses,
chariot races, and gladiatorial games. 
• The people who fought animals and one
another in arenas were called gladiators. 
• A few gladiators won their freedom, but
those that gave a poor performance were
killed, even if they survived the fight.
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Section Assessment
What kind of schooling did
Roman children receive?
Until age 12, boys and girls went to
school. Wealthy males continued
their studies while girls did not.
Wealthy females might have been
taught at home.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
What did the Romans do for
entertainment?
They gambled with dice, met at
public bathhouses, and watched
public games.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
Drawing Conclusions What
conclusions can you draw about
Roman society based upon
popular leisure activities?
Answers will vary.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
Draw the diagram found on page
240 of your textbook, and use it to
compare family life in the United
States with family life during the
Pax Romana.
Diagrams will vary.
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Fall of the Empire
• The Pax Romana ended after about 200
years, conditions in the Roman Empire
grew worse, and by 476 A.D., there was no
empire left. 
• Politically, the Roman Empire fell because
the emperors had no written rule about
who was to inherit the throne upon an
emperor’s death. 
• In 161 A.D., Marcus Aurelius became a
kind, intelligent, and devoted emperor.
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Fall of the Empire (cont.)
• Aurelius’s son, Commodus, became emperor
when Marcus Aurelius died in 180 A.D. 
• He was so cruel and hated that in 192 A.D.
he was strangled and the throne was sold
to the highest bidder. 
• For nearly 100 years, legion fought legion
to put its own emperor on the throne. 
• Economically, the Roman Empire fell
because the emperor raised taxes in
order to pay his soldiers high wages to
keep them happy and supportive.
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Fall of the Empire (cont.)
• The Romans began to suffer from inflation,
or a period of ever-increasing prices. 
• Many people began to barter, or
exchange goods without using money. 
• Thirdly, Rome fell because foreign
enemies, Germanic hunters and herders
from northern and central Europe, began
to raid Greece and Gaul.
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Diocletian and Constantine I
• Two emperors, Diocletian and Constantine
I, tried very hard to save the Roman Empire
from collapse. 
• Diocletian, who ruled from 284 to 305 A.D.,
fortified the frontiers and reorganized the
governments. 
• Also, Diocletian established the official
policy of rule by divine right and divided
the Roman Empire into two parts.
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Diocletian and Constantine I (cont.)
• In 312 A.D., Constantine I became emperor
and ruled until 337 A.D. 
• Constantine took even firmer control than
Diocletian. 
• Despite the changes made by Diocletian
and Constantine, the Roman Empire
continued to decline in the west. 
• In 330 A.D., Constantine moved the capital
from a dying Rome east to the newly built
city of Constantinople in present-day
Turkey.
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End of the Empire
• Neither Diocletian nor Constantine I
succeeded to save the Roman Empire. 
• In 378 A.D., a Germanic group defeated
Roman legions at the Battle of Adrianople.

• In 410 A.D., the Germanic chief Alaric and
his soldiers invaded Rome, burning records
and looting the treasury. 
• The Roman Senate told the people, “You
can no longer rely on Rome for finance or
direction. You are on your own.”
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Section Assessment
How did wealthy landowners
react to economic reforms by
Diocletian and Constantine?
They opposed the economic reforms
or tried to escape them.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
How did Germans gain control
of the Roman Empire?
They defeated Roman legions at the
battle of Adrianople with the help of
iron stirrups, crossed the frozen
Rhine River and entered Gaul, and
invaded Rome.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
Identifying Alternatives What do
you think could have been done by
either Diocletian or Constantine to
save the Roman Empire?
Answers will vary.
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Section Assessment (cont.)
Draw the diagram on page 244
of your textbook, and use it to
summarize the causes for the
fall of the Roman Empire.
political–no written rules on inheriting the
throne, influence of the Praetorian Guard
economic–high taxes to buy loyalty of soldiers,
inflation, gold shortages, and declining value of
money
foreign–frontiers left open to invaders, attacks
from German hunters and herders, pressure
from the Huns
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Chapter Summary & Study Guide
• Octavian, better known as Augustus,
became the first Roman emperor in 27 B.C. 
• Reorganization of the empire by Augustus
introduced a 200-year period of peace,
called the Pax Romana. 
• During the Pax Romana, trade increased,
and Roman law became standardized. 
• During the Pax Romana, about one million
people lived in Rome, where they suffered
from such problems as overcrowding,
pollution, crime, and unemployment.
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Chapter Summary & Study Guide (cont.)
• Whether rich or poor, most Roman children
went to school until age 12. 
• The Roman government staged free public
games to entertain the people. 
• Reasons for the fall of Rome include the
lack of a formal rule for inheriting the throne,
inflation, and attacks by Germanic
invaders. 
• Despite efforts by Diocletian and
Constantine I to save the empire, Rome fell
to Germanic invaders in 410 A.D.
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Understanding the Main Idea
How did Augustus make life safer
for people living in Rome?
He made it safer by setting up a fire
brigade and police force.
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Understanding the Main Idea
How did increased trade during the
Pax Romana affect the Romans?
It brought more business and
wealth, turning Italy into a
manufacturing center.
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Understanding the Main Idea
Why did the Romans change the
laws set down in the Twelve
Tables?
They changed the laws because the
times were different and the old laws
did not apply to conquered territories.
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Understanding the Main Idea
Why was it important to make
Roman law standardized across
the empire?
Making the law standard across the
empire helped govern a large area.
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Understanding the Main Idea
What happened to some animal
species as a result of the public
games?
They were eventually wiped out.
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Understanding the Main Idea
How did the Praetorian Guard
contribute to the empire’s decline?
They weakened Rome by murdering
the emperor and selling the throne.
52
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Understanding the Main Idea
Why did Diocletian divide the
Roman Empire in two?
The Roman Empire was too big for
one person to rule well.
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the answer.
Understanding the Main Idea
What were the main reasons for the
fall of the Roman Empire?
The main reasons were the absence
of a written rule for inheriting the
throne, high taxes and inflation, and
the Germanic invasions.
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Critical Thinking
What were Augustus’s strengths
and weaknesses as a ruler?
Answers will vary.
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Critical Thinking
Why would the absence of tariffs
increase trade?
Answers will vary. Without tariffs, the
prices of goods are lower.
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Critical Thinking
Would you have enjoyed living in
Rome during the Pax Romana?
Explain your answer.
Answers will vary.
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Critical Thinking
What happens to a government if it
does not have rules for passing on
power from leader to leader?
Answers will vary.
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the answer.
Geography in History
Location Refer to the map on page 235
of your textbook. Describe the
general location of the Roman Empire
according to its longitude and latitude.
Also identify the location of the
imaginary dividing line between the
Western and Eastern Empires.
The empire stretched from about 10º W
to 45º E longitude, and north and south
from 25º N to 40º N latitude. The
division between empires approximately
paralleled 20º E longitude.
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The Roman Empire’s employment
office has published a list of job
openings, and all people are invited
to apply. During the rule of which
later Roman emperor, Marcus
Aurelius or Diocletian, might this
have occurred?
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62
330 A.D.
27 B.C.
Octavian
becomes first
Roman emperor
63
Constantine I
moves Roman
capital to
Constantinople
410 A.D.
Rome falls to
Germanic
invaders
125 A.D.
378 A.D.
Roman law is
standardized
Battle of Adrianople
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Diocletian
245 A.D.-313 A.D.
Roman Emperor
Diocletian was born of humble parents
in what is now Croatia, an area in
eastern Europe ruled by the Romans.
He rose to power as an officer in the
Roman army, and it was his troops who
proclaimed him emperor in 284 B.C.
Diocletian’s division of the empire into
parts earned him the loyalty of
powerful supporters such as
Constantine I. In 305 A.D., he retired to
a castle in present-day Split, Croatia.
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The Atrium
Many shopping malls today have an
atrium, a sky-lit central court. The idea
for the atrium comes from ancient
Rome. In a Roman house, the atrium
was the central room. It was often
open to the sky and had a pool to
collect rainwater.
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The Pantheon
The “good emperor” Hadrian built the
Pantheon in Rome as a temple to honor
all the gods. Today the beautiful
building is a national shrine, a church,
and the burial place of two kings of Italy.
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Identifying the Main Idea
• As you read about world history, you come
across historical dates, events, and names. 
• These details are easier to understand and
remember when they are connected to one
main idea. 
• Understanding the main ideas allows you to
grasp the whole picture or story. 
• The details then become more easily
understood.
Continued on next slide.
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Identifying the Main Idea
Follow these steps to identify a main idea: 
• Before you read the material, find out the
setting of the article or document: the time,
the place, and who the writer is. 
• Read the material and ask, “What is the
purpose of this information?” 
• Study any photographs or illustrations that
accompany the material.
Continued on next slide.
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Identifying the Main Idea
• Ask, “What are the most forceful statements
in this material?” 
• Identify supporting details. 
• Identify the main idea, or central issue.
Continued on next slide.
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Identifying the Main Idea
The passage on page 242 of your textbook comes
from a document issued by Diocletian, the emperor
of Rome from 284 to 305 B.C. In it, he describes a
plan for ending Rome’s economic problems. Read
the passage and answer the questions that follow.
Continued on next slide.
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Identifying the Main Idea
Why has Diocletian issued this
document?
This document was issued to
announce laws regulating the
maximum price of goods.
Continued on next slide.
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the answer.
Identifying the Main Idea
What main idea, or central issue, is
discussed by the document?
The central issue is widespread
high prices.
Continued on next slide.
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the answer.
Identifying the Main Idea
What supporting details are used to
support the main idea?
Supporting details include: prices stay
high even in good years or time of
ample supply, some greedy merchants
have enough wealth to satisfy entire
nations, a single purchase might rob a
soldier of his bonus or salary.
Continued on next slide.
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the answer.
Identifying the Main Idea
What forceful statement does
Diocletian use to make sure people
do not miss the seriousness of the
central issue?
He says, “the penalty for violating this
law shall be death.”
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the answer.
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