Events following the Punic Wars
1. Italy destroyed by Hannibal.
-
The poor sold their land to the rich.
2. People’s lives destroyed so they move to the city.
3. The birth of the “proletariat” – urban, landless,
poor people.
4. Rich buy slaves (1/3 of the population)
5. Slave uprisings (Spartacus)
6. Rich take control of the government.
The Gracchi Brothers
• Tiberius Gracchi, Tribune of the Assembly,
tries to speak on behalf of the poorer people,
the proletariat. He is executed by a group of
Senators (patricians) 133BC.
• His younger brother, Gaius, also tries to fix
things, he is executed with 3,000 of his
followers in 123BC.
Military Leaders Take Over
• People not happy with the government, so the
leaders of the military take over.
• Marius – saved Rome from an invasion in
105BC. He used the army to seize power.
• Sulla – Also took over using the army, by
slaughtering his opponents.
Caesar comes to power in Rome
• Sulla orders Caesar killed, Caesar escapes.
• Caesar was an excellent speaker who understood
the nature of politics.
• Caesar threw parties for the patricians, such as
Crassus the Rich (whom he borrowed money
from). He got himself elected Provincial
Governor of Spain.
• He used this position to make himself wealthy by
taxing the Spanish.
The First Triumverate, 60BC
• Caesar, Crassus the Rich, and Pompey (a military
general) join forces.
• Caesar elected consul.
– The ten years these three men ruled Rome.
• Caesar served one year as consul, then appointed
himself Provincial Governor of Gaul.
Caesar establishes the “Empire”
• As Governor of Gaul, he conquers new land.
– The Gallic Wars
• He led his army across Europe, killing
anyone who tried to stop him.
• Caesar and his troops conquer most of
Northern Europe.
• The Roman Republic becomes known as the
Roman Empire.
• Caesar’s greatest contribution was
conquering all the land in Europe in the
name of Rome
Caesar returns to Rome
• In 50BC, Crassus dies, so the Senate orders
Caesar to come home to Rome. Pompey has
now become his rival.
• The Senate tells Caesar to return home without
his troops, but he brought them anyway.
• What does it mean to “cross the Rubicon”?
– Southern limit of the area he commanded, point of
no return, her deliberates but crosses
• Caesar returns, conquers Rome, and Pompey
runs away to Greece.
Caesar hunts down Pompey
• 48BC, Caesar defeats Pompey in Greece and
chases him down to Egypt.
• Caesar tells the Egyptians, “I want his head on
a platter.”
• The Pharaoh captures Pompey, and the head is
presented to Caesar, on a platter.
• Caesar meets & becomes involved with
Egyptian Queen Cleopatra
• Veni, Vidi, Vici – I came, I saw, I conquered.
Caesar’s Government
• 44BC, Caesar returns to Rome and is appointed
dictator.
• He grants citizenship to everyone in provinces.
• Gave the poorer citizens more rights.
• Unemployed men were hired rather than slaves.
• Provided land for the poor.
• Established the “Julian Calendar”
– 365 days, leap year, July – his birthday, February –
short because it’s unlucky.
The Ides of March
• March 15th, 44 BC
• Caesar walks to the Senate.
• Brutus and Cassius, two
members loyal to Pompey,
assassinate Caesar.
• They thought Caesar wanted to
be King.
• “Et tu, Brute” You too, Brutus?
Cleopatra
• Famous queen of ancient Egypt. Known as beautiful, intelligent
and self-confident. Well-known because of love affairs with two
Roman rulers, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.
• Born in 69 B.C. in Alexandria, Egypt. Not Egyptian but belonged
to a Greek dynasty, that started with Ptolemy I. When her father
Ptolemy XII died she became ruler together with her elder brother.
Some of her brother’s friends, however, drove her out of Egypt.
• When Julius Caesar came to the country he helped her regain the
throne. She ruled again, this time with her younger brother.
• Caesar and Cleopatra fell in love and they had a son together,
Caesarion. Cleopatra went with Caesar to Rome, becoming his
mistress, and lived in his villa for some time.
Cleopatra
• Cleopatra returns to Egypt in 44BC (when Caesar dies).
• Historians believe that she killed her younger brother in order to
be the only ruler of Egypt.
• After Caesar's death two men struggled for power in Rome: Mark
Antony and Octavian. Mark Antony felt very much attracted
attracted to Cleopatra and the Egyptian queen helped him in his
battle against Octavian. They fall in love & she bears him three
children.
• Octavian went to war against Antony, who united his navy with
Cleopatra's. They lose Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. the couple fled
to Alexandria.
• Antony committed suicide by stabbing himself with a sword. A
short time later Cleopatra let a snake bite her and she also died.
• With Cleopatra’s death Greek rule came to an end and the country
became a Roman province.
Julius Caesar and Rome
Today’s Objective:
I can identify and explain the role Caesar played in
Roman history and politics.
Why did Caesar use crayons?
He wanted to Mark Antony
How was Rome divided in half?
By a pair of Caesars
Memory & Vocabulary Recognition
• How many songs does your iPod contain?
• How many of the songs can you name?
• Of those songs, how many of those can
you name the artist? The genre? (country,
rock, pop, rap, etc.)
Term
1. Triumvirate
2. Patricians
Definition
Memory Cue
Government led by three individuals.
3 wheels on a trike, 3 leaders
Upper class, nobility, wealthy land
owners
Patricians rhymes with
Magicians; fancy, impressive
3. Plebeians
Working, lower class; merchants,
famers
4. Proletariat
Landless, lowest class of citizens in
ancient Rome. Only asset was their
offspring.
Plebian, pleading, please,
asking, wanting, needing, to
make a plea
“Proles” Latin for offspring.
Julius Caesar and Rome
Today’s Objective:
I can identify and explain the role Caesar played
in Roman history and politics.
http://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/OTc5NTUz
MDIx
Put these in order.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Antony and Cleopatra are defeated.
Brutus and Cassius kill Caesar.
Caesar defeats Pompey.
Caesar conquers Gaul.
Octavian rules Rome
The First Triumverate is formed.
5
4
3
2
6
1