The Age of Augustus
(Imperial Rome)
A Vast and Powerful Empire
• Octavian the adopted son of
Julius Caesar accepts the
title Augustus (exalted one)
• During his rule, Rome
reaches its peak in power
and reaches a time of great
peace
• From 27 B.C. to 180 A.D
there will be a period of 207
years of peace called the
Pax Romana
Economy during Pax Romana
• Agriculture is the most
important industry of the
Roman empire
• Whole empire used uniform
silver coin called a denarius
which made trade easier
• Had a huge network of
roads that connected all the
way to Persia and Russia
• Created prosperity and
stability
Government of Pax Romana
• Augustus was a great
emperor who:
– stabilized the frontier
– glorified Rome with splendid
public buildings
– Set up a civil service
• A civil service paid workers
from the Plebeian class to:
– Manage grain supply
– Collect taxes
– Manage a postal system
• Government was very stable
Emperor Succession
• Peace and prosperity
depended on orderly
transfer of power
• There was no written law
for how to transfer the
emperor’s power when he
died
• Five good emperors
solved this problem only
for a little time.
Pictures Cited
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Slide 1 - http://pages.interlog.com/~gilgames/imagrom/empire.jpg
Slide 2 –http://z.about.com/d/ancienthistory/1/7/p/L/2/Augustus.jpg
Slide 3 – http://www.vroma.org/images/mcmanus_images/augtibdrusus_denarius.jpg
Slide 4 – http://z.about.com/d/goeurope/1/0/x/o/1/vienne-roman-road.jpg
Slide 5 – http://www.freefoto.com/images/31/18/31_18_54---Statue-of-the-Roman-Emperor-Trajan-London--England_web.jpg