Fall of the Roman Republic
Fall of the Roman Republic
1. Agricultural Crisis
Fall of the Roman Republic
Agricultural Crisis
• Small landowners were:
1. Major producers of food and
2. Majority of the soldiers in the legions
Fall of the Roman Republic
Agricultural Crisis
• War brought problems they could not deal with
1. Destruction of farms by Hannibal
2. Neglect
3. New provinces (Sicily and Spain) flooded
food markets with inexpensive products
4. Slave labor
5. Patricians investing in land caused the price
of land to skyrocket
Fall of the Roman Republic
Agricultural Crisis
• Formation of latifundia
• Small farmers who sold moved to cities
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Looking for jobs
Unemployed
Resentful, class warfare
Larger gap between rich and poor
Fall of the Roman Republic
2. Land reform failed
Fall of the Roman Republic
2. Land reform failed
Increased geographic size of Republic strained
government
Roman Society = SPQR
Roman Senate
Roman People
patricians vs. plebeians
Fall of the Roman Republic
2. Land reform failed
Increased geographic size of Republic strained
government
Roman Senate:
• Original patrician families
• Responsible for government= stress/strain:
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Conflict with plebeians and other patricians
Increased size of Republic= Rome
plus provinces
Fall of the Roman Republic
2. Land reform failed
Increased geographic size of Republic strained
government
Roman Senate:
• Unwilling to admit “new men” to the inner circle
of power
• Dominated the political process
• Adopted a narrow “us vs. them” approach to
government and the Republic
Fall of the Roman Republic
2. Land reform failed
Increased geographic size of Republic strained
government
Roman People:
• Manpower for “citizen militia” army
• Land owning farmers
• Decreasing supply of soldiers when needed
most
• Assemblies: less representative, participation
Fall of the Roman Republic
2. Land reform failed
Owning land and farming were basics of Roman
society, culture and economy
• Individuals used booty to buy out smaller
farmers (straight or default loan/tax sales)
• Ex-farmers moved to big cities or the provinces
• Reduced:
– social status
– participation in decision making
Fall of the Roman Republic
2. Land reform failed
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus tried
1. remove a portion of public land from
patricians
2. distribute land to “landless” plebeians
3. eligible for military service
Fall of the Roman Republic
2. Land reform failed
Conflict between Senate and Gracchi
brothers
1. All agreed reform was necessary, but …
2. Uncertainty and doubt about proposal
3. Methods to be used to enact proposal
were new, untried and often bordered on
being illegal
Fall of the Roman Republic
2. Land reform failed
Conflict between Senate and Gracchus
brothers
4. Real intentions of the Gracchi
5. Created divisions in Senate which worked
for their own gain
6. Create “winners” and “losers”- involved
land, but really about power/clients
7. Threatened nobles’ control of government
Fall of the Roman Republic
2. Land reform failed
Conflict between Senate and Gracchus
brothers
Results:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Reforms failed
Political violence by all sides
Brothers murdered by patricians
Open divisions in Republic: Senate vs. people,
landed vs. non-landed, patrician vs. patrician, etc
Fall of the Roman Republic
2. Land reform failed
Conflict between Senate and Gracchus
brothers
Results:
5. Benefits from success of Republic
– Support of “people” reforms
– Source of power and wealth to exploit
for personal gain
Fall of the Roman Republic
3. Politics became corrupt
and violent
Fall of the Roman Republic
3. Politics became corrupt and violent
• Threat of foreign warfare removed
• Patrician vs. Plebeian warfare
1. Unemployed plebeians rioted
2. Patricians assassinate Gracchi brothers
Fall of the Roman Republic
3. Politics became corrupt and violent
• Patricians sought wealth and power
rather than protecting Rome
• Plebeians followed leaders who
promised free food and entertainment
Fall of the Roman Republic
4. Slave Revolts
Fall of the Roman Republic
4. Slave Revolts
• 135 B.C. first slave revolt in Sicily
• Spartacus led slave revolt of 90,000
• 1 out of every 4 people in Rome was a
slave
Fall of the Roman Republic
5. War plunder decreased
Fall of the Roman Republic
5. War plunder decreased
• Territory added before 100 B.C.:
• Central Italy, Northern Italy, Southern
Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Spain,
Portugal, Northern Africa, Greece, Turkey,
Syria
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Territory added 100 B.C. – 0:
• Gaul
Fall of the Roman Republic
5. War plunder decreased
• Refocus:
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Away from foreign threat to threats at home
Centered on power/clients and wealth
Patrician vs. patrician
Optimates vs Populares
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Period of:
political confusion
social unrest
political violence
mass assassination
Fall of the Roman Republic
• 6. Generals gained power
Gaius Marius:
• Plebeian novos homo
• Common soldier to military
tribune
• Uneducated, rough, vulgar,
but skilled commander
• Hero of the lower classes
• Elected consul 7 times
Fall of the Roman Republic
• 6. Generals gained power
Lucius Cornelius Sulla
• Old patrician family- but no
wealth- removed from Senate
• Fanatical supporter of the
anti-Gracchi group
• Legate for Marius
• Elected consul 2 times
• Dictator in 81 BC
Fall of the Roman Republic
Conflict
Jurgurtha/German
Wars
Optimates vs.
Populares
Command of the East/
Civil Wars
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
•
Jurgurtha/German Wars:
– Africa (Numidia) against Jurgurtha
– Southern France against migrating German
Cimbri and Teutones
Threat allowed Marius to be elected consul 5
consecutive years
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Gaius Marius:
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Sulla was legate under Marius
Negotiated betrayal of Jurgurtha, capturing him
personally
Triumph given to Marius
Destroyed statue honoring Sullacommemorated Jurgurtha’s capture by Sulla
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Gaius Marius:
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Created professional army of volunteers from
landless, unemployed plebeians
To be given land or bonus after 16 year term
was completed
Became loyal to leader rather than to republiccommander recruited and paid soldiers
personally- paid in loot (Marius’ Mules)
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Optimates vs. Populares
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Groups of patrician/senatorial politicians
organized for personal gain (nobility vs.
nobility)
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Optimates
Defenders of:
Ruthless conservatives
willing to defend:
• Constitution
• Law and order
• Roman tradition
Property
Privilege
At all costs
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Populares
Selfless reformers:
Ambitious politicians:
• Supported Republic
and People
• What was best for
Republic
• Establish personal
power
tyranny
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Optimates vs. Populares
Marius
Identified with:
Populares
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Optimates vs. Populares
Sulla
identified with:
Optimates
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Command of the East/Civil Wars
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88 BC, Sulla elected consul, given command of
the East
War against Mithridates
Marius, with support of the tribune of the plebs,
took command away and had it given to himself
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Command of the East/Civil Wars
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Sulla’s reaction:
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Gathered army, marched on City of Rome
Had tribune of plebs, Marius and their supporters
outlawed
Marius fled, tribune and many supporters killed
Command of the East given back to Sulla
Sulla left for the East with legions
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Command of the East/Civil Wars
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Return of Marius:
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Pro-Marius consul (Cinna) elected, exiled by Senate
Consul put together an army
Marius returned, put together an army
Marian/consular armies took Rome
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Command of the East/Civil Wars
•
Return of Marius:
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Marius massacred opponents who were leaders of
Senate
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Command of the East/Civil Wars
“In a word, so insatiable, a passion for bloodshed seized
Marius that, when he had killed most of his enemies
and because of excitement could remember no one
else he wished to destroy, he passed the word to his
soldiers to slay every passer-by, one after another,
unless he extended his hand to him…. Naturally in the
great crowd and confusion… many whose deaths he
did not in the least desire died needlessly.”
Dio Cassio 30, 102.10
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Command of the East/Civil Wars
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Return of Marius:
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Marius and Cinna elected consuls next year
Marius died 14 days into term
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Command of the East/Civil Wars
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Return of Sulla:
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Returned with 40,000 veterans
Defeated consular armies
Took Rome and began to persecute/slaughter his
enemies:
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Enemies names posted in Forum:
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Could be killed, possessions taken
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Command of the East/Civil Wars
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Return of Sulla:
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Rewards given to informers
“outlaws” could be killed without fear of
punishment
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2,600 equestrians including 90 senators killed
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Land taken used to reward Sulla’s 150,000
veterans
– Sulla declared dictator for life-restore authority
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
Command of the East/Civil Wars
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Next generation of Roman leaders and
generals:
– Lived through Civil Wars
– Sided with Sulla or with Marius
– Patterns of leadership (Marius/Sulla)
established
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
• First Triumvirate
1. Gnaeus Pompey, Crassus, and Julius
Caesar
2. Pompey – Hispania,
Crassus – Syria,
Caesar – Gaul
3. All opposed the Senate
4. United to elect Caesar consul
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Why 3 leaders with “equal” power?
First Triumvirate
Fall of the Roman Republic
• Most powerful and
wealthy patrician
• Military commander
• Put down slave revolt
led by Spartacus
• Eager to prove
brilliance as
commander
• Killed in Parthia
Fall of the Roman Republic
• Plebeian success
story
• Brilliant military
commander
• “Pompey Magnus”
Pompey the Great
• Extremely wealthy
and powerful
politically
Fall of the Roman Republic
• Career military
commander but
unproven
• Powerful family
• Elected consul
• Weakest member of
the First Triumvirate
Fall of the Roman Republic
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
• Civil War between Pompey and Caesar
– Pompey defeated in Italy and Greece
– Killed in Egypt
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Julius Caesar
– Patrician, but played to the plebeians
– Named dictator for life
– Assassinated by patricians loyal to Senate
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
• Second Triumvirate
1. Marc Antony, Lepidus, Octavian
2. Antony – Egypt
Octavian – Italy
Lepidus – Hispania
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Why 3 leaders with “equal” power?
Second Triumvirate
Fall of the Roman Republic
6. Generals gained power
• Civil War between Antony and Octavian
– Antony/Cleopatra defeated at Actium
– Killed in Egypt
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Octavian
– Titles of Augustus and Caesar
– End of the Republic
– Beginning of the Roman Empire