Name: ______________________________________________________________________ Date: __________ Section: ______
THE EARLY EMPIRE - OUTLINE
LaBrache/Rice
DIRECTIONS: Read ch. 14, lesson 1 (p. 430 - 435) in M.A.D. As you read fill in the blanks below.
I. Establishing Peace and Order
- In 46 BCE, Julius Caesar made himself DICTATOR for life. The Senate was
afraid
of Caesar becoming too powerful. Caesar treated the Senators like SERVANTS
- To assassinate is to KILL SOMEONE for political reasons. The Senate assassinated
Caesar
on “IDES OF MARCH” (MARCH 15, 44 BCE)
- The people of Rome were upset when Caesar was killed because they liked Caesar. He
helped the help in many ways:
 Reorganized the government
 LOWERED taxes
 Gave people LAND to farm in new colonies
 Hired common people to build TEMPLES and other public buildings
 He made many people in the colonies citizens
- After Caesar’s death OCTAVIAN took power in Rome
A. The Empire of Augustus
1. The title “Augustus” means RESPECTED ONE
2. For how long did Octavian rule over Rome? (do the math) 41 YEARS
3. AUGUSTUS is considered the first emperor of Rome.
4. The people of Rome welcomed Octavian because they wanted a
STRONG LEADER and they desperately wanted peace
B. Order in the City
1. Augustus built or restored 82 temples, most with MARBLE
2. Augustus help the people of Rome by creating a POLICE FORCE, FIRE
BRIGADE, DEPARTMENT OF FOOD SUPPLY
C. Growth in the Provinces
1. The Roman Empire reached its peak (its highest point of success) in
117 CE. During this time 60 million people lived in the Roman Empire.
D. The Pax Romana
1. The Pax Romana refers to a period of time when the Roman Empire was
mainly united and peaceful.
2. The Pax Romana lasted from 27 BCE – 180 CE
DIRECTIONS: Read pages 433 – 435 in Message of Ancient Days. As you read fill in the
blanks below.
II. Ruling the Empire
- Augustus made sure TIBERIUS (his stepson) transition to power was
by sharing POWER with him before he died
easy
- Augustus created a new system for choosing emperors. Each emperor chose
his successor from his FAMILY or ADOPTED someone he
thought would make
a good emperor
-
FOUR different dynasties ruled Rome after Augustus’s death
-
At Rome’s height, about how many people lived in the city of Rome?
1 MILLION
About how many different languages were spoke in the city of Rome? 12
-
At Rome’s height, what fraction of the world’s population was under it control?
20%
A. The Dynasties
1. The last ruler in Augustus’ family line was NERO
2. Nero was not seen as a good emperor because he did not gain the respect of
the Senators or the ARMY. The dislike for Nero grew and a civil war
began. Nero committed SUICIDE as a result.
3. The second dynasty came to an end when DOMITIAN
assassinated in 96 CE
was
4. The nickname given to the third dynasty was the “DYNASTY OF GOOD
EMPERORS”
5. Emperor Trajan was seen as a good emperor because he:
 Extended the boundaries of the empire beyond the Danube River and into
Armenia and MESOPOTAMIA
 Gave low-cost loans to FARMERS
 Supported poor children and orphans
6. Hadrian was the first emperor to protect the borders with WALLS
8. The last ruler of the Pax Romana was MARCUS AURELIUS His death
marked the gradual end of the empire. Emperors who followed him failed to control
the large empire.
B. Rebellion in the Provinces
1. The Roman Empire experience threats of rebellion from the people in
Gaul, BRITAIN and JUDAEA
2. What is the name of the structure that lay at the northern border of
Rome’s empire on the British Isles? HADRIAN’S WALL
DIRECTIONS: Read pages 436 – 445 in Message of Ancient Days. As you read fill in the
blanks below.
III. Three Social Classes
-
Roman society was divided into three major classes; they were the ELITE,
“MORE HUMBLE” and SLAVES
-
The highest class of people made up what percentage of the population of Rome?
2%
-
About what percentage of the population of Rome was made of the lowest class of
people? 33%
IV. The Importance of Social Level
-
The key to improving your social position in Ancient Rome was GAINING
WEALTH
-
When soldiers retired many of them would join the ELITE class.
-
Most of the people in the city lived in apartments called INSULAE
-
In crowded conditions like this CRIME and FIRE were serious problems.
-
About ¼ of the babies in Rome did not live through their first year.
-
About ½ of all Roman children did not live to be 10 years old.