7.3: Caesar and The
Emperors
Julius Caesar
*Nephew of Gaius Marius
*Becoming a very popular
Roman general
*Powerful public speaker
*Spent great amounts of money
on the poor of Rome
First Triumvirate
60 B.C.
Caesar, Pompey, Crassus
Triumvirate – “rule of three”
Caesar last to become a consul
in 59 B.C.
First Triumvirate
Caesar needs a loyal army
Obtains special command in Gaul –
Present day France
Gaul now under Roman control –
Romans impressed
Caesar builds army and makes $$$
First Triumvirate
Crassus killed in battle
Pompey made sole consul in 52
B.C.
Ordered Caesar home without his
army
Jealous of Caesar’s fame
First Triumvirate
Caesar refused and returned to
Rome with his army
Declared war on the republic
Pompey fled to Greece
Caesar defeated Pompey and
followed him to Egypt
First Triumvirate
Pompey’s head given to Caesar
Placed Cleopatra on the Egyptian
throne
46 B.C. returned home a hero
Named “Dictator for Life” 2 years
later by the senate
Pompey
Caesar
Crassus
Caesar’s March on Rome
Caesar’s Military Campaigns
The Rule of Caesar
*Gave the poor food and his
soldiers land.
*Caesar increased size of Senate
to 900
-Reduced the power of the senate
-Wanted to be elected dictator for
life.
-Upset many Senators
Conspiracy to kill Caesar
*Many senators formed a
conspiracy to kill Caesar
-Feared Caesar’s ambition and
popularity
-Felt he must be
stopped
The Assassins
*Gaius Cassius and Marcus Brutus
-2 members of the conspiracy
-Senators and friends of Caesar
*March 15, 44 B.C. –
-Caesar stabbed to death in the Senate
-Ides of March
Rome in Chaos
*Octavian: Caesar’s
grandnephew
-Chosen to be his
heir
*Creates a struggle
for power
The Second Triumvirate
*Octavian:
*Marc Antony:
-general and ally of Caesar
*Lepidus
Power Struggle
*Antony took part of the army
-moved to Egypt to join with
Cleopatra
*Octavian forced
out Lepidus and
ruled Italy
The Division of Rome
*Marc Antony – took eastern Rome
*Octavian – took western Rome
The Power Struggle Ends
*Octavian convinced Roman
senate to declare war on
Antony
*Octavian captured Alexandria
*Antony and Cleopatra
committed suicide
Octavian: The First Augustus
“First Citizen” – avoid Julius’
fate
Took the name Augustus
“The Sacred One”
Caesar Augustus
First Roman emperor:
Never called himself emperor
Octavian: First Augustus
Won over the poor through
food, fresh water and
games.
Greatly expanded empire
West: Spain, East: Syria,
South: Egypt, North:
Rhine/Danube rivers
Octavian: First Augustus
Pax Romana – Roman peace
Began with the Reign of
Augustus
Offered the people
peace and stability
Price for peace: Reduction of
senate power
Age of Pax Romana Emperors
Julio-Claudian Emperors
Relatives of Julius Caesar
Tiberius: 14 – 37 AD
Good ruler but unpopular with
the people
Caligula:37 – 41 AD
Brutal and insane, literally
Eventually murdered
Julio-Claudian Emperors
Claudius: 41 – 54 AD
intelligent gimp
Inexperienced at first
Good administer
Conquered Britain
Poisoned by wife - Agrippina
Put her Son Nero in power
Julio-Claudian Emperors
Nero : 54 – 68 A.D.
Also insane and brutal
Blamed for Great Fire of Rome
Had his mother Agrippina
murdered
Killed himself instead of being
murdered by the Senate.
Last Julio-Claudian Emperor
Five Good Emperors
Hadrian: 117 – 138 A.D.
Romanized Provinces
Built forts and boundaries along
frontier
Ex: Hadrian’s Wall in Britain
Marcus Aurelius: 161 – 180 A.D.
last of 5 Good Emperors
Preferred to Study Stoic philosophy
over war
Forced to Defend empire against invaders