2. Review
How did the Roman Republic expand and gain territory?
What were some of the major problems facing the Roman Republic?
3. Review, continued
How did Caesar gain power? Why did people support him or not support him?
Why was he assassinated?
What did Augustus have to do to gain power after the death of Caesar?
How did Augustus govern?
4.
5. Augustus, the first emperor
By the time Augustus died after 45 years of rule, a tradition of rule by
emperors was established which would last for the next 400 years (the next
1,400 years in the East)
Augustus set the borders of the empire (only Britain and Romania would be
conquered by later emperors
The Roman Empire was incredibly large, both in terms of geography and
population
Challenge of governing vastly different cultures across the empire
10. Emperors after Augustus
The Julio-Claudian Dynasty—14 to 69 A.D.
Chosen from the extended family of Augustus
Some were capable rulers, like Tiberius and Claudius
Others were unstable
Caligula
Nero
After the Army rose up against Nero, the general Vespasian
became emperor, followed by his sons
11. The “Five Good Emperors” (96 to 180
A.D.)
Domitian was an arrogant ruler—assassinated by a group of nobles and officers
An elderly senator named Nerva was chosen as emperor
No heir—chose a capable man named Trajan as successor
Started trend—these competent rulers chose and adopted their successors, so
they could know that the empire would be in good hands
Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius
Remembered as wise rulers—viewed good administration and benefitting
subjects as their duty
Philosophy of Stoicism
12. The Meditations Activity
The Oregonian is struggling. They have reached out to you, a
high school freshman, to write for them a new advice
column for their readers. However, there’s a catch. An old
philosophy is sweeping through self-help circles: Stoicism.
First outlined by Marcus Aurelius then later adapted by guys
like Tony Robbins, Stoicism is the hot new self-help
philosophy. After reading through an excerpt from The
Meditations, write a one page self-help column for the
paper. If you do not finish today in class, it will be due
tomorrow.
13. The Pax Romana
Under the “Good Emperors,” Roman Empire prospered economically and was
free of major wars
Roman roads and shipping linked many regions
Cities, aqueducts
Roman culture appealed to many of the conquered peoples of the empire
Roman Empire was still an unequal and violent place—life difficult for
ordinary people