After the turmoil at the end of the Republic, Caesar and Augustus transformed Rome into an empire.
Civil Wars at the End of the Republic
- After the Gracchi brothers' reforms failed, generals intervened in politics
- First Triumvirate: Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus
- Caesar conquered Gaul (France) and expanded his power
- "The die is cast": He crossed the Rubicon River and marched to Rome in defiance of the Senate's order
- He was assassinated by members of the senatorial faction in March 44 BCE
Augustus and the Beginning of the Empire
Caesar's successor, Octavian, received the title "Augustus (the Revered One)" from the Senate in 27 BCE, effectively beginning the Roman Empire. He maintained the formal structure of the Republic while taking control of real power.
During his reign (27 BCE–14 CE), Rome became stable, and the era of "Pax Romana (Roman Peace)" began.
Caesar's successor, Octavian, received the title "Augustus (the Revered One)" from the Senate in 27 BCE, effectively beginning the Roman Empire. He maintained the formal structure of the Republic while taking control of real power.
During his reign (27 BCE–14 CE), Rome became stable, and the era of "Pax Romana (Roman Peace)" began.
Key Points
- After Caesar's assassination, Augustus became the first emperor
- The formal system remained a republic, but in reality it was one-person rule
- Pax Romana: About 200 years of peace lasting until the 2nd century
Practice Questions
- State the name of the river Caesar crossed in defiance of the Senate's order and the phrase associated with it.
- State the title and personal name of Rome's first emperor.
- Explain what kind of era Pax Romana was.
Answers
- The Rubicon River; "The die is cast"
- Augustus (personal name: Octavian)
- A stable and peaceful era lasting about 200 years, from the reign of the first emperor Augustus to the era of the Five Good Emperors, during which the Mediterranean world was stable