WHAT DID AUGUSTUS CAESAR ACHIEVE?
Augustus began to pave the way Romans lived for almost 200 years. He also built a permanent professional army of about 150,000 men, all Roman citizens.Then he gives himself highly trained body guards of 9,000 men. Augustus's legions conquered new territory and added vast stretches of Northern Europe to Rome. He also built Rome with palaces, fountains, and public buildings most out of marble. He then brought in a bunch of food to feed the poor. Augustus devoted most of his time to improving the government. He chose new governors, called proconsuls. He took the responsibility of making the taxes more fair for everyone. Augustus decided to make tax collecting a permanent job for the government where they actually payed a salary to stop them from taking money. He realized that the legal system wasn't necessarily fair for everyone, so he changed it by creating a set of laws for people in the provinces for those who aren't citizens of Rome. After this most people made their decision of becoming Roman citizens.
WHO LED ROME AFTER AUGUSTUS?
After ruling for almost 40 years he dies in the year 14. Now everyone didn't know what to do, they were never told his to choose for a new emperor. Luckily, Augustus had been training one of his relatives by the name Tiberius. Tiberius and Calidus were good to go, they were considered 2 of the good empires. Caligula and Nero were f=very cruel to the people. Caligula had a mental illness, he had many people murdered and he wasted a lot of money. He even made his favorite horse president. Eventually one of Augustus's praetors killed Caligula and that's when Calidus became emperor.After Calidus, Nero become emperor. He had many people killed and out of those people he killed his mother,2 of his wives, and while Rome was having a great fire he didn't do anything, instead he was playing music and watching the fire. He died by committing suicide.
WHAT EMPERORS WERE CONSIDERED "GOOD EMPERORS"?
After Nero commits suicide Rome went through a period of disorder until this guy named Vespasian took the throne. He also restored peace and order. Troops led by his son Titus defeated the Jews and destroyed the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. During this reign Vespasian began construction on the famous colosseum. After Vespasian died Titus and his other son, Domitian, ruled Rome. During Titus's reign 2 big disasters struck. Mount Vesuvius erupted over the city of Pompeii completely destroying it. There was also a huge fire that damaged Rome. At the beginning of 100 AD there were 5; Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius. With these emperors standard living began to go up, this went on for over a course of almost 100 years. Also, during this time the Senate begins to get weaker and weaker and the emperor begins to get stronger and stronger. However, these 5 emperors did not abuse their power, instead they were the most famous and well-treating emperors.
WHAT UNIFIED THE EMPIRE?
Later emperors continued to conquer new land in Rome. The empire reached its largest land under Trajan, well beyond the Mediterranean Sea, all the way to Britain, and even as far as the east. Trajan accessors realized that the empire had gotten to big to rule. Hadrian built the Hadrian wall, that is still there today, so that he could "cut Rome down" to a more reasonable size. In the 100s the Roman empire was considered one of the greatest empires of all time. It consisted of about 3.5 million square miles. There were many different languages and many different customs. The most important aspect that really unified the empire were the Roman rules, that they shared identities and that they were all Romans. In year 212, anyone who was free was made a Roman citizen.
WHY WAS THE EMPIRES ECONOMY BOOMING?
Most people in the Roman empire made a living off of the land, they were farmers. Farmers produced grapes, olives, and all kinds of foods all over the place. The making of wine and olive oil became a very large business. Making agriculture and industry a very important part of Roman empire. Thsi was an extremely booming economy in the Roman empire.
HOW WERE ROADS AND MONEY HELPFUL?
A good transportation network was important to the empires trade. The Roman roads reached a total length of 50,000 miles. The money they used in Rome made its way to other places, making it easier and safer for trade.
WHAT INEQUALITY REMAINED?
In the people one inequality remained. The Roman empire's prosperity did not reach all people. Most city dwellers remained very poor and many also remained slaves. So it was tough for some of those in Rome, but most had it pretty good.
POMPEII
Pompeii was struck with one of the worst natural disasters in all of ancient history. Once the volcano had erupted everyone watched with awe, they believed that it would not hurt them. Many people did not understand what it was and what was happening, but those who did chose not to help, for they knew what was to come of those living in Pompeii. The wind then drives the cloud of smoke directly over Pompeii leaving it in a disastrous state. Pompeii's residence chose to stay there, little did they know that their decisions now would leave them dead later. The rock from the volcano mixed with air leaves it to fall from the sky putting everyone in a panic. Many still don't want to leave their lives and their home land, whereas others rush to leave in fear of dying. More sooner than later the rocks got heavier and heavier against the houses, that were built to uphold only rain. The pumice sucks the moisture out of the air leaving most throats and mouths parched and dry.
Then, something so rare and unheard of began to happen. Meters of molten lava began to glide its way through Herculaneum , burying everyone under 25 meters of volcanic debris. Pompeii will soon face the same fate, but for the early hours of the morning it was still the pumice that was causing the most damage.All of a sudden another pyroclastic surge occurs after the magma chamber collapses in the heart of the volcano. This time, those in Pompeii are in great danger for it is heading straight there. It miraculously stops and the city is spared, but a cloud of toxic gas coming from the surge seeps its way throughout the city and into the homes, suffocating those exposed to it. Many people resulted in suicide for they could not take the pain and decided that it was the easiest and quickest way out. Not much later, a blistering wave of ash and rock explodes scorching and smashing everything in its path as it hurtles down. It doesn't take long for the pyroclastic surge to reach Pompeii. All is lost after that.
Then, something so rare and unheard of began to happen. Meters of molten lava began to glide its way through Herculaneum , burying everyone under 25 meters of volcanic debris. Pompeii will soon face the same fate, but for the early hours of the morning it was still the pumice that was causing the most damage.All of a sudden another pyroclastic surge occurs after the magma chamber collapses in the heart of the volcano. This time, those in Pompeii are in great danger for it is heading straight there. It miraculously stops and the city is spared, but a cloud of toxic gas coming from the surge seeps its way throughout the city and into the homes, suffocating those exposed to it. Many people resulted in suicide for they could not take the pain and decided that it was the easiest and quickest way out. Not much later, a blistering wave of ash and rock explodes scorching and smashing everything in its path as it hurtles down. It doesn't take long for the pyroclastic surge to reach Pompeii. All is lost after that.