WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM BETWEEN THE RICH AND POOR?
Despite the fact that plebeians gained some freedom, they still were very unhappy with their living situations. Patricians still ruled Rome, ran the Senate, held the most powerful government jobs, and handled Rome's finances and had full control over the wars. Many farmers were forced into fighting in Rome's wars and were unable to tend to their farms which in turn made them sink into poverty and debt. Drowning in debt, farmers decided to try and get jobs in the city, but jobs were very hard to find. Slaves did most of the work and if they were lucky to find a job, they earned low wages. Roman politicians were worried about riots breaking out, but they quickly came up with an idea to use these situations to their advantage. To get votes from poor, they provided bread and entertainment. This helped many dishonest rulers gain more and more power.
WHY DID THE ROMAN REPUBLIC FAIL?
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus felt like they couldn't ignore the problems facing the Roman Republic. They asked the Senate to take back public land from the rich and divide it among landless Romans. However, putting their own interests above the general welfare, they fought the brothers' idea. A band of senators were scared enough to proceed to kill Tiberius in 133 BCE and then Gaius 12 years later. These began the darker days of the Roman Republic, many were angry as to how the senators were in charge of making and upholding the law, yet they could so easily violate them.
WHY DID THE ARMY ENTER POLITICS?
Usually the army would mostly stay out of government affairs, but that all changed once a military leader by the name of Marius became consul in 107 BCE. Marius decided to recruit poor farmers to work for him. In return, he paid them wages and promised them land. Marius's new military system led to new power struggles. He soon faced a challenge from a rival general, a man named Sulla. IN 82 BCE Sulla drove his enemies out of Rome and made himself dictator and while he was there he changed the government, He weakened the Council of the Plebs and strengthened the Senate, he then stepped down from office. He hoped the Roman Republic could heal itself and recapture its glory. Instead they did just the opposite, over the next 50 years Rome plunged into an era of civil wars.
MARIUS
SULLA
HOW DID JULIUS CAESAR'S MILITARY CAMPAIGNS MAKE HIM FAMOUS?
While in Gaul. Caesar battled foreign tribes and invaded Britain. He quickly became the hero of Rome's lower class. Crassus died in battle so the Senate appointed Pompey as the ruler because they were afraid Caesar would become to powerful. The Senate told Caesar to give up his army, but he decided to disobey and hold onto his 5,000 soldiers and march on Rome. The prase, "Crossing the Rubicon" is used after Caesar when he started a civil war the minute he crossed the small river. Caesar then drove Pompey's forces from Italy and then destroyed Pompey's army in Greece.
WHAT TYPE OF RULER WAS JULIUS CAESAR?
Caesar declared himself dictator for life and to strengthen his power, he filled the Senate with loyal members. He became popular with Rome's poor by providing them with land, work, and granting citizenship to outsiders. Caesar also created a new calendar that we still use today. It was modified however and is now known as the Gregorian calendar.The senators made a plan to kill Caesar, conducted by Brutus and Cassius, because they feared he wanted to become king.He ignored a famous warning to"Beware the Ides of March"(March 15) and on that day he was stabbed 27 times.
HOW DID ROME BECOME AN EMPIRE?
Rome plunged into another civil war after Caesar's death. One side were forces led by the men who killed Caesar and the other side had Caesar's grandnephew, Octavian. After Caesar, Antony, and Lepidus defeated Julius's assassins, the 3 men created the Second Triumvirate.
WHO WAS AUGUSTUS?
Octavian knew that the republic didn't work out to well and he decided to take over. He gave some power to the Senate, but he had most of it. His title, Imperator, translates to "Commander in Chief" but it came to mean "Emperor". He also decided to change his name to Augustus, meaning "the revered majestic one". From now on he was known as AUGUSTUS CAESAR.