The post Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization was the Roman Empire. It was characterized by a large area of territory such as the Mediterranean, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Also, the Roman Empire was known for having an autocratic form of government. There are three important people in the history of the Roman Empire. The three people are Augustus, John the Baptist, and Jesus.
The first person is Augustus. On September 23, 63 BC, August was born as Gaius Octavius, also known as Octavian. Julius Caesar, Octavius great-uncle, was assassinated in 43 BC leaving Octavius as his heir. Instead of following Caesar’s example and making himself dictator, Octavian in 27 BC founded the principate, a system of monarchy headed by an emperor holding power for life( bbc history/historic_figures/augustus.shtml). He took the name Augustus because it means ‘lofty’ or ‘serene’. Augustus had complete control of the Roman state, and had the army under his command. Rome was transformed with wonderful buildings and Augustus was a patron to the leading poets of the day. He created an army fo...
It is believed that Julius Caesar was born on July 12, 100 B.C. (biography). He obtained the position of consul around 60 B.C. and had an alliance with Pompey, who was a general, and Crassus, who was a patrician. The alliance was broken after Crassus died in battle and Caesar and Pompey had a disagreement that resulted in a civil war. After Pompey was defeated, there was no one to compete against Caesar and he named himself dictator of Rome in 46 B.C. (Ushistory).
Over the span of five-hundred years, the Roman Republic grew to be the most dominant force in the early Western world. As the Republic continued to grow around the year 47 B.C it began to go through some changes with the rise of Julius Caesar and the degeneration of the first triumvirate. Caesar sought to bring Rome to an even greater glory but many in the Senate believed that he had abused his power, viewing his rule more as a dictatorship. The Senate desired that Rome continued to run as a republic. Though Rome continued to be glorified, the rule of Caesar Octavian Augustus finally converted Rome to an Empire after many years of civil war. Examining a few selections from a few ancient authors, insight is provided as to how the republic fell and what the result was because of this.
30 BC ~ Octavian was given the title of Imperator, which was used in the Eastern provinces. Imperium suggests unlimited imperium (or power) (Antiquity 2 Interpreting The Past) This was the first of many titles that were to be given to Octavian after his defeat of Mark Antony in 31 BC at the Battle of Actium. It indicates that the provinces thought Octavian was worthy of being honoured, and that the power he possessed at the time should remain his. Therefore this was the first factor that initiated the rise of Octavian.
In the early first century AD, the Roman Empire was subject to autocratic rule and the old Republic was long dead. Augustus had been ruling for forty years and most of that time he was loved and praised by the Senate and the people of Rome. Throughout his reign, Augustus had the one lingering problem of finding a successor to take over the role of Emperor. He had chosen 3 different heirs in his time of rule; however, they all passed before they had the chance to inherit Augustus’ esteemed power. His fourth choice, Tiberius, was the one to succeed Augustus.
The Roman Empire In 27 BC, Augustus became the first emperor of Rome, thus creating a strong leader figure, which could shape and mold the Republic system into what was best for the empire or themselves. During the reign of the emperors, the political policies for Rome would vary according to, which emperor was in power. Not only were politics shaky, but there never was a clear-cut method of succession for the man who controlled those politics. Rome had created the position of emperor in hopes that men like Augustus would continue to lead her into prosperity, however the office of emperor struggled in attempting to find great men to lead Rome. The office never truly evolved into something greater than when it had been created, but rather the office varied according to the personality of the man in the position.
Octavian enabled the long, nonviolent time of the Pax Romana, (Latin for Roman peace) by changing Rome from a frail, collapsing republican government to a powerful empire. He is known as the first, and one of the greatest, Roman Emperors ever. Octavian was born on September 23, 63 BC, and died in 14 AD. Born with the name Gaius Octavius Thurinus, he was adopted posthumously by his great-uncle Gaius Julius Caesar via his will, and then was named Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus. This happened in 44 BC when his great uncle, Julius Caesar, was assassinated by a group of conspirators. Additionally, he received the name “Augustus” a term meaning “the revered one” from the Roman Senate in 27 BC. Because of the various names he had, it is common to call him Octavius while referring to the events that between 63 and 44 BC, Octavian when referring to events between 44 and 27 BC, and Augustus when referring to events after 27 BC. Octavian is arguably the single most important figure in Roman history. Ever since he was a young boy, he was destined to become the next great leader. For example, Octavian along with his friend Marcus Agrippa went to visit the Sibyl of Cumae (oracle). When the Sibyl saw him, she bowed at his feet and said that he would be the next great leader. He did not believe her at the time, but just a few years later Julius Caesar would be dead and he would have power. Over the course of his long and spectacular career as “Principate,” he put an end to the collapse of the Republic, and established a system that would stand in the Roman government for three centuries.
The evolution of the government of Ancient roman civilization from its origins through the fall of the Roman empire can be categorized into 3 states. The first state was the Roman Kingdom which was governed by a monarchy, where the kings had absolute and sole power. The second state was the Roman Republic, which was governed by a republic where citizens elected representatives to rule. The third and final state was the Roman Empire which was governed by autocracy, there were still two branches of government the Senate and the Emperor but the Emperor had total power. When Emperor Diocletian ruled during the third century he appointed Maximum as co-emperor to rule the west, which essentially started the fall of the Roman Empire.
The era of the Pax Romana – though still a period of time filled with civil war and conquests in an attempt to expand the empire – was an overall period of stability for Roman society. During this time the Roman people knew their Emperor was an unwavering political powerhouse with an ability to run the Empire efficiently. In addition to having an efficient political leader, Rome had a strong military force stable enough to protect them from outside forces. The security of the Pax Romana period allowed Romans to focus on politics, culture, and technology providing them the opportunity to progress and flourish as a society.
The Roman Republic had an upstanding infrastructure, a stable social system, and a balanced constitution that solidified Rome’s greatness. Regardless of its achievements, however, the Roman Republic owes much of its success to classical Greek cultures. These cultures, in conjunction with the fundamental values of Roman society, certified Rome as one of the most significant powers the world has ever seen.
Forsyth, Fiona. The First Emperor: Augustus. New York: Rosen Central, 2003. Print. Leaders of Ancient Rome.
Vespasian emerged as Emperor after the Year of the Four Emperors, and he brought the princeps and the Empire back to stability. His son and successor, Titus, took power in 79 c.e. and reigne...
Rome's Republican era began after the overthrow of the last Roman King Tarquin Superbus by Lucius Brutus in 509 BC(1), the Senate was ruled the by the people of Rome. The Roman Republic was governed by a largely complex constitution, which established many checks and balances, so no man could have complete control. The evolution of the constitution was heavily influenced by the struggle between the patricians and the other prominent Romans who were not from the nobility. Early in Rome’s history, the patricians controlled the republic, over time, the laws that allowed these individuals to dominate the government were repealed, and the result was the emergence of a the republic which depended on the structure of society, rather than the law, to maintain its dominance. This is similar to the creation of the American system of government. Starting with the over throw of t...
After marching to Rome, Sulla became dictator in 82 BC. After Sulla, the First Triumvirate: Pompey, Crassus, and Caesar, owned virtually all power in Rome, yet each had his own desire to defeat the other two and become Emperor. When Crassus died in battle, Caesar had his chance. He defeated Pompey and marched to Rome, victorious. After declaring himself Dictator for Life, Caesar was assassinated, and another Civil War ensued.... ...
The Roman Republic (508 – 26 B.C.E) collapsed because Rome had expanded to such an extent that the political system wasn’t able to administrate it efficiently. This was followed by civil war and then the Rise of the Roman Empire (Roman Republic). This rise of the Roman Empire brought a period called Pax Romana, “a state of comparative tranquility throughout the Mediterranean world from the reign of Augustus (27 BC–AD 14) to that of Marcus Aurelius (AD 161–180)” (Encyclopædia Britannica).
Gaius Julius Caesar, commonly known as Julius Caesar, is an important figure who laid the foundation of the Roman Empire. He is one of the most famous roman ruler, Rome as ever had. He helped to establish the transition from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire, ended the Republic System when he was named Perpetual Dictator (44BC). And vastly created many other political and civil reforms. He was a very influential leader.