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The Collapse of the Roman Republic

 72-27 BC. The Collapse of the Roman Republic. Optimates & Populares Gracchi Brothers Marius & Sulla Land for Veterans Loyalty to Generals Roman-on-Roman Violence Foreign Threats Mithridates. Previously on Roman History …. Major New Characters. Julius Caesar

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The Collapse of the Roman Republic

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  1.  72-27 BC The Collapse of the Roman Republic

  2. Optimates & Populares • Gracchi Brothers • Marius & Sulla • Land for Veterans • Loyalty to Generals • Roman-on-Roman Violence • Foreign Threats • Mithridates Previously on Roman History…

  3. Major New Characters Julius Caesar -lawyer, judge, politician, general,and historian -Populares Cicero -orator, politician,philosopher, senator -pushes for a return to ideal Republic &constitution Pompey -general, senator,wealthy -Optimates Crassus -extremely wealthygeneral

  4. Leftovers from the war between Marius & Sulla • Marius’s supporters flee and resist Sulla’s • A separate Republic forms in Spain • Pirates, Mithridates, slave revolt, conspiracy • Provide our new characters with some accomplishments & street cred • Lots going on at once, in several places A series of problems – 72-63 BC

  5. Supporter of Sulla in war, politics, and marriage; supporter of Senate too, then • Extremely successful general at a young age • Defeats Marians in Sicily, Africa, and Spain • Clears pirates from the Mediterranean in 40 days (grain supply threatened) • Goes east and defeats Mithridates • Adds 4 provinces to Rome (Bithynia & Pontus, Syria, Cilicia, and Crete) • Never really followed the rules; used his armies as threats against the Senate GnaeusPompeius Magnus - Pompey the great “haters gonna hate” – Pompey

  6. “Novus Homo” – “New Man” • Catilinarian Conspiracy – 63 BC • Catiline’s salty that he wasn’t elected consul • Plan: raise an army in Etruria, murder all the senators in Rome, bring the army in with help from some Gauls, take over • Cicero is warned; delivers speech to Senate outing Catiline, but has no proof; Catiline flees Rome • Letter to the Gauls becomes proof • Conspirators strangled to death • Sets a bad precedent (like we haven’t done that already) according to Caesar Marcus Tullius Cicero

  7. Supporter of Sulla as well, but rival to Pompey • Pompey too good; forced Sulla to give him a triumphal procession, so he eclipses Crassus in street cred • Richest Roman ever; top 10 for richest dude ever • Equestrian order • Real estate – buying your burning house • Crassus’s Moment of Glory • Slave revolt by Spartacus; Crassus pays for a new army • Troops abandon; “Decimation” • Captures 6,000 slaves; Spartacus dies; crucifixions • 5,000 slaves run away towards Rome • Moment of Glory stolen… • 60 BC – Awkward consulship with Pompey… Marcus Licinius Crassus He be mean muggin

  8. Nephew of Marius, target for Sulla • Serves in east; stripped of money • Kidnapped by pirates while returning to Rome • Not a high enough ransom, bros • Revenge – “lenient” revenge • Famous lawyer and judge in the 60’s BC • Caesar’s debt problem • Crassus supports him in exchange for political favors • As long as he holds a political office, he’s a “public citizen” and can’t be prosecuted for not paying his debts • Solution: Keep holding offices! • During 60 BC (consulship of Crassus/Pompey), Caesar is elected consul for 59 BC Gaius Julius Caesar

  9. “Three Men” – Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus – illegal rule • Caesar incredibly popular • Crassus incredibly rich • Pompey has veterans and armies behind him • Caesar gets Pompey and Crassus to play nice • Caesar wins Pompey over by giving Pompey his daughter Julia • Pompey’s troops and Crassus’s money make sure that Caesar’s laws go into effect; Bibulus, the other consul, chased off to his house for the year • Opposed by Cicero along the way, but with no real effect • Cicero’s like “much illegal, such unconstitutional, very scare, wow” The first triumvirate

  10. Caesar becomes governor of Gaul- money to make or steal • Hugely successful military campaign, The Gallic Wars • Takes over the rest of Gaul; excursions into Germany & Britain • Writes his own history of the campaign • Pompey stays in Rome to keep things under control; still runs Spain though • Crassus becomes governor of Syria and looks to expand the eastern frontier and add to his military legacy 50’s BC

  11. Julia dies in childbirth & Pompey marries a new wife • New wife is daughter of an opponent of Caesar • Pompey getting jealous of Caesar’s success in Gaul • Crassus dies fighting Parthians in the east • Open wide! • Senate chooses Pompey as sole consul; tells Caesar to disband • Caesar will if Pompey does • Caesar recalled to Rome • Knowing he’s not safe, he does the sensible thing and brings his army • Jan. 10, 49 BC: Crosses the Rubicon River • Act of war; “aleaiactaest” – “The die is cast” Things fall apart

  12. Caesar welcomed to Rome as the people’s hero • Pompey runs away to Greece with the Senate • Cicero says that doing so pretty much allowed Caesar to become dictator • Caesar goes to Spain and defeats Pompey’s guys in 27 days • Caesar goes to Greece and defeats Pompey in battle • Pompey flees to Egypt, is murdered by order of Ptolemy XIII • Caesar, angry, dethrones Ptolemy and installs Cleopatra • Caesar in Turkey: “veni, vidi, vici” • Caesar mops up the remnants in Africa and Spain Civil war

  13. Unprecedented and bordering on being a king Coins issued in his image, statue next to the kings’ statues Calendar reform Debt relief, police force, land distribution Dictator for life

  14. Brutus and Collatinus’s vow in 510 BC? • “Liberators” – group of senators “freeing” Rome • Brutus and Cassius • Theatre of Pompey • Mark Antony • καὶ σύ, τέκνον; • Kai su, teknon? • You too, child? • Stabbed 23 times;60 people participated The Shanking – March 15, 44 bc

  15. Mark Antony New Characters – supporters of caesar • Lepidus • Octavian The Second Triumvirate

  16. Leading figures in Rome after Caesar’s assassination • Made a deal with Liberators: wouldn’t be put on trial if they declared Caesar WASN’T a tyrant • Gave Caesar’s supporters more leverage than they would’ve had, and saved Caesar’s reforms • Antony & Caesar’s Will • Cicero sides with Octavian • “enemy of the state” • Octavian arrives & Antony goes rogue Cicero & Antony

  17. Rocky start; Antony’s ambition • Unite to take power and avenge Caesar • Actually a LEGAL triumvirate • Proscriptions! Yay mass murder! • Cicero • Battle(s) of Philippi – 42 BC • Brutus and Cassius commit suicide • Lepidus gets himself kicked out • Antony lives with Cleopatra • Octavian’s propaganda machine • Antony’s will Second triumvirate

  18. “NOT” a civil war… Battle of Actium - 31 BC Double suicide War vs….Cleopatra?

  19. Octavian acquires all the Republic’s traditional offices at once, and so he holds all the power • Still a republic, right guys? • 27 BC: Senate grants him the title Augustus • “Revered” one, “Elevated” one • PaxRomana – Roman Peace • Golden Age of Rome – rules 46 years • Buildings, poetry, art, etc. flourish • The Aeneid The first emperor, augustus

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