3. A Vast and Powerful Empire
Pax Romana
Under Augustus, Rome
changes from a republic to
an empire.
Power no longer resides
with citizens, but a single
ruler.
Rome enjoys 200 years
of peace and prosperity
known as Pax Romana
5. A Sound Government
• Augustus created an effective & lasting system
of government where paid government
employees called civil servants did
government jobs instead of senators.
• He glorified Rome with beautiful public
buildings & baths
Trevi Fountain, Rome
Colosseum
Aqueducts
6. A Great Population
70 million residents in the Roman
Empire; 1 million living in Rome.
(As a reference, the city of Athens
was at 100,000 at its peak, Carthage at its peak
was 700,000)
(The Persian Empire at its peak was at 50 million)
7. Agriculture and Trade
•Agriculture most important industry in
empire; 90% of Romans farm
•Common coin, denarius, makes trade
within empire easier
•Rome has vast trading network,
includes China and India
8. Pax Romana
This long period of
peace and economic
prosperity lasted
until 180AD (over
200 years) and
ended after the
death of Marcus
Aurelius, the last of
the five good
emperors. AKA, the last
“Great Emperor”
14. Caligula
Emperor from 37-41AD
Popular at first (freed political prisoners
from the previous emperor, staged lavish
events)
He considered himself as a living god
Made parents watch the executions of their
children
Made his horse a senator and declared war on
Poseidon
By 41AD, people were sick of Caligula’s rule
and ambushed him. He was stabbed 30 times.
16. Gods and Goddesses
Worship of emperor became part of
official religion of Rome.
Although Roman mythology was similar to
Greek, they were different in key ways:
1. Roman mythology doesn’t have as
many imaginative stories of Gods
interacting with humans and causing
mayhem on earth.
2.Roman gods had less personality. They
represented abstract ideas.
17. HERCULES
- Hercules was a demigod, and a symbol of
Romans adopting Greek myths.
-Emperor Commodus liked to depict himself as
Hercules. He liked Hercules so much that he
renamed the month of September and October as
Menis Hercules.
Emperor
Commodus
dressed as
Hercules
18. The Roman World
Slaves and Captivity
Slavery is a significant part of Roman life in
both cities and farms.
Some slaves become gladiators; forced to
fight to death.
19. Gladiators
-A person engaged in a fight to the death as
public entertainment for ancient Romans
(Merriam Webster Dictionary)
-Some gladiators were there by free will and
some were forced into becoming one.
Why hold
these events?
20. Society and Culture
• Rich live well; most people are poor,
receive grain from government.
• 150 holidays and Colosseum events
created to entertain & control the masses.
