Book Notes

Assassination and another Caesar

• The people liked Caesar's deeds
• 44 BC- voted on making him dictator for life
• he never ruled by terror 
• Caesar became basically a tyrant
• March- 44 BC, Caesar was struck with daggers and killed 
• Mark Antony became a consul
• leaders were Brutus and Cassius 
• Octavian Caesar (Caesar Augustus) 
• based in Rome 
• 31 BC- went to war with Cleopatra and Antony- victorious
• returned back to Rome and turned into a legitimate and permanent monarchy 

Page 103

• "the era of the Roman peace was massive social, religious, and cultural changes that would form a new pattern of Western Civilization" 
• Augustus' new system 
• allowed a great deal of self rule
• brought the destabilizing to a stop
• 200 years of stability 
• Historians call this "Roman Peace" 
• Followed Greek models and eventually surpassed the Greeks
• Rome became an inspiration for Western Development 
• Western land was conquered by barbarians  
• Eastern land was ruled by Egypt 

LO1 The Rule of the Emperors 

• The Augustan Settlement
• proclaimed the goal of restoring the republic
• wanted as much power as he could but within traditional government and political framework 
• refused long term dictatorship 
• referred to himself as princeps- first citizen 
• 27 BC- Augustus was confirmed as commander in chief
• The Divine Being
• They thought of Augustus as a god-sent human 
• Augustus' title- Father of the Fatherland 
• Augustus married Livia 
• Vespasian- cynical sense of humor
• Romans believed there was something divine about every matron 
• Reform, Reconstruction and the End of Expansion
• Augustus brought the system of government appointments under his personal control
• Augustus showed respect and encouraged other leaders
• Augustus reorganized the army
• Then Augustus had all the soldiers as volunteers, serving for 20 years
• broke tradition and become the world's first professional standing army
• The End of Rome Expansion
• largest army
• Praetorian Guard 
• near the end of Augustus' reign he turned against any more expansion 
• which had long-term consequences
• Permanent Monarchy 
• everyone was convinced that the peace and stability would last 
• in order for this to happen- he must have put someone in charge to rule when he died 
• Settled on Tiberius to rule 
• they started fighting to Caesar's last descendent, Nero, was to rule
• Augustus' structure held until the end of the third century
• Pax Romana- the era of Roman Peace