Roman Empire
What did Augustus Caesar achieve? Augustus became an emperor in 27BCE and accomplished many things during that time. One of his main priorities was keeping Rome strong and safe. To assure this, he made a professional army of 150,000 men. He also had what was called a Praetorian guard, which consisted of 9,000 men who were basically his personal body guards. Another thing he did was greatly expand Rome's territory by controlling parts in northern Europe, Spain, and Gaul. When he came to Rome he said that it was "all bricks" so he built many beautiful marble buildings. Then, imported grain from Africa to feed his people because he knew that a well fed population would cause less trouble. The last things he did were establish a better government and tax system. To improve the government, he made what was called a proconsul, which was men that acted as governors of each province. Lastly, he began paying the tax collectors so that they wouldn't steal from the citizens and it would be more fair.
|
Who led Rome after Augustus? After the death of August Caesar in 14, four other men took on the thrown at different times. All of them were descendants of Augustus. The first two named Tiberius and Cladius were both very good and successful rulers. However, the other two, Caligula and Nero were very cruel and insane. Caligula had a mental illness and had many people murdered. The Praetorian guard eventually had his head chopped off, so Cladius took over. Then, Nero was known for killing his mother and two wives. He also played music and celebrated while Rome burned. Later on, he committed suicide.
|
What emperors were considered "good emperors"?
Around 100 years after the birth of Jesus, 5 rulers came to the thrown. Their names were Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aureuus. Over the 100 year period that they each ruled, there was a period of peace and prosperity. During this time, agriculture flourished, trade increased, and there was an overall better living environment for Rome's people. Eventually, the senate began to be taken over by the Emperor and over time, faded away. These 5 emperors all did very good things and did not abuse their power. They made programs to help ordinary people and supported building projects. Trajan gave money to parents so they could provide education for their children. Antoninus Pius made laws to help orphans. Lastly, Hadrian made law easier to understand and interpret.
What unified the empire? Many factors unified Rome. Under Trajan's rule, Rome began to conquer more and more territory to the point where it was too much for him to rule. So, then Hadrian began to remove troops from Mesopotamia and made the northern boundaries from the Rhine to the Danube river. He then established Hadrian's wall to prevent war threats from surrounding groups. Around the 100s Rome became the greatest empire in history and contained 3.5 million square miles of land. The people that lived there spoke latin and greek. However, the main unifying factor was roman law, rules, and the understanding that they were all Romans. Finally, in 212, every free person in Rome was granted citizenship.
|
Why was the empire's economy booming? The two main things that caused Rome's economy to boom was the success of agriculture and industry. During this time, most people made their profit by farming. Northern Italy contained many small farms. However, in Southern and Central Italy, Latifundias were common. Grapes and olives were the main crop that was grown. These were used to produce wine and olive oil. In Egypt, grain was bountifully harvested resulting in a well-fed population. The industry that began to increase included potters, weavers, and jewerly makers. Also, Rome made a large portion of money on two trade ports. These ports were named Puteoli and Ostia. Other countries would bring their products to the trade docks making them even more successful.
|
How were roads and money helpful?
Roads and money were helpful because they made it easier for people to trade and buy products. In that day, good transportation was vital for trade. So, over time, all of the roads covered 50,000 miles of land. To allow better trading for Rome, the Navy began to ward off pirates. They then realized that they would need a way to pay for all of the traded goods. So, they established a system of money. To determine how much things would cost, they made a system of weights and measurements. By the year 100, coins were accepted all throughout the Mediterranean, Greece, Gaul, and Italy.
What inequality remained? As Rome developed more and more people benefited, there were also people who didn't have it so good. Shopkeepers, merchants, and skilled workers benefited from trade. Then, the rich Romans built great fortunes and lives luxury lives. The farmers that came to Rome still remained poor and some even stayed as slaves. So basically, the rich became richer and the poor stayed poor.
|
|
Pompeii
Around 2,000 years ago the worst natural disaster in ancient history affected Pompeii. In less than 24 hours on August 24, 8079 Pompeii was wiped off the face of the earth. Although Mount Vesuvius had been inactive here for 1,500 years, it was the cause of this disaster. When it began to erupt, many people did not understand that it was dangerous, so they did not leave. After a couple of minutes the smoke already rose 15 kilometers and covered almost all of Pompeii. When the magma came in contact with the air, it hardened and fell back to Pompeii at speeds of 200 kilometers per hour. It was basically like large rocks and pebbles. These were very fatal and were even capable of killing.
Nearly 1 hour after the eruption, the crisis of the situation had deepened. In panic and fear, everyone began to flee. Even the slaves, who were supposed to be protecting their masters. By that afternoon, Vesuvius had already thrown 100,ooo,000 tons of ash and debris on Pompeii. The longer it built up, the more dangerous things became. A certain slave's body who was killed by the rocks and pebbles was found nearly 2,000 years later. This discovery of her and her bracelet held many clues to just what might have happened that horrible day.
Nearly 1 hour after the eruption, the crisis of the situation had deepened. In panic and fear, everyone began to flee. Even the slaves, who were supposed to be protecting their masters. By that afternoon, Vesuvius had already thrown 100,ooo,000 tons of ash and debris on Pompeii. The longer it built up, the more dangerous things became. A certain slave's body who was killed by the rocks and pebbles was found nearly 2,000 years later. This discovery of her and her bracelet held many clues to just what might have happened that horrible day.