Caesar and the end of the republic

Sulla, Julius Caesar, and the end of the republic

Oh boy, there is a lot to cover

The decay of the republic

• The murder of the Gracchi brothers in 133 and 123 BC began the prescient of political violence in the late Roman republic

• This instability was furthered when Rome got involved in two costly wars abroad in terms of soldiers, money, and trust of the population

The Jugurthine War

• One of Rome's allies, Numidia, descended into civil war in 111 BC

• Rome allied with onside in the civil war which ended in 104 BC with Numidia as a split country

• Despite large Roman casualties, the war ended in a stalemate. This, in addition to the successful bribing of Roman leaders during the war created more resentment in Roman society

The Cimbrian War

• In 113 BC, Rome faced incursions from multiple Germanic tribes on their northern border

• These clashes escalated into a 12 year long war which saw Rome depleting their resources in tandem with the Jugurthine War

• The war ended with the complete destruction of the invading Germanic tribes

Multiple Choice

The murders of what two brothers began the precident of political violence and instability in the Roman republic?

• The Mario Brothers

• The Cairo Brothers

• The Gracchi Brothers

• The Selbert Brothers

Multiple Select

What two wars aided in the instability of the late Roman republic?

• The Cimbrian War

• The Imperial War

• The Diodachi War

• The Jugurthine War

Multiple Choice

True or False: the Cimbrian War and the Jugurthine War caused Rome to lose many soldiers, fall into debt, and start to lost the trust of citizens?

• True

• False

Rome descends into civil war

• Roman allies in Italy became disgruntled after not being rewarded from serving alongside Rome

• They demanded the benefits of being full Roman citizens, but they were rejected

• They revolted in response, in 91 BC

The Social (Civil) War

• After revolting, the former Roman allies focused on defending their territory

• By 89 BC, the rebels had been completely defeated and their territories fully incorporated in to Rome

• Despite losing, Rome still granted them citizenship to prevent further insurrections

Multiple Select

What did the Social War result in

• Citizenship for the rebels

• Annexation of rebel land

• Roman defeat

• Rome expanding into Africa

Sulla

• He was an important General in the Social War, which lead to him attaining the position of consul

• He set out to conquer Pontus, a nation in Asia Minor, but was recalled due to revolts in Rome

• Sulla defended Rome, but was unable to capture the leaders of the revolt

Sulla cont.

• Following his defense of Rome, he returned to Anatolia resulting in the Mithridatic War

• During this war, Sulla fully subjugated Pontus, resulting all of Anatolia falling under the rule of Rome

• However, as Sulla was away, the leaders of the former revolt returned and took over the city of Rome in 83 BC and installed leaders who saw Sulla as a tyrant (he was)

Sulla Marches on Rome

• Sulla returned to Rome and fought the revolt at the battle of the Colline Gate in 82 BC, which he won

• Out of fear, the senate proclaimed Sulla dictator, thus giving him vast amounts of power

• This began the reign of Sulla which saw him permiantly change the republic

The "Reforms" of Sulla

• Sulla began his office of dictator with a reign of terror, demanding that all who opposed him, or helped those opposed him, to be executed. In total, nearly 10,000 were butchered

• Then, Sulla banned all those who were related to those who opposed him from holding political office, in addition to doubling the size of the senate to fill it with his own supporters

The "Reforms" of Sulla cont.

• Sulla continued his reign as dictator by reducing the power of the Tribune of the Plebs

• He resigned in 79 BC to retire, thus disbanding the dictatorship, leaving Rome in the hands of his supporters

Multiple Select

Who was Sulla?

• A Roman General

• A Roman Dictator

• A Roman Emperor

• A Carthaginian General

Multiple Select

What reforms did Sulla pass as dictator?

• Forced army service

• Doubling the size of the senate

• Agrarian reforms proposed by the Gracchi brothers

• Reducing the power off the tribune of the Plebs

Multiple Select

After becoming dictator, what did Sulla do to his opponents?

• He forgave them

• He killed them and their families

• He threatened to kill anyone who even helped his opponents

• He banned families from ever holding political office

Multiple Choice

What happened to Sulla?

• He was assassinated

• He was killed in battle

• He retired and died of old

• Some say he still lives to this day...

Sulla's aftermath of instability

• After Sulla's retirement, there vas a vacuum of power from the position he held

• In addition, the entire republic and senate was weakened from Sulla's reforms, which allowed ambitious people to try and take the place of Sulla

The First Triumvirate

• The first triumvirate was a political alliance between Crassus, Julius Caesar, and Pompey in order to further their political careers

• The three of them realized that in order to gain complete power in the republic, they would need each other's support, even if they had different goals

Crassus

• He was a Roman General who served initially under Sulla, but became loyal to primarily Caesar later in life

• He played a role in the Triumvirate by providing money, due to being extremely wealthy, to fund their campaigns

• Crassus would die early early on in 53 BC in a war against the Parthian Empire

Pompey the Great

• Pompey was a member of the aristocratic elite in Rome, a consul, and served as a general

• For his victories in battle and in politics, he was both feared and respected by both citizens and lawmakers alike

The Military Prowess of Pompey

• Serving under Sulla, and later as a general of his own, Pompey conquered, and put down a revolt in Pontus, in a addition to conquering Syria and Judea

• In addition, his actions to defend Rome during slave revolts allowed them to be crushed and order restored quickly

Multiple Select

What regions did Pompey conquer/ reconquer?

• Judea

• Spain

• Pontus

• Syria

Julius Caesar

• Caesar was born into a wealthy patrician family and served as both consul and general; much like Pompey and Crassus

• However, Caesar and his family had amounted a massive debt, which caused him to pursue his military career more than his political career

The Victories of Caesar

• Julius Caesar was one of the greatest generals in both Roman and world history

• Some of his crowning achievements include conquering Gaul, gaining rulership over Egypt with Cleopatra, and winning battles brilliantly such as Alesia

Caesar in Gaul

• His conquest lasted from 58- 50 BC, resulting the annexation of almost all of the Gallic tribes in modern day France

• This is where Caesar began to amass wealth and prestige from his time as a general

Cool Battles: Battle of Alesia

• In Caesar's conquest of Gaul, he came across the city of Alesia, in 52 BC, which was protected by a large wall

• Caesar, knowing that another Gallic army was nearby, ordered his troops to build two walls around the city and his soldiers

• Caesar defeated the Gauls on both sides, crushing their armies and capturing the city

Caesar in Egypt

• Seeking to expand Rome into Egypt, Caesar allied with Cleopatra take over Egypt

• In 47 BC, they lead a coup against Ptolemy XIII which succeed and saw Cleopatra, Caesar's ally, on the throne

• This would be a starting point for Rome to take over Egypt entirely

The political victories of the Triumvirate

• Despite their differences, the three of them were able to elect each other into high positions within the Roman Republic, such as Caesar as consul

• From these positions, laws that suited their needs could be passed, such as Caesar's land reforms which aimed to keep the plebeian class happy and loyal to him

Multiple Select

Who were involved in the first triumvirate?

• Julius Caesar

• Crassus

• Sulla

• Pompey

Poll

Who is your favorite member of the first triumvirate, and why?

• Julius Caesar

• Crassus

• Pompey the Great

The Triumvirate Falls Apart

• The first clear issue was when Crassus died in 53 BC in a war against Parthia

• In addition, Pompey became weary of Caesar's popularity and military victories

• The senate, under the control of Pompey, ordered Caesar to return to Rome and give up all of his power as a result

• Caesar, naturally did not, thus causing a civil war

Civil War (again)

• Caesar refused to surrender his power to Pompey and the senate, and marched on Rome, crossing the Rubicon with only one legion in 49 BC

• Pompey retreated out of fear, and Caesar entered Rome and proclaimed himself a dictator

• Caesar chased Pompey's armies around Rome, beating him at every battle, forcing Pompey to retreat into Egypt

• In Egypt, Pompey and his supporters were assassinated, thus ending the civil war

Caesar Reigns Supreme

• After the assassination of Pompey, Caesar returned to Rome in 47 BC, and remained as dictator

• In order to appease the population, Caesar pardoned the families of his enemies, and passed land and agrarian reforms that favored the plebeian class

• These actions made Caesar appear as a monarch, which angered many in Rome

Poll

What do you think will happen to Caesar?

• He is assassinated

• He polymorphs into a salad

• He lives happily ever after

• He will take over the world

The Assassination of Caesar

• In 44 BC, 60 assassins who opposed Caesar confronted him outside of the forum, and assassinated him by stabbing him to death

• In the eyes of the assassins, they were saving the republic from dictatorship, however, the public saw it as a grab for power

The Aftermath

• The death of Caesar created a massive power vacuum, similar to when Sulla retired

• Caesar's reforms and dictatorship left the republic in a state that could not be repaired, paving the way for the founding of Rome as an empire

• In addition, the public turned on Caesar's assassins, allowing Augustus Caesar, Julius's nephew, to later become Rome's first emperor