1. The Roman Empire

2. Preconditions for the Rise of theRoman Empire • A monarchy reigned over political and social policies • 7 hills covered fertile terrain • The large Roman expansion resulted in control of Egypt, Mesopatamia, Anatolia, Gaul, and many other regions • Rome had a formidable army which allowed protection • Rome is on the Tiber River and relatively close to ports. The Alps protect it from the north

3. Ideology Promoting Personal Identification with Rome • Julius Caesar named himself dictator in 46 BCE • He sponsored public events (i.e. gladiator fights) and became popular with the public • He led the army in conquering Gaul • He extended citizenship to conquered peoples, redistributed land, and centralized political/military functions

4. Characteristics of the Roman Empire • Built flat roads with drainage, milestones, and postal stations (i.e. Via Appia aka Regina Viarum) • Built bathhouses, aqueducts, amphitheaters, stadiums etc. • Official language was Latin • Formed the Twelve Tables in 450 BCE • Beauracracy included administrators and tax collectors • Military controlled pirates during sea trade

5. Major Results of the Roman Empire • Due to Roman expansion, soldiers, diplomats, and merchants, contributed to the Roman economy. • In the rule of Augustus, the era known as pax romana went into effect (half a century of relative peace). • Trade over he Mediterranean helped sell and buy economic surpluses from other countries such as Italy and Gaul.

6. The Fall of the Roman Empire • In the later Roman Empire, there were a series of “barrack emperors” which were emperors that ruled for a brief period but were killed due to rivals or their own comrades. • Diocletian attempted to solve this problem by assigning tetrarchs (a co emperor, lieutenant, and four officials). However this fueled ambition from other rulers when he retired. • The Huns were also invading the Roman Empire with very little resistance. The Roman Empire fell when the Germanic general, Odovacer, killed the last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus.