The fall of the Roman Republic nearly saw the destruction of Roman civilization. From the ashes of constant infighting between powerful generals and senators, Octavian—the adopted son of Julius Caesar—rose to unquestionable power. This marked the beginning of the Roman Empire. Octavian, given the title Augustus, was regarded as the example that each emperor would model his reign after. In order to stay in power, the emperors had to ensure political dominance and foster unity among the people. The emperors control of the Senate, military superiority, generosity, and domestication of the economy contributed to their popularity and success as rulers. Augustus took control and united the Roman Republic by defeating the last opposing power, Marc
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Rome had reached a point where it was no longer greatly expanding its borders, therefore it no longer needed to fund massive military campaigns. After centuries of war driving the Roman economy, Augustus needed to promote internal economic growth. Since the Roman Legions were not occupied with conquest, their efforts could be focused on domestic security. Augustus, “freed the seas from pirates,” which strengthened trade throughout the empire (Western 253). One region in particular, Egypt, greatly increased Rome’s wealth. When Augustus defeated Marc Antony and ended the civil war, he assumed control of the incredibly valuable land. The Egyptian province produced massive quantities of grain. Egypt was able to become the Empire’s primary grain provider due in large part to the protected trade routes. Each emperor following Augustus made sure the economy was a priority. Without a constant exchange of goods between Roman provinces, emperors would not have been able to provide the protection of an army, give out generous donations to the people, and entertain the …show more content…
These games pitted slaves against one another in fights to the death, and featured the wildly popular chariot races. There was no cost to attend for the people, so thousands showed up to witness the games. The games were considered gifts and the main objective of such extravagant events was to gain favor with the people of Rome. Emperors wanted to show the prosperity they brought to the empire and share the spoils of their success with those they ruled. To celebrate his victory over the Dacians, Emperor Trajan sponsored one of the largest gladiatorial exhibitions in Roman history. It lasted one hundred and twenty-three days and involved around ten thousand gladiators. Augustus hosted many games in honor of himself, his sons, and many magistrates. While they were nowhere near as extravagant as those hosted after his reign, they still accomplished the same goal. In a time of relative peace, this violent sport helped satisfy the bloodlust of a civilization built on military
Rome had reached a point where it was no longer greatly expanding its borders, therefore it no longer needed to fund massive military campaigns. After centuries of war driving the Roman economy, Augustus needed to promote internal economic growth. Since the Roman Legions were not occupied with conquest, their efforts could be focused on domestic security. Augustus, “freed the seas from pirates,” which strengthened trade throughout the empire (Western 253). One region in particular, Egypt, greatly increased Rome’s wealth. When Augustus defeated Marc Antony and ended the civil war, he assumed control of the incredibly valuable land. The Egyptian province produced massive quantities of grain. Egypt was able to become the Empire’s primary grain provider due in large part to the protected trade routes. Each emperor following Augustus made sure the economy was a priority. Without a constant exchange of goods between Roman provinces, emperors would not have been able to provide the protection of an army, give out generous donations to the people, and entertain the …show more content…
These games pitted slaves against one another in fights to the death, and featured the wildly popular chariot races. There was no cost to attend for the people, so thousands showed up to witness the games. The games were considered gifts and the main objective of such extravagant events was to gain favor with the people of Rome. Emperors wanted to show the prosperity they brought to the empire and share the spoils of their success with those they ruled. To celebrate his victory over the Dacians, Emperor Trajan sponsored one of the largest gladiatorial exhibitions in Roman history. It lasted one hundred and twenty-three days and involved around ten thousand gladiators. Augustus hosted many games in honor of himself, his sons, and many magistrates. While they were nowhere near as extravagant as those hosted after his reign, they still accomplished the same goal. In a time of relative peace, this violent sport helped satisfy the bloodlust of a civilization built on military