Rise of the Roman Generals

Transcription

1 Rise of the Roman Generals And the Fall of the Republic Rome after the Gracchus Brothers The reforms brought in by Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus had challenged the unrestrained power of the patrician class After their deaths Rome teetered on the edge of chaos The reform efforts of the Gracchi and the opposition these generated in the Senate constituted the foundation of the two political factions, the populares and the optimates Optimates Latin: Best ones were the dominate group in the Senate and tried to uphold the oligarchy (power of the patricians) Populares Latin: Populists sought popular support against the dominate oligarchy, either in the interests of the people (plebeians) themselves or in furtherance of their own personal ambitions Both Optimates and the Populares could belong to either the Patrician or Plebeian class Gaius Marius BCE A plebeian of the equestrian class Would become leader of the Populares Was elected consul seven times (first term was in 107 BCE, last in 86 BCE) His greatest legacy was the reorganizing of the Roman Military Gaius Marius Military Reforms Military Before Marius Soldiers had been farmers Tilled their fields, sowed their grain, went off to war when necessary Campaigning season ended in the fall so soldiers could go home to gather their harvest In Marius time there were not as many soldiers who owned land (most had been taken by various patricians) Military After Marius Marius created a standing army (permanent, professional soldiers) Soldiers served 16 years then another 4 as a veteranus (reserve soldier) Soldiers received regular pay, provision of food, and clothing allowances all from the general

2 After his term of service a soldier would receive a pension, a gratuity (fixed sum of money), or a plot of land and he was now allowed to marry Marius also completely reformed the military structure Rather than simply being divided into mandibles the kind that were wiped out at the Battle of Cannae by Hannibal soldiers were now divided into subdivisions 1 legion ( men) = 10 cohorts 1 cohort (480 men) = 6 centuries 1 st cohort had a double complement of soldiers 1 century (80 men who would report to a centurion, the equivalent of a sergeant) = 10 contubernia 1 contubernia = 8 men who would share one tent The armour, weapons, and equipment carried by the legionary weighed 90 pounds or more A new nick- name emerged for the legionaries Marius s Mules This new military structure with a new aquila (the eagle insignia), began to develop a fierce pride in belonging to a particular unit Soldiers were now loyal to their general and not to Rome This would be the beginning of the end of the Republic Lucius Cornelius Sulla BCE Patrician leader of the optimates Elected consul in 88 BCE Marched his legions into the city of Rome to stop the reform legislation of the populares (first time a Roman army marched on Rome) Sulla outlawed Marius (who was away from Rome with his own legions) and headed off to Asia Minor (Turkey) to take charge of the war there Sulla vs. Marius Marius returned to Rome in 86 BCE Outlawed Sulla Led a five- day bloodbath against the optimates Marius would die within the year By now Rome is descending into utter chaos Sulla returned to Italy with his army Proclaimed dictator by the Senate Executed hundreds of aristocrats associated with the populares and confiscated their land A young Julius Caesar, nephew to Marius through marriage, would barely escape this purge Strengthened the Senate Banned standing armies in Italy no general was to lead his army out of the provinces towards Rome without the permission of the Senate the barrier line was the Rubicon River

3 Retired and died in 79 BCE A Slave Revolt 73 BCE Six years later, amidst the chaos that was reigning in Rome, a slave trained as a gladiator would escape and and start a rebellion At its height, the rebellion would reach over 100,000 men and what had started out as a minor nuisance to the fragile Republic had become a grave threat Spartacus Was a freeborn provincial from Thrace Served as an auxiliary in the Roman army in Macedonia Deserted the army, was outlawed, captured, and sold into slavery Trained at the gladiatorial school of Batiatus in Capua 73 BCE Spartacus escaped with gladiators, seizing the knives in the cook s shop and a wagon full of weapons Camped on Mount Vesuvius where they were joined by other rural slaves Pillaged and plundered the surrounding region, although Spartacus reportedly tried to restrain them Spartacus chief aides were gladiators from Gaul named Crixus and Oenomaus In response to this perceived minor threat, the Senate sent a force of about 3000 raw recruits to deal with Spartacus These recruits were led by a praetor named Claudius Glaber Glaber believed he had trapped Spartacus on Vesuvius Spartacus led his men down the other side of the mountain using vines Fell on the rear of the Roman soldiers and routed them 72 BCE Spartacus had raised an army of about 70,000 slaves Senate now very alarmed and sent the two Consuls, Publicola and Lentulus Publicola defeated Crixus (who had separated from Spartacus with a considerable force) Spartacus defeated Lentulus and then Publicola to avenge Crixus Autumn 72 BCE Spartacus had about 120,000 followers Senate voted to grant imperium to Marcus Licinius Crassus Crassus was the wealthiest man in Rome but also from the plebeian class Crassus given six new legions plus the four consular legions Senate also recalled Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great) from Spain Rome was now throwing all the forces it could at Spartacus Spartacus would continue to defy the odds stacked against him and win more battles but those odds continued to grow larger 71 BCE Spartacus was defeated by Crassus legions in southern Italy It is believed Spartacus died in this battle but his body was never found 6000 slaves were taken prisoner by Crassus and crucified along the Appian Way from Capua to Rome

4 Crassus vs. Pompey Two famous generals wanted to be first man in Rome The main problem between Pompey and Crassus was one of popular adulation After the defeat of Spartacus in 71 BCE, Pompey was awarded a triumph, mostly for defeating rebels in Spain Crassus, who had done the heavy lifting against Spartacus much of which was paid for by his own purse was given only an ovation ; the Senate said that defeating slaves did not justify a triumph Both men were elected consuls in 70 BCE, but Crassus soon began to believe that Pompey had stolen his triumph The First Triumvirate The slave revolt was only one more crisis that was pulling the Republic apart Within ten years the First Triumvirate was established to bring order to Rome These three men, would be Crassus, Pompey, and a young patrician named Gaius Julius Caesar Julius Caesar Crassus headed east with his legions but was defeated and killed by the Parthians Julius Caesar would become incredibly wealthy as a result of his conquests in Gaul Caesar was also very popular with the people as a staunch populares but had few friends in the Senate Pompey remained in Rome and became a fervent guardian of senatorial privilege and thus an optimate 50 BCE the Senate demanded Caesar give up his legions and position and return to Rome Caesar refused and marched his legions into Italy, crossing the Rubicon River and headed for Rome Pompey and most of the Senate fled Rome, unprepared for the speed of Caesar s march The Great Roman Civil War BCE Caesar would fight the optimates in Italy, Albania, Greece, Egypt, Africa, and Spain His greatest challenge would come from Pompey in Greece in 48 BCE Battle of Pharsalus 48 BCE Caesar found himself isolated and short of provisions in central Greece Pompey s force was at least three times the size of Cesar s In a stunning military achievement Caesar was victorious Though the struggle would continue for three more years this was the decisive battle of the Great Roman Civil War Pompey fled to Egypt with Caesar in pursuit 46 BCE Caesar, as the last remaining member of the Triumvirate, had himself appointed dictator for ten years

5 45 BCE his appointment was extended to life along with being made Pontifix Maximus first priest Caesar was now behaving like a king in a republic that despised kings March 15, 44 BCE the Ides of March Brutus, Cassius, and other senate conspirators stabbed Caesar to death in an attempt to defend democracy Caesar, as a strong populares, had been incredibly popular with the people of Rome and there was outrage in the city Rome would be plunged back into another civil war between those who had supported Caesar and those who had opposed him The assassin's were forced to flee Rome The Second Triumvirate The Second Triumvirate, after fighting each other for control of Rome, would form to fight the conspirators who had killed Caesar the three men would be Mark Antony cousin, loyal supporter and powerful general in Caesar s armies Octavian Caesar s grand- nephew who had been named Caesar s heir Lepidus a lackluster general who was easily controlled by the other two The Second Triumvirate would defeat the main conspirators, Brutus and Cassius, in Macedonia at the Battle of Philippi October 42 BCE After this victory the Second Triumvirate was left to rule the Roman world: Octavian in Rome and the west Lepidus in Spain and North Africa Mark Antony in Egypt and the east Many prominent Romans were put to death following the proscriptions (public identification and official condemnation of enemies of the state) of the Second Triumvirate as the three men tightened their hold on power The most famous was Cicero, philosopher, politician, lawyer and widely considered one of Rome s greatest orators Antony and Cleopatra Within ten years: Lepidus pushed from power Octavian and Antony went to war While in Egypt Antony had fallen in love with the Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra and the two had divided the East between themselves and their children Rome also needed grain from Egypt, which Antony and Cleopatra held back Battle of Actium 31 BCE Octavian defeated the combined forces of Antony and Cleopatra in a naval engagement that ended their war Antony and Cleopatra retreated to Alexandria, Egypt where both would commit suicide Octavian becomes Augustus Caesar

6 Octavian was left master of the Roman world He would return power to the Senate This was for show Octavian still controlled the armies The Senate gave him the semi- divine title Augustus Octavian (now Augustus) would manipulate politics keeping himself in power Augustus would rule Rome for the rest of his life he would be Rome s first Emperor Rome had an age of peace begun under Augustus that would come to be known as the Pax Romana Roman peace The Roman Empire would reach new heights of power and wealth During his time as Emperor, Augustus was constantly working to improve the Roman world through public works and important reforms Augustus was reported to have said I found Rome brick and left her marble