western civ day fifty-five

NOTES

• Caesar's grandnephew/adopted son (octavion) takes over at 18 with his own triumvirate 
• Mark Antony- experienced general
• Lepidus- powerful politician
• Octavion, Mark, and Lepidus make the new triumvirate
• Octavian forces Lepidus to retire
• Octavian and Mark become rivals
• Mark partners up with Cleopatra 
• Militarily 
• Personally
• Politically
• Economically
• Octavian defeats them at the Battle of Actium
• Octavian is the unchallenged ruler of Rome
• Given the name "Augustus"- exalted one
• Given the name "imperator"- supreme military commander 
• Rome is now an empire not a republic
• Octavian ruled for 40 years as emperor (27 BC to 14 AD)
• Began the era of peace and prosperity known as the Pax Romana 
• Pax Romana was 207 years long 
• 27 BC to 180 AD
• Octavian's accomplishments
• expanded the Roman Empire firther into AFrica
• set up civil service to run government
• built a network of roads
• collect taxes
• postal service
• administered the grain supply
• built public facilities (buildings, aqueducts)
• police department 
• running fire-fighting organization
• Died of natural causes
• After Octavian's death power went to emperors:
• Tiberius 
• ruled from 14 AD to 37 AD
• excellent general- reluctant emperor
• exiled himself from Rome and left his prefects in charge 
• died at age 77
• Caligula 
• Ruled from 37 Ad to 41 AD
• won a power struggle after Tiberius death
• known for his cruelty, extravagance and perversity- insane tyrant
• assassinated 
• Claudius
• ruled from 41 Ad to 54 AD
• might have had cerebral palsy- limp, shaking, slobbering, etc
• last adult male in family 
• built roads, aqueducts, canals, and started the conquest of Britain
• died by poison- wife's plan
• Nero
• ruled from 54 to 68
• loved the arts
• huge fire in 64
• wanted to make Rome more majestic 
• hugely overspent- raided temples for money