Western Civ Blog 54

Today on our online western civ class we had to take notes on the rest of Chi Cago’s Study Guide, slides 43-52. After the murder,  Julius Caesar’s grandnephew, and adopted son, Octavian took over at the age of 18, with his own triumvirate. Mark Antony is an experienced general. Lepidus is a powerful politician. This was the Second Triumvirate. Octavian forced the weak Lepidus to retire. He and Mark Antony become rivals. Mark Antony partnered up with Cleopatra of Egypt. Octavian then defeated them at the Battle of Actium. Octavian was now on his own. He is now the unchallenged ruler of Rome. He was given the honorific “Augustus” or the “Exalted one”. He was also given the title “imperator." He was the supreme military commander. This is where we get the word “emperor." Now Rome is an empire, not a republic. Octavian ruled for 40 years, 27 BC to AD 14. He began a stable era of peace and prosperity known as the Pax Romana (Roman peace). Pax Romana was 207 years long, 27 BC to AD 180. Some of his accomplishments were that he expanded the Roman Empire further into Africa, he set up civil service to run thengovernment/empire. Building a network of roads, collecting taxes, establishing a postal service, administering the grain supply, building awesome public facilities, setting up a police department, running a fire-fighting organization. He died of natural causes. After Octavian’s death, power was passed down to emperors. Some were good, some were not as good. First we have Tiberius, Ruled from AD 14 to AD 37, a good general, but a reluctant emperor. After the death of his son, he exiled himself from Rome and left his prefects in charge. He died at age 77. Then Caligula ruled from AD 37 to AD 41. He on a power struggle after Tiberius' death. He is known for his cruelty, extravagance, and perversity, an insane tyrant. He was assassinated by a group of praetorian guards, Senators, and the imperial court, trying to re-establish the Republic. Next was Claudius. Claudis ruled from AD 41 to AD 54. He suffered from many infirmities which was a limp, stammering, shaking, slobbering. He took over because he was the last adult male in the family. he ruled well and built roads, aqueducts, canals, and started the conquest of Britain.He died by poisoning, it was his last wife's plan because she wanted her son Nero to rise to power. Last was Nero. He ruled from 54 to 68, and emphasized the arts. There was a huge fire in 64. He wanted to rebuild Rome to be more majestic. He hugely overspent, and even raided the temples for money. Historians do not look kindly upon him.