3.5.2 Video在线视频

3.5 End of Republic 63-27BC

This is the last part of the Chapter Three End of Republic

1. Pompey (106-48BC) and Crassus (ca 115-53BC) were both protégés of Sully. We mentioned patronage was the relationship between a patron and their clients. Patron was a man of wealth and influence; he protected and sponsored his clients, client also called protégé. Pompey’s father was consul in 89 BC, a military commander supported Sulla against Marius. In 87 BC after death of his father, twenty-year-old Pompey inherited his father’s estates and legions. He won reputation by leading his legions fighting successfully in Africa and Spain. He returned to Rome in 70 BC and united with another ambitious commander Crassus. Crassus won popularity by suppressing slave uprising led by Spartacus. Crassus was powerful and rich, he once said: "No one should be called rich who is not able to maintain an army on his income." In 66 BC Pompey was sent to fight Mithridates, the king of Pontus in Asia. In 63 BC Pompey not only conquered Mithridates but also Armenia, Syria and Palestine.

When Pompey was extending the Roman territories in Asia, at home Crassus allied with Julius Caesar, a young man from one of most ancient patrician Roman family. They successfully blocked Pompey’s candidate Catiline to be elected consul in 63 BC. We know Cicero was elected that year and he thwarted a plot to assassinate him and overthrowing the Republic led by Catiline.

2. When Pompey returned, he disbanded his army and asked the Senate grant land to his veterans but that was refused. He soon formed an alliance with Crassus and Caesar which was called the First Triumvirate, Triumvirate in Latin means “three men”.

3. Julius Caesar (100 – 44 BC) played a critical role in the events that led to the end of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Imperial Rome. Caesar is considered one of the greatest military commanders in history. Caesar was born into a patrician family, a descent from the legendary Trojan prince Aeneas. His aunt Julia married Marius. During the civil war between Marius and Sulla, when Marius controlled Rome Caesar was nominated Pontifex Maximus, the highest priest of Jupiter. But when Sulla became the winner Caesar was persecuted. He left Rome and joined the army and returned until the death of Sulla. Caesar formed the first Triumvirate with Pompey and Crassus. The three of them had enough money and influence to control political power, Pompey married Caesar's daughter Julia. In 59 BC Caesar was elected consul. He was appointed governor of provinces of today’s northern Italy, southeastern Europe and southern France. When his consulship ended, Caesar quickly left for his provinces and from there he started the famous Gallic Wars.

4. Gaul was a region of Western Europe inhabited by Celtic tribes, including today’s France, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Switzerland, Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine.

Caesar’s Gallic Wars against the Celtic tribes started from 58 BC and finished in 50 BC with a complete Roman victory. The territory of the Roman Republic expanded over the whole area of Gaul. He even made two expeditions into Britain, this was the first time Roman army crossed the English Straight. The Gallic wars paved the way for Julius Caesar to become the sole ruler of the Roman Republic. Caesar’s successful campaigns won his popularity at home. In 53 Crassus died during fighting in Syria, leaving Pompey and Caesar to challenge each other for the supreme power.

5. In 49 BC under the influence of Pompey the Senate ordered Caesar to disband his army and return to Rome because his term as governor had finished.

Crossing the Rubicon

Rubicon is a shallow river in northeastern Italy. That is Rubicon. On January10, 49 BC Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River which marked the start of another Roman Civil War between Caesar and the Roman Senate supported by Pompey. Today cross the Rubicon means make an important decision which cannot be changed and which will have very important consequences. Caesar was a leader of Populares, the Senate and Pompey represented the interests of the Optimates. After crossed the Rubicon Caesar led his legion marched on Rome.

6. Julius Caesar was received as a hero. He was appointed dictator. To celebrate his Triumphs, gladiator contests and beast-hunts involving 400 lions were held. At The Circus Maximus Caesar ordered two armies of war captives fight to the death. Each army has 2,000 soldiers, 200 horses, and 20 elephants. The Circus Maximus in Rome was a stadium for chariot-racing which could have 150,000 spectators. When Caesar returned, Pompey escaped and in 48 BC. Caesar defeated Pompey in north Greece. Pompey fled to Egypt, and Caesar pursued Pompey to Alexandria.

7. Cleopatra

Pompey was murdered by an officer of the Egyptian King Ptolemy XIII. At that time in Egypt a civil war was going on between King Ptolemy XIII and his sister, wife, and co-regent, Queen Cleopatra VII. Greek historian Plutarch told a story in his biography of Caesar: Cleopatra was bound inside a bed sack to be smuggled into the palace to meet Caesar in Alexandria. Caesar sided with Cleopatra and defeated Ptolemy's army and installed Cleopatra as the sole ruler. Caesar and Cleopatra never married, because Roman law prohibited a marriage with a non-Roman citizen, but they had a son, the only son of Caesar.

8. Seeking absolute Power

From 59-44BC, Caesar was consul four times. He enlarged the Senate to 900 members. Caesar proposed the Julian calendar which took effect on January1, 45 BC. It became the dominate calendar in the west until in 1582 Pope Gregory XIII proposed the Gregorian calendar.

In 46 BC, he was appointed dictator for ten years. In February 44 BC he already elected consul together with his general Mark Antony, but this was not enough to him. He made himself dictator for life. This was too much for some senators. Caesar was assassinated by a group of 60 senators led by Longinus and Brutus on March 15 as he arrived at the Senate. He was stabbed 23 times.

9. This is the assassination of Caesar

10. The second Triumvirate. The assassination turned Rome into civil war again. Mark Antony, Caesars’s another general Lepidus and Caesar’s grandnephew and adopted son Octavian formed the second Triumvirate. In 42 BC Octavian and Antony defeated the armies of Longinus and Brutus who assassinated Caesar. After that Antony took command of Asia, Lepidus took Africa and Octavian took Italy and the west. The three of them soon started fighting each other. Lepidus' legions in Sicily defected to Octavian and Lepidus himself was forced to retire. He was given the honorable title of Pontifex Maximus, the highest priest of Jupiter. Mark Antony became lover of Cleopatra of Egypt and in 31 BC the united army of Antony and Cleopatra was defeated by Octavian at the battle of Actium in Greece. Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide, and after the death of Cleopatra, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire.

12. Octavian. On January 16, 27 BC the Senate gave Octavian the new titles of Augustus and Princeps. Augustus in Latin means "venerable","majestic","superior "; Princeps means the first citizen. This marked the end of Roman Republic and the beginning of Roman Empire; Octavian became the first Roman Emperor.

13. Now let’s look at the Key words: Julius Caesar, Crossing the Rubicon, First Triumvirate, Cleopatra, Second Triumvirate.

14. Questions:

This is the finish of the chapter three. We have three Questions:

1. How Rome was founded according to the myths?

2. What is the structure of the Roman Republic government?

3. How the civil wars ended the Roman Republic?

This is the finish of the chapter three.