Julius Caesar Research Paper
The Republican period of Roman history began in 509 BCE after the last Etruscan kings was dropped. The Republic was controlled by the Senate, which was an assembly by dominated upper-class families. This dominance by the aristocracy led to tensions between the social classes, especially among the lower classes who fought for equality in both the economy and the government. Despite these inner struggles, Rome's military power strengthened throughout the 5th and 4th centuries BCE and by 270 BCE they commanded the entire peninsula. 264 BCE brought the beginning of the three Punic Wars fought against Carthage over control of the western Mediterranean. These resulted in victories for Rome which granted them access to the wealth of Greece, Egypt,
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and Asia Minor. Rome then began to establish protectorates in the East, Africa, Sicily, Spain, and Gaul and these takeovers resulted in the Roman generals' acquisitions of large amounts of works of art. Greek art, especially, began to influence the tastes of the Romans because it was brought back in such large quantities. The Generals brandished their plunder during triumphal processions through the city and senators and wealthy Romans displayed works of art to show their status and to promote themselves. In spite of these successes, the growing struggles between the classes and the burden of administering to the accumulated land strained the Roman government and began to weaken the Senate.
This loss of power brought about a series of civil wars fought among generals with the backing of their distinct armies. Julius Caesar eventually prevailed when in 49 BCE he rode into Italy with his army against the orders of the Senate. In 44 BCE he declared himself dictator for life, but was murdered by a crew of strict republicans on the Ides of March 44 BCE. This once again plunged Rome into civil war and while Caesar's heir, his grand-nephew Octavian, and Marc Antony initially joined sides to avenge his death, they soon turned against each other and Octavian eventually triumphed over Antony and his ally, Cleopatra. Octavian was given the honorific title 'Augustus' in 27 BCE and ruled Rome for the next 40 years. While he claimed to have restored the Republic, Augustus held many important administrative and religious positions simultaneously and so, in fact, became the first emperor. He attempted to maintain control over the Empire by improving road systems and augmenting town growth. He also united the Empire through his use of the arts as a form of self-promotion and to promote the themes of his administration, such as peace, allegiance to Rome, and respect for tradition. He visually improved the city by constructing new buildings that were worthy of the powerful Empire. He made art into the materialization of Roman government which was an idea continued by his descendants and was declared a god-- as had been his father, Julius Caesar-- at his death in 14
CE. The following Julio-Claudian emperorsn continued the expansion of the Empire into the East while maintaining the land that they already had in the West and North. Vespasian (69-79 CE) succeeded Nero (54-68 CE), the last of the Julio-Claudians, and created the Flavian line with his two sons, Titus (79-81 CE) and Domitian (81-96 CE). This lineage maintained popularity through their patronage of large entertainment buildings, like the Colosseum. The Empire continued to prosper under subsequent emperors like Trajan (98-117 CE), who continued to expand its borders, and Hadrian (117-138 CE). The Empire ruled such a great mass of land that it became hard for the following emperors to govern it all. Threats began to break out at the borders and rebellions persisted in places like Germany and Britain. Thus, some temporary capitals had to be formed near the frontiers. Diocletian (284-305 CE) divided the Empire into Eastern and Western halves and shared power with a co-augustus in an attempt at stabilization. Constantine the Great (306-337 CE) brought the Empire back under a single imperial rule and tried to further unite it through his recognition of Christianity in 313 CE. He began to convert Rome into a Christian city by building large churches near the borders. He created a Christian capital in the East in 324 CE by founding Constantinople and calling it the 'new Rome'. Constantine's three sons divided the territories among themselves after their father's death in 337 CE while Christianity continued to flourish and gain power. The Church became the patron of the majority of large-scale commissions and many pagan statues were destroyed or carried off by Vandals (a goup of Germanic people that held a kingdom in North Africa from 429 until 534 CE and successfully sacked Rome in 455 CE) in the succeeding years. The Visigoths captured Rome in 410 CE and the end of the Empire came with the dethroning of Romulus Augustulus in 476 CE.
and Asia Minor. Rome then began to establish protectorates in the East, Africa, Sicily, Spain, and Gaul and these takeovers resulted in the Roman generals' acquisitions of large amounts of works of art. Greek art, especially, began to influence the tastes of the Romans because it was brought back in such large quantities. The Generals brandished their plunder during triumphal processions through the city and senators and wealthy Romans displayed works of art to show their status and to promote themselves. In spite of these successes, the growing struggles between the classes and the burden of administering to the accumulated land strained the Roman government and began to weaken the Senate.
This loss of power brought about a series of civil wars fought among generals with the backing of their distinct armies. Julius Caesar eventually prevailed when in 49 BCE he rode into Italy with his army against the orders of the Senate. In 44 BCE he declared himself dictator for life, but was murdered by a crew of strict republicans on the Ides of March 44 BCE. This once again plunged Rome into civil war and while Caesar's heir, his grand-nephew Octavian, and Marc Antony initially joined sides to avenge his death, they soon turned against each other and Octavian eventually triumphed over Antony and his ally, Cleopatra. Octavian was given the honorific title 'Augustus' in 27 BCE and ruled Rome for the next 40 years. While he claimed to have restored the Republic, Augustus held many important administrative and religious positions simultaneously and so, in fact, became the first emperor. He attempted to maintain control over the Empire by improving road systems and augmenting town growth. He also united the Empire through his use of the arts as a form of self-promotion and to promote the themes of his administration, such as peace, allegiance to Rome, and respect for tradition. He visually improved the city by constructing new buildings that were worthy of the powerful Empire. He made art into the materialization of Roman government which was an idea continued by his descendants and was declared a god-- as had been his father, Julius Caesar-- at his death in 14
CE. The following Julio-Claudian emperorsn continued the expansion of the Empire into the East while maintaining the land that they already had in the West and North. Vespasian (69-79 CE) succeeded Nero (54-68 CE), the last of the Julio-Claudians, and created the Flavian line with his two sons, Titus (79-81 CE) and Domitian (81-96 CE). This lineage maintained popularity through their patronage of large entertainment buildings, like the Colosseum. The Empire continued to prosper under subsequent emperors like Trajan (98-117 CE), who continued to expand its borders, and Hadrian (117-138 CE). The Empire ruled such a great mass of land that it became hard for the following emperors to govern it all. Threats began to break out at the borders and rebellions persisted in places like Germany and Britain. Thus, some temporary capitals had to be formed near the frontiers. Diocletian (284-305 CE) divided the Empire into Eastern and Western halves and shared power with a co-augustus in an attempt at stabilization. Constantine the Great (306-337 CE) brought the Empire back under a single imperial rule and tried to further unite it through his recognition of Christianity in 313 CE. He began to convert Rome into a Christian city by building large churches near the borders. He created a Christian capital in the East in 324 CE by founding Constantinople and calling it the 'new Rome'. Constantine's three sons divided the territories among themselves after their father's death in 337 CE while Christianity continued to flourish and gain power. The Church became the patron of the majority of large-scale commissions and many pagan statues were destroyed or carried off by Vandals (a goup of Germanic people that held a kingdom in North Africa from 429 until 534 CE and successfully sacked Rome in 455 CE) in the succeeding years. The Visigoths captured Rome in 410 CE and the end of the Empire came with the dethroning of Romulus Augustulus in 476 CE.