Leadership and Life in Rome

Many problems surfaced after the Punic Wars. One of the largest problems was form the economic struggles. The wealthy citizens of Rome owned large estates and had enslaved people as workers. These enslaved workers took up 1/3rd of Romes population by 100BC. The poor citizens, often former soldiers or farmers, could no longer compete with the wealthy class. The former poor landowners had sold the land they had to the plebeians for money, but that led to many homeless and jobless citizens. The Gracchus brothers were two tribunes who attempted to help Romes lower class. They proposed reforms such as limiting estate size and giving land to the poor. These brothers were not liked and both had terrible deaths, Tiberius died in 133BC and Gaius died in 121BC. Generals began to take control and they would choose the poor citizens to take as soldiers. They would do this by offering them pay and land to join. One military leaders was Julius Caeser in 60BC. He was voted consul in 59BC along with Crassus and Pompey to become triumvirate group or group of three leaders. He was a governor of Gaul (modern France) from 59-50 BC and he gained many of the peoples trust and loyalty. He was a strong military leader and he took absolute power or control in Rome. He granted citizenship, increase pay for soldiers, and creating jobs for the poor. Caeser was then murdered due to many peoples fear of his success and power. Once he died, civil war broke out a second time just like the deaths of the Gracchus brothers. Three people who banned together after Julius Caesers death were his grandnephew and adopted son Octavian, an experienced general Mark Anthony, and a politician named Lepidus. This group was the Second Triumvirate that ruled for 10 years together. This triumvirate ended due to jealousy and violence troubles. Octavian forced Lepidus to retire and Mark Anthony became a rival. This broke out in a civil war. Octavian then changed his name to Augustus and was called a imperator, or "supreme military commander". Rome was then empire or ruled by one man. The Pax Romana was a time of peace for 207 years during Augustus ruling. Augustus stabilized the frontier, glorified Rome with amazing public buildings, set up a government that'd last years, and setting up a civil service (the pay for those employed in the civil administration of government. The trade and agriculture is what kept them well in economics. Ninety percent of the people were engaged in farming and the Romans would trade to gather whatever else they needed with places such as China, India, Greece, Russia, and more. High values in Rome consisted of discipline, strength, and loyalty. The poor citizens lived in the countryside to work on their farms or land. The smaller cities were filled with merchants, soldiers, foreigners, slaves, and philosophers. This created a very diverse society. Slaves were an important part of Roman life. Slaves consisted of all different people; men, women, children. The slaves could be bought, sold , rewarded, set free, put to death, and bought as their owners saw fit. The powerful or divine forces were called numia. The gods and goddesses were honored in hopes to gain favor and avoid misfortune. In Rome, government and religion were linked. Important gods and goddesses were, Jupiter, father or the gods; Juno, his wife and watched over women; and Minerva, goddess of wisdom and the arts. Worship of the emperor was part of the official religion of Rome. The lifestyle was the rich lived expensive lives while the common people lived with the necessities.