O EmpireRoman was the third phase of roman civilization, according to the periodization used by historians. This period began in 27 a. a., with the coronation of Otávio like emperor of Rome, and it extended until 476 d. a., when the last emperor, Rômulo Augusto, was deposed from the throne. Such an event put an end to the empire in its western portion.
This is the period of centralization of power in Rome, as it migrated from the hands of the Senate to the figure of the emperor. The empire is the peak phase of this civilization, as it had reached its maximum territorial domain, but eventually its crisis occurred, leading to its end, in the 5th century d. Ç.
Accessalso: The agrarian question in Rome proposed by the brothers Tiberius and Caius Graco
republic crisis
The phase of the Roman Empire was a consequence of the crisis that Rome faced in the last two centuries of rpublic. This crisis took place through convulsionssocial, riotsinslaves, but, above all, due to power disputes that led to
warscivilians. The territorial expansion that Rome underwent during the republican period resulted in the emergence of new political demands that claimed a certain centralizationof power.The historian Mary Beard|1| states that the Roman territorial expansion, through the territorial annexation of the provinces (the term used to define the regions conquered), created debates within Roman politics regarding the administration of the empire and questions about power shared. So the power that was in the hands of the Senate came to be questioned.
Furthermore, the Roman generals who participated in the campaigns of conquest of Rome gained popularity and came to have political ambitions. This is mainly related to the professionalization of armies in Rome in the II century; a., which contributed so that the military became really important figures.
The dispute for power generated wars that destabilized the empire, making them created thetriumvirates as a way to contain disputes. There were two triumvirs at the end of the Roman Republic, and both resulted in new wars, again for control of power. O first triumvirate saw Julius Caesar emerge victorious in the contest with Crassus and Pompey. In 46 a. C., he became dictator for life, possessing full powers over Rome.
Julius Caesar was assassinated by members of the Senate in 44 BC. C., and it was necessary to form a second triumvirate, composed of its supporters. This triumvirate was formed by Otávio, Marco Antônio and Lépidus and also resulted in war. At the end of this dispute, Otávio came out as the winner.
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As much as some members of the Senate did not want to give up their political power to make room for a figure As an emperor, there was no way out, as Otávio, by winning the dispute against Marco Antônio, became too powerful. In addition, he started to count on the support of the people, something important in that period.
This made the Senate give absolute power to otavio, turning it into princepssenatus, that is, the first of the senators, giving him exclusive powers over the Senate. Later, Otávio received the title of Imperator, which corresponded to the post of commander-in-chief of the Roman armies, and finally received the title of august, which gave him a sacred connotation, making him a target of religious veneration.
Augustus government
![With the crisis of the republic, Octavius Augustus became Roman emperor and ruled the empire from 27 a. Ç. to 14 d. Ç. [1]](/f/e2654d30f131bf35ec98be549ef69a38.jpg)
Otávio's rise and the amount of titles he received from the Senate transformed him into a figure with centralized power. In practice, historians understand this event as the end of the Roman Republic, as the power concentrated in the hands of the Senate was transferred to the hands of Otávio.
Despite the unrestrained powers worthy of an emperor, Octavius had great political ability and commanded the empire while maintaining the political appearance of the republican period. His reign was marked as a period of greatstabilitypolicy, in addition to economic prosperity and internal peace.
The maintenance of internal peace and political stability allowed the agriculture undergoes major development. and that, consequently, the Roman economy would improve. That's because, despite having absolute powers, Otávio neither challenged the Senate nor took away its privileges.
He also granted benefits to Roman troops for their services and made improvements to the tax collection system. These and other measures created a political and social stability which allowed for economic development in Rome. However, in addition to internal stability, the success in external military campaigns it brought about the acquisition of new wealth and new slaves, the latter a crucial item in the Roman economy.
On the military side, Octavius was famous for conquering new lands for the Roman Empire and also for protecting the Roman borders from the threats that were in the limes, the limits of the territory. THE secure Roman borders against barbarian peoples (as the Romans called the peoples who dwelt beyond their borders) was fundamental to sustaining the empire.
![During the reign of Octavius, several public works were carried out in Rome and in other parts of the empire. [2]](/f/567677b6397da33ac6bcf97c3888cf47.jpg)
With the economy booming, Otávio started a campaign to revival of romeand in support of artists. Both in this city and elsewhere in the empire, Otávio ordered the construction of a series of important buildings, such as roads, public baths, aqueducts, etc. Carrying out these works was a way of guaranteeing the provinces' fidelity to the emperor.
The amount of work carried out at the behest of Octavius in Rome led him to exalt himself stating that when he took over the post, he had found a city made of clay and which, in his reign, turned it into a city of marble. However, despite this prosperity, he also faced problems in the military and political fields..
The prosperity and policy initiated by Otávio became known as Pax Romana (Roman peace), extending for approximately 200 years and being finalized only with the death of Marcus Aurelius, in 180 d. Ç. Otávio died in 14 d. C., at the age of 76, and appointed his adopted son, Tiberius, as successor.
Accessalso: The mythical origin of the city of Rome
Characteristics of the Roman Empire
In the imperial phase, as the name suggests, the power was exercised by the emperors, figures that held the I sendpolitical, military and religious over the entire Roman territory. The tripod of political power in Rome passed through the emperor, responsible for the administration of the entire empire; fur army, responsible for maintaining internal order and achievement campaigns; and fur governmentsof theprovinces conquered, essential figures in the maintenance of power in these regions.
The economy was sustained by what was produced in the conquered provinces. Thus, the availability of food in Rome was the result of grain production in the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa, for example. THE slave performance it was fundamental for the functioning of this economy, since its entire production depended on this activity.
You slaves, in turn, were obtained in the wars of conquest that the Romans performed. It was fundamental for the Roman economy that the provinces maintain a constant production of wealth. Therefore, the power centralized in Rome constantly intervened in them as a way to guarantee their productivity and their wealth.
Dynasties and Emperors of the Roman Empire
The Roman imperial phase, as mentioned, extended from 27 a. Ç. until the year 476 d. Ç. During this period, several emperors passed under Roman command and were grouped by historians into four dynasties that existed from 27 a. Ç. up to 235 d. Ç. After the last emperor of the Severe Dynasty, Alexander Severus, was assassinated, historians consider that the crisis of the 3rd century AD began. Ç.
- Julius-Claudian Dynasty (27 years old Ç. - 68 d. Ç)
- Flavian Dynasty (69-96 d. Ç.)
- Nerva-Antonina Dynasty (96-192 d. Ç.)
- Severe Dynasty (193-235 d. Ç.)
Among all these dynasties, stood out the emperors Otávio Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Nero, Vespasian, Titus, Nerva, Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, Caracalla, Geta, Alexander Severus, among others. Nero, for example, became famous in history for being accused of being responsible for a massive fire that struck Rome in 64 AD. Ç.
Accessalso: Great fire that happened in Rome in the year 64 d. Ç.
Crisis of the Roman Empire
From the 3rd century d. Ç., historians consider that the period of crisis in the Roman Empire began. The first manifestation of this crisis was in the economy, which showed signs of weakening. This is because, throughout the imperial period, the dependence of the Roman economy, especially in the western portion of the empire, on slave labor became excessive.
This is because, with territorial expansion, there was a large flow of slaves being sent to work in the empire. This made the Roman slave system dependent on wars of expansion, and when conflicts became more defensive than offensive, ability to obtain slaves has dropped drastically.
Without enough slaves to meet the demands of the empire, the economystagnated. Furthermore, the dependence of these workers meant that the technical capacity for the production of wealth did not evolve, which kept production low. With the stagnation of the economy, the situation worsened and the empire did not have enough money to manage all the demands.
One way to solve the lack of resources was to reduce the military troops, responsible for consuming a large part of the funds, and to increase taxes. The first form left borders unprotected and susceptible to invasion; the second caused the indignation of the people, instigating revolts throughout the empire.
Some measurements were taken in order to reform the empire, and thus price freezes, division of the empire into two parts, and even the transfer of the capital from Rome to Constantinople were decreed. The division of the Roman Empire took place in 395 and gave rise to the Western Roman Empire, based in Rome, and the eastern roman empire, headquartered in Constantinople. However, none of these reforms solved the existing problems.
To make matters worse, corruption and the struggle for power in Rome contributed to destabilizing the empire, which was on the path to collapse. The factor that had a decisive weight at the end of it was the Germanic invasions, which began to happen on a large scale from the 3rd century d. Ç.
readmost: High Middle Ages: the transformations that took place in Europe after the end of the Roman Empire
Germanic invasions
The Germans were peoples who lived beyond the northern border of the Roman Empire, in lands known as germany. These peoples began to migrate due to various factors speculated by historians, such as the search for land and better climates for them to survive, and some migrated simply because they fled from other migrating peoples.
In any case, countless Germanic peoples moved, such as francs, alamans, Swabians, ostrogoths, Saxons, vandals, heruli etc. All of them migrated to the interior of the Roman Empire, and as Rome had reduced its number of soldiers, its borders were left unprotected. The military and economic problems and the German invasions happened at the same time.
Thus, Rome was unable to protect its lands, which began to be invaded by several of these peoples throughout the 3rd, 4th and 5th centuries d. Ç. The city of Rome itself suffered from the situation, as in 410 the Visigoths sacked the city, and in 476 the heruli, led by Kingodoacer, invaded it and deposed the last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustus.
After that, the Western Roman Empire disintegrated, and the lands that were part of that portion were occupied by different Germanic peoples. In these places, the mixture of Germanic and Latino culture resulted in profound transformations and inaugurated the period of Middle Ages. The eastern part became the Byzantine Empire and existed until 1453. If you want to delve deeper into this migratory movement that helped seal the fate of one of the greatest empires of humanity, read: Germanic invasions.
Grades
|1| BEARD, Mary. SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome. São Paulo: Planet, 2017.
Image credits
[1] stoyanh and Shutterstock
[2] Filip Emanuel Tecuta and Shutterstock
By Daniel Neves Silva
History teacher
