The Roman Empire. Or Republic. Or...Which Was It?: Crash Course World History #10

CrashCourse
29 Mar 201212:26
EducationalLearning
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TLDRThis Crash Course World History video explores the end of the Roman Republic and the rise of Julius Caesar. It examines the Roman government's system of checks and balances, noting how power was shared between the Senate, the Consuls, and the role of dictator. It chronicles Caesar's rise to power through an alliance with Crassus and Pompey, his conquests abroad, and his eventual domination of Roman politics. The video analyzes whether Caesar himself destroyed the Republic or if larger forces like imperial expansion and powerful generals paved the way for empire and emperors long before Caesar.

Takeaways
  • 😊 The video discusses the history of the Roman Empire and its transition from a Republic to an Empire.
  • 😮 SPQR stands for Senatus Populusque Romanus (The Senate and People of Rome), a motto of the Roman Republic.
  • 🤔 The video debates whether Julius Caesar truly destroyed the Roman Republic or if the Republic had already transitioned into an Empire before him.
  • 📜 The Roman Republican system had checks and balances through positions like the Senate, Consuls, and the dictatorship role.
  • 👑 Julius Caesar rose to power through political alliances and military conquests before declaring himself dictator.
  • 🎭 Caesar was assassinated by Senators who wanted to preserve the Republic, but the power vacuum led to civil wars.
  • 🔮 The video argues that the concentration of power into generals and continual expansion made Rome an Empire before having an Emperor.
  • 🐘 Rome's acquisition of diverse territories through wars with Carthage marked its transition into an Empire.
  • 🤴 Augustus became the first official Roman Emperor, though the Republic had already been transformed into an Empire.
  • 🎓 The video aims to examine Great Man History vs. long-term trends in understanding Rome's political evolution.
Q & A

  • What were the three kinds of government that Polybius said were all found united in Rome?

    -According to the Greek historian Polybius, the three kinds of government that were all found united in Rome were monarchy, aristocracy and democracy.

  • Who were the two main social classes in Rome?

    -The two main social classes in Rome were the Patricians, the small group of aristocratic families, and the Plebeians, basically everybody else.

  • Who was Cincinnatus and why was he seen as a model leader?

    -Cincinnatus was a Roman general who came out of retirement to lead an army, defeated the enemy, and then laid down his command and returned to his farm. He was seen as a model selfless Roman ruler.

  • How did Caesar build his alliance with Crassus and Pompey?

    -Caesar built his alliance with Crassus, one of Rome's richest men, and Pompey, a powerful general, by getting financial help from Crassus to win the consul election. This alliance was called the First Triumvirate.

  • Why did the senators assassinate Caesar?

    -Many senators decided Caesar controlled too much power in Rome as dictator-for-life, so they assassinated him in an attempt to restore the Republic.

  • Did Caesar actually destroy the Roman Republic?

    -It's debatable. The Republic was already in decline before Caesar due to ambitious generals like Marius and Sulla seizing power. But Caesar did subvert republican ideals and concentrate power into his dictatorship.

  • When did Rome truly become an empire?

    -Rome became an empire long before it had an emperor, around 201 BCE after defeating Carthage in the Punic Wars. At this point Rome controlled diverse foreign peoples across a huge area.

  • Why did Rome need to keep expanding militarily?

    -Rome needed to keep expanding to gain new territory in order to give land to retired soldiers as pensions, which bought their loyalty to their generals instead of the Republic.

  • How did military expansion lead to the end of the Republic?

    -By expanding militarily, Rome created extremely powerful generals who could use their loyal armies against rivals and even march on Rome itself, subverting republican rule.

  • Why does John Green argue the Republic was already lost before Caesar?

    -Green argues the concentration of power into the hands of military generals, caused by imperial expansion, had already destroyed the idea of Republican rule long before Caesar took power.

Outlines
00:00
😊 Intro to Roman history and Caesar

Paragraph 1 introduces Roman history, discusses SPQR meaning 'The Senate and People of Rome', and poses the question of when it's ok to assassinate Caesar. It also introduces the debate around whether Caesar destroyed the Roman Republic and if the Republic was worth preserving.

05:01
😠 Caesar's rise to power

Paragraph 2 discusses Caesar's rise to power, including his alliance with Crassus and Pompey in the first triumvirate. It covers Caesar's military conquests in Gaul and Britain, and his eventual conflict with the Senate, leading to his famous crossing the Rubicon with his army.

10:04
😎 Caesar takes over Rome and is assassinated

Paragraph 3 discusses Caesar taking over Rome and becoming dictator. It covers reforms Caesar made to strengthen his power before eventually being assassinated by Senators who thought they could restore the Republic. But Caesar's heir Octavian actually took over after Caesar's death.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Republic
The Roman Republic refers to the period from 509 BCE to 27 BCE when Rome was governed by elected officials rather than emperors. The video discusses whether Julius Caesar destroyed this republican system of government. The republic is described as having a balance of power between different branches.
💡Senate
The Roman Senate was an advisory council comprised of Patricians that set policy and chose two Consuls each year to serve as executives. The video states the Senate had become a 'rubber stamp' by the time of Emperor Augustus.
💡Consul
The two Consuls were the chief executives of the Roman Republic, elected each year from the Senate to jointly govern Rome and check each other's ambition. Caesar became Consul in 59 BCE before later declaring himself dictator.
💡Dictator
A dictator was granted temporary emergency power in the Roman Republic. The video contrasts Caesar, who held onto power as dictator, with Cincinnatus who gave up power after resolving a crisis.
💡Legion
A legion was a unit of 3,000-6,000 soldiers in the Roman army. Caesar's loyal armies enabled him to gain power. The video states the continual need for land to give to retired soldiers drove expansion.
💡Rubicon
By crossing the Rubicon river into Italy with his army in 49 BCE, Caesar instigated civil war and invaded his hometown of Rome itself.
💡First Triumvirate
The political alliance between Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus gave Caesar his start in power. After Crassus died and Pompey turned against Caesar, civil war resulted.
💡Second Triumvirate
After Caesar's assassination, Mark Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus formed a Second Triumvirate. Octavian defeated Antony and became Augustus, the first emperor.
💡Punic Wars
The three wars between Rome and Carthage spanned 264-146 BCE, with Rome gaining territory in Sicily, Spain, and North Africa. This expansion increased diversity of subjects under Roman control.
💡Empire
The video argues the Roman Empire functionally existed long before Augustus, with provinces and subject peoples conquered through centuries of expansion driven by all-powerful generals.
Highlights

The Roman Republic endured due to its balance of monarchy, aristocracy and democracy.

The Senate was comprised of legislators chosen from elite Patrician families and served as an advisory council that set policy for the Consuls.

The Consuls were the chief executives of Rome, with power checked by short terms and a prohibition on serving consecutive terms.

Caesar formed the First Triumvirate alliance with Crassus and Pompey to dominate Roman politics.

Caesar's military conquests made his armies loyal to him, which gave him power over the Senate and Pompey.

After conquering Gaul, Caesar returned to Italy and defeated Pompey in a civil war.

As dictator, Caesar enacted reforms to strengthen his power before being assassinated by Senators trying to restore the Republic.

Augustus became sole ruler after defeating Mark Antony and essentially ended the Republic by taking absolute power.

The question is whether Caesar himself destroyed the Republic, or if he was just continuing a long trend of generals seizing power.

Earlier generals like Marius and Sulla also made armies personally loyal and seized power, showing the Republic was already fading.

Rome became an empire through continual expansion and incorporating diverse peoples before officially having an emperor.

The need for land for retired troops drove expansion and powerful generals; empires produce emperors.

Julius Caesar was a product of empire, not the cause; empire created emperors like him.

Generals concentrated power by controlling loyal armies, so the Republic faded as Rome expanded.

The need for military expansion to get land for soldiers necessitated powerful generals who seized power.

Transcripts

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