Julius Caesar and The Roman Empire Historical Essay Sample

The Roman Republic began in 509 BC when the Romans overthrew their last king, Tarquinius Superbus. They formed a Republic and committed the Brutus Oath, promising never to be controlled by a king again. As a result, they had two consuls rather than one king. In fact, the dictator was only intended to be in power for six months. In this method, the Roman Republic was established with checks and balances, to prevent tyranny from returning and one person abusing his authority. The republican government of Rome is one of the world's first representations of representative democracy. Julius Caesar is among the most prominent figures of this time period. At the end and beginning of the Roman Republic, a series of major events occurred. Including the downfall of the Roman Republic. The Republic lasted almost 500 years. Unfortunately, it ended in 27 BC. There are a few reasons why The Roman Republic had such a critical downfall. Nevertheless, one of the main reasons is that the Republic was getting too much land, causing them to enslave more citizens. Those citizens could then rebel causing a lot of damage. Another main reason for the downfall was having too much power. People during this time period were famished for power. Certain people were getting that power which led to people wanting even more power. 

As slavery continued in the Roman Republic, Slavery started increasing more and more each day. Slavery increased because the Romans realized what a gift it is to have people do everything so you don’t have to. This made many Roman people enslave their citizens. However, this was not good at all. “As many as 1 in 3 of the population in Italy or 1 in 5 across the empire were slaves and upon this foundation of forced labour was built the entire edifice of the Roman state and society” (Source #8 Spartacus). Slavery was so deeply ingrained in Roman society that slaves were nearly invisible, and the emperors had almost no sense of unfairness in the position. However, these slaves could turn against their owners. Slaves could have wanted rebellion. This indicates that the growth of slavery threatened the stability of Rome. According to source #6, the map of Rome changed dramatically in 100 BC. After numerous wars in conflict, the Romans’ empire grew in size. As a matter of fact, Rome’s size was so large and spread out that it was surrounded by sea. However, It was much more difficult for the Roman republic to rule such a large territory because Rome had grown so much more than it had been previously. Because of Rome’s large territory, the Republic couldn’t control the citizens in Rome so they had to enslave the citizens to work for them. To conclude, the Republic had too much land which caused them to enslave more citizens which could have led citizens to rebel. 

People during this time period were ravenous for power and certain people, that some of the people did not like, were getting that power. This eventually led to people wanting even more power. “They were to become two of the most powerful men in Rome and, along with Julius Caesar, they formed the First Triumvirate. The ensuing power struggle would ultimately result in the end of the Roman Republic” (Source #9 Spartacus #2). Pompey and Crassus were the most powerful men in the Roman Republic. However, having that much power was superior and inferior at the same time for the men. They struggled with keeping the power. Some people also didn’t like the fact that they had so much power. The subsequent power struggle eventually led the Roman Republic to an end. “Increasingly, power shifted from the Roman senatorial class to the commanders in the field. The Roman Republic was in crisis as a result, for many decades. Roman generals often used their forces to further their political ambitions as was the case with Julius Caesar. The establishment of a standing army led ultimately to the destruction of the Republic” (Source #5 Reforms by Marius). On the Tiber, Rome was a little settlement. It was, however, capable of spreading its rules throughout most of Italy by force of arms. The Servile War led to the increased power of the generals in the Roman Republic. The war wanted to end slavery in the Roman Republic but failed so the Roman Republic had more generals in power because of this. Generals were helping citizens. However, certain people like Cicero had too much power which was terrible. “Here you have a man who was ambitious to be king of the Roman People and master of the whole world; and he achieved it! The man who maintains that such an ambition is morally right is a madman, for he justifies the destruction of law and liberty and thinks their hideous and detestable suppression glorious” (Source #11 Julius Caesar #1). Cicero is saying that he has become too powerful and everything he has done was not for Rome instead, it was for himself. Having too much power in the Roman Republic is not a good thing. The people got jealous and also wanted that same power. 

The demise of the Roman Republic was among the most historic occurrences. The events that led up to the conclusion are crucial.