He led an army to Gaul, which he conquered and brought it into the Roman Empire. This kept him in the public eye and helped to publicize his interests in social reform. He was popular with Romans because he spent sums of money sponsoring battles between gladiators and wild animals. Gaius Marius’s nephew, Julius Caesar, favored liberal policies. The urban poor joined the personal armies of ambitious generals.

Poverty in the cities increased, while the price of grain rose. and murdered some ten thousand individuals.ĥ The Roman Empire By the time Sulla died in 78 B.C., he had imposed policies that weakened the influence of the lower classes and strengthened the wealthy in Roman politics. When Marius died, Sulla seized Rome in 83 B.C.E. General Gaius Marius marched on Rome, placed the city under military occupation and hunted down political enemies. The constitution had worked for a small city-state but it would not work for a large empire.Ĥ The Roman Empire Military commanders recruited landless farmers for an army and initiated a civil war. Gracchus brothers attempted to reform land distribution policies but were assassinated. Owners of latifundia operated at lower costs than did owners of smaller holdings who often were forced to sell their land to wealthier neighbors. Rome became wealthy and powerful, but there were problems: Conquered lands fell into the hands of wealthy elites who organized plantations known as latifundia. Presentation on theme: 'Rise of the Roman Empire'- Presentation transcript:ģ Rome’s Imperial Expansion Creates Problems

Julius caesar coin 49 bc