The Roman Empire had two main time frames including the ‘Early Empire’ and the ‘Late Empire’. The Early Empire was from 27 BCE to the third century CE. At this time, people spoke many languages, but Latin and Greek were the most used language. Augustus started the Roman Empire in 27 BCE. They called him the ‘Principate’ or the ‘leading citizen’ to honor the Senate.
In this article, we are going to discuss The Early Empire of Rome in detail.
Class 11 Chapter 1: The Early Empire History Notes
The Early Empire: Roman Empire
The Roman Republic had a single ruler, while the Empire was led by a strong monarch. In ancient times, there was a 200-year struggle between the wealthy and the common folk. Here is the structure of the early Roman Empire as mentioned below.
Senate
- The Senate was a powerful group that governed early Rome.
- The senate made up of wealthy Roman and Italian families who mostly belonged to the landowner class.
- Emperors were selected and judged based on how they treated the Senate.
Army
- Army was an another important part of ruling.
- They were consider as the authority after the emperor and the Senate.
- Roman soldiers were paid workers who served for a minimum of 25 years.
- By the fourth century, the army had around 600,000 soldiers and had a lot of power, even influencing who became emperor.
- How well an emperor did often depended on how much control they had over the army.
Civil Unrest
- In 69 BCE, four emperors ruled in quick succession, marking a tumultuous period.
- However, the first two centuries of the empire were relatively stable without civil wars.
- Succession to the throne followed family lineage, with natural or adopted heirs becoming the next emperor.
- This practice was strongly upheld by the army.
Augustan Age
- Regarded as the most peaceful time in the Roman Empire.
- Wars for expansion were rare, with Roman rule gradually extending by absorbing dependent kingdoms into its provinces.
The Early Roman Empire – Managing the Territory
The Roman Empire split its lands into provinces and collected taxes from them, except for Italy, which had a different status. At its largest, around the second century, the empire covered a vast area from Scotland to Armenia, and from the Sahara Desert to the Euphrates River. About 60 million people lived in the empire around the middle of the second century.
A New Elite Class
- Big cities like Carthage, Alexandria, and Antioch were super important for the empire.
- These cities were like the heart of the empire, gathering taxes from the nearby countryside.
- Rich locals worked closely with the Roman government, helping out with running things and collecting taxes.
- In the second and third centuries, the rich folks in provinces took charge of government and army jobs.
- This made a new strong group of leaders, who were even more powerful than the Senate.
- Emperor Gallienus (253-268) made sure senators couldn’t lead the military, making the rich even stronger.
- Italy didn’t have as much say in the empire because of these changes.
City Life in the Empire
- Cities had their own leaders, councils, and territories that included nearby villages.
- Promoting or demoting a village to a city status often showed imperial favor or disfavor.
- Cities had better access to food during shortages and offered amenities like public baths and entertainment.
- Compared to villages, city life was seen as more comfortable and advanced.
The Third-Century Crisis
- From the 230s, the Roman Empire faced threats from different sides.
- A new aggressive dynasty, the Sasanians, emerged in Iran around 225 and expanded quickly towards the Euphrates.
- Germanic tribes like the Alamanni, Franks, and Goths threatened along the Rhine and Danube.
- These invasions led to giving up territories beyond the Danube.
- The empire faced internal instability, with a quick turnover of emperors during this period.
- In just 47 years, 25 emperors came and went, showing the difficulties the empire faced.
People Also Read
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- History of the Roman Empire
- Ancient Rome: History, Timeline, Art & Facts
- Fall of the Roman Empire: History, Causes & Facts
- Christianity in the Roman Empire: Timeline and History
FAQs – The Early Empire: Roman Empire class 11 Notes
What was the Roman Empire class 11?
The Roman Empire was a patchwork of territories and cultures that were bound together primarily by a shared political system. Augustus, the Roman Empire’s first emperor, assumed the throne in 27 BCE. Augustus, also referred to as the ‘principate,’ was the world’s first emperor.
What is the early Roman Empire?
‘Early Empire’ is the period from 27 BCE to the main part of the third century CE is called the early empire. The period after that is called the late empire. Unlike the Iranian Empire, the Roman Empire was much more diverse in terms of territories and cultures.
What were the main features of early empire class 11?
The empire had a substantial economic infrastructure of harbours, mines, quarries, brickyards, olive oil factories, etc. Liquids like wine and olive oil were transported in containers called ‘amphorae’. Spanish producers succeeded in capturing markets for olive oil from their Italian counterparts.
What do you understand by early Roman Empire and late antiquity class 11?
The Roman Empire can broadly be divided into two phases, ‘early’ and ‘late’, divided by the third century as a sort of historical watershed between them. In other words, the whole period down to the main part of the third century can be called the ‘early empire’, and the period after that the ‘late empire’.
Where was the early Roman Empire?
In the course of centuries Rome grew from a small town on the Tiber River in central Italy into a vast empire that ultimately embraced England, all of continental Europe west of the Rhine and south of the Danube, most of Asia west of the Euphrates, northern Africa, and the islands of the Mediterranean.
Who ruled the early Roman Empire?
Gaius Octavius Thurinus, also known as Octavian or “Augustus,” served as the first official emperor of the Roman Empire, and is often seen by historians as the greatest.
Who founded the early Roman Empire?
Ancient Rome was founded by the two brothers, and demigods, Romulus and Remus, on 21 April 753 BCE. The legend claims that in an argument over who would rule the city (or, in another version, where the city would be located) Romulus killed Remus and named the city after himself.
What do you mean by early empire Class 11?
The ancient Roman empire basically stretched across Europe, Asia and Africa and therefore has been reffered as the. b. The empire has been divided into early and late phases. The period till the 3rd century has been referred as early empire.