Roman_Empire

Roman Empire The Roman Empire The Roman Republic developed into the Roman Empire as the struggle of power between factions in Rome effected the structure of the Republic. This struggle was resolved by the settlement of Augustus, bringing about a new age in Roman culture. After the Punic wars, many soldiers returning home to farm found their fields practically unworkable. Some moved to Rome to work as laborers and others worked as tenant farmers or hired hands. Because the upper classes had enough wealth to buy the abandoned land cheap and slaves provided labor, they transformed the area into large plantations and cattle ranches. This divided the classes more sharply into the poor landless and the wealthy landed. Tiberius Gracchus became tribune on a program of land reform. His basic idea was that the state reclaim title to all but 300 acres from each landowner and redistribute the reclaimed land back to the poor for a nominal rent paid to the state. This bill was vetoed twice by Octavius and was subject to much criticism from the landed Senate. Tiberius, with the support of the people, had Octavius unconstitutionally removed from office and the assembly passed the senate, rome, roman, power, octavian, death, became, war, sulla, new, land, created, augustus, antony, against, after, took, tiberius, soldiers, poor, octavius, general, civil, caesar, army, wealthy, wars, volunteers, using, upon, triumvirate, title, struggle, state, settlement