The term “Pax Romana,” which means “Roman peace” in Latin, refers to the time period from 27 BCE to 180 CE1 in the Roman Empire.This 200-year period saw unprecedented peace and economic prosperity throughout the empire, which spanned from England in the north to Morocco in the south and Iraq in the east. During the Pax Romana, the Roman Empire reached its peak in terms of land area, and its population swelled to an estimated 70 million people.Nevertheless, Rome’s citizens were relatively secure, and the government generally maintained law, order, and stability. The Pax Romana began when Octavian became the leader of the Roman Empire.CIVIL WAR AND MOREAfter the fall of Julius Caesar2 in 44 BCE, a period of civil war erupted in Rome. Out of this turmoil emerged the Second Triumvirate,3 consisting of Lepidus, Antony, and Octavian, who was Julius Caesar’s nephew. This new triumvirate ruled Rome for a decade, but as happened with the First Triumvirate,4 differences among the leaders eventually emerged.[5]Octavian defeated Lepidus in battle and then turned his armies against the more powerful Mark Antony. Antony had fallen in love with and married the spellbinding queen of Egypt, Cleopatra. At the Battle of Actium off the coast of Greece in 31 BCE, Octavian’s navy defeated the navy of Antony and Cleopatra.Octavian returned to Rome triumphant and gave himself the title of princeps, or “first citizen.” Octavian was careful not to upset the Senate by declaring himself dictator as his uncle Julius Caesar had done. Even though Octavian ruled as an unofficial dictator, he maintained the Senate and other institutions of the republican government.In 27 BCE, the Senate bestowed the title of Augustus upon Octavian. Augustus, as he became known, ruled for 41 years, and the policies he enacted laid the groundwork for the peace and stability of the Pax Romana.ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROMEThe 200 years of the Pax Romana saw many advances and accomplishments, particularly in engineering and the arts. To help maintain their sprawling empire, the Romans built an extensive system of roads. These durable roads facilitated the movement of troops and communication. The Romans built aqueducts5 to carry water overland to cities and farms.Many of the advances in architecture and building relied upon the Romans’ discovery of concrete. Concrete made possible the creation of huge rounded arches and domes.[10]One of the most famous structures built during the Pax Romana, the Pantheon in Rome, has one of the largest freestanding domes in the world to this day.During the Pax Romana, many of Rome’s finest writers (such as Horace, Virgil, Ovid, and Livy) produced literary and poetic masterpieces. Rome became the economic, political, and cultural capital of the Western world.LEADING BY EXAMPLEAfter Augustus’s death in 14 CE, other Roman emperors ruled with varying effectiveness. One emperor, Caligula, regularly abused his power. He was so sensitive about his baldness that he prohibited anyone from looking down upon his head and shaved some people who had full heads of hair.Eventually, his bizarre and tyrannical behavior turned the Romans against him, and in 41 CE, Caligula was assassinated by members of his own guard.Not all emperors were unfit to rule. In fact, a series of leaders known as the Five Good Emperors ruled in succession and presided over a prolonged period of peace and prosperity.[15]The last of these emperors, Marcus Aurelius, was the final emperor of the Pax Romana; he died in 180 CE. His reign was followed by the disastrous reign of his brutal son Commodus. The empire struggled to hold off attacking tribes on the frontiers. Over the subsequent 300 years, the capital moved several times, and the Roman Empire finally crumbled.Text: "Pax Romana" by USHistory.org is licensed under CC BY 4.0. This text has been modified.Image: "Augustus Bevilacqua" by Unknown Artist is in the public domain.NotesCE stands for "Common Era," the current calendar era. BCE stands for "Before Common Era.”a Roman generalA “triumvirate” refers to a group of three powerful, governing figures.the political alliance between Julius Caesar, Pompey the Great, and Marcus Licinius Crassuspipes or channels that transport water from a distant sourceAssessment QuestionsShow Less1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?A. "the Roman Empire reached its peak in terms of land area, and its population swelled to an estimated 70 million people." (Paragraph 2)B. "The Pax Romana began when Octavian became the leader of the Roman Empire." (Paragraph 3)C. "In 27 BCE, the Senate bestowed the title of Augustus upon Octavian." (Paragraph 7)D. "a series of leaders known as the Five Good Emperors ruled in succession and presided over a prolonged period of peace and prosperity." (Paragraph 14)BackContinue