How Rome went from republic to empire

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Steps from republic to empire

   Year	What happened
   49 BCE	Julius Caesar led his army across the Rubicon River into Italy, starting a civil war
   46 BCE	the Senate named Caesar dictator for 10 years
   44 BCE	Caesar was named dictator for life; on March 15, a group of senators assassinated him
   31 BCE	Octavian, Caesar's adopted heir, defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra at Actium
   27 BCE	the Senate gave Octavian the name Augustus; he became Rome's first emperor

   Below the chart: a dictator was given full power in an emergency, usually for a short time.

2. 1.

   What did Caesar do in 49 BCE, Bo asks?

   • Became dictator for life
   • Lost to Mark Antony and Cleopatra at Actium
   • Crossed the Rubicon and began a civil war
   • Took the name Augustus
3. 2.

   Who assassinated Caesar in 44 BCE, Esme asks?

   • Cleopatra's navy
   • Octavian's army
   • A group of senators
   • The people of Italy
4. 3.

   Whom did Octavian defeat at Actium in 31 BCE, Jun asks?

   • Mark Antony and Cleopatra
   • The Senate
   • Julius Caesar
   • The consuls of the year 509 BCE
5. 4.

   Caesar was named dictator for life. Why might senators see that as a threat, Kira asks?

   • It ended the civil war in 49 BCE
   • It gave one man power like a king's
   • It gave more power to the Senate
   • It made two consuls instead of just one
6. 5.

   Which causes together help explain why the Republic ended, Milo asks?

   • The Rubicon by itself
   • A new king who arrived from Persia's lands
   • Civil war, a dictator, and Octavian's win
   • Actium by itself
7. 6.

   Which came first, Actium or Caesar's assassination, Noah asks?

   • Caesar's assassination, in 44 BCE
   • Neither: both are CE
   • Actium: 31 is a smaller number, so earlier
   • Both in the same year
8. 7.

   How many years passed from the Rubicon in 49 BCE to Augustus in 27 BCE, Pia asks?

   • 220 years
   • 22 years
   • 2 years
   • 76 years
9. 8.

   Which step came last before Rome had an emperor, Ren asks?

   • The Rubicon, in 49 BCE
   • Actium, in 31 BCE
   • The Republic's start, in 509 BCE
   • The 10-year dictatorship, in 46 BCE
10. 9.

    Which claim does the chart support best, Tala asks?

    • Caesar was Rome's first emperor
    • The Senate ended the civil war on its own
    • War and new titles moved power to one man
    • The Republic ended in one day
11. 10.

    Ari's friend says one battle turned the Republic into an empire. What is the best reply?

    • Agree: Actium did it alone
    • Disagree: no battles were fought
    • Disagree: it took many steps over 22 years
    • Agree: the Rubicon did it alone