The Roman Empire: Culture and Innovation during the Pax Romana

Transcription

1 The Roman Empire: Culture and Innovation during the Pax Romana The Pax Romana The Pax Romana Latin for BCE CE - A period that lasted from the accession of Augustus Caesar and ended with the death of Marcus Aurelius The Roman Empire was at the of its power; relatively peaceful and stable as a result Wealth and Trade It is believed that Roman trade extended as far as or at least with India as an intermediary This trade coupled with the wealth from made the lives of rich Roman s very comfortable Roads The Romans built some of the best roads of the Many of their roads survive to times Initially roads were built for purposes but trade grew quickly along these reliable arteries of the Empire A. PAVING SLABS The road was paved with hard-wearing slabs. The middle of the road was made higher than the sides so rain would drain off. B. LAYERS OF PEBBLES AND GRAVEL A layer of and gravel was rammed down to form a hard surface. C. DIGGING The Romans dug a trench 1-meter-deep and 7 meters wide. ditches were also dug alongside the road. D. FOUNDATIONS The trench was covered with sand and large stones. These were packed tightly to make strong. 1

2 Practical Knowledge Romans were practical and tried to knowledge gained from science to planning cities, building water and sewage systems, and improving farming Roman constructed roads, bridges, amphitheaters, public buildings, and aqueducts to bring water to cities Without aqueducts, cities would not have grown as They added an urban plan to every they conquered; many can still be seen today Architecture Roman ruins are found throughout Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa and are examples of their architectural Dominant advances included: Round and the Vault These allowed the Romans to build structures far larger than those built by earlier societies Aqueducts Romans used enormous amounts of water for their fountains, bath houses, and to wash away Aqueducts were built throughout the to provide Roman towns with water A source was found on a and the aqueducts were built, dropping a few inches every mile so gravity was all that was needed for the water to flow into the town Aqueducts could also run through hills Sewers Roman sewer systems were amongst the in the Ancient World Sewers were covered by Water, brought in by aqueducts, through the channels washing away waste into rivers The Cloaca Maxima was built in the city of Rome and drained the along with washing away waste water 2

3 Concrete Romans developed concrete with which they built amazing that still stand today A in architectural design Created larger buildings Knowledge to make concrete was lost until the mid century Roman still exist today across Europe It was concrete that allowed the Romans to build the massive domed The Dome Basilicas Large and relatively space Examples: Pantheon Early churches With the dome the Romans could earlier cultures with their ability to span space Life in Imperial Rome Public Life Wealthy men spent much of their time in Public officials were not paid and only the wealthy could to hold office Roman politicians worked to perfect skills Ties of marriage, friendship, and family were crucial for an aspiring and ambitious Roman politician Private Life Head of family, family father was the oldest living male Had powers over other members of his family Family virtues of simplicity, religious devotion, and were emphasized was common in Roman society: Ensured the family name would Brought powerful and men into the family 3

4 Family Women The role of women remained unchanged between the and the Empire Women s official role in Roman society were as a means to form family through marriage and to produce healthy legitimate male heirs Unofficially, women could politics and family relations behind the scenes Family Education Upper class Romans placed great on education Parents taught children at home; wealthy families hired or sent sons to exclusive schools to learn Latin, Greek, law, math, and public speaking Family Religion Romans adopted much from mythology, fusing it with their own They also borrowed from the and Western Asian cultures Each family worshipped local household gods called Many worshipped the as semi-divine Life in Imperial Rome Rich Roman families lived in a, a large single family residence often had two, one in the city and one in the country Homes of wealthy Romans had many conveniences such as water and baths Were beautifully decorated with sculptures and Roman Sculpture Romans were inspired and by Greek sculptures Categories included: Portrait sculpture Statues Paintings & Mosaics Relief Sculptures Greek works were idealistic while Roman works tended to be 4

5 Roman Mosaics A mosaic was a picture formed from using colored, cut tiles called Tiles could be stone, glass, pottery, and brick blue, black, red, white, and yellow were the colors Mosaics were used to decorate and in temples, public buildings, and in the homes of wealthy Romans Relief Sculptures Carved onto the sides of public, sarcophaguses, columns, and triumphal arches More distinctly than other forms of sculpture Could be used for both decorative purposes or as Glass Work Romans became incredibly in glasswork Glassblowing were found throughout the empire Only the rich could afford such Life in Imperial Rome Most Romans (lower and middle-classes) lived in apartment buildings called The ground floor was used for and businesses Living conditions were crowded and was a constant threat There were nearly one people living in Rome at its height To keep the poor from free food and entertainment was provided known as Bread and Circuses Public Entertainment Public Baths A place for all Romans to gather and Included baths,, steam rooms, and more Was important for public health and as well as entertainment Public Entertainment Chariot Races Romans of all classes enjoyed theatre, mimes, jugglers,, acrobats and clowns Chariot races were one of the most forms of entertainment Held in the a racetrack that could hold 250,000 spectators 5

6 Public Entertainment Gladiators Romans enjoyed spectacles in Wild animals battled each other and fighters contests were the most popular The most famous amphitheater was the built between CE by Emperor Vespasian Legacies Language Romance languages developed from Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian There are of words in the English language that come from Latin: et cetera, veto, curriculum Legacies Literature Influenced early on by the Romans became extremely talented writers by the 2 nd century BCE particularly in the areas of history and Cicero was a lawyer, politician, and the greatest Roman (public speaker) Virgil wrote the, an epic that told of the great deeds of Rome Horace urged the people of Rome to live lives Ovid wrote about life s sent into exile by Augustus Caesar Tacitus was considered Rome s greatest and warned the Romans of the growing strength of the Germans to the north Legacies Law Systems Romans used a legal system called civil law, based on a Began with the Twelve Tables but evolved to reflect the Roman s changing world reaching its apex with the Code of This system was by many civilizations after the fall of Rome Many modern-day systems still have their basis in Roman Law Legacies Ruins For centuries Roman ruins were a source of They inspired generations of artists and such as Brunelleschi, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Thomas Jefferson 6