Chapter 12 Roman Civilization

Lesson 1: The Roman Way of Life Chapter 12 Lesson 1: The Roman Way of Life Bell Ringer Look at the map on pages 338-339. Complete the “Step Into the Place” activity questions 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Guiding Question What was daily life like for the Romans? Roman cities were centers for business, culture, and government Many romans lived in cities throughout the empire We have learned a great deal about these cities through studying the archaeological ruins The heart of the Roman Empire was located on the Italian peninsula

The Empire’s Chief City AD 1 – Rome is one of the largest cities in the world Over 1 million people lived in the city Many people traveled there from all over the empire It was carefully planned in the shape of a square with streets crossing at right angles The emperor lived in a grand palace in the city of Rome The Forum was a public shopping market/meeting place located near the palace Temples and other public buildings surrounded the Forum Wealthy Romans lived in large houses built on the city’s hills These homes had marble walls, tiled floors, and running water Some Romans also had villas (homes) on their large farms outside of the city Most Romans living in the city were poor They lived in crowded, noisy, and dirty neighborhoods Their apartment buildings were made of wood and stood up to seven stories tall Garbage was thrown out into the streets Thieves prowled the streets at night

The Empire’s Chief City Roman government offered “bread and circuses” to gain support of the poor Chariot races in the Circus Maximus Gladiator fights in the Colosseum most gladiators were poor, criminals, slaves, or prisoners of war Romans admired the gladiators for their skill and bravery The Roman Family Large families were common during the time Rome was a republic Children would live in the same house with their parents well into adulthood Fathers kept close watch over their wives and children Later on, families grew smaller and divorce became more likely Education differed depending on what class you were in Upper class children would learn at home, boys would attend schools as they got older Poorer Romans couldn’t afford school, but would often learn enough to be able to run a business At 15, boys would be considered adults and would begin to work Girls would be considered adults once they married, usually around 14 years old

Life for Roman Women In early Rome, women were not citizens and had very few rights They did, however, have influence over their family and husbands In the Roman Empire, women began to have more freedoms and power Wives of emperors exercised some political power Wealthy women could own land and businesses, and had free time because slaves handled the housework Poor women had less freedom and more responsibilities to the home and other forms of work

Rome and Slavery Slavery grew as Rome conquered more and more territory Slaves were made of conquered people 100 BC – almost 40% of people in Italy were slaves Slaves would perform many different jobs around Rome Enslaved Greeks, being educated, served as teachers, doctors, and artisans Life was miserable for slaves: punishment was harsh, work days were very long Many slaves rebelled to escape their hardships 73 BC – Spartacus leads a slave rebellion His forces grew to 70,000 strong as they tried to reach the Alps and escape to their homes The Roman army crushed the rebellion, Spartacus was killed, and 6,000 followers were crucified

Religion and Philosophy Romans believed gods controlled all aspects of life Greek gods/goddesses were given Roman names Ex: Zeus became Jupiter, Aphrodite became Venus Beginning with Augustus, emperors were officially considered gods by the Senate Romans worshipped with prayer and offerings Each house had an altar where the head of the house would lead prayers Government officials worshipped in temples, but they were open to all Romans Romans adapted Greek philosophies like Stoicism Greeks thought this to be happiness through reason Romans thought this to mean living in a practical way (civic duty, participate in public affairs, treat conquered people well) Rome allowed conquered people to practice their own religion as long as they didn’t threaten the government

Guiding Question How did the Greeks influence Roman culture? Romans admired the Greeks for their art, architecture, and philosophy They copied many things, but adapted them to their needs

Science Romans learned about anatomy from the Greek doctor Galen Galen acquired his knowledge by cutting open dead animals Doctors studied Galen’s work for over 1,500 years Ptolemy, a great Roman scientist, lived in the city of Alexandria He mapped over 1,000 stars and explained the movement of the planets and stars His ideas would be followed for centuries Romans developed excellent engineering skills They built efficient roads connecting all parts of the empire Aqueducts supplied cities with fresh water (one is still in use today) Roman numerals helped businessmen with accounting We still use these today

Art and Architecture Literature Romans also adopted these Greek ideas, but in their own style Greek statues would be of perfect looking people, Romans built them more realistic Roman architects added arches and domes to their buildings By mixing volcanic ash, lime, and water they created concrete Literature Romans respected writers and philosophers They were interested in learning the “meaning of life” They expanded on subjects the Greeks wrote about Comedies about their gods, stories of military successes and failures Added realism to their stories, showing a more human side of their characters Horace wrote satires and odes Herodotus, a Greek historian, inspired the Romans Livy and Tacitus to record Rome’s history as well They believed the story of Rome had lessons to teach future people Livy celebrated Rome, and Tacitus criticized it

Theater and Language Attending plays was one of Rome’s most popular pastimes These were usually part of religious celebrations or nation festivals Actors wore masks to represent characters, and it let them play different characters in the same play Men and boys acted in most of the plays, but women were allowed to act in comedies called mimes Latin, the Roman language, had a huge and lasting impact on Europe Its was the official language of government, trade, and education until about AD 1500 It influenced many languages of today including English, Spanish, French, and Italian

Lesson 2: Rome’s Decline Chapter 12 Lesson 2: Rome’s Decline Bell Ringer Why do civilizations borrow elements from earlier civilizations? What are some elements of American culture that have been borrowed from past civilizations?

Guiding Question What problems led to Rome’s decline? A Troubled Empire Marcus Aurelius is the last emperor of the Pax Romana 100 years of violence and confusion followed Political Confusion Government grew weak, armies grew stronger Emperors had to pay soldiers more to stay in power In 50 years, Rome had 22 different emperors

Political Confusion (continued) Duty, courage, and honesty were no longer valued by Romans Many government officials were dishonest Wealthy Romans stopped paying taxes Support for education declined Slaves made up the majority of the population Economic Weakness AD 200s – Roman soldiers and foreign invaders attacked farms and traders Led to food shortages and high prices Merchants went out of business, workers lost their jobs People exchanged goods instead of using money

Invasions Who Was Diocletian? Germanic tribes raided the west, Persians invaded the east People built walls around cities for protection Who Was Diocletian? A general who became emperor in AD 284 Introduced reforms to make things better Set maximum prices for goods Made local officials responsible for collecting taxes Built forts along the borders Divided the empire into four parts People ignored his rules and Diocletian failed

Guiding Question What effect did Germanic invaders have on the Roman Empire? The Fall of Rome AD 305 – Diocletian leaves office and conflict breaks out throughout the empire AD 312 – Constantine comes to power, fighting stops Constantine’s Rule Issued orders to reinforce Diocletian’s rules Wanted a stable workforce and military Sons followed their fathers

Constantine’s Rule Germanic Invaders AD 330 – Constantine moves the capital to Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople Rome continues to decline Constantine dies a few years later, Theodosius takes power Theodosius realized the empire had become too big to govern He decided that it would be split into two separate empire once he died AD 395 – the division takes place Germanic Invaders Germanic tribes were looking for better land to raise livestock and farm Many were fleeing the Huns, terrifying warrior from Asia Late AD 300s – the Visigoths asked Romans for protection from the Huns Visigoths promise to be loyal to the Romans Romans treated them poorly Visigoths rebel and defeat the Romans in Adrianople

Germanic Invaders (continued) More Germanic tribes begin to attack the Romans all over the empire AD 410 – Alaric, the Visigoth leader, led his people to Rome and looted the city AD 455 - The Vandals looted and destroyed the city again AD 476 – Odoacer seizes control of Rome No Roman would rule the empire again Continued fighting between Germanic rulers ends the Western empire AD 550 – Roman culture lived on in these Germanic kingdoms The Eastern empire becomes the Byzantine empire, and lasts for 1,000 years

Guiding Question What are the key achievements and contributions of Roman civilizations? Rome’s Legacies Roman achievements and contributions still surround us Laws, government, spread of Christian religion Influence on Law and Government Many American beliefs come from Roman ideas Everyone is equal, innocent until proven guilty, judges decide cases Republican government developed in Rome Many countries use this today People vote, participate in government, and help improve communities

Rome’s Cultural Impact Many Western cultures use the Latin alphabet Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian languages come from Latin Latin phrases are used in science, medicine, and law Roman writers are still admired today Roman architecture can be seen all over the world Washington, D.C.