Roman Achievements Some of the many great things accomplished during the Roman Empire

One of the oldest forms of entertainment, chariot races were so popular that the Romans built the Circus Maximus around 330 b.c. It was used for over 800 years. It could seat over 250,000 people.

The Romans were also fond of watching beast hunts and warriors called Gladiators duel, sometime to the death. In 72 A.D. the Romans built Trajan’s Amphitheater, which we call the Colossuem. It could seat 50,000 and any Roman citizen could get tickets to events.

The interior of the Coloseum had a floor built above a series of layers of rooms. In these rooms were kept the animals, men, and props. At the proper moment, elevators and trap doors would allow these to “appear.”

The Romans also built shades that could block out the harsh afternoon sun.

Then of course, there was the fabulous Roman army

To move the legions quickly to trouble spots, the army had the soldiers build great roads. They were usually straight, well-built, had mile markers, and many have lasted over 2000 years.

They also built great walls (such as Hadrian’s Wall which separates England & Scotland) and fortifications to protect against barbarians.

In order to supply water to many of their towns & forts, they Romans built huge aqueducts. They used the power of gravity to move the water, sometimes hundreds of miles. Using the arch in their building methods, the Romans were able to build huge structures.

The Romans used similar methods to build bridges. Many still stand today.

The Romans also were concerned with cleanliness. They built huge baths everywhere they lived. Think of them as a modern athletic club or gym.

Rich Romans lived in the countryside in villas. These were large houses which had large murals usually on the floor called mosaics.

Early Christians in Rome buried their dead in Catacombs in order to hide their religion from persecutors. They also held meetings there in order to hide from the other Romans.