Transcript WH 1 Lesson 32 Instructional Resource 1

Roman Culture
Life in the Roman
Empire
Urban life in ancient rome
► Ancient
Rome was situated on seven hills.
► Each
emperor built more and more public
buildings.
► The
most famous buildings were built after the death of
Augustus.
► The
Colosseum, the Forum of Trajan, and the
Pantheon made the city the “capital of the
world.”
Colosseum
►
This arena was built to house
50,000 spectators for sporting
and theatrical events.
►
Built during the reigns of the
three Flavian Emperors:
Vespasian, Titus, and
Domitian.
►
Between 70-82 A.D.
Interior of the Colosseum
•
The Emperor Titus
opened the Colosseum
in 80 A.D. with 100
days of games in which
9,000 animals died.
•
Crowds came to the
games to see
fighting and blood,
as well as
pageantry.
Forum of Trajan
•
Built by the Emperor
Trajan between 106-113
A.D.
•
Meeting place and tourist
attraction, even during
Roman times.
•
Within is Trajan’s
Column, built to
commemorate his victory
in Dacia.
Roman Pantheon
•
Begun in 27 B.C., the
Pantheon was
completed by the
Emperor Hadrian,
between 118-128.
•
Dedicated to the 12
Olympian gods, it
survived because it
became a Christian
church.
Roman Houses
o
Augustus lived in a modest house, but his successors
expanded it into an enormous palace on the Palatine Hill.
o
The rich preferred to live on the hills above the teeming
masses.
o
Most of the poor lived in packed apartment houses near the
center of the city.
o
Rome had over 1 million inhabitants.
Domus Augustana
(House of Augustus)

Ruins of the imperial
palace on Palatine
Hill in Rome.

These are the
remains of the
courtyard of the
private quarters on
the lower level.
Fun and Games
o One Roman writer said that the
imperial government kept the
Romans contented by “breads
and circuses.”
o Other societies have relied on
the same strategy, but never to
the same degree.
o Roman emperors provided free
food to hundreds of thousands
and sponsored endless series of
games.
Theater at Orange, in Gaul



This is the best preserved Roman theater.
Built around 50 A.D.
As in Ancient Greece, theater was an important pastime to the
Ancient Romans.
Maritime Theater at Hadrian’s Villa


Hadrian’s immense country house at Tivoli was built
over and island and connected by canals.
In the theater full scale military battles could be
fought as entertainment.
Circus Maximus

The most popular events in Ancient Rome were the
chariot races held in the Circus Maximus, an arena that
held up to 300,000 spectators.

Competing teams with brightly decorated horses
attracted fierce loyalty.


Up to 12 four-horse chariots crowded together, lap after lap –
very dangerous.
Successful charioteers became very wealthy.
Circus Maximus, Rome

Circus Maximus is today in ruins.
 It was originally built in the 6th century B.C., but
destruction several times by fire required its
restoration.
Gladiators

Criminals and captives were sent to gladiatorial
training schools to learn to entertain the crowds.


If gladiators successfully performed in combat, they might
receive the imperial “thumbs up” – meaning freedom.
Gladiatorial games were important because there
the people could see the emperor and he could
see them.
Food and Water
• Distributing food and
water to Rome and the
cities in the empire was
a high priority for the
government.
• Romans built huge
waterways called
aqueducts to bring
water to the cities.
Roman Baths
• The Romans loved baths.
• There were 170 baths in Rome during the reign of
Augustus and over 900 by 300 A.D.
•
Romans took baths as entertainment, for healing, and
just to get clean.
•
The baths were huge buildings built at public expense.
•
The aqueducts provided the water for the baths.
Bath, England
•
This is the famous
Roman bath known
as Aquae Sulis.
•
It was constructed in
the 1st century A.D.
and was watered by
springs which
produced 500,000
gallons per day.
Cities in the Roman Empire
 Rome was not the only city in the Roman
Empire.
 There were about 1000 cities in an area that stretched
from Britain to Syria.
 Most of these cities had fewer than 10,000
citizens but all had forums, markets, temples,
and other kinds of public buildings found in
Rome.
 Most of the great Western European cities
began as Roman cities.
List of Cities that Began as or Became
Roman cities

London (Londinium), founded 43 A.D.

Paris (Civitas Parisiorum), taken 52 B.C.

Milan (Mediolanum), taken 222 B.C.

Sevilla (Hispalis), taken 45 B.C.