Transcript lecture 4.2 Roman Culture

World Civilizations
The Global Experience
AP* Sixth Edition
Chapter
4.2
Classical Civilization:
Rome
World Civilizations: The Global Experience, AP* Sixth Edition
Stearns • Adas • Schwartz • Gilbert
Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2004 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Rome and Western Culture
• Classical Greek and Roman culture set the
foundation for western civilization
• Roman culture would adopt and diffuse
Greek (and thus indirectly middle eastern)
cultures and traditions beyond the
Mediterranean basin… Mare Nostrum
• The impact of Roman culture is most
pronounced in Northern and Western
Europe- and areas where these cultures
spread
World Civilizations: The Global Experience, AP* Sixth Edition
Stearns • Adas • Schwartz • Gilbert
Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2004 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Where we find Rome
• The Roman Alphabet is used in cultures around the world
• The Latin language is the parent language of several
contemporary languages and has had a significant impact on
others
– Adopted as the language of law science and Catholic Church
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Roman law is the basis of legal systems throughout Europe
Roman civil engineering model for later civilizations
Concept of the republic and representatives
Roman government created the structure that permitted the
early spread of Christianity
• Preserving some of the heritage of ancient Hellenic Greece
• Graeco-Roman values in art and architecture would inspire a
Renaissance a millennium later
World Civilizations: The Global Experience, AP* Sixth Edition
Stearns • Adas • Schwartz • Gilbert
Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2004 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Rome: From a Village to an
Empire
• We can learn much about a culture by how they frame
their understanding of their history
– Romans saw their austere and virtuous ancestors bravely
fighting tyrannical neighbors to protect their households…
Conquests lead to an accumulation of Empire- Began with
refugees from ancient Troy- story of Aeneus
– Archeological evidence finds settlements along Tiber River
in Central Italy by indo-European Latins by 800 BCE
– Roman calendar dated from 753 BC (Romulus and
Remus) AUD (Anno Urbis Dedicorum)
– This founding myth was key to Roman Identity
• Rome was the main Latin city- republic established in
509 BCE
World Civilizations: The Global Experience, AP* Sixth Edition
Stearns • Adas • Schwartz • Gilbert
Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2004 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.
A Growing Republic (509-146 BCE):
Rome Was not Built in a Day
• The Roman Republic was not a democracy but
had many of the civic features of modern
democratic republics
• Efficient military organization and diplomacy would
expand Roman territories- cities without walls…
• Series of three wars with Mediterranean rival
Carthage in Punic Wars 264-146 BCE)
• By 146 BC, the city of Rome ruled from Spain to
Asia Minor
• Roman culture would impose itself on top of local
culture, especially in cities
World Civilizations: The Global Experience, AP* Sixth Edition
Stearns • Adas • Schwartz • Gilbert
Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2004 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Growth of the Republic
World Civilizations: The Global Experience, AP* Sixth Edition
Stearns • Adas • Schwartz • Gilbert
Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2004 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.
The Growth of the Roman Empire
World Civilizations: The Global Experience, AP* Sixth Edition
Stearns • Adas • Schwartz • Gilbert
Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2004 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Bigger Republic, Bigger
Problems
• By 146 BCE, the Roman Senate was
governing an empire with a government
made to rule a city.
• Conquest generated growing wealth among a
small group of people
• Growing number of poor flock to Rome
– Population nearly 1 million at time of Caesar
– Population grows restive…
• Generals enjoy growing influence in late
Republic (1st century BCE)
World Civilizations: The Global Experience, AP* Sixth Edition
Stearns • Adas • Schwartz • Gilbert
Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2004 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.
The Power of Violence: Cheap
Bread and Circus
• Violent gladiatorial games go back to early
Roman history
• Growing reach of empire would expand the
size and reach of violent games
– Gladiatorial games in amphitheatres
 Coliseum held nearly 50,000
 Most major cities had amphitheatres
 Chariot racing in hippodromes also popular- Circus
Maximus in Rome could hold 200,000
• Government and leaders bid for the support
of the crowd by subsidizing bread and putting
on big games (Cheap Bread and Circus)
World Civilizations: The Global Experience, AP* Sixth Edition
Stearns • Adas • Schwartz • Gilbert
Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2004 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Amphitheatres: Rome and
Epheses
World Civilizations: The Global Experience, AP* Sixth Edition
Stearns • Adas • Schwartz • Gilbert
Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2004 by Pearson Education, Inc.
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Hiding an Empire in the Republic
• The Republic became a military dictatorship
under the direction of an Emperor- Augustusfirst emperor
• Augustus- grand-nephew of Julius Caesar
tried to retain the appearance of republican
traditions
• Senate became less significant in Empireemperor and army
• No clear rule for succession conflict and
intrigue… power of imperial guard
World Civilizations: The Global Experience, AP* Sixth Edition
Stearns • Adas • Schwartz • Gilbert
Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2004 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Pax Romana
• The Roman Empire would thrive under relative
peace for a period of 200 years
– Some good emperors (and some bad ones too)
– Trade networks from Britain to the Middle East
– Soldiers serving for 20 years without ever having to
fight
– Puts a heavy Roman imprint over a significant part of
the world
• Pastoralist encroach on empire’s boarders and
challenge Roman government (more later)
• Christianity is persecuted as anti-patriotic and
corrupt social force during this time- more later
World Civilizations: The Global Experience, AP* Sixth Edition
Stearns • Adas • Schwartz • Gilbert
Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2004 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Roman Cities
• Empire held together by army and civil
engineering
– Cities supported by advanced infrastructure
 Aqueducts, roads, public baths, basilicas, theatres etc…
– Many features of modern cities come from Rome
– Many of Europe’s most important cities grew out
of Roman colonies-
• Peace trade and infrastructure supported
urban societies
• Epheses Library
World Civilizations: The Global Experience, AP* Sixth Edition
Stearns • Adas • Schwartz • Gilbert
Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2004 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.
What can you determine about
Europe’s history from this graph?
World Civilizations: The Global Experience, AP* Sixth Edition
Stearns • Adas • Schwartz • Gilbert
Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2004 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Weakness in the Empire
• Historians have argued that the seeds of
Rome’s decline were built within the empire
– Over-dependence on slavery hurts economic
innovation and leaves too many out of work or
disinterested in supporting state
– Focus on expansion as a producer of wealth
– Over-extended borders- hard to defend
Dependence on non-Romans to defend
• We will look at the decline of Roman
government later
World Civilizations: The Global Experience, AP* Sixth Edition
Stearns • Adas • Schwartz • Gilbert
Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2004 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Rome’s Legacy Made Large
• The Christian Effect
– Many cultural and political features preserved in
western Christianity- diffused world-wide
• The Renaissance Launch
– The “rediscovery” of the accomplishments of
Greece and Rome ignites the intellectual and
artistic world of Europe by the 14th Century
following the “Middle Ages”- at the eve of
Europe’s global launch
• The romanticizing of western classical history
since the early modern period- key to the
western cultural identity
World Civilizations: The Global Experience, AP* Sixth Edition
Stearns • Adas • Schwartz • Gilbert
Copyright ©2011, ©2007, ©2004 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.