Transcript Roman Society And Culture

Roman Society And
Culture
Section 4
THE PAX ROMANA
(The Roman Peace)
** The prosperous, stable, and relatively peaceful period from
the beginning of Augustus's reign until the death of Marcus
Aurelius
27 B.C. to A.D. 180
Augustus (Octavian)
Marcus Aurelius
A. Government
1. Emperor
made all policy decisions & appointed officials to run the provinces
the role of emperor entailed so many responsibilities and so much power that
only a small number ruled well
*”Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely”
 If a weak, selfish, or incompetent emperor reigned,
effective government depended on the strength of other
governmental officials.
2. The Provinces
Western Provinces were greatly influenced
by Rome because of their proximity
(nearness) to Rome
Exs. Gaul and Spain
Romans constructed many new cities in the provinces
Each was a smaller version
of imperial Rome
All included a senate building,
theatres, public baths, arena,
religious temples, etc.
Most cities had bridge-like structures
called aqueducts that carried water to the
city
6. Living Conditions in “The Eternal City”
Rich citizens usually had both a city home and a country
villa or estate
Some wealthy Romans ate and drank
enormous quantities at banquets
The majority of Romans, however, ate
3 simple meals each day
Extreme differences separated the lives of the wealthy
and the poor
Many of the 1 million residents of Rome lived in
crowded 3 or 4 story apartment buildings
7. Amusements
Romans enjoyed theater and
performers such as mimes
jugglers, dancers, acrobats, and
clowns.
*Romans also enjoyed savage and brutal sports…
Many spectators watched chariot races
in the Circus Maximus
>Thousands enjoyed “spectacles” or all day shows in the Colosseum
Wild beasts vs. wild beasts
Humans vs. animals
Criminals or slaves vs. beasts
(or simply executed)
Combat between Gladiators was the
most popular and brought the largest
crowds
Public entertainment became so
important to the Romans that the
government sponsored free “spectacles”
This distracted the lower
class from their miserable
living conditions, helping to
prevent riots & rebellions
“Romans are only interested in two things – bread
and the circus” Juvenal (Roman Poet)
3. Law
Helped unify the empire.
In later years the Roman system
of law became the foundation of
laws for most European countries
that had been part of the Roman
Empire
Also influenced the Catholic
church strongly (Canon or Church Law)
4. The Army
The small elite force stationed in
Rome to protect the emperor was called
the Praetorian Guard
Citizens who served for 20 years
made up the legions stationed in
fortified camps along the frontiers of
the Empire
Soldiers from border tribes enlisted
for 25 yrs. In return for the promise
of Roman citizenship
Thus a force of trained
soldiers was established to help
guard the frontiers
In some regions they built
great lines of fortifications for
protection
EXS. In Britain, Hadrian’s Wall
A line of forts also ran between the
Rhine and the Danube Rivers in the
North
5. Trade and Transportation
During the Pax Romana the
primary (or most common)occupation
was agriculture
*Farmers were called “Coloni”
Transportation system included 50,000 miles of
paved roads
Highways linked the provincial
cities to Rome, thus the saying,
“All roads lead to Rome”
8. Science, Engineering, and Architecture
A medical encyclopedia was written by a
physician named Galen that influenced doctors
for hundreds of years
Many people accepted the
astronomical theories of
Ptolemy
*Even though his “geocentric”
theory of the solar system was
wrong…
Roman engineers surpassed all
ancient peoples in their ability to
construct: •Roads, bridges, aqueducts,
amphitheaters, and public
buildings
*Most important contribution - concrete
>Roman architects designed great public buildings
*Examples include: temples, amphitheatres, baths, arches, etc.
9. Education
Early education took place in the home
Many towns and cities had elementary, secondary,
and higher level schools
>Greek tutors or teachers were often used
*”Greece has conquered her rude conqueror”…
10. Literature
Famous Roman poets included:
Horace - coined the phrase “carpe diem” (or “seize the day”)
Virgil – wrote the Aeneid an epic poem about Rome’s creation
Ovid – wrote Metamorphoses, a poem about the history of the
world that influenced later medieval writers like Shakespeare
and Chaucer
*But also one that gets him in trouble with Augustus for being
too sexy!
Historians included:
Livy & Tacitus (he wrote Annals, a history of Rome), and even….
Julius Caesar, who wrote about the Gallic
Wars he fought (in his “Commentaries on the
Gallic Wars”)
11. Language
Long after the end of the Roman
Empire the Latin language continued to
be used.
Ex. *Medieval European Universities
* The Roman Catholic Church
* Science and medical terms…
Latin is also the origin of the modern
“Romance languages” from Roman (not love)
Italian
French
Spanish
Portuguese
 Romanian
Many legal, medical, and scientific terms
used today have either Latin or Greek origins