Download Chapter 9: Roman Civilization

Chapter 9: Roman Civilization
Mr. Flynn
Section 1: Life in Ancient Rome
Roman Culture
• The Romans admired and studied Greek statues , building,
and ideas
• They copied the Greeks in many ways, but changed what
they borrowed to suit their own needs
• Romans admired Greek art and architecture
• Greek statues were perfect, but Roman statues were more
realistic and included the imperfections
• They also used the much of Greek architecture, but added
arches and domes
• They were also the first to use concrete in their buildings.
Concrete made buildings sturdier and allowed them to
build taller
Roman Literature
• Roman writers based most of their writing on the writing of Greek
authors
• Virgil drew some of his ideas from Homer’s Odyssey, the Aenid
describes Aeneas’ travels and the “story of Rome”
• The poet Horace wrote satires-these works poked fun at human
weakness, he also composed odes- or poems that express strong
emotions about life
• Like the Greeks, the Romans had historians that recorded the
events of their civilization- Livy- wrote his “History of Rome” in 10
BC, Livy greatly admired early Romans and he believed people
should know their history
• The most lasting of the of the things from Roman culture may be
their language, Latin, which shaped the languages of many
civilizations, including our English words today
Daily Life in Rome
• By the time of Augustus, a million people lived in Rome and the city
was planned out carefully into roads that crossed at right angles
• At the center of Rome was the Forum, this served as a marketplace
and public square
• Wealthy Romans lived in large, comfortable houses
• The city of Rome was crowded, noisy, and dirty. Most people were
poor and lived in apartments made of stone and wood
• To keep the people happy, the Roman government “bread and
circuses” or free grain and entertainment
• The biggest attractions were chariot races and gladiator contests.
Gladiators fought animals or each other and admired like our sports
heroes today
Roman Science and Engineering
• The Romans also learned from Greek science.
• A Greek doctor named Galen brought many medical ideas
to Rome; including anatomy, the study of body structure
• Another important scientist of the Roman Empire was
Ptolemy. He studied the sky and mapped over 1000
different stars
• Roman engineers built an impressive system of roads and
bridges to connect the empire
• They also used advanced engineering to supply their cities
with freshwater. Engineers built aqueducts, or long troughs
supported by arches that brought water from the hills to
the cities
What was family life like?
• Family life was important to the Romans, their families were large,
they included not only parents and children, but also married
children and their families, other relatives, and enslaved servants
• The father was the head of the household. He was called
paterfamilias or “father of the family”- had complete control over
family members
• Wealthy families hired tutors to teach their younger children at
home, some older boys did go to schools where they learned
reading, writing, and rhetoric, or public speaking.
• Girls did not go to school, they learned reading and writing at
home, they also learned household duties
• Between ages 14 and 16 , a Roman boy celebrated becoming a
man. He would burn his toys as offerings to the household gods.
• He would put on a toga, join his family business, became a soldier
or begin a career in government
Women in Rome
• Roman women did not become adults until they were
married
• Women in early Rome had some rights, but they were
not full citizens
• The freedoms that a woman enjoyed depended on her
husband’s wealth and standing
• Wealthy women had a great deal of independence.
They could own land, run businesses, and sell property.
• Women with less money, had less freedom. They spent
most of their time working in their houses or helping
their husbands in family-run shops
How did Romans Treat Enslaved
People?
• Slavery was a part of Roman life from early
times
• Thousands of prisoners from conquered lands
were brought to Italy. Most spent their lives
performing clave labor. By 100BC, about 40
percent of the people in Italy were enslaved.