Download Rome through Documents

Rome through Documents
Document 1
Roman Law - The Twelve Tables
The following document dates from the early Roman Republic (c.
449 BCE). Covering both civil and criminal matters, it was inscribed
on large bronze plaques for all to see.
TABLE IV: PATRIA PROTESTAS: RIGHTS OF HEAD OF FAMILY
Ø Quickly kill ... a dreadfully deformed child.
Ø If a father thrice surrender a son for sale, the son shall be
free from the father.
TABLE XI: SUPPLEMENTARY LAWS
Ø Intermarriage shall not take place between plebeians and
patricians
Document 2
Jean Leon Gerome – Pollice Verso
Document 3
Spartacus: War of the Damned
Document 4
Funerary inscription which reads (in Latin):
"To the gods of the [afterworld] ,To Julia Chrestes Junius
Phoebion for his wife well deserving it he made it."
Document 5
Found on the wall of a 1st Century underground tomb
in Rome
Document 6
“Let them enjoy indeed the title of citizens.”
—Emperor Claudius
- as recorded by Tacitus, A.D. 48
Document 7
As we know from the myth of Romulus and Remus, the original
community of Rome was founded in 753 BCE. In the late 600’s BCE,
Romans were ruled by the Etruscans. The Etruscans were the people
who lived north of Rome in central Italy. These northern Italians
were highly skilled artisans who knew how to pave roads, drain
marshes, and construct sewers. They were also under the control of a
monarch. In 509 BCE wealthy Roman landowners overthrew the
Etruscan king and vowed never to be ruled by a monarch again. In
place of the monarchy, the Romans established a republic (a thing
of the people). A republic is a form of government in which voters
elect officials to run the state. In the Roman Republic, only adult
male citizens were entitled to vote and to take part in government.
Three important groups of citizens helped govern the republic: the
Senate, the magistrates, and the assemblies
- Textbook: Journey Across Time
Document 8
Charles Mullett concluded that “Classical authors are to be counted
among the ‘founding fathers.’ ... The heroes of Plutarch became the
heroes of the revolutionary American leaders. Not less than the
Washingtons and the Lees, the ancient heroes helped to found the
independent American commonwealth.”
Charles F. Mullet, “Classical Influences on the American Revolution,”
CJ (1939): 92.
Document 9
A Day in the Life of a Schoolboy
I awoke before dawn; I arose from my bed; I sat down and put on my socks and shoes. I requested water for
my face; I washed my hands first and then my face; I wiped them dry. I took off my sleeping clothes and put on
my tunic; I did up the belt. I greased down my hair and combed it. I put a scarf around my shoulders; on top of
that I put a white cloak, and over that a rain mantle. I left my bedroom with my pedagogue and nurse and
went to greet my father and mother; I greeted them both and kissed them. Then I left home.
I went to school. I entered and said, "Hello, teacher," and he kissed me and greeted me in return. My slave
who carries my books handed me my waxed tablets, my writing box, and my writing instruments. Sitting in my
place, I smoothed over the tablets. I printed the assigned sentence. When I had finished it, I showed it to the
teacher. He corrected it, wrote over my errors, and bid me to read it aloud. Having been bidden, I recited it to
another student. Immediately afterward a fellow student dictated to me. "And you," he said, "dictate to me." I
said, "First recite." And he dictated to me, "Didn't you see? I recited before you did" I said, "You're lying; you
didn't recite." "I'm not lying!" "Well, if you're telling the truth, I will dictate." In the midst of this quarrel, the
little boys, who were so bidden by the teacher, lined up in two groups for their elementary exercises; one of
the older boys gave one group of them syllables to spell. The other group recited word lists, in order, to the
assistant teacher; they print the words and then print lines of verse. I, who am in the advanced class, was
given a dictation exercise. When we sat down, I went through my word lists and notes on grammar and style.
Called up to the head teacher to read aloud, I listened to his comments on narration, speech construction, and
characterization. I was questioned about grammatical theory, and I gave my answers. "Do you say 'to whom'?"
"What are the parts of a speech?" I declined nouns and parsed sentences. When we had finished this, the
teacher dismissed us for lunch. After being dismissed, I came home. I changed clothes and ate some white
bread, olives, cheese, dried figs, and nuts. I drank cold water. After lunch I returned to school.
Source: Jo-Ann Shelton, As the Romans Did: A Sourcebook in Roman Social History (New York: Oxford
University Press, 1988), 113-114.
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Domenico Ghirlandaio – Crossing of the Rubicon
Document 15
This excerpt is from a textbook, The Course of Civilization by
Strayer, Gatzke & Harbison (1961)
The basic trouble was that very few inhabitants of
the empire believed that the old civilization was worth saving … the
overwhelming majority of the population had been systematically
excluded from political responsibilities. They could not organize
to protect themselves; they could not serve in the army . . . Their
economic plight was hopeless. Most of them were serfs
bound to the soil, and the small urban groups saw their cities
slipping into uninterrupted decline.
Document 16
Excerpt from The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by
Edward Gibbon.
The decline of Rome was the natural and inevitable effect of
immoderate greatness (large size)…The introduction … of
Christianity, had some influence on the decline and fall of
the Roman Empire.
The clergy successfully preached the doctrine of
patience; the active virtues of
society were discouraged; and the last remains of military
spirit were buried in the cloister; a large portion of
public & private wealth was consecrated to the …demands of
charity and devotion …
Document 17
This excerpt is from Uses of the Past by Herbert J. Muller.
First the economic factor …While the empire was expanding,
its prosperity was fed by plundered wealth and by new markets in
the semibarbaric provinces. When the empire ceased to expand,
however, economic progress soon ceased…. The abundance of
slaves led to growth of the latifundia, the great estates
that … came to dominate agriculture and ruin the free coloni
(farmers) who drifted to the cities,
to add to the unemployment there. The abundance of slaves
kept wages low.
Document 18
This excerpt, from The New deal in Old Rome by Henry Haskell, blames
the decline on the heavy taxation required to support the government expenses.
…Part of the money went into … the maintenance of the army and of
the vast bureaucracy required by
a centralized government…the expense led to strangling taxation… The heart was
taken out of enterprising men…tenants
fled from their farms and businessmen and workmen from their occupations.
Private enterprise was crushed & the state was forced to take over many kinds of
businesses to keep the machine running. People learned to expect something for
nothing. The old Roman virtues of selfreliance & initiative were lost in that part of
the population on relief (welfare)…The central government undertook such farreaching responsibility in affairs that the
fiber of the citizens weakened.
Document 19
This excerpt, from Romans without Laurels by
Indro Montanelli, blames
the fall on “internal decay,” specifically that of
the military. Rome, like all great empires, was
not overthrown by external enemies
but undermined by internal decay. . . .The military
crisis was the result of
…proud old aristocracy’s…shortage of children.
(Consequently) foreigners poured into the…Roman
army [was] composed entirely of Germans
Document 20
from Mapmaster 2006
Document 21
Bible – New International Version
Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor
any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in
all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God
that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Document 22
Palma Vecchio – Doubting Thomas