Download Roman Achievements

ROMAN
ACHIEVEMENTS
Essential Question:
What were the important
contributions of Ancient Rome?
Warm-Up Question:
What are two similarities and
two differences between
Christianity and Judaism?
ROMAN ACHIEVEMENTS
The Romans developed innovations that are still used
today; what made them such influential innovators?
Definition of “INNOVATION”: something new or original
(such as an idea, an invention, a device, a method)
ROME: AN EMPIRE OF INNOVATION
Rome’s location on the
Mediterranean Sea allowed for
trade and cultural diffusion
(blending of cultures) with other
people and nations
ROME: AN EMPIRE OF INNOVATION
Through the cultural diffusion, the Romans were able to
borrow the best ideas from other civilizations (especially the
Greeks) and improve upon them
ROME: AN EMPIRE OF INNOVATION
The wealth of the Roman Empire, especially
during Pax Romana, enabled the Romans to
promote culture and invention
Roman Architecture
The Romans
were
tremendously
skilled
builders; they
improved
upon Greek
designs with
two new
architectural
features:
arches and
domes
Roman Architecture
ARCHES: these are curved structures over an opening that
can support its own weight; arches were used to create
enormous buildings like the Coliseum and the Pantheon
Roman Architecture
DOMES: they created vast open spaces and ceilings inside
buildings (like the Pantheon) and magnificent exteriors
Roman Architecture
The Romans built arenas (like the famous Coliseum in
the city of Rome) so thousands of people could attend
“circuses” (entertainments such as gladiator battles)
Roman Architecture
What are three
similarities
between the
Roman Coliseum
and the Georgia
Dome?
Roman Religion
At first, Romans were polytheistic and required
people they conquered to show respect for their gods
During the time of Pax Romana (Roman Peace),
Christianity began and spread along the roads and
trade routes of the Roman Empire
Roman Religion
Early Christians
were persecuted
for their beliefs;
some sacrificed
their lives rather
than change their
beliefs and were
honored as martyrs
Roman Religion
This changed
when Christianity
gained so much
popularity that
Roman emperors
made it the
Empire’s official
religion
Roman Religion
After it became a legal, official religion in
Rome, Christianity spread further and
gained even more converts
Today, Christianity has the most followers of
any religion in the world
Roman Law
Roman laws
were made
by the Senate
and then
publicly
posted for all
to see in
displays
called the
Twelve Tables
Roman Law
The Roman legal
system included a
criminal court system
(with lawyers and
juries) so people
accused of crimes
could defend
themselves; witnesses
could give testimony
to tell of what they
saw or heard
Roman law allowed anyone (including the poor and
slaves) to accuse others of crimes
Roman Government
In 509 BCE, the
Romans
overthrew the
last king and
set up a new
government
called a
republic, where
the people elect
their leaders
The Romans created this republican system so no one
person would gain too much power
Roman Government
They elected a
Senate, made up of
300 men, that
made laws; they
also elected two
consuls, men who
commanded the
army and ran the
day-to-day affairs
of Rome
Roman Government
The Romans’ republican government is very
similar to the American government today
Roman Government
Match each description of the U.S.
government to its equivalent in
the Roman Republic
American Government
1. Voters: The people elect their
government leaders
A. Consuls
2. President: Runs the
government and enforces the
laws passed by Congress
B. Senators
3. Senate: Lawmakers elected by the
people; only 2 senators per state, so its
a prestigious position
4. House of Representatives: Lawmakers
elected by the people; they serve 2
year terms, so it is not as prestigious as
the Senate
Roman Republic
C. Tribunes
D. Citizen Assemblies
Roman Engineering: Roads
The Romans built the largest and longest-lasting
network of roads in the Ancient World
At the height of the Empire, Roman roads stretched
for 56,000 miles and included 29 major highways
Roman Engineering: Roads
At first, the roads were built to move soldiers quickly,
but eventually the roads served many people for
many purposes, especially as trade routes
Roman Engineering: Aqueducts
One of the Romans’ greatest engineering feats was
channeling water to their cities throughout the Empire
Roman engineers built the aqueducts to move the cold,
clear water from springs to towns; sometimes they would
be up to 250 miles long
Roman Engineering: Aqueducts
Some Roman aqueducts are up and still in use today; one
in Spain is 95 feet above the ground and 2388 feet long
Roman Language
Roman conquest spread their language, Latin, through
much of Europe; over time, different regions in Europe
developed their own languages based in Latin
Languages
based in
Latin are
known as
the
Romance
languages
Roman Language
Words in the five major Romance languages often
sound alike: for example, the Latin word for liberty,
libertas, translates as liberta in Italian, liberte in
French, libertad in Spanish, liberdade in Portuguese,
and libertate in Romanian
See how many modern languages come from Latin; try to figure each of
the three words in the “Modern English” column
?
?
?
The Roman Calendar
The Romans
began using a
new solar
calendar that
borrowed
heavily from the
Egyptian
calendar and
was improved
by scholars from
Alexandria
The Roman Calendar
This new
calendar (called
the “Julian
Calendar” after
Julius Caesar)
had 365 days
and one extra
day every
fourth year
July was named
after Julius
because it
included his
birthday
The Roman Civil Service
Rome’s first
emperor,
Augustus,
created
several
systems to
help himself
rule the
enormous
Roman
Empire
Augustus set up a civil service with skilled and salaried
workers to take care of the running of the Empire
The Roman Civil Service
These bureaucrats helped oversee the Empire by
keeping track of such operations as grain production,
the roads, mail delivery, and tax collection
The Influence of the Greeks and Romans
The influence that the Greeks and later on
the Romans had on Western civilization
cannot be overstated
Many facets of modern American life can be
traced back to the innovations of the Greeks
and Romans: things like government, language,
religion, law, education, entertainment,
literature, art, mathematics, astronomy,
engineering, science, buildings, customs,
traditions, sports, philosophy and medicine all
can trace their roots back to Greece and Rome