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ANCIENT ROME
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(Tiered Learning; Student Choices; Technology & Hands-On Emphasis)
~TOP ‘100’ PLUS FACTS~
ANCIENT ROME: GENERAL INFORMATION
1.
Roman civilization has made important and lasting contributions to the
culture of our country and the entire world. Located in the middle of the
Mediterranean Sea, Rome conquered and dominated this area and gave it
lasting peace for almost 1000 years.
2.
In the process, Roman engineers made the first extensive use of paved roads,
the arch, and modern plumbing. They gave us a standard for public buildings, some of which still remain standing in the 20th century.
3.
Our legal and political systems can be traced to Roman times. They also
gave us a rich heritage of language. Latin is not a ‘dead language’: it lives
in modern law, medicine, and other occupational fields.
4.
In Roman legend, when the Greeks waged war against the city of Troy, the
Trojan hero, Aeneas sailed across the Mediterranean Sea to Italy and
founded Lavinium. His son Iulus went on to found the city of Alba Longa.
from Alba Longa’s royal family came the twins Romulus and Remus. After
the twins fight to the death, Romulus goes on to found the city of Rome in
753BC.
5.
Many famous quotes come from this time period in world history:
A) “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
B) “I came, I saw, I conquered.” (veni, vedi, veci)
C) “Et tu Brute!” (You too, Brutus!)
D) “Pax Romana” (Roman Peace)
E) “Carpe diem!” (Seize the day!) Horace the poet
F) “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
G) “All roads lead to Rome.”
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6.
Mt. Vesuvius, a volcano, erupted in AD79 and destroyed the cities of Pompeii
and Herculaneum.
7.
Pliny the Younger and Pliny the Elder wrote accurate historical accounts of
the Mt. Vesuvius eruption.
8.
There are FIVE major periods of Roman history:
A) Founding
B) Kingdom
C) Republic
D) Empire
E) Decline/Fall
9.
Rome started with a tribe of Latins who lived in Latium. On the Tiber River,
some members of the tribe founded a city which they named Rome after
Romulus, the legendary founder.
10.
A story, or myth, about two twin boys, Romulus and Remus, tells about the
beginnings of Rome. This legendary story showed that Romans valued
loyalty and justice.
11.
Rome first began as a kingdom with possibly having seven kings, but after
many years became a republic when the people became tired of being ruled
by kings and over threw the last one, King Tarquin II.
12.
The Etruscan civilization controlled most of Italy, including Rome by 600BC.
This is the time when the Etruscans took complete control of Rome and
ruled over them for almost 100 years until the Romans rebelled in 509BC.
by overthrowing the very cruel Etruscan king---Tarquin.
13.
An important difference between Greek and Roman attitudes was that the
Romans emphasized practical knowledge over the philosophy of the Greeks.
14.
Athens, Greece has been called the “cradle of democracy”. There, for a time,
all free, property-owning men could vote in a public assembly to make laws
for the city-state. Rome, by contrast, never was governed by such a ‘direct
democracy’. The Roman Republic was governed by a senate, consuls,
tribunes, and other elected officials. It was the representatives who made
the laws---not the general public.
15.
The Greek civilization greatly influenced the Romans. The Romans also
borrowed from the Greeks building methods and many of their gods,
goddesses and beliefs.
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16.
A wreath of honor was made from leaves of the laurel tree and worn by
emperors, victorious soldiers and athletes. The wreath was a badge of honor.
The Romans copied the idea from the Ancient Greeks.
17.
Latin, which had an alphabet of 22 letters, was inscribed on stone or wax
tablets, or written in ink on papyrus scrolls, pieces of wood, or thin animal
skins called velum---only educated Romans could read and write.
18.
Major Events Timeline of Ancient Rome
753BC
Rome founded by Romulus
509BC
Roman Republic is founded (King Tarquin is expelled)
450BC
Laws of the Twelve Tables are adopted
367BC
Plebeians are allowed to be consuls
146BC
Carthage is finally destroyed
44BC
Julius Caesar is assassinated
27BC
Octavian becomes first Roman Emperor
14AD
Reign of Augustus comes to an end
AD 30 (33) Death of Jesus
AD64
The Great Fire of Rome
AD79
Mt. Vesuvius erupts-Pompeii is destroyed
AD80
Colosseum completed
AD165-167 Plague spreads throughout Europe
AD284
Diocletian divides the Roman Empire into two parts
AD312
Constantine gains control of Roman Empire
AD313
Christianity made legal in Roman Empire: Edict of Milan
AD395
Eastern (Constantinople) and Western (Rome) Empires
AD410
Rome invaded and sacked by Germanic tribes (also in 453)
AD476
Western Empire (Rome) Falls
19.
The Roman Empire is most famous for its laws, buildings, and roads.
20.
The writer Seneca criticized gladiator sports. Virgil was also a writer and
tried to stir the people’s patriotic feelings through his writing of the Aeneid:
a long poem that tells the story of Rome’s origins. Martial was a Roman poet.
Cicero, Virgil, and Horace all wrote during the period known as the Golden
Age. Cicero was a major political leader and writer.
21.
Roman generals would enter the city after a successful war campaign in a
victory parade called a “triumphal entry”. They would have many captives
and the spoils of war accompany them. (An ‘arch if triumph’ was later
erected for one of the Roman emperors to pass through.)
22.
One of the most famous phrases in the Latin language is Veni, vidi, vici
(I came, I saw, I conquered). It was written by Roman military leader and
dictator, Julius Caesar. Caesar conquered Gaul (France) and many other
countries.
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23.
The emperor Constantine built a new capital for the Roman Empire in
Byzantium (Constantinople). This is present-day Istanbul, Turkey. He
did this because he thought it would be easier to defend and would be
well-located for trade to other lands. However, when the capital of Rome
was moved to Byzantium the power and importance of Rome declined
greatly.
THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE ITALIAN PENINSULA
24.
Rome is called the “city of seven hills” and is located at the center of a long,
narrow peninsula. The Tiber River runs through it. Rome could control the
best trade routes because of its location on the Tiber River.
25.
The mountains in northern Italy that proved to be a serious challenge to
Hannibal’s invasion of Rome were the Alps. The Alps are not as rugged as
the Apennines located on the eastern coast of Italy; The Apennines are lower
in elevation but much more rugged. These steep mountain ranges prevented
the early people of the Italian Peninsula to not trade very much with the
outsiders due to the difficulty of traveling over them.
26.
The seas that border Italy are as follows: on the east is the Adriatic; on the
west is the Tyrrhenian; towards the south is the Ionian; and to the south
west is the Mediterranean. These seas allowed many Romans to become
fishers and traders.
27.
Sicily is a large Italian island that is very mountainous. (It is being ‘kicked’
by the ‘boot’ of Italy. Another very large island is Sardinia. It is made up of
very steep, plateaus.
28.
The great Italian Peninsula is now the present-day country of Italy. The Po
River valley is very important to the growing of crops; especially, that of
grapes of which wine is made. The other important river in Italy is the Tiber
River that runs through Rome.
THE ROMAN REPUBLIC
29.
A form of government in which citizens elect leaders to rule in the name of
the people is called a ‘republic’. A form of government in which the people
rule and make the decisions is called a ‘democracy’. The United States of
America is known as a ‘democratic republic’---one in which the people elect
representatives to make laws for them but rule their own country without a
king.
30.
In 509 BC, the citizens of Rome overthrew their king, Tarquin II. He was the
last of the seven kings of Rome. The Romans did not want one-man-rule.
They wanted power in the hands of a group of representatives, a republic.
Their belief was, “Power corrupts---absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
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31.
The Romans created a republic in order to limit the powers of any king or
ruler. In time of emergency, Romans could appoint a dictator, who was
given the powers of a king but could only rule for 6 months.
32.
Julius Caesar became a dictator of the Roman world in 44BC. He was given
this office for a period of ten years but it was said that he would be the
“dictator for life”. (Caesar is a word that means ‘supreme ruler’.)
33.
Julius Caesar was stabbed to death by members of the Roman senate using
daggers. Even Caesar’s ‘friend’, Brutus, participated in the murder. (Et tu,
Brute?) Mark Antony and Octavian reportedly hunted down Caesar’s
murderers one-by-one until they were all killed. (It is said that Brutus
committed suicide after his army was defeated by Antony and Octavian’s
forces.)
34.
The Roman senate was disgusted with Julius Caesar for declaring himself
dictator for life. This was in conflict with the principles of the Republic. On
March 15th, 44BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated. (March 15th is called the
“Ides of March”---meaning the “middle of March”.) Julius Caesar’s death
marked the end of the Roman Republic according to many scholars.
35.
A long series of civil wars followed the assassination of Julius Caesar. Rome
was finally united under Julius Caesar’s grand nephew and adopted heir,
Octavian, who restored peace and stability to Rome.
36.
One of the most famous Roman dictators during the time of the Republic was
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus. He had a small farm on the bank of the Tiber
River where he spent most of his time. Once in 458BC and again in 439BC,
Cincinnatus was asked to take over Rome to defend it from enemy attack.
He served as dictator, defeating the attackers both times. Many people
wanted him to be their king; however, Cincinnatus refused. He preferred his
quiet home on the farm to high honors and wealth. Cincinnatus was loyal to
the Republic and would be known as “the man who would not be king”.
37.
In Ancient Rome, the plebs were the general body of Roman citizens and
were very distinct from the privileged class of the patricians. A member of
the plebs was known as a plebeian. Even today, the term “pleb” is used to
refer to someone in a lower class—especially used in fraternity pledging.
38.
The patricians were the wealthy Romans who ran the Senate and held most
of the positions of power. The members of the Senate were said to be true
descendants of Rome’s earliest settlers. Plebeians demanded reforms so they
would not be treated unfairly in law courts or in the making of new laws.
The position of tribune was created so the plebeians would have a
spokesperson with the power to veto, or reject, laws that were deemed unfair
to the plebeians. (Even though Rome was a ‘republic’ not all of its citizens
possessed equal rights.)
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39.
Another reform was the writing and posting of the “Twelve Tables”. These
were basic laws for Roman citizens that applied to everyone---patricians and
plebeians alike. According to the law, Romans were innocent until proven
guilty. In criminal cases, a jury trial was held. (These are two cornerstones
of the American justice system today.)
40.
During the time of the Republic, if the politicians failed to keep order and
peace, the army generals would take control of the Republic.
41.
Julius Caesar allowed conquered peoples to become Roman citizens which
caused some great tension among the Roman Senate.
42.
In Rome, two men called consuls ruled the government and held the power to
veto, or forbid, each other’s actions. They were elected every year by the
Roman assembly. The two consuls also led the armies and served as judges.
THE ROMAN EMPIRE
43.
About 400BC the Romans set out to conquer their Italian neighbors. By
272BC they controlled all of Italy---but they did not stop there! After
defeating their rivals in Carthage (Northwest Africa), they invaded lands all
around the Mediterranean Sea. In 31 BC they conquered the ancient
kingdom of Egypt. They invaded Britain in 55-54 BC. By AD 117, in
Emperor Trajan’s reign, the mighty Roman Empire stretched from the
modern-day countries of Scotland (Europe) to Egypt (N. Africa) and to Syria
and Iraq (Persia). The Roman Empire lasted for five centuries.
44.
The Romans gained control of northern and central Italy by defeating the
Etruscans, Gauls, and the Samnites.
45.
The conquered peoples of Rome were to supply raw materials and natural
resources, buy Roman goods, obey the Roman laws, and pay Roman taxes.
Most of the people conquered by Rome remained free.
46.
As Rome’s first emperor, Augustus Caesar, (Octavian) wanted to share
power with the Senate. He ruled with the consent of the Senate and avoided
acting like a king. The Senate gave him the name ‘Augustus’, which means
‘revered one’ or ‘respected’ in Latin. Because Romans hated the title of king,
Octavian called himself “princeps’ (the first). Augustus held all the power,
although he kept the custom of having consuls elected and continued the
senate.
47.
Octavian defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra’s armies at Actium in 31BC,
after which it is said that both Mark Antony and Cleopatra committed
suicide.
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48.
Augustus ruled for 41 years and began the period known as the ‘Pax
Romana’ (Roman Peace), which lasted more than 200 years. He restored law
and security, initiated reforms in government, and beautified cities. To help
strengthen the Roman government, Augustus passed laws to make more
people eligible for Roman citizenship. His reign brought peace and
prosperity to Rome but cost the people true liberty.
49.
Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt, was a Greek descendant from one of
Alexander the Great’s army generals—Ptolemy of Macedon. Cleopatra had
four children--one by Julius Caesar and three by Mark Antony. It is said
that she took her own life by allowing a very poisonous snake bite her, an
asp. Egypt then became part of the Roman Empire.
50.
The Roman Empire was divided into provinces with a governor and an army
to protect and manage it.
51.
Rome and Carthage fought in order to control the sea trade along the
Mediterranean. The result of the three Punic Wars was that Rome
conquered Carthage and took control of its lands along the Mediterranean
Sea. These were lands outside of the borders of Italy. (Latin for Punic was
punicus which means ‘Phoenicia’.)
52.
The Roman army consisted of young men from all over the empire. Recruits
had to be physically fit, tall, and strong—aged under 25. Roman citizens
became members of the Roman Legion (regular soldiers).
53.
Roman soldiers served for about 25 years. After that they retired. They
were given a lump sum of money, or a pension, and a certificate recording
their years of service. (Our military still does this today.)
54.
Regular army pay attracted Rome’s poorer citizens into the army. A ‘salt
allowance’ called a salarium, formed part of a soldier’s rations. The English
word salary, describing payment of wages, comes from this Latin word--salarium.
55.
Roman Centurions were senior army officers that were in charge of 100
soldiers. (We get the word ‘century’, meaning 100, from this example.)
56.
A Roman ‘legion’ consisted of about 5000 foot soldiers. The legion was
divided into nine groups, called cohorts. Each legion carried a silver eagle
into battle. If the eagle fell into enemy hands, the legion was disbanded.
Roman legions were able to move quickly from province to province because
of the good roads they had---paved roads.
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57.
The Romans invented an army formation called the testudo or “tortoise
formation”. Soldiers are grouped together and cover themselves with their
shields. They then advance in a half-crouching, half-walking movement.
Their “shell of shields” protect them against enemy missiles.
58.
Hannibal, a general from Carthage, a region in North Africa and a
Phoenician city-state, attacked Rome with an army of elephants in the 2nd
Punic War. In 218 BC, he led a large army, including 60 war-elephants,
through Spain and across the Alps to attack Rome. He would have probably
succeeded if not for a clever move by a Roman general to attack Hannibal’s
homeland. This caused Hannibal to retreat in order to protect Carthage
from attack. Hannibal lost a final battle with the Romans and chose to
commit suicide rather than be taken prisoner. He never truly realized his
‘revenge oath’ given to his dying father.
59.
Between 235AD and 284AD there had been some 20 to 25 successive
emperors of Rome---an average of a new emperor every two to three years.
All but two of these emperors were either murdered or killed in battle.
60.
The Roman emperor Hadrian had a wall built in the northern part of
present-day England. It was 75 miles long and called “Hadrian’s Wall”.
Roman soldiers patrolled the wall looking for Celtic raiders. The Celts wore
checked pants, or went into battle naked, after painting their bodies blue.
61.
The emperor Hadrian issued many laws protecting women, children, and
slaves. After invading Great Britain, he had a wall built between Great
Britain and Scotland---it became known as Hadrian’s Wall.
62.
The Roman emperor, Caligula, was the grand nephew of the Emperor
Tiberius. His real name was Gaius Caesar but was nicknamed “Caligula”,
which means “little boot”. He had his adopted son murdered for fear that he
would take his position of ruler away from him. He was a vicious tyrant and
probably insane---he proclaimed himself a god and even appointed his horse
as a Roman consul. On one occasion, when there weren't enough condemned
criminals to fight the tigers and lions in the arena, Caligula ordered some
spectators to be dragged from the benches into the arena. Caligula either
banished or murdered most of his own relatives. He was later assassinated
by Roman army officers.
63.
Domitian was a cruel ruler. He instituted a ‘reign of terror’ in his later
years. Jews and Christians were heavily persecuted during his reign for not
worshiping him as a god. And showing all the signs of someone drunk with
power, he preferred to be addressed as 'dominus et deus' ('master and god').
He had also developed a paranoid fear of being killed so he killed or had
executed several members of the senate. His wife had him stabbed to death.
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64.
Diocletian was the first to divide the Roman Empire into two parts. He also
very fiercely persecuted Christians.
65.
Trajan was the first non-Italian to become Emperor of Rome. He had an
aqueduct, theater, and the Forum of Trajan built. Also, Trajan’s Column
was erected which contained basilicas and libraries.
66.
Nero, fifth emperor of Rome, was known as a very cruel ruler, a tyrant. He
became emperor of Rome at the age of 17. He has been blamed for the Great
Fire that destroyed much of Rome in AD64. (He ‘fiddled while Rome
burned” was a famous saying.) Nero devised a plan to place the blame for the
burning of Rome on the Christians. Nero had his own mother killed for
criticizing him. He had his political rivals poisoned and had others put to
death during his reign. Nero was an early persecutor of Christians—devising
many horrific ways to put them to death (fed to wild dogs, crucified and
burned alive).
67.
Constantine the Great was the first Roman ruler to convert to Christianity.
He founded Constantinople which was formerly known as Byzantium. He
supposedly saw a vision from God which said, “In this sign you will be the
victor.” The sign was a cross. Constantine ended persecution of the
Christians and issued the Edit of Milan which declared that the Roman
Empire would be neutral towards religious worship. This removed all
obstacles to the practice of Christianity and even protected Christians from
further persecution. This time period has been called the Peace of the
Church.
68.
Spartacus was a slave who led a rebellion against Rome around 73BC which
lasted two years. He was victorious in several battles; however, the Roman
army was ultimately successful in putting down the rebellion. Spartacus was
believed to have been captured with several thousand of his men and
crucified on wooden crosses along the Apian Way for travelers to witness the
consequences of rebellion against Rome.
DAILY LIFE AMONG THE ROMANS
69.
The wealthy lived in city homes and country estates called villas. They also
owned most of the land. They were known for their parties and large
banquets.
70.
Men and women ate together at Roman banquets. Guests dressed in their
best clothing, but removed their shoes once inside the host’s house. Diners
reclined three to a couch and ate mostly with their fingers. They drank wine
mixed with water. Main courses would include flamingo with dates, roast
parrot, boiled ostrich, and dormice stuffed with pork and pine nuts. (YumYum!)
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71.
The poor were mostly unemployed and were supported by government
handouts. A majority of Roman citizens were poor.
72.
The slaves did most of the work on farms, in mines, and in the homes of the
wealthy. They had almost no rights and lived very hard lives.
73.
One of the most famous buildings used by the people in Rome was the
Coloseeum. It opened in AD80. The outside was decorated with statues and
it had a canvas awning which provided shade. Inside, gladiators fought each
other to the death while some 45,000 to 50,000 people watched. Many
emperors paid for bloody fights to gain popularity with the people. (The
Colosseum even had a vomitoria. This was an architectural feature---a
passage situated below or behind a tier of seats that would serve as an exit
through which the crowds would “spew out” at the end of a show.)
74.
Emperors longed to be popular with the people of Rome. One way to
accomplish this was to sponsor large gladiator fights and other games in the
Roman Coliseum. During the fights, a wounded gladiator could appeal for
mercy to the emperor, who watching the crowd, would give a thumbs up
(mercy) or thumbs down (kill him).
75.
The first recorded gladiator games were in 264BC at the funeral of a
nobleman. Publius Ostorius of Pompeii was the longest surviving gladiator.
He lasted for 51 fights before he was killed. The largest gladiator games ever
were held by the emperor Trajan at the Colosseum in AD107 which lasted
123 days. More than 10,000 gladiators and thousands of animals died during
these gladiator battles. At one time, women fought as gladiators. However,
this was banned in AD 200. Animals such as rhinoceros, hippos, elephants,
giraffes, lions, panthers, leopards, crocodiles, and ostriches were used for
‘blood sport”.
76.
Gladiators fought each other and wild animals and shouted, “We who are
about to die, salute you!” as they filed past the imperial stand. Victorious
gladiators were treated as stars and many times won their freedom. During
the opening games at the Coloseeum in Rome, 9000 animals died in 100 days.
This kind of slaughter wiped out lions in Mesopotamia and elephants in
North Africa.
77.
In Rome, arenas were known as circuses. The best known was the Circus
Maximus that was used for chariot races. It could hold up to 250,000 people
to watch chariot races at this ancient racetrack. The chariots would race
seven times around, counter-clockwise. There were four important chariot
teams---Reds, Blues, Whites, and Greens. Every team had a large group of
fans. Sometimes fights broke out between the different groups. First place
went to the winning chariot---either with or without a driver. They would
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cross the finish line in front of the emperor’s box. (Note: How is a ‘circus’
today like the ones in Rome? How is it different? Why do we call it a circus?)
78.
Roman baths were great places to relax and meet your friends. Most big
towns had a public bathhouse, with steam baths, hot and cold swimming
pools, sports facilities, and well trained slaves giving massages and beauty
treatments. (Romans would rub oil on to their skin, then scrape the oil and
the dirt off with metal scrapers BEFORE getting into the bath.) The Baths of
Caracalla sat upon 33 acres of land and could take as many as 1600 bathers a
day. The Baths of Diocletian were twice as large and could accommodate
3000 bathers a day.
79.
The remains of public toilets have been found in many parts of the empire.
People used sponges on sticks to clean themselves. They could rinse the
sponges in a channel of flowing water in front of them. Another channel of
water, located under the stone seats, carried away the waste.
80.
The Romans invented a large sewer system called Cloaca Maxima (great
sewer). There were many branches off from the main sewer that served
public toilets, bathhouses and other public buildings as well as private
residences in Rome of the wealthy. The Cloaca Maxima was well maintained
throughout the life of the Roman Empire.
ROMAN SOCIETY AND CULTURE
81.
Roman citizens were divided into two social classes---the plebeians (ordinary
citizens: farmers, craftworkers, merchants, soldiers) and the patricians
(wealthy landowners who lived in villas). The plebeians could not hold
public office but later were represented by tribunes.
82.
Women in Rome, if wealthy, had a great deal of status. Roman women were
expected to run the household, spin and weave clothing by hand. Women
were allowed to wear jewelry and use makeup. Roman women had little if
any schooling and very few legal rights.
83.
Ancient Romans were polytheistic—they believed in many gods or deities.
The Romans had ‘12’ main gods that they worshiped:
Jupiter (chief god/most powerful) Vesta (goddess of the hearth, home)
Venus (goddess of love/beauty)
Mars (god of war)
Juno (queen of gods/marriage)
Ceres (goddess of grain/harvest--cereal)
Minerva (goddess: crafts/wisdom) Diana (goddess of the hunt)
Neptune (god of the sea)
Vulcan (god of fire/volcanoes)
Mercury (god of trade/profit)
Apollo (god of light/sun/moon)
*A ‘vulcanologist’ in today’s society is someone that studies volcanoes.
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*The Apollo space mission by NASA in the 60’s-70’s was about landing on the
moon. It was achieved in 1969 with Apollo 11. (There were 6 successful
landings on the moon by the Apollo space crews.)
84.
Roman worshipers offered prayers, food, wine, and animal sacrifices to their
gods whom they believed controlled everything they did in daily life.
85.
Priests and priestesses guarded the temples and conducted religious
ceremonies.
86.
Romans also worshiped household gods. Most private homes had small
altars where the head of the family performed daily religious rituals which
included honoring dead relatives.
87.
The Romans had another goddess that has influenced us as well. She was
called Hygieia, the “goddess of health”. The word hygienic comes from her
name and is still used today to mean “free of germs”.
88.
The Romans worshiped another god called Janus. He was the god of ‘gates
and doors’ with two faces. One was looking backwards, the other was
looking forwards. He understood both the ‘past’ and the ‘future’. This early
Roman god of ‘exits’ and ‘entrances’ guarded doors, gateways, and arches.
The doors to his shrine in Rome were always open in times of war, but closed
during peace time. He watched over beginnings and endings. The first
month of the year, January, was named for him. I wonder why?
89.
Romans believed that natural events, like a volcano eruption or
thunderstorm, were messages from gods. They also believed that trees,
rocks, and streams had spirits in them.
90.
When the Romans would ‘mourn the dead’, people would play flutes as they
prepared the body for the funeral procession. The Romans believed that the
dead went to Hades, the Underworld, which lay beyond the ‘river of the
dead’. A coin was placed in the corpse’s mouth to pay the ferryman. Food
and drink for the journey were buried with the body. People chose to be
either buried or cremated.
A NEW RELIGION: CHRISTIANITY
91.
Judea (Judah), a Roman province, is known as the birthplace of Christianity.
Chi and Rho are the first two sounds of the word Christ or Christos in
Greek. (Christos is the Greek term for the anointed one which is ‘messiah” in
the Hebrew.)
92.
The religion of Jews (Judaism) and Christians (Christianity) posed a threat
to the Roman government because they called for the worship of ONLY one
God---God Jehovah! Judaism and Christianity were banned from practicing
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until AD391 when Christianity was declared the ‘official’ state religion of
Rome.
93.
Roman law punished those who refused to worship the Roman gods. The
thought was that harm would come to the empire.) Emperors were treated
and worshiped as gods. Anyone who refused to worship an emperor as god
was considered an enemy of Rome. This was part of the reason why the
Roman government persecuted the Christians---they were being disloyal to
the Roman government, its laws, and its customs.
94.
Many Christians had to meet in secret for fear of being put to death. One
such secret meeting place was the catacombs. Christians also used the
catacombs as a secret burial place for their Christian brothers and sisters.
95.
Roman authorities allowed the Jewish people to follow their own religious
leaders, laws, and teachers; but were often mistreated because of it.
96.
The religion of Christianity spread by Jesus’ disciples (a follower of Jesus)
carrying his teachings to the surrounding areas in the midst of persecution---even if it meant being put to death. Jesus first began with 12 men he called
‘apostles’.
97.
The Roman governor, Pilate, had to condemn Jesus to death because Jesus
had been accused of teaching that God was greater than the Roman emperor.
In addition to that, many people thought Jesus planned on establishing his
own government since he was called the “king” of the Jews.
98.
According to the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), Jesus was indeed
the Son of God because he did many miracles including rising from his own
death on the cross (crucifixion). The word gospel means “good news”. Jesus
is the ‘good news’. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the teachings of his birth,
life, death, and resurrection. Jesus is also called the ‘Good Shepherd’ because
he takes care of his people – the sheep. The birth of Jesus is the turning point
in our calendar.
99.
Jesus taught for approximately three years before his death. He taught the
people by using ‘parables’---stories with heavenly meanings. He also did
many miracles. In John’s Gospel, the writer says that “Jesus did many more
miracles that the pages of this book cannot hold.” These miracles were done
to prove he was the promised Messiah of the Jews and the savior of the
world---the true Son of God.
100.
Saul of Tarsus was a Roman citizen but also a Jew and was a very huge
persecutor of Christians. He many times had them bound and placed in
prison. However, Saul is converted to Christianity after seeing a vision of
Jesus on the road to Damascus and is now a Christian preacher named Paul-
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--The Apostle to the Gentiles. It is through Paul’s inspired New Testament
writings that Christianity is turned into an organized religion.
101.
Many Roman citizens began to admire the Christians because they were
being martyred by the Roman emperors and were facing death gallantly--refusing to deny their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. (A martyr is one who is
willing to die for a cause he or she believes in.)
102.
During the decline of Rome, the emperors blamed Christianity for a wide
variety of problems. The Emperor Nero blamed the Christians for the
burning of Rome which many scholars believe he did himself. As the Roman
Empire was getting weaker, Christianity was getting stronger.
103.
Constantine, according to legend, converted to Christianity because he saw a
vision of a cross on the sun when he was about to do battle. It said, “In this
sign you will be the victor.”
104.
The Edict of Milan in 313AD by the emperor Constantine gave Christians
the freedom to inherit and dispose of property, and to elect their own church
government. Constantine was baptized as a Christian shortly before he died
in AD 337. In 380AD, under Theodosius I, Christianity became the official
religion of the Roman Empire.
THE FALL OF ROME
105.
The good emperor, Marcus Aurelius (the last of the Five Good Emperors),
dies and Commodus, his son, becomes the emperor. Commodus was a cruel
ruler.
106.
There were many factors for the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. One
in particular was the barbarian invasions from the northern Germanic tribes.
Romans considered any people that lived beyond the borders of Rome that
spoke another language as being barbarian. Another main factor, was the
internal problems from within the empire itself. Economic problems
developed as a result of increased taxes. Increased taxes made trading less
profitable. There were many weak and corrupt government officials, as well
as disloyal soldiers who pledged allegiance to those who would pay the most
for their services—mercenaries. The Roman society became very immoral
and decadent with little respect for the family or even life itself. The old
Roman virtues of personal honesty, family pride, and civic duty gave way to
cheating, shirking of duty, and a general fall in overall morality---doing
what’s right because it’s the right thing to do. (WoW! Sounds a lot like our
country doesn’t it?)
107.
Commodus ordered many statues to be made showing him dressed as
Hercules. He thought of himself as a reincarnation of Hercules and often
appeared in the arena to fight a variety of wild animals. It was his custom to
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kill his ‘gladiator’ practice opponents which often were handicapped
individuals who had lost limbs and would not be a serious threat to him.
108.
The weak, corrupt rulers use their position of authority to enrich themselves
and pay off the solders. Foreign soldiers, many of them mercenaries, were
being used but they had no loyalty to the empire and were less likely to
defend it well. They only fought for money---rather than for the “glory of
Rome”!
109.
Sometime after Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire to
Byzantium, Rome was weakened and was susceptible to invasion from the
Germanic tribes from the north. Rome was invaded and looted twice in the
AD400’s.
110.
During the decline of Rome, the value of its money also declined in value.
The main reason for this was the government put less silver in each coin.
111.
King Alaric led the Visigoths into Rome in 410AD and became the 1st person
to conquer the city in 800 years. The sacking of Rome, marked the decline of
imperial power in the west. The Vandals later plundered Rome in 455AD.
The eastern Empire refused to help the Western Empire, which finally ended
in 476 AD when the last Western emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was
deposed and exiled by the barbarians.
THE HERITAGE OF THE ROMAN CULTURE
112.
Roman culture contributed many achievements to other societies. The
Roman court systems have provided models for our own society. The people
of the Roman Empire made great advances in the areas of law and
government which we still use today.
113.
The Romans were good engineers and proved it by building paved roads,
aqueducts, and stone bridges. Sewers carried running water to private
lavatories in wealthy homes and to public lavatories in the streets. In Rome,
the waste ran into the River Tiber.
114.
Imperial cities had fresh water supplies. At one time, 11 great aqueducts fed
Rome’s bathhouses, fountains, and public lavatories. Some of them were
linked with springs 30 miles away. The water flowed gently from a higher
level to a lower one. Arches, in one, two, or three tiers, supported the pipes
across steep valleys. Tunnels took them through hills.
115.
The Romans invented a heating system called the “hypocaust” (central
heating to us). They would have air heated by a wood-burning furnace
circulate through brick-lined pipes under the floor and have it travel to other
parts of the structure providing warmth to the occupants.
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116.
Via Appia—the first Roman road, built in 312BC, linked Rome to southern
Italy. This was one of hundreds of roads throughout the Roman Empire that
was of great benefit by tying the empire together. (“All roads lead to Rome!”)
117.
The Pantheon in Rome was a temple to all the gods. Its domed roof
represented the heavens; the circular opening stood for the sun. The Roman
people offered gifts to the gods at altars built inside. It was built between
AD118 and AD128. Its mosaic floor, interior columns and high dome still
remain exactly as they were built. It was built of brick and was covered in
stone and marble. Its huge dome, with a diameter of over 43 yards, was the
largest ever constructed until the 1900’s.
118.
The Romans were famous for their art as well. They decorated their homes
and other buildings with mosaics—pictures made from tiny pieces of stone or
tile set in clay. They also used frescoes to decorate their walls. A fresco was a
large mural made by painting on a building material, either clay or plaster,
while it is till wet. When the wall dries, the design became permanent.
Romans worked in stone, ivory and other materials to create statues and
relief figures called busts.
119.
All the languages of Western Europe are written using characters from the
Roman alphabet. The languages of Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian all
grew out of Latin.
120.
The Roman language of Latin still lives on in our society today:
LAW:
ex post facto (after the fact)
bona fide (authentic)
habeas corpus (a writ issued to bring a person before a judge)
status quo (existing condition)
pro bono (done for public good)
MEDICINE: orthodontics (ortho=straight; dontics=teeth)
dermatology (skin study); audiologist (hearing sounds)
OTHER:
121.
quid pro quo (equal exchange);
gratis (free); et cetera (and so on);
persona non grata (equally to each person)
In 46BC, Julius Caesar established the calendar that became accepted
throughout the Roman Empire---The Julian Calendar. It was devised by the
mathematician Sosigenes. In order to make it work, 67 days were added in
45BC. The new calendar gave the year 365 days, which were divided into 12
months. Seven months had 31 days, four had 30 days and one had 28 days,
as in the modern western calendar. An extra day was added every four
years.
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122.
Roman Calendar Months:
January:
Janus (2 faced god of beginnings and endings)
February:
Februarius (purification festival)
March:
Mars (god of war)
April:
Aprilis (to open—trees and flowers begin to open)
May:
Maius (Greek goddess Maia—fertility god)
June:
Juno (Roman goddess of women)
July:
Julius (named for Julius Caesar who was born in July)
August:
Augustus (name for this Roman emperor)
September:
septem (means seventh—September was the seventh month
of the Roman calendar until 153BC)
October:
octo (in Latin, octo means eight—October was the eighth
month until a monthless winter period was divided between
January and February)
November:
novem (in Latin, novem means nine—November was the ninth
month until a monthless winter period was divided between
January and February)
December:
decem (in Latin, decem means ten—December was the tenth
month until a monthless winter period was divided between
January and February)
“Know-It or Owe-It”
Use these FACTS in a variety of ways; use the information in the creation of your
‘hands-on’ products and your review game activities. Study some of them EACH
and EVERY day! (Study a set of ‘10’ every day!) You can do it! Just remember, if
I take the majority of the TEST questions from these facts, and you do not study
them very much at home, will you do really well on the TEST? Probably not!!!
Just remember this little saying:
“Don’t let it REST until your GOOD gets BETTER
and your BETTER becomes your BEST!”
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