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The Roman Empire
Coach Parrish
OMS
Chapter 8, Section 2
Ruling an Empire
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When Augustus came to power, Rome had
already began to expand its empire. Rome
controlled all of the lands surrounding the
Mediterranean Sea.
Rome referred to the Mediterranean Sea as mare
nostrum meaning “our sea.”
Roman Empire
Power of Augustus
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Augustus was an intelligent ruler who respected
the senate and avoided acting like a king. (He
tried to avoid the fate of his father.)
Because the Romans were enjoying wealth and
prosperity, they gave Augustus as much power
as he wanted.
Augustus Caesar
Statue in Vatican City, Rome
Governing Conquered Peoples
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The Romans took some conquered people as
slaves. To help govern, they divided the empire
into provinces. Province – area of an empire,
had a Roman governor supported by an army.
Rome kept its conquered people happy by
allowing them to continue their traditions and
cultures.
The Five “Good Emperors”
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Once Augustus died in 14 AD, the next 82 years
were spent with good, bad, and terrible
emperors.
Two of the worst were Caligula and Nero. Both
were perhaps insane. Caligula claimed himself a
god and treated the people unfairly. Nero
murdered his half-brother, his mother, and wife.
Eventually Nero took his own life.
The Five “Good Emperors”
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In 96 AD, Rome entered the age of the good
emperors. The greatest of the five good emperors
was Hadrian. His laws protected women, children,
and slaves. He issued a code of laws that applied to
everyone.
Hadrian also commissioned a wall to be built across
Brittania to keep out invaders from the north.
The last of the good emperors was Marcus
Aurelius.
Hadrian’s Wall Present Day
Marcus Aurelius
Hadrian’s Burial Place
Empire in Decline
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During the reign of Commodus (Aurelius’ son),
the empire began to decline. Bad government,
economic problems, and foreign invaders helped
contribute to the fall of the empire.
Greek Influence on Rome
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The Romans greatly admired Greek
achievements. Historians claim that Hadrian
spoke better Greek than Latin (The language of
Rome).
Greece primarily influenced Rome in two ways:
Religion
Building on Ideas
Religion
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Greek religion influenced Roman religion. The
Romans were polytheistic like the Greeks and
gave sacrifices and gifts to their many gods.
As the empire expanded, the Roman people
adopted gods from other regions as well.
Jupiter – Rome’s Zeus
Building on Ideas
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Like the Greeks, the Romans valued learning,
but in different ways. The Romans built their
empire using architecture and engineering they
learned from various Greek subjects.
The Roman Style
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Roman statues and buildings were heavier and
stronger in style that those of the Greeks. The
Romans made advances using the arch. Arch –
curved structure used as a support over an open
space.
Romans developed the use of concrete.
Concrete helped them build the world’s tallest
buildings of the day.
Arch Example
Colosseum
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The Romans’ most impressive structure was the
Colosseum. Colosseum – site of contests and
combats between people and between people
and animals.
The arena held between 50 – 70 thousand
people. The walls were so well built, the floor
could be flooded for mock naval battles.
Elevators also existed to help carry animals and
people to the surface.
Colosseum
Exterior View
Interior View
Roads and Aqueducts
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Roman engineers built roads from Rome to
every part of the empire. “All roads lead to
Rome.” The roads helped both people and the
army move quickly around the empire.
Rome was also famous for its aqueducts –
structures that carried water over long distances.
The aqueducts help supply water to the Roman
cities.
Roman Aqueducts