The Roman Empire at its biggest!!! Ms E. Heron. So how did the Emperor control the Empire?? Roads: Provinces: Rome was divided into provinces (regions)

The Roman Empire at its biggest!!!

Ms E. Heron

So how did the Emperor control the Empire??

• Roads: Provinces: Rome was divided into provinces

(regions) ruled by governors. Each governor charged taxes to the Roman

citizens. this money built good communications (roads, sea crosings) in the Empire.

This meant Rome was connected to all provinces.

Ms E. Heron

See all the different provinces of Rome:

Ms E. Heron

• Army The Roman army was very powerful.

It was divided into legions (each had 5000 soldiers)

The whole Empire had 30 legions!!!

Auxilia were the backup army. These men were conquered armies and local tribes. They earned Roman citizenship after 25 years service.

Ms E. Heron

Roman Soldier: 16 years service

Must be Roman citizen

Very proud of their legion

Fought hard in battle and were an unbeaten army for centuries.

Ms E. Heron

Rome, the city

• Rome was a very busy city, the streets were crowded during day

• You got there by boat from the port of Ostia

Rome was so busy, that all forms of transport were only aloud enter at night!!

Ms E. Heron

The forum: This was a large market area: people shopped and traded here

Ms E. Heron

Via Sacra: “the holy road” •goes through centreof the forum.

•Army general led precession after winning a battle

•Behind his chariot were defeated soldiers to be sold as slaves

•Road led from Colosseum to the Forum

Ms E. Heron

Roman Entertainment!!•Fights between gladiators happened in Amphitheatres eg: The Colosseum.

•Gladiators were slaves who fought each other, or animals to entertain the crowd.

•Gladiators fought until one man was killed or badly injured.

•The emperor would give a signal to whether the looser lived or died.

•A lot of wealth in Rome.

•Entertainment was cheap, even plebeians enjoyed many luxuries.

•Government provided entertainment to keep people happy.

Ms E. Heron

A visit to the theatre:

Ms E. Heron

•Plays held in an open-air theatre

•Audience sat in a semi-circle on stone seats.

•The actors wore masks so the people furthest away could see them clearly.

•The audience got involved by clapping and hissing at the characters on stage.

Ms E. Heron

•Colosseum was often flooded to stage mock battles

•Games went on for weeks at a time

•Popular gladiators often had adoring fans eg: Spartacus

The Colosseum: Huge amphitheatre built for entertainment.

Ms E. Heron

It held 50, 000 peoplenetwork of tunnels underneath floor where gladiators and animals kept before the games

•Historians believe there was a huge awning that would be drawn across the top of the Colosseum to protect from sunlight.

Ms E. Heron

•Rich patricians had their names inscribed on their seats.

•This signified their high status in society.

•Plebeian citizens watched the games from stands further from the centre ring.

Can you tell me what this rich patrician

did for a living??

Ms E. Heron

Chariot Racing:•Held at the Circus Maximus.

•Huge race track, up to 250, 000 people could attend.

•Four teams races. Each had 4 horses they raced around the track 7 times (8KM)

•Crashes were common and drivers and horses were killed all the time.

Teams were called after their colour:The Greens, The blues, The reds, The whites

Ms E. Heron

Roman Baths:• Romans loved to bath = Public baths in every Roman

city, Romans went to the baths every day• Here people would meet for business & just to chat.• There were 3 in Pompeii and over 1000 in Rome

In large cities there were separate baths for men and women.

In smaller towns they had different times of day for men and women to use the baths

Ms E. Heron

•Men and women bathed separately

•There were many different rooms at the baths

Exercise Area

Swimming Pool

Caldarium

Frigidarium

TepidariumMs E. Heron

Water in the baths was heated by hot air produced underground by furnaces.

Lavatories

Visiting the baths:1) Romans didn’t use

soap. A slave would massage you with olive oil. The oil was later scraped off with a blunt knife like object, called a Strigil

2) You could do weights or wrestle in the exercise yard.

3) Go to the tepidarium (sauna) to chat with friends / do business.

4) Slaves serves snacks and drinks.

Ms E. Heron

A visit to the theatre:• Theatres were shaped in a semi-circles, the audience sat on

stone seats.• Greek & Roman tragedies were played out for the audience.• The actors wore mask so that people at the back of the

theatre could see them clearly.• The audience got involved in the play by clapping and hissing

at the characters on stage.

Roman theatre mask: women wore ahite & men wore brown masks.