World History Ch. 6 Section 3 Notes

Rome and Early Christianity Section 3

Preview

• Main Idea / Reading Focus

• Life in Imperial Rome

• Quick Facts: Roman Society

• Rome’s Cultural Legacy

Roman Society and Culture


Reading Focus

• What social and cultural factors influenced life in imperial Rome?

• What achievements shaped Rome’s cultural legacy to the modern world?

Main Idea

1. The Romans developed a complex society and pioneered cultural advances that, even today, affect life all over the world.

Roman Society and Culture


Images of Rome from movies and stories: Gladiators in combat, temples of marble, soldiers marching to war. What was life really like?

• Pax Romana provided prosperity for many

• Rich citizens

– Had both city, country homes

– Homes had conveniences like running water, baths

• Wealthy men spent much time in politics

Life for the Rich• Public officials not paid; only

wealthy could afford to hold office

• Roman politicians worked to perfect public-speaking skills

• Ties of marriage, friendship, family alliances as important as common interests for public officials, political groups

Public Life

Life in Imperial Rome


Life for the Poor

• Nearly 1 million Romans lived in crowded three- or four-story apartment buildings

• Fire a constant threat

– Torches used for light

– Charcoal used for cooking

• To keep poor from rebelling

– Free food, public entertainment offered

– Two things interested public—bread, circuses


Entertainments• Romans of all classes enjoyed circus, chariot races

• Held in Circus Maximus—racetrack could hold 250,000 spectators

• Also liked theater, mimes, jugglers, dancers, acrobats, clowns

Public Baths• Popular places for entertainment

• Romans well aware of importance of bathing, hygiene for health

• Many public baths had steam rooms, meeting rooms, and pools for socializing

2. Bloody Spectacles• Romans enjoyed spectacles in amphitheaters

• Wild animals battled each other and professional fighters

• Gladiator contests most popular, performed in Colosseum for 50,000 people

Public Entertainment


• Upper class Romans placed great value on education

• Parents taught children at home; wealthy families hired tutors or sent sons to exclusive schools to learn Latin, Greek, law, math, public speaking

• Romans adopted much from Greek mythology, also from Egyptians, others

• Each family worshipped local household gods, penates

• Many worshipped emperor

Education and Religion

• Head of family—paterfamilias, family father—oldest living male

• Had extensive powers over other members of family

• Within family structure, virtues of simplicity, religious devotion, obedience emphasized

• Adoption important in Roman society, a way to ensure family name would be carried on

• Women could do little without intervention of male guardian, more freedom in lower classes

Patriarchal Structure

Family


Signs and Augurs

Worshipping the gods

• Romans believed gods sent signs, warnings

– Came in form of natural phenomena

– Flight of birds, arrangement of entrails of sacrificial animals

• Paid respect to augurs

– Priests who specialized in interpreting signs

– Nothing important undertaken without first consulting augurs



Contrast

How was life different for rich and poor citizens in Rome?

Answer(s): Rich—often had two homes and spent time in politics, women's lives controlled by guardians; Poor—lived in crowded conditions, lower-class women had more freedom, often worked outside the home


3. Although the Western Roman Empire fell in 476, much of Roman culture continued to influence life for centuries. In fact, we can still see many of the legacies of the great empire today.

• Romans less interested in original scientific research than in collecting and organizing information

Science and Engineering • Physician, AD 100s

• Wrote volumes summarizing all medical knowledge of his day

• Greatest authority in medicine for centuries

Galen

• Ptolemy stated knowledge of others as single theory in astronomy

• Pliny the Elder wrote about Mount Vesuvius

Other Thinkers

Rome’s Cultural Legacy


Concrete• Romans developed concrete, with which they built amazing

structures that still stand today

• Roman bridges still span French, German, Spanish rivers

• Roads that connected Rome with provinces still survive today

• Added urban plan to every city they conquered; many still seen today

Practical Knowledge• Romans practical, tried to apply knowledge gained from science to

planning cities, building water, sewage systems, improving farming

• Roman engineers constructed roads, bridges, amphitheaters, public buildings, aqueducts to bring water to cities

• Without aqueducts, cities would not have grown as large


Locations

• Many examples still seen throughout southern Europe, northern Africa, Southwest Asia

• Dominant advances—round arch and the vault

Ruins

• Ruins of buildings inspired generations of architects

• Michelangelo, Thomas Jefferson, others

Advances

• Arch, vault allowed Romans to construct larger buildings than earlier societies

• Have been used for centuries, still seen in many countries

Beyond Latin

• Romance languages developed from Latin

• Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian

Architecture and Language


English

• English owes much vocabulary to Latin

• Examples: et cetera, veto, curriculum

Law

• Romans used system called civil law, based on written code

• Adopted by many countries in Europe after empire fell

Literature

• Technique of satire derived from Roman authors

• For centuries, writers have borrowed from authors like Virgil

Civil Law Systems

• Systems carried to Asian, African, American colonies

• Roman influence still seen in today’s legal system worldwide

Legacies


Summarize

What are some areas in which Rome’s influence is still seen?

Answer(s): science, engineering, architecture, language, literature, and law