Ancient Civilizations

THE ROMAN EMPIRE

 

primary source: original document

secondary source: interpretation of original document

Time Span

• 753 BC (before Christ) - 400 AD (Anno Domini - after Christ)
• strong for more than six centuries

753 BC: The founding of Rome

• 753 BC is commonly believed to be the founding of Rome by Romulus
• It is believed that Romulus and Remus, the descendents of Aenied were raised by a she-wolf

• This is often depicted in art as two babies being cared for by a wolf
• As the two brothers reached manhood, Romulus killed

Remus for power.

• Later, Romulus founded Rome
• During the early years of Rome, the city was ruled by the Etruscans, who originated from Etruria, a city in the North.

Area of the Roman Empire

• at its height it controlled most of Europe, the Mediterranean, some of Africa, Egypt and the Middle East
• conquered areas were organized into provinces

Society

• very complex society
• many laws and regulations: our laws are based in part on Roman law
• the few educated spoke and wrote Latin
• philosophy, drama and literature encouraged
• very organized cities with a forum in center
• in early Rome, governments had power: later emperors had immense power
• a few rich, many peasants and slaves
• women, non-Romans and slaves had on rights as Roman citizens

Society

• people who committed crimes were harshly punished
• criminals had a right to a trial by jury
• complex aquaducts to deliver water - some still in use
• people wore togas and sandals
• people in provinces provided "buffer zone" against invaders and paid taxes
• Roman legions incredibly powerful

Travel

• many people, especially poor, never travelled
• travel was on foot, horseback or horse-drawn carriage
• 50,000 miles of paved highway - some is still in use today
• could travel 60 miles/day
• Roman merchants and government officials sailed in ships
• sea travel was very dangerous due to storms, poor winds, starvation and sickness
• Ptolemy (90 - 168 AD) great mapmaker, drew very accurate maps of the way Europe and surrounding areas looked at the time
• Ptolemy's maps were forgotten as the Roman Empire declined and the Middle Ages had very distorted maps
• east was often put at the top of maps as Christians believed that paradise lay in east
• Jerusalem was put at the center of the maps

 

Trade

• ancient Roman coins have been found in India, Cambodia, China
• extensive trade with other areas
• merchants offered gold, textiles, glassware, wine and papyrus (for writing)
• bought or traded spices, gems, silk, cotton, and fabric dyes

 

Christianity

• Rome changed when Christianity began (around 1 AD)
• Christians, at first, were tortured and killed before

Religion

• based on many gods that interacted/interfered with humans at times
• some gods "borrowed" from previous Greek culture
• people discuss Roman gods today as "mythology"
• many stories in Roman religion

Culture

• much of the art and architecture "borrowed" from Greeks
• many statues, columns, arches in Roman times
• invented horseshoes
• Colosseum seated about 50,000 people

Fall of the Roman Empire

• Julius Caesar's adopted son, Augustus, ruled from 27 BC to 14 AD
• Augustus expanded the empire and possibly overexpanded
• Germanic people (barbarians like Goths) invaded
• Huns invaded from Asia
• internal political struggle as powerful men, backed by own armed men, tried to gain power
• money inflation

Solutions

• Diocletian emperor in 284 AD
• he split the empire into east and west to offset overexpansion
• increased Roman army to 500,000 men

Rise of the East

• Diocletian's successor, Constantine, moved eastern capital to Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople (this is Istanbul, Turkey, today)
• provided protection as had water on three sides and the Balkan mountains on the fourth
• eastern Rome (renamed the Byzantine Empire) lasted for another 1000 years
• western Rome fell to barbarian invaders
• 410 AD Rome was raided