Roman+Empire

=//__The Roman Empire Wiki by: Dillon Alexander and Hannah Cremer __//= = =

Culture, political systems, major historical figures, and geography are all important aspects of the Roman life. They helped shape our modern world. Roman culture was made up of many different parts. Their architecture as well as art, were very advanced. Areas of culture like education were effected by social classes. While culture was important, the Political systems greatly influenced the current world. All laws were fair to everyone, and social classes were the same through out the world for a long time. Just like now, Rome had many famous leaders who changed the Empire for the better. But not all famous people were known for their accomplishments. All this and more created the successful Roman Empire. =Geography:=

Location:
Rome was located in Southern Europe. (Pearson, 9) The Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea are the local seas, with Athens, Troy, Olympia, Sparta, Corinth, Thebes, and Knossos as the local and most known states. (9)

Natural Protection:
The Romans had many natural boundaries around them, established by the first emperor Augustus. In the North, the Romans had the Danube and Rhine Rivers, in the West the Atlantic Ocean and the Sahara Desert in the South. Some mountainous areas around Rome were the Alps and the Apennines.

Expansion of Rome:
Roman military campaigns expanded the government and made them one of the bigger trading ports in the world. They conquered many countries to create their large Empire. After they defeated the Greeks, Egyptians, Syrians, Jews, Africans, Germans, and the Celts, all of the countries gradually accepted being part of the Empire and becoming a Roman. Most of them, otherwise OFF WITH THEIR HEADS! ( Steele, 6) Many of one kind revolted but were quickly put down. Two famous leaders who expanded the Empire were Marcus Aurelius and Augustus. Augustus was Emperor before Aurelius and spread the empire into Egypt after Mark Antony got "married" to Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt. They didn't actually get married, they just fell in love and were considered married. (Pearson, 235) When Mark Antony died in battle, Augustus took over and expanded there, that's the only reason why they got it. (235) He also established countries of Rome West of Carthage, Northern Spain and North of Macedonia. Marcus Aurelius reigned after this and went into Britain, passing Augustus' boundary of the Danube River. (235) In later reigns, the Romans established sites across the sea to Ionia and Troy.

Trade:
The Romans went to different places to trade. Rome was also the main trade site for many countries since it was smack dab in the middle of everything else. As the Romans liked to boast, "All roads lead to Rome", meaning that it was the heart of the present-day Europe area. From Britain, the Romans traded hunting dogs, woolen cloaks, silver and lead. From Spain they received fish sauce, wine, olive oil and cloth. From Gaul they traded for different types of wine and pottery, and from Greece they received wine, marble and Murex shells. The Murex shells came to Greece from a group called the Phonecians. This made a murky purple dye the Romans used to color clothes.

=Culture:=

Food:
Some Roman crops are wheat, oats, rice, grapes, nuts, apples, cherries, peaches, pears, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, parsnips, radishes. (Corbishley, 13) Some animals the Romans ate include cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, pigeons, geese. (13) Some working Roman animals that the Romans did NOT eat were oxen, cows, horses, donkeys, mules, camels and dogs. (13) A very fancy food that was well liked by a large population of the Roman time was octopus. (13) These foods were all very important to the Romans and essential to their life and survival.

Entertainment:
There were many types of entertainment in Rome. By the 4th Century A.D., theaters were open 100 days a year. The Romans got their idea of plays from the Greeks but changed them in their own little way. Most plays were performed in an amphitheater or an odeon. Both were types of theaters where people could come and watch productions. Music was a very important part of stage performances. Here are some types of instruments listed below~ __**Cornu**-__ a hoop like horn used for plays, religious processions, funerals and ceremonies The Coliseum is one of the most known amphitheaters because of its size and performances there. it took over 40 years to build and is made of stone and travertine marble. It sat 45,000 people with standing room for 5,000 more. (10)
 * __Lituus__**- an instrument used for some sad plays, funeral processions and by the army for calls and other things
 * __Bucina__**- a trumpet used in plays and the army
 * __Cithara__**- a form of hyre, strings were plucked
 * __Hydraulis__**- a very large organ with air forced through the pipes by a water pump

Religion:
Religion was very practical and concerned with the here and now. Health, prosperity and security of the family, community, and the Empire were all important things. (Hinds, 11) Sacrifice was also an important part of religion. Offerings often included fruit, flowers, wheat cakes or crackers, milk, wine, honey, or burning incense. Besides these offerings, animals were chosen to be used in blood sacrifice. Blood sacrifices were always performed in public. (12) The Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace) and the Ara Maxima (Greatest Altar) were used for blood sacrifices. (26) After the sacrifice was made, a haruspex examined the animal's organs to determine if the gods accepted the offering. (16) Burials of the dead were regulated by the government. In earlier times the dead were cremated often along with pine cones and small branches to improve the smell. In the second century underground burial became more popular. The law said bodies had to be buried outside the walls of the cities. (45) This prevented the spread of disease. Cemeteries were typically along the side of a road. Poorer people were buried in simple plots closer together. The middle class had a tombstone while the wealthy built giant tombs. (65) Most people believed in the after life and the spirits of the dead lived in the Underworld. (55)

Roman Gods:
The Romans adopted most of the Greek Gods and gave them Roman names (441) Most Roman gods had an equal to the Greek Gods. They had different names. Important humans could be designated as Gods too. For example, a famous Emperor could be considered a God, once he died. (World Book, 441)
 * Jupiter-** Jupiter was the chief God and the protector of Rome. He was often symbolized by an eagle. He was equal to the Greek God Zeus.
 * Mars**- Mars was the field and crops protector and God of springtime. Ares is the Greek equal.
 * Neptune**- Neptune was the God of the sea. Poseidon is the Greek equal.
 * Apollo**- Apollo is the deity of the sun, music, healing and prophecy.
 * Juno-** Jupiter's wife Juno was connected to marriage and women. She played many roles. The Greek goddess, Hera, is equal to her.
 * Minerva-** Minerva is the Goddess of crafts and warfare. The Goddesses Athena and Minerva are equal.
 * Venus-** Venus is the Goddess of love and beauty, like the Greek Aphrodite.
 * Mercury-** Just like Hermes, Mercury is the messenger of the Gods. In addition, he was the God of abundance, trade, and success in business. (Hinds, 4-5)

Architecture:
The use of the arch, and concrete made extravagant Roman architecture possible. The Romans very intense idea of architecture, brought them to higher levels in their intellectual ability and inspired others around them to build greater things. Many of the towns in Rome had a great variety of architecture in different places in each city. A very clever piece of architecture was the street or 'via' in Latin. On the via, there would be little blocks of cement-like material that were parallel to each other in lines with three going from one side of the street to the other. The people would step on these rocks and use them as stepping stones over what was just to the sides of this on the ground. There are two reasons there are blocks on the streets. One, the distance of the axle between the two wheels of a carriage were usually the same dimension on all carriages and they would roll through the crevice so they picked up mud, animal waste, and other things would not fill the streets. The other is a little grosser reason. It is that when the Roman people went to the bathroom, they went in a small pot that they kept under their bed. After they went they would throw it out the window and yell something, warning everyone to move. It would be washed into the crevices of the road and washed down the road when it rained. If you could imagine that, Rome had many smelly cities. ( Steele, 43-44)

Also on the subject of water, the Romans had a very complex idea of bathing. They had a bathing house somewhere near the center of the city and it consisted of a science pushed idea of convection heating, a rotating heating cycle. The heater would heat up the water and it would go up the tube because heat rises. The cold water would then sink back to the bottom and heat up again. This cycle went on as long as the heater was on. (Pearson, 34) Many bath buildings were large and impressive open to the community. The walls were decorated with marble and the floors with mosaics. (9) There were three types of pools that the Romans installed into these bathhouses. These pools were called the frigidarium, tepidarium and caldarium. The frigidarium was a very cold pool with no heating at all. Most like an ice bath of athletes in the modern day. The tepidarium is the equivalent of a regular swimming pool temperature and was just for swimming laps or sitting. The caladarium was the extremely hot pool. This is equivalent of our hot tubs at the pool. An average temperature of one of these pools was 120 degrees F. Also included in these buildings were exercise rooms, that were used in the exact same purpose as today, changing rooms, and a sauna or highly heated room.

The Colosseum is an amazing building that took 10 years for the Romans to build. It was constructed under the rule for Emperor Vespasian. It was made of travertine, marble, concrete, and tufa, all different kinds of stone. In 80 A.D., the new killing ground was opened. The Colosseum sat 45,000 people, with additional room for 5,000 standing spectators. Everyday, there was a routine followed. Every morning was started with animal hunts. Then criminals were expelled at midday. Professional fighters, and gladiators fought in the afternoon to please the audience. These fights continued until one gladiator was killed. On rare occasion, there was excellent fighting and none of the gladiators would die. Then after a certain amount of time, the fight would be stopped. Gladiators were usually men, and sometimes women. (Marshall Cavendish Digital)

Education:
The level of education one received, was based on the social class they belonged to. The sons of wealthy families, usually received education past the age of 11. They were often taught by slaves their parents owned. Children were taught writing, math, and reading. Memorization was the method of learning and when the children made mistakes they were punished. (14) After they passed the age of 11, they started to study Latin, math, astronomy, music, and Greek grammar and literature. (World Book, 442) Latin was the main language in Rome, which made it a vital area to study. (Minnis, 16) There are 22 Latin letters that were always written in capitals. Most Romans wrote Latin on wax tablets. (17) Girls from wealthy families stopped going to school at age 12 so they could learn how run a household. (14) Girls were often married at a young age starting as early as 12 (53) so they began family life and had no further education. They were taught after this from their mother usually to look after household slaves and to treat them the correct way, making sure they were to do whatever was needed. Earlier in a young man's life, his father usually taught outdoor skills such as hunting, fishing, horse riding, swimming and fighting with weapons and armor. These were all considered the most important skills for a young boy to learn.

School Information Graph
 * ~ Primary School (Elementary School) ||~ Secondary School (Middle School) ||
 * < Started this school at seven years old ||< Started at this school at eleven years old ||
 * < A school master would use a made-up school in his/her house, makeshift shelter or rented room. ||< <Would do the same thing as a primary teacher when it came to finding a room to teach.

Read works of famous Greek and Roman writers, playwrights and poets ||
 * < Main Lessons: Arithmetic, Writing, Reading and other ||< Main Lessons: History, Math, Music, Geometry, Gym and Writing ||

Information for graph: Corbishley, 21

If a man was skilled in law, he might go to a high school and, college too if he keeps advancing. He usually starts a high school type career at around 16 years old. He might get a job in the senate if he advances still. To get to this point, he would probably have to travel to Athens or Asia Minor for proper tutoring on certain subjects. He is still a student, even though he is around 25 years old at this point.

Roman Art:
Exquisite sculptures, complex mosaics, and beautiful wall paintings, made up Roman art. The Romans had one type of art called a frescoe. This technique was usually used on walls and sometimes even floors if the homeowners felt like it. (Corbishley, 34) The paint was applied after the last skin dried. (34) There were about 3 layers of skin, it mattered what deeper color they wanted. (34) Favorite colors of the people on painting these frescoes were a red and yellow, white, green, black, blue and purple. The red and yellow was made from ochre, white from chalk, green from earth elements, black from soot or carbon, blue from a mixture of glass and copper, and last, but not least, purple, which is made from a special sea shell called Murex. (34) Another art type was a mosaic. We know that the Romans used mosaics because in Kenchreae, Greece, Roman wooden crates (they knew this because of the seal on the side) full of mosaic floors were found on board a ship which sunk in 375 A.D. (35) We can also predict that this was one of the major items that the Romans traded throughout their region. (35) Mosaics are made from little broken pieces of brick, pottery, stone or glass. (35) Imagine this. You need to fill 50 square feet of tesserae cubes in the floor. How many do you think it would take? 15 MILLION cubes. You would have to be very skilled in handiwork if you were to do that. As you probably know by now, Romans are very interested in style. One of the most common mosaics was a fishing mosaic. It didn't matter who was fishing, because it was usually to show what is caught. If it is an octupus, this may be saying that the family is rich or is wealthier in other things such as kindness or property. Portraits of the dead were usually put on tombstones, usually darker colors resembling sorrow or sadness. (35)

= Political Systems: =

Social Classes:
There were three social classes that the Roman citizens belonged to: Patricians, Plebians and Slaves. Patricians were the rich. They owned the bottom class, the slaves. Some very rich Emperors could have thousands of slaves working for them at one time. The Plebians, or middle class, worked up, if they could, to Patrician level in the Empire. They got to the point where they could perhaps persuade a senator member to speak for them in court because they were not allowed to themselves. This happened infrequently but it could happen. Plebians often ran shops, owned small businesses, or worked as a civil servant. The rich didn't work. Instead their slaves worked for them. Slaves were at the very bottom of the social classes. 80 percent of slaves worked on land, and the rest worked in the home. All produce grown on the owners land was sold in cities for profit. Slaves also had jobs such as teaching children, working in mines, building sites, and shops, and making goods in workshops. Often slaves were bought to fight for their master in public games. Occasionally, slaves would save up enough money to buy freedom from their owner. This was very costly and did not happen regularly. Labor saving machines were not invented during this time frame because of the high number of slaves in the Empire. (Marshall Cavendish Digital)

Government and Laws:
There were many types of positions in the orderly government, which was run by the emperor and senate. Emperors were in charge of almost everything, and held supreme court authority. They also appointed senators and nominated consuls. They also directed law making, and headed the army. Very little power was given to citizens. (World Book, 438) Roman laws are the basis of our modern laws. All Roman laws were basic and effective. The laws were based on common sense and fairness. As Rome continued to grow, laws became more complex. (World Book, 438) Laws were also natural and positive. Romans believed justice was the creature of positive laws. Cicero described justice as, "Natural, not the effect of our opinion". The precepts of these laws are: to live honestly, not injure another, and to give unto each one his due, which means to treat everyone fairly. Everyone in Rome, despite social classes, were considered equal. Everybody was innocent until proved guilty. When creating laws, something to keep in mind was laws had to be reasonable. They also had to be fair. These rules made good laws that lasted for over 200 years, and helped each emperor successfully rule the empire. (Greenblatt and Lemmo, 236)

== = Major Historical Figures: =

1st Emperor, Augustus:
The first emperor, Augustus, impacted the Empire in many positive ways. He was born in 63 B.C., the start of the almighty Empire. In 27 B.C. Augustus became the first Roman Emperor. (World Book, 446) He was a very intelligent politician who strengthened his authority in two ways. To start, each individual soldier swore allegiance to him. Also, he built an imperial house to be in charge of business related things. Everyone in the imperial household was chosen because of talent, not because of birth. (Greenblatt and Lemmo, 233) Augustus reestablished the government. (World Book, 446) His famous law, the //Pax Romana// was a set of laws that redefined the Roman government. This government he set up lasted for over 200 years. During his reign, he focused on governing the current empire, not expanding it. Each governor held a long term and received a high salary. During a governors term they gained experience. Everyone had a chance to participate in the government, including slaves. During his 41 year reign, Augustus beautified Rome, had a fire brigade and a police force set up, took a census from time to time, and built the first Roman Library. (Greenblatt and Lemmo, 234) Art, trade, and literature flourished during the Age of Augustus. In 14 A.D. he died and his stepson Tiberius took over the throne. Right before he died though, his famous last words were "I have become a god". With that, lightning strikes and a small raven reveals itself from where he once stood. It starts flying towards the heavens. Myth? We don't know for sure but you never know. With his amazing but unsure death, Augustus left strict instructions. He told Tiberius not to expand the Empire. Following Augustus was many cruel rulers. Tiberius was the last good Emperor in this time frame. This ended when Nerva succeeded Tiberius. (World Book, 447)

Claudius:
Claudius was born in Lyons, in 10 B.C. He was the uncle of the mad and cruel emperor Caligula. (Corishley, 35) Claudius lived a very reclusive life, until Caligula made him a senator in 37 A.D. He was very intelligent, despite having speech impairments. When Caligula was murdered in 41 A.D., Claudius became emperor. He was 50 years old, and this was unexpected. He continually feared assassination. To prevent this, he rushed to repair the damage done by Caligula. Claudius returned all land that was confiscated, and issued numerous pardons. 300 noblemen and 35 senators, were killed by him because he feared they were plotting against him. Two years later, with the help of General Aulus Plautius, Claudius invaded Rome. He is most famous for this invasion because it was an island that both Caesar and Caligula failed to conquer. This greatly boosted Claudius's popularity. During his reign, he also expanded the Empire by adding Mauretania and Thracia. Claudius treated the senate with respect, just like Augustus. He promoted public games, gaining popularity. He took on some building projects while emperor. A harbor, two roads, and two aqueducts were all built. Everything seemed to be going fine for Claudius. In 49 A.D., he was persuaded to marry Agrippina. All she focused on was making her stepson, Nero, Emperor. One night before dinner, she poisoned the mushrooms for Claudius, which he died from. In 54 A.D., his adopted son, Nero took the throne. Claudius was declared a god. (Marshall Cavendish Digital) == = =

Nero:
Nero was one of the worst Emperors Rome ever had. He reigned from 37 A.D.- 68 A.D. Nero was adopted by Claudius who had no children. After Claudius's death, he became the 5th emperor of Rome. He was very attractive and everyone in Rome thought he would be a great Emperor but Rome failed. Attractiveness doesn't always mean smart. He was the start of the Five Bad Emperors. Nero had a crazy mind, and did many bad things. For example, he poisoned his stepbrother because he thought he heard him murmur under his breath, "this guy is crazy!". Later, after dinner, his stepbrother collapses in his carriage dead, from wine poisoning. He held an infinite number of parties and had his own party island off the west coast of Greece. A couple months later, he murdered his old tutor, Seneca, and Lucan, a famous writer, saying that he heard Jupiter speak to him saying to kill them. He also made his own horse a senator. A senator! Crazy? Everyone in Rome thought so. Nero had to go! This was the thought going through many Roman minds. In 68 A.D., everyone revolted against Nero and he committed suicide, his secretary killing himself first and then Nero driving a dagger through his own throat. That was the end of Nero. (World Book)

Nerva, Trajan, and Hadrian:
Nerva, a respected lawmaker, was chosen by the senate to become Emperor. He created many social reforms and funds for orphans and poor children. He returned to Augustus policies. The senate was allowed to have the appearance of running the government. Every senator was treated with respect. In 97 A.D., Trajan was formally adopted as his son. Nerva did this to try and please the praetorian guards and the army. After Nerva's death in the winter on 98 A.D., Trajan became emperor. (Nardo, 45-46) At the age of 42, Trajan became Emperor after Nerva's death. He was born in Spain. This was the first time an Emperor was not born in the empire. Just like Nerva, he continued to increase funds for poor children and orphans. His economic administration was extremely sound. Trajan's most significant accomplishment was the expansion of the realm. He conquered many territories and Rome became the largest it ever had been. He was an aggressive conqueror and was a compassionate and fair ruler. He did allow Christians to worship even though he did not totally understand their religion. Also during his reign, Trajan launched the largest public building program since Augustan days. During his project, he erected aqueducts, harbors, canals, and many roads. When Trajan died, he chose his honest and intelligent son, Hadrian, to become ruler. (Nardo, 46-48)

Hadrian built two great lines of defense during his reign. Born in Spain in 76 A.D., this boy spent much of his childhood in the household of his father, Emperor Trajan. Hadrian served in the Army, and was governor of many different provinces. He became Emperor after succeeding his father Trajan. His greatest accomplishments as an emperor were the lines of defense he built. Hadrian's Wall in Britain, and The Limes in Germany, protected the empire. (Corbishley, 35) These walls of defense were made of stone. There were gates and guard towers along the walls. (41) Hadrian died in 138 A.D. and was succeeded by Constantine I. (35)

Constantine I:
In 272, Constantine was born in Naissus in Moesia, a province of Gaul. At the time, his father was king of Gaul and the Gaul army was fighting with the Romans their land. His father was slated to be the next king of Rome. When Constantine I became emperor in 306 A.D., following the death of his father. He was very successful with the army. By 324 A.D., all enemies of Rome, had been defeated. Some of these countries are Britain, Gaul, Germania and Hispania. The capital was moved to Byzantium in 330 B.C. The capital was renamed Constantinople, the city of Constantine, or "New Rome". All throughout the Empire, he was known as Constantine the Great. Unlike previous emperors, Constantine was the first Roman Emperor that let Christians worship freely. Shortly before his death in 337, Constantine was baptized as a Christian. (Corbishley, 35) Overall, he was credited with social and economic reforms that significantly influenced medieval society. His death ended the Roman Empire and begins other rule.

Overall, the Romans impacted modern day life in many different ways in their culture, political system, major historical figures and geography. The Romans effected our lives, shaping different parts of our culture and life. Latin, the main Roman language, was used in many other countries around the area. These countries made many of the Latin letters into their alphabet. Spanish, Romanian, French and Mongolian also took some of the language. In Greece, some people speak Latin even though it is a lot more complicated than English in grammatical terms, they like to carry on the culture. The Olympics was something that the Romans started in Greece. This is one of the most important events ever invented. It brings the world together as one and the competition is good for everyone. These were just some of the many contributions that the Romans made to modern day. In conclusion, the Roman Empire will be noted for the contributions they made to the modern world. = =

__SOURCES__ "Claudius." //Exploring Ancient Civilizations//. Marshall Cavendish Digital, 2010. Web. 22 May 2010. .

Corbishley, Mike. //The Romans?// New York, New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1991. Print. .....//The Roman World//. New York City: Warwick, 1986. Print.

Greenblatt, Miriam, and Lemmo, Peter S. //Human Heritage.// New York, Ohio, Illinois, California: Glencoe, 2004. Print.

Hinds, Kathryn. //LIfe in the Roman Empire: Religion//. New York: Benchmark Books Marshall Cavendish, 2005. Print.

Kerr, Daisy. //Ancient Romans.// Danbury, Connecticut: Worldwide, 1996. Print.

Minnis, Ivan. //You Are in Ancient Rome//. Chicago: Raintree, 2005. Print.

Nardo, Dan. //History of the World: The Roman Empire//. Farmington Hills: Thompson Gale, 2006. Print. ......//Life in Ancient Rome.// San Diego, California: Lucent Books, 1947. Print.

Pearson, Anne. //The Greeks?.// New York, New York: Peter Bedrick Books, 1992. Print.

"Rome, Ancient." //World Book Encyclopedia//. 2006 ed. Print.

Steele, Philip. //The Roman Empire.// New York, New York: Rosen Central, 2009. Print.