Rome Review Rome Review 44

Christopher J. PagliaroSeymour High School

CPagliaro@SeymourSchools.orgCopyright 2007

Table of Contents

• Roman Social Structure• Life in Roman Cities• Religion• Empire in Decline• Fall of Rome

Roman Social Structure• Social Classes

– Patricians• Owned large landed

estatesLatifundia

– Plebeians• Split into 2 classes

– Businessmen & Government bureaucrats

– Small farmers

– Slaves• Worked in mines, on latifundia, as

servants, clerics, sometimes gladiators

– Revolts commonNONE succeeded

» Spartacus

Family Life

• Paterfamilias: Families run by fathers– Strong families were a major

Roman value

• Children:– Schooled at home

• Girls learn household skills– Married by 14

• Rich boys sent to schools

• Women– Couldn’t vote– Could inherit property– Ran household

Review Question

• How were the family and society organized?

Life in Roman Cities

• Rome: interactive map

– Crowded: >1 million residents

• Multicultural city

– Poor: lived in center of city• Insulae: crowded, cheap,

dangerous– Free grain

Technology: Structures of City Life

• Sewers• Hot & Cold Plumbing• Aqueducts 1 2 3

– Both above and below ground

• Public Baths– Used by all classes to bathe

and socialize• Video (Requires QuickTime)

Seeing the Sites

• Colosseum• Forum

– Interactive map• Arches• Domes• Pantheon• Roman Roads

– Appian Way– Mile Markers: Told distance to

Forum• SPQR: seen on public buildings

– Signature of the Government

Sports in the Empire• Government provided free entertainment

– Distractions?• Gladiators

– Colosseum• Boxing/Professional Wrestling?

– In pop-culture (links require access to You Tube and Google Video)

• Gladiator: 1 2 3 4 5• Spartacus: 1 2 3• Pepsi commercials

• Chariot Races– Circus Maximus– Hippodrome

• NASCAR?– In pop-culture (links require access to You Tube

and Google Video)• Ben Hur (race begins at 6 min. mark)• Star Wars: Phantom Menace (Pod Race)

Review Questions

• What was life like in Roman cities?

• How did the Roman government try to solve the problems of city life?

Religion

• Traditional:– Etruscan rituals– Greek gods

• List

• Religion & Public life– Linked to government– Emperors=high priest

• Pontifex Maximus

– Priests=government officials

Exceptions

• Hebrews in Roman province of Judea

• Early Christians

Christianity

• Based on teachings of Jesus– Parables/Gospels

• The faith– Monotheistic– Based on Jewish belief in

Messiah• Jesus viewed as a Messiah

– Simple message• Love your neighbor as thy self

– Belief in resurrection

Spreading the Message

• Peter• Saul/Paul

– Delivering the message to Jews and Gentiles

Rome & Christianity

• First viewed as sect of Judaism• Hostility toward Jews &

Christians began because both challenged Roman authority– Nero’s Persecution– Martyrs

• picture– Accompanying audio

• video

Roman Acceptance

• Constantine– Cross as a sign– Edict of Milan-313

• Legalized Christianity– Didn’t convert until death

– Council of Nicaea– Built churches, established

landmarks of important Christian Events

• Theodosius the Great– Made Christianity Rome’s official

religion

Nero punished a race of men who were hated for their evil practices. These men were called Christians. He got a number of people to confess (to the fire). On their evidence a number of Christians were convicted and put to death with dreadful cruelty. Some were covered with the skins of wild beasts and left to be eaten by dogs. Others were nailed to the cross. Many were burned alive and set on fire to serve as torches at night."

Tacitus

Empire in Decline

• Economy:– Food shortages

• Destruction of farmland• Slaves…no new technology

– No increase in production

• No crop rotation

– People didn’t pay taxes• Limited services

Military

• Constant war– Hiring mercenaries

• Decreased loyalty within army• Weaker defenses

– Christianity• Values didn’t match with

traditional Roman values of patriotism and strength necessary for army

Social/Political issues

• Empire was too big– Split: Diocletian

• Greed– Corrupt officials

• Citizenship not as valued• No sense of duty to empire

• Education– High Costs

• Lead poisoning?

Speedy Recap

• The Roman Empire declined because of a combination of economic, military, and social reasons

• Diocletian reorganized the empire to increase efficiency in the government

• Constantine reunified the emperor, and built a new capital

Review Question

• What problems weakened the Roman empire?

Why it matters?• The mistakes made by Roman emperors remind

us that to retain power and control, rulers must deal with many diverse problems.

Fall of Rome

• Wealthy East– Constantinople was a center

of trade• Natural and man-made

defenses

• Weak West– Rome cut off from trade

routes– Northern border exposed

Invading Peoples

• Germanic migration– Influenced by Huns’ invasion

• Stronger Huns drove warrior bands into Roman territory

– Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals

• Huns influenced both Roman and Chinese empires

The true fall of Rome

• Invaders gained ground– Corrupt government,

uncaring citizens, and social unrest

• see previous sections on the rise of Christianity, and decline of Rome

– Germanic invasions– Attila’s attacks

Aftermath of the Fall of Rome

• Western Roman Empire fell in 476 AD– Romulus Augustulus

• Western Europe changed– Roads/public structures fell into

disrepair– Trade declined– Germanic kingdoms claimed Roman

territory– Roman Catholic Church was the only

unifying, powerful force• Constantinople and the Eastern

Roman Empire (Byzantine) lasted another 1000 years

Why it matters now…Why it matters now…

• The decline and fall of empires is a repeating pattern of world history. Even large empires eventually break into small pieces.