Chapter 7 Section 2 The Roman Empire

lasting from 27 B.C. to A.D 180; “Roman peace” Pax Romana is the period of stability and prosperity in the Roman Empire, lasting from 27 B.C. to A.D 180; “Roman peace” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFbXqSoXznU http://www.ushistory.org/civ/6c.asp

A Province is a unit of an empire or a country; area of the Roman Empire ruled by a governor, who was supported by an army.

The Colosseum is a large amphitheater built in Rome around 70 A. D The Colosseum is a large amphitheater built in Rome around 70 A.D.; site of contests ad combats between people and animals.

An aqueduct is a structure that carries water over long distances.

Ruling an Empire Augustus came to power after Caesar’s death. Under the rule of Augustus, a period of stability and prosperity known as the Pax Romana, or “Roman Peace” began. The Pax Romana lasted for about 200 years. *People and goods traveled within the empire *Trade with Asia and Africa thrived

Augustus was an intelligent ruler. As he struggled to gain power, he often ignored the senate and its laws. However, once he gained control, he changed his ways. He showed great respect for the senate and avoided acting like a king. He was fearful of the same fate that Julius Caesar had endured.

GOVERNING CONQUERED PEOPLES Roman rulers treated conquered peoples wisely. They took some slaves after a conquest, but most slaves remained free. To rule these areas, they divided their empire into provinces. Each province, or an area of an empire, had a governor supported by an army. The Romans built a city in a new province to serve as its capital. Romans did not force their way of life on conquered peoples. *allowed to follow their own religion *local rulers were allowed to run the daily affairs of government *Roman governors did not interfere in conquered peoples’ lives, but they watched over them.

Rome wanted peaceful provinces in which conquered people would: *Supply the Empire with the raw materials it needed *Buy Roman goods *Pay taxes Many of the conquered people adopted Roman ways. * Many learned to speak Latin, the language of the Romans * Worshipped Roman gods

Over the next 82 years, good, bad, and terrible emperors ruled. Augustus died in A.D. 14 Over the next 82 years, good, bad, and terrible emperors ruled. Two of the worst emperors were Caligula and Nero. Caligula was a cruel, unfair ruler. Nero murdered his half-brother, his mother, and his wife, among others. Nero

The Five “Good Emperors” A.D. 96 Nerva Trajan Hadrian Antoninus Pius Marcus Aurelius Nerva Hadrius Trajan Antoninus Pius

Hadrian Ruled from A.D. 117 to 138 He issued a code of laws that made laws uniform throughout the empire. Reorganized the army so they could protect their own provinces which gave them a sense of ownership over their command. He also encouraged learning.

The last of the “good emperors” was Marcus Aurelius Marcus chose his son, Commodus, to follow him. Commodus was a cruel and brutal ruler. His reign ended the age of peace and prosperity known as the Pax Romana.

The Greek influence on Rome Romans visited Greece to study Greek art, architecture, and ideas about government. Greek religion influenced Roman religion. Romans were polytheistic and offered prayers and sacrifices to their gods and goddesses. Common character traits between gods from Greece and Rome.

Roman god of the sky, Jupiter was like Greek god Zeus Roman goddess of arts and trade, Minerva, was similar to Greek goddess Athena The Romans also adopted heroes from Greek mythology, like Haracles, who was known as Hercules to the Romans Hercules Haracles

The Romans built aqueducts to bring fresh water to the city The Romans built aqueducts to bring fresh water to the city. The water source had to be at an elevation higher than the city. Engineers developed a gradual, even slope that ran through mountains and bridged valleys. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8W96WaobOs

The Greeks and Romans both valued learning, but in different ways. Greeks were interested in ideas Greeks sought to learn the truth about the world through reason Romans were interested in the ideas of the Greeks in order to build things Romans developed outstanding architecture and engineering skills Romans took what they learned from the Greeks and developed their own style

Roman statues and buildings were heavier and stronger than the Greeks. By using arches, Romans were able to build larger structures Most buildings were covered with thin slabs of marble Concrete, a mixture of stone, sand, cement, and water, helped Romans construct buildings that were larger than any built before their time.

The Colosseum The site of contests and combats between people and animals. A giant arena that held 50,000 spectators The arena could be flooded for mock naval battles Stairways and ramps ran throughout the building There were elevators to carry wild animals from their dens below to the arena floor above https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOylD1KC6kc (about 9 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaSbYIeqGWg

Roads of Rome “All roads lead to Rome” is a saying that literally meant exactly what it said. The Roman road system covered a distance equal to twice the distance around Earth at the Equator.

The Laws of Rome Roman laws spread throughout the empire of Rome. The Roman emperor Cicero said that laws “cannot be bent by influence, or broken by power, or spoiled by money.” Later in Roman history, a ruler by the name of Justinian used Roman laws to create a famous code of justice called “Justinian’s Code.” Roman laws were passed down to other cultures, including our own.

Justinian’s Code of Rome Justinian wanted to preserve the laws of Rome. He had all of the laws written down in one place. Then he added new laws to make sure that everyone was protected by the laws. It was so well written that it became the basis of laws for many countries throughout the world today. The Justinian code consists of four books: (1) Codex Constitutionum, (2) Digesta, or Pandectae, (3) Institutiones, and (4) Novellae Constitutiones Post Codicem.