Imperial Rome: Bread & Circuses The Culture of Cities Wednesday, January 11/2006 SOSC 2730
Reading Mumford Chapter 8 (Rome) Chapter 9 (Medieval Europe)
Selected Civilizations
Other Engineering Achievements road network long-distance trade
Long-Distance Trade Pax Romanum (30 BCE-250) military control highways & sea lanes relatively safe from bandits & pirates
The First Triumvirate Gnaeus Pompeius (Pompey) Magnus Gaius Julius Caesar Marcus Licinius Crassus
The Second Triumvirate Marcus Antonius Gaius Octavius Thurinus Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (Marc Antony) (Augustus Caesar)
Long-Distance Trade trade flourished wealth creation spread of urbanization
Comparative Advantage economic specialization efficiencies spread of urbanization more urban places larger urban places trade nodes
Wealth Creation more trade ––> greater accumulation of wealth importance of agricultural surpluses more people able to undertake non-agricultural occupations artistic, religious, scholastic consumer goods (well-to-do)
Housing high densities lowest levels most desirable counter to the pattern we see in most cities today commercial operations along major roadways
The First Triumvirate Gnaeus Pompeius (Pompey) Magnus Gaius Julius Caesar Marcus Licinius Crassus
The First Triumvirate Gnaeus Pompeius (Pompey) Magnus Gaius Julius Caesar Marcus Licinius Crassus
Crassus
The House ground floor connected to water & sewer built around court yards (atrium & peristylium)
The House ground floor upper floor general purpose rooms, dining (triclinium), food preparation upper floor cubiculum small bedrooms (cubicles)
Social Stratification patricians 1,800 families middle class government officials, merchants, industrial employers proletariat tenement housing
Tenement Housing
Other Aspects of Roman Life the bath social gathering place private, public, imperial huge impact on urban landscape
Other Aspects of Roman Life gladiatorial games animals, humans executions criminals, ethnic/religious minorities brutality of Roman culture