Roman Society And Culture Section 4

** The prosperous, stable, and relatively peaceful period from the beginning of Augustus's reign until the death of Marcus Aurelius THE PAX ROMANA (The Roman Peace) 27 B.C. to A.D. 180 Augustus (Octavian) Marcus Aurelius

A.Government 1.Emperor  made all policy decisions & appointed officials to run the provinces  the role of emperor entailed so many responsibilities and so much power that only a small number ruled well *”Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely”

 If a weak, selfish, or incompetent emperor reigned, effective government depended on the strength of other governmental officials.

2. The Provinces  Western Provinces were greatly influenced by Rome because of their proximity (nearness) to Rome Exs. Gaul and Spain

 Romans constructed many new cities in the provinces  Each was a smaller version of imperial Rome  All included a senate building, theatres, public baths, arena, religious temples, etc.

 Most cities had bridge-like structures called aqueducts that carried water to the city

6. Living Conditions in “The Eternal City”  Rich citizens usually had both a city home and a country villa or estate

 Some wealthy Romans ate and drank enormous quantities at banquets  The majority of Romans, however, ate 3 simple meals each day

 Many of the 1 million residents of Rome lived in crowded 3 or 4 story apartment buildings  Extreme differences separated the lives of the wealthy and the poor

7. Amusements  Romans enjoyed theater and performers such as mimes jugglers, dancers, acrobats, and clowns. *Romans also enjoyed savage and brutal sports…

 Many spectators watched chariot races in the Circus Maximus

 Wild beasts vs. wild beasts  Humans vs. animals  Criminals or slaves vs. beasts (or simply executed)  Combat between Gladiators was the most popular and brought the largest crowds > Thousands enjoyed “spectacles” or all day shows in the Colosseum

 Public entertainment became so important to the Romans that the government sponsored free “spectacles”  This distracted the lower class from their miserable living conditions, helping to prevent riots & rebellions “Romans are only interested in two things – bread and the circus” Juvenal (Roman Poet)

3. Law  Helped unify the empire.  In later years the Roman system of law became the foundation of laws for most European countries that had been part of the Roman Empire  Also influenced the Catholic church strongly (Canon or Church Law)

4. The Army Praetorian Guard  The small elite force stationed in Rome to protect the emperor was called the Praetorian Guard  Citizens who served for 20 years made up the legions stationed in fortified camps along the frontiers of the Empire  Soldiers from border tribes enlisted for 25 yrs. In return for the promise of Roman citizenship

 Thus a force of trained soldiers was established to help guard the frontiers  In some regions they built great lines of fortifications for protection

EXS.  In Britain, Hadrian’s Wall  A line of forts also ran between the Rhine and the Danube Rivers in the North

5. Trade and Transportation  During the Pax Romana the primary (or most common)occupation was agriculture *Farmers were called “Coloni”

 Transportation system included 50,000 miles of paved roads  Highways linked the provincial cities to Rome, thus the saying, “All roads lead to Rome”

8. Science, Engineering, and Architecture  A medical encyclopedia was written by a physician named Galen that influenced doctors for hundreds of years  Many people accepted the astronomical theories of Ptolemy  *Even though his “geocentric” theory of the solar system was wrong…

 Roman engineers surpassed all ancient peoples in their ability to construct: Roads, bridges, aqueducts, amphitheaters, and public buildings *Most important contribution - concrete

>Roman architects designed great public buildings *Examples include: temples, amphitheatres, baths, arches, etc.

9. Education  Early education took place in the home  Many towns and cities had elementary, secondary, and higher level schools >Greek tutors or teachers were often used *”Greece has conquered her rude conqueror”…

10. Literature  Famous Roman poets included: Horace - coined the phrase “carpe diem” (or “seize the day”) Virgil – wrote the Aeneid an epic poem about Rome’s creation Ovid – wrote Metamorphoses, a poem about the history of the world that influenced later medieval writers like Shakespeare and Chaucer *But also one that gets him in trouble with Augustus for being too sexy!

 Historians included: Livy & Tacitus (he wrote Annals, a history of Rome), and even…. Julius Caesar, who wrote about the Gallic Wars he fought (in his “Commentaries on the Gallic Wars”)

11. Language  Long after the end of the Roman Empire the Latin language continued to be used. Ex. *Medieval European Universities * The Roman Catholic Church * Science and medical terms…

Latin is also the origin of the modern “Romance languages” from Roman (not love) Italian French Spanish Portuguese Romanian

 Many legal, medical, and scientific terms used today have either Latin or Greek origins