2. Roman Accomplishments

3. ROMAN ACHIEVEMENTS The Romans developed innovations that are still used today; what made them such influential innovators? Definition of “INNOVATION”: something new or original (such as an idea, an invention, a device, a method)

4. ROME: AN EMPIRE OF INNOVATION Rome’s location on the Mediterranean Sea allowed for trade and cultural diffusion (blending of cultures) with other people and nations

5. ROME: AN EMPIRE OF INNOVATION Through the cultural diffusion, the Romans were able to borrow the best ideas from other civilizations (especially the Greeks) and improve upon them

6. ROME: AN EMPIRE OF INNOVATION The wealth of the Roman Empire, especially during Pax Romana, enabled the Romans to promote culture and invention

7. Roman Architecture The Romans were tremendously skilled builders; they improved upon Greek designs with two new architectural features: arches and domes

8. Colosseum One of the greatest feats of Roman engineering Colossus – gigantic Home of gladiator fights, to animal hunts

9. Pantheon A temple to all the Roman Gods

10. Roman Architecture ARCHES: these are curved structures over an opening that can support its own weight; arches were used to create enormous buildings like the Coliseum and the Pantheon

11. Roman Architecture DOMES: they created vast open spaces and ceilings inside buildings (like the Pantheon) and magnificent exteriors

12. Roman Architecture The Romans built arenas (like the famous Coliseum in the city of Rome) so thousands of people could attend “circuses” (entertainments such as gladiator battles)

13. Roman Law Roman laws were made by the Senate and then publicly posted for all to see in displays called the Twelve Tables

14. Roman Law The Roman legal system included a criminal court system (with lawyers and juries) so people accused of crimes could defend themselves; witnesses could give testimony to tell of what they saw or heard Roman law allowed anyone (including the poor and slaves) to accuse others of crimes

15. Roman Law Most lasting and widespread contribution Laws were fair and applied equally to all people. – All persons had the right to equal treatment under the law. – Innocent until proven guilty – The burden of proof lies with the accuser, not the accused. – A person should be punished for actions, not for thoughts. – Guilt must be established “clearer than daylight” through evidence. These laws became the basis for legal systems in Europe and Latin America

16. Roman Engineering: Roads The Romans built the largest and longest-lasting network of roads in the Ancient World At the height of the Empire, Roman roads stretched for 56,000 miles and included 29 major highways

17. Roman Engineering: Roads At first, the roads were built to move soldiers quickly, but eventually the roads served many people for many purposes, especially as trade routes

18. Roman Roads Constructed throughout the Roman Empire, over 52,000 miles Were effective in helping to move the army from place to place, and trade within the empire. Example of how people adapt to their environment.

19. Via Appia All roads lead to Rome! All roads lead to Rome!

20. Roman Engineering: Aqueducts One of the Romans’ greatest engineering feats was channeling water to their cities throughout the Empire Roman engineers built the aqueducts to move the cold, clear water from springs to towns; sometimes they would be up to 250 miles long

21. Roman Engineering: Aqueducts Some Roman aqueducts are up and still in use today; one in Spain is 95 feet above the ground and 2388 feet long

22. Roman Language Roman conquest spread their language, Latin, through much of Europe; over time, different regions in Europe developed their own languages based in Latin Languages based in Latin are known as the Romance languages

23. Roman Language See how many modern languages come from Latin; try to figure each of the three words in the “Modern English” column Words in the five major Romance languages often sound alike: for example, the Latin word for liberty, libertas, translates as liberta in Italian, liberte in French, libertad in Spanish, liberdade in Portuguese, and libertate in Romanian ??????

24. The Roman Calendar The Romans began using a new solar calendar that borrowed heavily from the Egyptian calendar and was improved by scholars from Alexandria

25. The Roman Calendar This new calendar (called the “Julian Calendar” after Julius Caesar) had 365 days and one extra day every fourth year July was named after Julius because it included his birthday

26. The Roman Civil Service Augustus set up a civil service with skilled and salaried workers to take care of the running of the Empire Rome’s first emperor, Augustus, created several systems to help himself rule the enormous Roman Empire

27. The Roman Civil Service These bureaucrats helped oversee the Empire by keeping track of such operations as grain production, the roads, mail delivery, and tax collection

28. The Influence of the Greeks and Romans The influence that the Greeks and later on the Romans had on Western civilization cannot be overstated Many facets of modern American life can be traced back to the innovations of the Greeks and Romans: things like government, language, religion, law, education, entertainment, literature, art, mathematics, astronomy, engineering, science, buildings, customs, traditions, sports, philosophy and medicine all can trace their roots back to Greece and Rome

30. Jefferson Memorial

31. Lincoln Memorial

32. The US Capitol Building

33. Statue of Justice US Supreme Court Building

34. Federal Court Building in NYC

35. Metropolitan Museum of Art

36. Statue of Liberty

37. Literature and History The Roman Empire was unified through language. Latin was adopted by many different people and became the basis for other languages, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and English. Poetry – Virgil wrote the Aeneid History – Livy – wrote The History of Rome from its foundation

38. Rome ’ s Accomplishments Science and Engineering Greek doctor Galen studied the body to improve health Great builders who used cement Built roads in layers like we do today Created lasting structure using arches, like in their aqueducts. Combined arches helped in the construction of vaults Architecture and Art Roman Architecture copied some older Greek designs and use of marble Engineering techniques like the vault. Roman artists were known for mosaics, paintings and statues Literature and Language  Virgil was an author who wrote the Aeneid, which was about the founding of Rome  Ovid wrote poems about Roman mythology  They wrote in Latin which later developed into the Romance languages.  Other Romance languages are Italian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Romanian.