Ancient Rome

1st Yrs

What was the Roman empire?

• An empire = 1 country controls other lands

• Existed between 500 BC and 500 AD

• Lasted almost 1000 years!

• Rome = most important city in Europe

• Controlled most of Europe and some of Africa

Sources of our knowledge

• Ruins of Roman buildings – Colosseum, Arch of Titus, Pantheon

• Old statues and frescoes

• Roman writers, even graffiti

• Roman artefacts – money, pottery, jewelry

Pompeii

• Good source of information about life in Ancient Rome

• 79 AD volcano – Mount Vesuvius

• Everything preserved

• Archaeologists have studied it

Rome – the city

• Population – 1 million – centre of empire

• Appian Way – Road to Rome

• Tombstones on the way

• No burials inside city walls – why?

• Arches around the city – commemorated

Rome – city (2)

• Main street – Via Sacra – The Holy Road• Went through the centre• Used for parades after war victories• No carriages allowed during the day• Pedestrianised• Streets lined with houses• Rubbish thrown on street• Stepping stones• Public toilets

The forum

• Most famous place in the city

• Main market held there

• Shops, businesses, social chats

• The Senate, the government, beside the forum

Rome – the city (3)• Many famous

buildings• Circus Maximus –

race course• Colosseum – biggest

amphitheatre• Public baths• Aquaducts – water

bridges

Citizens

• Two types of citizens:

• Patricians

• And plebians

• Women and slaves not citizens

Citizens

• 1. Patricians –         Rich Landowners         Didn’t do much work – easy life         Served as Senators or Generals•  • 2. Plebians –         Poor citizens         Shopkeepers, bakers, craftsmen, soldiers         Hard life         Unemployed got grain – called ‘dole’

Slaves

        Not citizens – non person         Treated like cattle – bought and sold         1/3 of the population         Criminals or prisoners of war         Treated harshly         Worked in farms of mines         Well-educated slaves were teachers or doctors

        Some were gladiators

Slaves (2)

        Flogged if tried to escape         Regularly beaten         Spartacus – slaves revolt         Defeated         6000 slaves massacred as warning         Some slaves could earn freedom         Gladiators or chariot racers         Become a freedman• Service called ‘manumission’

Food - plebians

• Very basic

• Mainly porridge

• Bread with olives, water or wine

• Evening meal – cena

• Vegetable stew or bean stew

• Garum – fish sauce covered up smell

Food – patricians

• Feasts – reclined on couches

• 3 courses

• Vomitorium

• Variety of dishes – fish, meats, fruit

• Delicacies – stuffed dormice, fried snails

• Ate with fingers

Dress - men

• Tunics – long white t-shirts

• Tied at waist

• Cotton in summer, wool in winter

• Togas over tunics – long white sheet

• Wore leather sandals

Dress - women

• Unmarried girls – long belted tunics

• Married at 12

• Wore long dress called stola

• Shawl – palla – over head

• Avoided tans!!

• Jewelry – necklaces and makeup

• Red hair – extensions popular

Houses - plebians

• High rise flats called insulae

• Wood – fires common

• Small – whole families in 1-2 rooms

• Didn’t cook there

• 1st Take-aways! – Thermopolae

• Higher up – cheaper

• Water only pumped to bottom floor

Houses – patricians

• Villas on hills outside capital

• ‘Domus’ in the town

• Many rooms

• Sometimes front rooms used as shops

Villas

• Atrium – main hall – columns and statues

• Shallow pool – impluvium – in it

• Walled garden and patio – peristylum

• Mosaics on floors of rooms

• Frescoes on walls

Women in Roman empire

• Not citizens• Men dominated society• Had to obey men – often beaten• Girls valued less than boys• Newly born girls sometimes left to die• Basic education at Ludus (Primary)• Didn’t go to grammaticus (secondary) school• Boys did

Women in Roman Empire (2)

• Girls stayed at home

• Learned skills of housework – spin, sew

• Could marry from 12 years

• Men were older

• Had a lot of children

• Average age of plebian – 30 years old

Boys

• Often taught by slaves in school

• Reading, writing, arithmetic

• Learned about Greek and Latin culture

• Practiced oratory

• Wrote on boards covered in wax

Religion • Pagans – believed in many gods• Each one controlled a different thing• Mars – god of war• Venus – goddess of love• Temples built to honour gods• The Pantheon• Lares – Household gold• Shrine in each house• Thought these gods looked over them• Spilled wine as offering before meal

Christianity

• At first Christians were persecuted

• Slaves – Colosseum – fought with lions

• Christians buried dead in catacombs

• Emperor Constantine made Christianity official religion

Death

• Believed in life after death• Hades – underworld• Coin on eyes for Charon• Funerals – noisy – professional wailers• Mourners, torch carriers, musicians• Speech praising him in Forum• Body brought outside wall – stone coffin or

cremated

How Rome was ruled

• At first, a republic

• Citizens had a say

• Voted for politicians in the senate

• Senate ruled the republic

• Women and slaves had no vote

Empire

• But the republic democracy ended

• Replaced by an Empire

• One person ruled the whole empire

• Called an Emperor e.g. Emperor Augustus, Emperor Nero

Controlling an Empire

• Huge armies travelled to different province

• The empire divided into provinces

• Built roads everywhere

• Roman army – very powerful

• Controlled the empire

Army

• Divided into 30 legions• Controlled different parts of the empire• Soldiers in groups of 100 – century – under the

command of a centurion• Soldiers were Roman citizens• Good pay• Could also sell captured slaves• Got conquered land when retired

Roman soldiers• 25 years in army

• Excellent discipline and training

• When not fighting…

• ..building roads and aqueducts

• Flogged if disobeying

• Mutiny – legion would be decimated

Roman soldier• Javelin• Short sword• Shield – with

emblem of the legion• Strong and flexible

body armour• Metal helmet• Marching sandal –

metal studs on soles

Pastimes - Gladiators• In Colosseum –

50,000 people

• Slaves fought each other in armour

• Swords of net and spears and tridents

• Sometimes fought animals

Gladiator contests

• Fight lasted until one died or wounded

• Crowd cheered

• Emperor decided his fate

• Thumb up or down

• Successful gladiators could earn their freedom

Pastimes – chariot racing• Circus Maximus –

250,000 people• 4 teams – red, green,

blues, whites• Fanatical fans – like

supporters of football teams

• Betting on races• Very dangerous• 7 lap race• Piece of cloth dropped

at start

Public baths (1)

• Hundreds in Rome

• Popular for rich and powerful

• Men and women separate

• Children free

• Bathed, exercised, social chats

• Even a library and relax for reading

Baths (2)

• Different rooms –

• Tepidarium: Warm room

• Caldarium: steamy room with tub of hot water

• Frigidarium: refreshing, cool pool

• Slaves massaged with oil and perfume

Influence of Ancient Rome

• 1. Roman Culture• Still use roman alphabet and write some letters• Latin formed Italian, French, Spanish languages• We use Roman calendar – look at months names• Copied many of their architecture• E.g. GPO – columns and capital

Influence – 2. inventions

• Still use many Roman ideas• The dole• Running water pumps• Romans invented under-floor heating

system – warm air from burning furnace in cellar

• Forum – 1st shopping mall• Insulae – 1st apartment block

Influence – 3. Roman Laws

• Well-developed legal system

• Still forms the basis of law in Europe

• Introduced a common currency…

• …so same money used from Scotland to Turkey

Influence – 4. Roman cities

• Many cities were Roman villages

• London, Paris

Revision Qs

• 1. Mention 7 details about slaves

• 2. Write 8 details about a child’s daily life in Rome.

Mention 7 details about slaves

• Criminals or captured in war• Not citizens – no rights• Flogged and beaten• Worked as gladiators• In farms or mines• Educated slaves – teachers and doctors• Spartacus• Roman revenge• Could be freed by martyr• Manumission• Wore a cap

1. Write 8 details about a child’s daily life in Rome.

• Describe house• Food• Ludus – day off for market• Grammer school• What you studied• What you wrote on• Public baths• Circus Maximus• Role of father in house

Recap

• Patricians

• Plebians

• Slaves

• Villas

• Tunic

• Fashions

• Education etc

Homework

• Write about a young person growing up in an ancient civilization outside of Ireland.

• Mention Roman past times