Chapter 9 Life in Ancient Rome

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Chapter 9 Life in Ancient Rome
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Main Ideas

• In addition to their own developments in science
  and engineering, Roman artists and writers
  borrowed many ideas from the Greeks.
• The rich and poor had very different lives in the
  Roman Empire, as did men and women.

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Reading Strategy

• Compare and Contrast Use a Venn Diagram like
  the one below to show similarities and
  differences between the rich and the poor in Rome

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Roman Culture

• Romans admired and studied Greek statues,
  buildings, and ideas.
• The Romans differed from Greeks in one important
  way the Greeks liked to talk about ideas, while
  Romans believed that ideas were only important if
  they could solve everyday problems.

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What Was Roman Art Like?

• Roman art was much more realistic than Greek
  statues.
• Roman architecture was also inspired by the
  Greeks They used Greek-style porches and rows of
  columns called colonnades.
• Rows of arches were often built against one
  another to form a vault.

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Roman Art

• The Colloseum is one example of how magnificent
  Roman architecture was. It was completed in A.D,
  80 and was a huge arena that could seat around
  60,000 people.

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What Does This Have to Do With Me?

• The Astrodome in Houston is commonly referred to
  as the Eighth Wonder of the World and houses
  around 42,000 fans.
• Although there are other, larger stadiums, this
  will give you an idea of how magnificent the
  Colosseum was, and would still be, today.

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The Pantheon
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Roman Literature

• The Roman writer Virgil drew some of his ideas
  from Homers Odyssey and wrote the Aeneid.
• The poet Horace wrote satires, which poked fun at
  human weaknesses. He also composed odes, or poems
  that express strong emotions about life.

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Roman Literature

• One of Romes most famous historians was Livy. He
  wrote the History of Rome around 10 B.C.
• Tacitus thought that Romans were losing the
  values that made them strong. He accused them of
  wasting time on sports and other pleasures.

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Roman Literature

• Romans especially liked humorous plays
• Two Romans who wrote comedies were Plautus and
  Terence.
• Roman authors influenced later writers, but their
  language, Latin, had an even greater influence.

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Roman Science and engineering

• A Greek doctor named Galen (GAY-luhn) brought
  many medical ideas to Rome.
• He emphasized the importance of anatomy, the
  study of body structure.
• Ptolemy was another important Roman scientist who
  studied the sky and mapped over 1000 different
  stars.

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All Roads Lead to Rome

• Romans built a large amount of roads and bridges
  to connect the empire.
• These were well built and some have survived
  until today

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A Day in the Life of a Roman

• Rome was a huge city with over a million people
  living there by the time of Augustus.
• The Forum was a marketplace and public square. It
  was at the center of Rome with the Coloseum.

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Life of a Roman Cont

• Wealthy Romans lived in large, comfortable
  houses.
• Inner courtyards are called atriums.

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• Poor people who lived in cities, had to live in
  tall wood or brick apartment buildings called
  insulae, without any courtyard

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Entertainment

• Bread and circuses were started by Roman
  emperors trying to keep people from rioting.
• At these events, the people would get free grain
  (or bread) and a show (circus).

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GLADIATORS

• Gladiator contests gladiators fought animals
  and each other.
• Most gladiators were enslaved people, criminals,
  or poor people. Gladiators were admired, like
  sports heroes today.

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Chariot Racing

• Chariot races What could we compare this to
  that takes place today?
• Took place in the Circus Maximus Latin for
  greatest circus

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Family life

• Family was very important, and families were
  large
• Paterfamilias The Father of the family had
  complete control over family members.
• He would punish them severely for disobedience
  and arrange their marriages.

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Family Life

• Wealthy childrenboys and girlsreceived an
  education
  through hired tutors
• Some boys went to
  school.
• Rhetoric was public
• speaking

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Family life cont

• Roman boys became a man between the ages of
  14-16. They burned their toys as offerings to the
  household gods.
• He would put on a toga and join the family
  business, become a soldier, or begin a career in
  government.
• Roman women did not become adults until they were
  married, and they wore long flowing robes called
  palla.

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Women of Rome

• Not full citizens
• Some became famous themselves
• Livia was the wife of Augustus and had a say in
  Romes politics and was later honored as a
  goddess.
• Womens freedom depended on their husbands
  wealth

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Enslaved people

• Slave labor grew as the territory grew
• They worked in homes, fields, mines, and
  workshops. They helped build roads, bridges, and
  aqueducts.
• Many enslaved Greeks were well educated
• Wages bought them freedom

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Enslaved people Cont

• Most were treated horribly and punished severely
  for poor work or running away
• Many often rebelled
• Spartacus was a gladiator who led a revolt in 73
  B.C.

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Roman Religion

• Ancient Romans believed in gods and goddesses
• Greek gods were popular in Rome, but they were
  given Roman names. Zeus became Jupiter, the sky
  god, and Aphrodite became Venus, the goddess of
  love and beauty.

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Roman Religion

• Romans honored them by offering food and
  praying.
• Government officials made offerings in the temples

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Roman Religion Cont

• Roman priests looked for signs from the gods
• They would study the inside of dead animals or
  watched the flight of birds, looking for meaning.
  
• Romans began having issues with other religions
  as the empire grew