LibGuides CMS: Fuller Middle School: Mrs. Machado: Ancient Rome

Background Information

	Introduction to Ancient Rome Around 2,500 years ago, the city of Rome was at the center of a huge empire that stretched from Scotland to Syria.
	Ancient Rome The Ancient Romans ruled over one of the largest and richest empires in history.
	Ancient Rome The ancient city of Rome was the center of one of the largest and most powerful empires the world has ever seen. The Roman Empire was based in what is now Italy. As the Roman Empire took over more land and peoples, its influence spread throughout western Europe and into all the lands around the Mediterranean Sea. The achievements of the Romans influenced the languages, literature, laws, methods of government, roads, and buildings of all of western Europe.
	Legacy of Rome The civilization of Ancient Rome had a lasting legacy on world history. Not only did Ancient Rome cover a vast amount of land at its peak, but it also existed for almost 1000 years. The legacy of Ancient Rome is still felt today in western culture in areas such as government, law, language, architecture, engineering, and religion.
	Timeline of Ancient Rome The Roman Empire was one of the greatest and most influential civilizations in world history. It began in the city of Rome in 753 BC and lasted for well over 1000 years. During that time Rome grew to rule much of Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa. Here is a timeline of some of the major events in the history of Ancient Rome.
	Early History of Ancient Rome The early history of Rome is somewhat shrouded in mystery. A lot of Rome's early historical records were destroyed when barbarians sacked the city in 390 BC. Historians and archeologists have put pieces of the puzzle together to give us a picture of how Rome was likely founded.
	Ancient Rome Beginning in the eighth century B.C., Ancient Rome grew from a small town on central Italy’s Tiber River into an empire that at its peak encompassed most of continental Europe, Britain, much of western Asia, northern Africa and the Mediterranean islands.

Religion

	Roman gods and goddesses The people of the Roman Empire worshipped hundreds of different gods and goddesses. The most important gods, such as Jupiter, were similar to the Ancient Greek gods.
	Gods and Mythology The Romans believed in lots of gods. There were gods for just about everything. The Romans even took on many of the gods of the people they conquered. They especially liked the Greek gods. Many Romans had a shrine in their house to worship their personal household god.
	Roman gods Aside from the spirits, worshipped privately at home, the Romans had a large number of public gods. Many gods were believed to have taken part in the founding of Rome. All were consulted and honored to make sure that the actions of the state met with divine approval.
	The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Rome The Roman Empire was primarily a polytheistic civilization, which meant that people recognized and worshiped multiple gods and goddess. The main god and goddesses in Roman culture were Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva.
	Roman Religion From the beginning Roman Religion was polytheistic. From an initial array of gods and spirits, Rome added to this collection to include both Greek gods as well as a number of foreign cults. As the empire expanded, the Romans refrained from imposing their own religious beliefs upon those they conquered;

Politics

	The Senate The senate was a major political body throughout the history of Ancient Rome. It was typically made up of important and wealthy men from powerful families.
	Roman Law The Romans had a complex system of government and laws. Many of the basic systems and ideas that we have about laws and government today comes from Ancient Rome.
	The Roman Republic Democracy in ancient Greece served as one of the first forms of self-rule government in the ancient world. The system and ideas employed by the ancient Greeks had profound influences on how democracy developed, and its impact on the formation of the U.S. government.
	Law and Citizenship in the Roman Republic The Romans established a form of government called a republic. It was copied by countries for centuries. The government of the United States is based partly on Rome's model.
	Republic to Empire Ancient Rome had two major periods of history. The first was the Roman Republic which lasted from 509 BC to 27 BC. During this time there was no single leader of Rome. The government was run by elected officials. The second period was the Roman Empire which lasted from 27 BC to 476 AD (Western Roman Empire). During this time the government was led by an emperor.
	Rome's Transition from Republic to Empire In the sixth century B.C., the city of Rome was ruled by the Etruscans. They were a wealthy and powerful civilization from the north of Italy. In 509 B.C., Romans overthrew the Etruscan king and founded the Roman Republic.
	Roman Government The word democracy literally means “rule by the people.” It is derived from a Greek word coined from the words demos (“people”) and kratos (“rule”) in the middle of the 5th century bc as a name for the political system that existed at the time in some of the cities of Greece, notably Athens.

	Ancient Roman Emperors The emperors were the most famous rulers of Rome, but in its early days, Rome was ruled by kings. Some of these kings treated their people badly, and in 509 BCE they were driven out and replaced by a ruling council called the Senate.
	Ancient Roman Emperors (356–323 bc). More than any other world conqueror, Alexander III of Macedon, or ancient Macedonia, deserves to be called the Great. Although he died before the age of 33, he conquered an enormous empire—from Macedonia to Egypt and from Greece to part of India—and gave a new direction to history.
	Cicero (Roman politician and orator) Cicero was born in 106 BC in a small town just southeast of Rome called Arpinum. He was an intelligent child from a wealthy family. He was educated by the best teachers and learned to read and write both Greek and Latin. He also learned about the Greek philosophers and poets.
	Gaius Marius (Roman general and consul) Gaius Marius was one of the most important leaders of the Roman Republic. He was elected to consul a record seven times. He also made major changes to the Roman army which would change the future of Rome and make it the most powerful civilization in the world.

	Life in the Roman Army Most soldiers in the Roman Empire came from countries outside Italy. There were soldiers from Africa, France, Germany, Spain and the Middle East.
	Wars and Battles The Ancient Romans fought many battles and wars in order to expand and protect their empire. There were also civil wars where Romans fought Romans in order to gain power. Here are some of the major battles and wars that the Romans fought.
	The Roman Army The armies of the Roman Empire were famous across the ancient world for their fighting ability.
	Roman Weapons The Ancient Romans fought many battles and wars in order to expand and protect their empire. There were also civil wars where Romans fought Romans in order to gain power. Here are some of the major battles and wars that the Romans fought.
	England and the Roman Empire We often think of the Roman Empire as ruling Italy and the areas around the Mediterranean Sea. However, for nearly 400 years, Rome also ruled much of Britain. They called the land Britannia.
	Barbarians The Romans fought the barbarians at the borders of the Roman Empire for many years. In some cases, barbarians became part of the Roman Empire. In other cases, they fought wars and, eventually, sacked the city of Rome bringing about the end of the Western Roman Empire.
	Roman Army The Roman army was the backbone of the Roman Empire and one of the most successful armies in world history. It was well-trained, well-equipped, and well-organized. In order to guard such a large empire, the army took advantage of well built Roman roads to move about the empire quickly.
	Soldiers The Roman Army was one of the most successful in the history of the world and its soldiers were rightly feared for their training, discipline and stamina. As a result, the army was a major player in Roman politics and maintaining its loyalty was an essential task for any Emperor.

Geography

	Roman Empire Rome was founded in the ninth century BCE, as a small village in central Italy. Over the centuries it expanded its territory...
	Ancient Rome, 3rd Century BC The Roman Republic expanded throughout Italy in the 3rd century BC.
	Roman Empire At the height of its power the Roman Empire covered all the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.
	Roman Empire Use this map to explore how physical and human geography can impact citizens’ lives and communities.

Achievements and Inventions

Roman Aqueducts
The Roman aqueducts supplied fresh, clean water for baths, fountains, and drinking water for ordinary citizens.

	Art Centered in the city of Rome, the civilization of Ancient Rome ruled much of Europe for over 1000 years. The arts flourished during this time and were often used by the wealthy and powerful to memorialize their deeds and heritage.
	Roman Mosaics Across the Empire In ancient times, mosaics decorated luxurious homes and public buildings across the Roman Empire. Intricate patterns and figural scenes were created by setting small pieces of stone or glass, called tesserae, into floors and walls. Introduced by itinerant craftsmen, mosaic techniques and designs spread widely, leading to variety of regional styles.
	Roman Mold Blown Glass The invention of glassblowing led to an enormous increase in the range of shapes and designs that glassworkers could produce, and the mold-blowing process soon developed as an offshoot of free-blowing.
	Images of Ancient Roman Art Examples of ancient Roman art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Click each image to see a full-size photographs.
	Roman Glass Roman glassware includes some of the finest pieces of art ever produced in antiquity and the very best were valued higher than wares made with precious metals. However, plain glass vessels such as cups, bowls, plates, and bottles were also used as everyday containers, in particular, for storing and serving food and drinks.
	Roman Art The Romans controlled such a vast empire for so long a period that a summary of the art produced in that time can only be a brief and selective one. Perhaps, though, the greatest points of distinction for Roman Art are its very diversity, the embracing of art trends past and present from every corner of the empire and the promotion of art to such an extent that it became more widely produced and more easily available than ever before.

Public Baths
Every Roman city had a public bath where people came to bathe and socialize. The public bath was something like a community center where people worked out, relaxed, and met with other people.

Roman Baths
Roman Baths were designed for bathing and relaxing and were a common feature of cities throughout the Roman empire. Baths included a wide diversity of rooms with different temperatures, as well as swimming pools and places to read, relax, and socialize.

Roman Baths
An integral part of daily life in ancient Rome, the baths gave citizens of all classes the chance to mingle, gossip and relax. They were viewed as fundamental to Roman civilization and an obvious example of Rome’s superiority to the rest of the world.

	Roman Buildings The Romans were great engineers, and many of their buildings and other constructions can still be seen today.
	Engineering and Construction The Romans were excellent engineers and builders. Many of the buildings and engineering projects they designed are still around today and some are still being used. Here are some of the projects that the Romans excelled in: roads, the Colosseum, aqueducts, bridges, and architecture.
	The Colosseum The Colosseum is a giant amphitheatre in the center of Rome, Italy. It was built during the Roman Empire. Construction on the Colosseum was started in 72 AD by the emperor Vespasian. It was finished eight years later in 80 AD.
	Roman Architecture From ingenious underfloor heating to gravity-defying arches, the Romans contributed the triumphal arch, basilica, amphitheater, and city tower block.
	Roman Engineering The Romans are known for their remarkable engineering feats, be they roads, bridges, tunnels, or their impressive aqueducts. Their constructions, many of them still standing, are a testament to their superior engineering skills and ingenuity.

Roman Numerals
Roman numerals are a system for representing numbers with letters of the Latin, or Roman, alphabet. The system dates back about 2,000 years, to the time of ancient Rome. Roman numerals have been mostly replaced by Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3…).

Roman Numerals
Roman numerals were used by the Ancient Romans as their numbering system. We still use them sometimes today. You see them in the Super Bowl's numbering system, after king's names (King Henry IV), in outlines, and other places. Roman numerals are base 10 or decimal, like the numbers we use today. They are not entirely positional, however, and there is no number zero.

Roman Numerals
Ancient Romans used a special method of showing numbers

10 Innovations that Built Ancient Rome
The Romans were prodigious builders and expert civil engineers, and their thriving civilization produced advances in technology, culture and architecture that remained unequaled for centuries.

Science in Ancient Rome
The Romans assimilated earlier Greek science for their own purposes, evaluating and then accepting or rejecting that which was most useful, much as they did in other fields such as warfare, art, and theatre.

	Roman Writing The Romans kept very good records, which is part of the reason we know so much about them.
	Livy Among the great historians of imperial Rome was Livy. His history of Rome from the foundation of the city in 753 bc was particularly hailed for its literary excellence and morality.
	Literature The history of Roman literature begins around the 3rd century BC. It reached its "Golden Age" during the rule of Augustus and the early part of the Roman Empire. The Romans wrote a lot of poetry and history. They also wrote letters and made a lot of formal speeches.
	Virgil (70–19 bc). The greatest of the ancient Roman poets was Virgil (also spelled Vergil). He is best known for his patriotic epic poem the Aeneid. It tells the story of Rome’s legendary founder Aeneas and proclaims the Roman mission to civilize the world under divine guidance.
	Ovid (43 bc–ad 17). The Metamorphoses of Roman poet Ovid is one of Western literature’s classic works. A long poem in 15 books, it is a collection of mythological stories ranging from the creation of the world to the age of Augustus, the first Roman emperor.
	Latin Literature For many centuries the Latin language was used in large parts of the world. The language of the ancient Romans, it was spread by victorious Roman soldiers over Europe, Asia, and Africa as the Roman Empire expanded. Latin finally became the speech of Western civilization. It was spoken in one form or another from the British Isles to the Persian Gulf.
	Tacitus The works of Tacitus are filled with dramatic power and clearly drawn character studies. The Annals deal with the emperors Tiberius, Claudius, and Nero. Only 12 of the original 18 books survive. The Histories deal with the events of the first century of the Roman Empire.

Economy

In Ancient Rome, Citrus Fruits Were Status Symbols
To most people in the ancient Mediterranean, citrus fruits were very rare and very expensive. In fact, there were only two kinds of citrus known to the ancient Romans: lemons and a fruit called citron.

Trade in the Roman World
Slavery was a common practice during the time period of Ancient Greece. Most Greek families owned at least one slave and slaves were an important part of the culture and economy of Ancient Greece.

Social Structure

	Food, Jobs, and Daily Life A typical Roman day would start off with a light breakfast and then off to work. Work would end in the early afternoon when many Romans would take a quick trip to the baths to bathe and socialize. At around 3pm they would have dinner which was as much of a social event as a meal.
	Life of the People in Ancient Rome The quality of life in the Roman Empire depended on a person's role in society.
	What did ancient Romans eat? Roman food was very different from the food we eat today. There were no potatoes or tomatoes in Europe at that time, and pasta was not invented until much later.
	What Did Ancient Romans Eat? If you were to sit down for a meal with ancient Romans, some of the food on your plate might leave you scratching your head. Dormouse and flamingo, anyone? Other dishes may appear surprisingly familiar, like bread, cheese, and wine—still the cornerstones of many a Mediterranean-inspired lunch today.
	Clothing and Fashion Most of the clothing worn in Ancient Rome was made of wool. Wool was made throughout Italy and much of the Roman Empire both in the home and commercially. Sometimes clothes were made from rare materials such as linen from Egypt, cotton from India, and silk from China.
	Hairdressing Most of the clothing worn in Ancient Rome was made of wool. Wool was made throughout Italy and much of the Roman Empire both in the home and commercially. Sometimes clothes were made from rare materials such as linen from Egypt, cotton from India, and silk from China.

	Roman Families The idea of the family was very important to Romans. Traditionally, the oldest male was the head of the family, or paterfamilias.
	Family Life Family was an important part of Ancient Roman culture and society. Much of Roman law was written around protecting the basic structure of the family. The family you belonged to had a lot to do with your place in Roman society and whether you were considered a patrician or a plebeian.
	Weddings, Marriages, and Divorce Marriage in Roman times was often not at all romantic. Rather, it was an agreement between families. Men would usually marry in their mid-twenties, while women married while they were still in their early teens. As they reached these ages, their parents would consult with friends to find suitable partners that could improve the family’s wealth or class.
	Education Originally, the Romans placed the responsibility for a child’s education not with an experienced teacher outside the home but with the child’s parents. Most if not all of a Roman child’s education took place at home. If the father himself were educated, his son would learn to read and would learn Roman law, history, and customs. The father also saw to his son’s physical training.
	Housing and Homes The Romans lived in a wide variety of homes depending on whether they were wealthy or poor. The poor lived in cramped apartments in the cities or in small shacks in the country. The rich lived in private homes in the city or large villas in the country.
	Housing Photographs of Ancient Roman artifacts including a bedroom, tableware, and wall paintings.

	The Arena and Entertainment The Roman Arena was a place of entertainment for Romans. The games were often brutal and bloody. At first they were mostly put on for memorials or funerals, but later they were put on for many occasions including birthdays and victories. The games were paid for by wealthy individuals and were used for that person to gain popularity with the people. Julius Caesar became very popular by putting on large public games and theatre.
	The Roman Forum At the heart of the city of Rome was an open space called the Forum, used for public meetings and celebrations.
	Beneath the Colosseum The wild animals that fought in the Colosseum were kept in cellars underneath the arena floor. When it was time for them to appear, they were pushed into elevators and winched upward.
	Gladiators Successful gladiators were the movie stars of the first century – so famous that free men queued to take their chances in the arena. Bloody, brutal but popular, gladiatorial contests are often seen as the dark side of Roman civilization.
	Chariot Races Less violent than the gladiators, chariot racing was still an extreme, dangerous sport, in which drivers could die.
	10 Things You May Not Know About Gladiators Not all gladiators were brought to the arena in chains. While most early combatants were enslaved peoples and people who had committed crimes, grave inscriptions show that by the 1st century A.D. the demographics had started to change. Lured by the thrill of battle and the roar of the crowds, scores of free men began voluntarily signing contracts with gladiator schools in the hope of winning glory and prize money.
	Roman Games, Chariot Races, and Spectacle If there was one thing the Roman people loved it was spectacle and the opportunity of escapism offered by weird and wonderful public shows which assaulted the senses and ratcheted up the emotions.

Life in the City
The hub of life in Ancient Rome was the city. The local city was the place to trade goods, be entertained, and meet important people. While Rome was the center of the empire, there were many large and important cities throughout the empire.

Life in the Country
When we think of Ancient Rome, we often think of the cities of Rome filled with people, large buildings, and senators walking around in togas. However, most of the population of the Roman Empire lived in the countryside. Life in the countryside was very different from that in the city.

	Plebeians and Patricians Roman citizens were divided up into two distinct classes: the plebeians and the patricians. The patricians were the wealthy upper class people. Everyone else was considered a plebeian.
	Slaves As in many ancient civilizations, slavery played a big part in the culture of Rome. Slaves performed much of the labor and hard work that helped to build the Roman Empire and keep it running.
	What Role Did Women Play in Ancient Rome? Women in ancient Rome, whether free or enslaved, played many roles: empress, priestess, goddess, shop owner, midwife, prostitute, daughter, wife and mother. But they lacked any voice in public life.
	How to Climb the Social Ladder in Ancient Rome Many people picture ancient Rome as a very fixed society. They imagine emperors, senators and other nobles ruling over a mass of ordinary Romans who had no chance of getting ahead. In fact, Romans of all social levels were able to raise their position in society. Some even succeeded in joining the empire's richest ranks.
	Social Order The social structure of ancient Rome was based on heredity, property, wealth, citizenship and freedom. It was also based around men: women were defined by the social status of their fathers or husbands. Women were expected to look after the houses and very few had any real independence.
	Mythbusting Ancient Rome: Cruel and Unusual Punishments Many people picture ancient Rome as a very fixed society. They imagine emperors, senators and other nobles ruling over a mass of ordinary Romans who had no chance of getting ahead. In fact, Romans of all social levels were able to raise their position in society. Some even succeeded in joining the empire's richest ranks.