Chapter 5 Rome and the Pax Romana

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Chapter 5Rome andthe Pax Romana
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Pax Romana

• For 200 years, from Augustus to Marcus Aurelius,
  there was a period known as Pax Romana, or Roman
  Peace
• There was peace, prosperity, and an exchange of
  goods and ideas
• Prosperity hid the underlying social and economic
  problems

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Pax Romana
What was the purpose of free food and
entertainment?
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Bread and Circuses
- To control the citys restless mobs, the
government provided free grain to the poor, had
gladiator contests, and chariot races
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The Distraction of Entertainment
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Gladiator Games
To appease the mob
How does sports and entertainment provide the
same diversion in todays society?
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Roman Technology
Why does Achievements in Art and Technology make
a civilization great!!!
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Roman Achievements
-Romans adapted many things from their Greek
neighbors two were Literature and
Philosophy -Poets wrote of Romes greatness or
satirized, made fun of, its society -Historians
wrote of the glory of Rome or how it was
destroyed by emperors -The philosophy of the
Stoics impressed emperor Marcus Aurelius and
stressed the importance of duty, acceptance of
ones fate, and concern for others
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Art and Architecture

• Sculptures reflected real life people and their
  personalities
• Frescoes and mosaics were used to decorate homes
• Columns, arches used in architecture

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Science and Mathematics

• Engineers built roads, bridges, harbors
• Aqueducts-bridge like stone structures that
  carried water from hills to the cities
• Water piped into the houses of the wealthy
• Public baths

-Greeks who were now Roman citizens, did most of
the scientific work -Ptolemy said the Earth was
the center of the universe -Galen compiled a
medical encyclopedia that was used for 1,000
years
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Law and Order (no, not the show)

• -Romans kept laws the same throughout the empire
• -Basic principles
• Innocent until proven guilty
• defend oneself
• guilt had to be clearer than daylight
  supported by evidence
• judges interpreted laws and made fair decisions
• penalties varied according to social class-
  lower class treated more harshly