The Roman Empire

1
The Roman Empire

• College English 10
• Walker

2
A Brief History

• The founding of Rome goes back to the very early
  days of civilization.
• So old, known as 'the eternal city'.
• Romans believed that city was founded in 753 BC.
• Modern historians believe it was 625 BC.

3
Government

• Early Rome governed by kings, but after only
  seven ruled, Romans took power over own city and
  ruled themselves
• They had a council known as the 'senate' which
  ruled over them
• From this point on note as the 'Roman Republic'.
• The word 'Republic' comes from the Latin (the
  language of the Romans) words 'res publica'
• meaning 'public matters' or 'matters of state

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The Senate
                         
A speech in the Roman senate

• Job was to advise the kings
• appointed a consul (head guy), who ruled Rome
  like a king, but only for one year
• wise idea, because the consul ruled carefully and
  not as a tyrant, for he knew he could be punished
  by the next consul, once his year was up.

5
Four Classes of People

• NOBLES
• called patricians
• All the real power in Rome lay here

• EQUESTRIANS AKA- 'knights'
• means the riders
• They were given a horse to ride if they were
  called to fight for Rome.
• Had to be rich.

• PLEBIANS
• They were free people.
• They had little say at all.

• SLAVES
• Owned by other people.
• They had no rights at all.

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Julius Caesar Facts

• Rome's most famous citizen
• Roman politician and general
• conquered the vast territory of the Gauls to the
  north of his province in France
• In the year 49 BC crossed the river between his
  province and Italy, called the river Rubicon, and
  conquered Rome itself which he then ruled as a
  dictator.
• His military campaigns also took him to Egypt
  where he met the famous Cleopatra.His life was
  ended as he was infamously murdered in the senate
  in Rome.
• A month of the year is still named after him and
  his heirs today, July (after Julius Caesar)
• Shakespeare wrote a famous play called Julius
  Caesar about his famous murder (yes- well be
  reading this!)

7
Map of Ancient Rome
Forum of Julius Caesar
Colosseum
Circus Maximus
8
Colosseum

• The Colosseum was begun by Vespasian was finished
  by Titus in AD 80.
• could contain an audience of between 45'000 and
  50'000 spectators.

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The ColosseumThe arena area today as seen
from the second level up over the present main
entrance
10
Circus Maximus

• very ancient origin
• Its basic facilities appear to date back as far
  as 329 BC
• Today nothing really remains but the large space,
  cleared of any modern buildings in the 1930's
• once was filled by the massive structure which
  housed as many as 250'000 spectators.

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Forum of Julius Caesar

• Using his booty from conquests of Gaul, Caesar
  built the Forum Julium
• undoubtedly Caesar's grand reply to Pompey's
  theatre, and supplied entertainment

• begun in 51 BC and completed in 46 BC
• Once contained not merely a statue of the
  goddess Venus, but so too of Julius Caesar and
  his Egyptian lover Queen Cleopatra.

12
The Census

• Every five years, each male Roman citizen had to
  register in Rome for the census.
• he had to declare his family, wife, children,
  slaves and riches.
• Should he fail to do this, his possessions would
  be confiscated and he would be sold into
  slavery.
• Throughout the entire republican era,
  registration in the census was the only way that
  a Roman could ensure that his identity and status
  as a citizen were recognized.

13
Scribes and Censors

• Scribes responsible to compile the list from
  the census
• Censors responsible to scrutinize each man,
  evaluate his riches and his rank and placing him
  in his rightful place within the civic hierarchy
  of Rome (four classes).

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Roman Dress
                      
Stola and Palla
                     
Stola and Palla
                    
The Palla Cloak
                   
Toga
                       
Priest's Toga

• clothes needed to be simple
• only one type of material Wool, linen was
  available at times

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The Toga

• The standard dress worn by Roman citizens was the
  toga for men and the stola for women.
• Basically it was a large blanket, draped over the
  body, leaving one arm free.
• anyone who didn't want to be seen as a slave or a
  workman in Rome had to be seen in a toga

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What was the womens role?

• Note this quote from the ancient Cicero
• 'Our ancestors, in their wisdom, considered
  that all women, because of their innate weakness,
  should be under the control of guardians.
• Hypothesize the role of women in pairs.
• How did their role differ from a mans?

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Sources

• http//www.roman-empire.net/index.html