Pax Romana & Contributions of Ancient Rome



Pax Romana & Contributions of Ancient Rome

Essential Questions:

1. What was the Pax Romana?

2. Explain the civil service system in Rome.

3. What is the Pantheon?

4. What are aqueducts?

Pax Romana ( period of peace and prosperity known as “Roman peace”, lasted from 27 B.C.E. to 180 C.E. (207 years)

|Economic Impact |- Agriculture was the most important industry (90% farmed) |

| | |

| |- Silver coin, the denarius, was used throughout Rome, which made trade between different parts of the empire easy|

| | |

| |- A complex network of roads linked the empire to Persia, southern Russia, China, etc. and were originally built |

| |by military, but goods and culture were spread because of them |

|Social Impact |- Family was the heart of Roman society; the eldest man, known as the paterfamilias, or “father of the family” had|

| |power to rule the household, control property, banish family members, etc. |

| | |

| |- Women, both rich and poor, were nearly equal the men |

| | |

| |- Upper-class women could own property and attended public baths, plays, and festivals, but still could not vote |

| | |

| |- Lower-class women could be weavers, shopkeepers, or entertainers |

| | |

| |- Few children went to school, boys were favored over girls, and poor children had to work and were generally |

| |illiterate |

| | |

| |- Slaves were a bigger part of Roman culture than any culture before; they worked in cities and on farms and many |

| |were treated cruelly or forced to be gladiators |

|Political Impact |- Augustus stabilized the frontier, glorified Rome with splendid buildings and created a long-lasting system of |

| |government |

| | |

| |- He also set up a civil service, which meant that he paid workers to manage the affairs of government, such as |

| |the grain supply, tax collection, and the postal system |

| | |

| |- The Senate still functioned, but the civil servants, drawn from plebeians and former slaves administered the |

| |empire |

| | |

| |- The Roman Forum was a central area in which commerce and the administration of justice took place |

Roman Contributions

|Art/Architecture |- The Colossuem, a huge arena that could hold 50,000 and hosted gladiators contests, games, races, animal shows, etc.|

| | |

| |- The Pantheon was a temple for all the gods in Rome, had massive columns and domes, which were typical |

| | |

| |- Used bas-relief, where images project from a flat background |

| | |

| |- Where also skilled in mosaics, pictures or designs made by setting small pieces of stone, glass, or tile onto a |

| |surface |

|Technology |- Aqueducts were designed to bring water into cities and towns |

| | |

| |- Vast network of roads built of stone, concrete, and sand |

|Languages |- Latin was the official language of Rome |

| | |

| |- Latin influenced French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian which became known as the Romance Languages |

|Literature |- Writers used Roman themes and ideas while following Greek forms and models |

| | |

| |- Virgil, a poet, wrote The Aeneid, which was a praise of Rome and Roman virtues; he believed government was Rome’s |

| |most important contribution to civilization |

|Religion |- Adopted the Greek gods, but changed their names |

| | |

| |- Most important were Jupiter (Zeus) – father of the gods, Juno (Hera) – his wife, who watched over marriage and |

| |women, and Minerva (Athena) – goddess of wisdom and war |

| | |

| |- Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire and eventually became the official religion |

|Law |- All persons had the right to equal treatment under the law |

| | |

| |- A person was considered innocent until proven guilty |

| | |

| |- The burden of proof rested with the accuser, not the accused |

| | |

| |- A person should be punished only for actions, not thoughts |

| | |

| |- Any law that seemed unreasonable or unfair could be set aside |

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