C6.3 – Roman Society and Culture

Objectives

• What social and cultural factors influenced life in imperial Rome?

• What achievements shaped Rome’s cultural legacy to the modern world?

Main Idea

The Romans developed a complex society and pioneered cultural advances that, even today,

affect life all over the world

C6.3 – Roman Society and Culture

I. Life in Imperial Rome

A. Life for the Rich and PoorPax Romana meant prosperity: wealthy ownedcity homes and villas, most were involved in politics

A. Life for the Rich and PoorRoman poor lived in crowded multi-storiedapartment buildings; fire a constant threat

A. Life for the Rich and PoorFree food and public entertainment kept poor from rebelling

“panem et circenses”

Bread and Circuses

B. Public EntertainmentVariety of entertainment: chariot races held in Circus Maximus, theater, acrobats, etc.

B. Public EntertainmentBloody spectacles in amphitheaters: wild animals and gladiator contests in Colosseum

B. Public EntertainmentPublic baths used for hygiene, relaxing, andsocializing

Roman bath, Bath England

C. Family, Education, and ReligionOldest male was head of family - the paterfamilias; simplicity, religious devotion, and obedience emphasized

C. Family, Education, and ReligionWomen had few rights. Adoption an importantway to carry on family name

C. Family, Education, and ReligionEducation highly valued – taught by tutors or sent to exclusive schools

C. Family, Education, and ReligionRomans adopted religion from Greeks, Egyptians, others; families worshipped penates

Shrine to the Penates, patron deities of the household

The Pantheon

C. Family, Education, and ReligionBelieved gods sent signs/warnings; nothing important undertaken without consulting augurs

Roman augur foretells the future by observing the behavior of hens

II. Rome’s Cultural Legacy

A. Science and EngineeringMore interested in collecting/organizinginformation than original scientific research

A. Science and Engineering

Galen summarized all medical knowledge

Galen, Physician

Born: 130 AD, Turkey

Died: 200 AD, Rome, Italy

Full name: Aelius or Claudius

Galenus, better known as Galen of

Pergamon

Prominent Greek physician,

surgeon and philosopher

A. Science and Engineering

Ptolemy synthesized astronomical knowledge into single theory

Claudius Ptolemy

Born: c. AD 90 in Egypt, Roman

Empire

Died: c. AD 168 (aged 77–78) in

Alexandria, Egypt

Occupation: Mathematician,

Geographer, Astronomer,

Astrologer

A. Science and Engineering

Pliny the Elder wrote about Mount Vesuvius

Mount Vesuvius, AD 79

Pyroclastic flow boiled the brains and vaporized the flesh of Herculaneum's inhabitants

Pompeii's victims were preserved by the falling volcanic ash

A. Science and Engineering

Applied knowledge to city planning, buildingwater/sewage systems, roads, aqueducts, etc.; invented concrete

Roman sewer Roman aqueduct

B. Architecture, Language, LawImportant advances – the round arch and thevault allowed construction of larger buildings

Interior of the Pantheon

B. Architecture, Language, Law

Romance languages developed from Latin

B. Architecture, Language, Law

Roman civil law was based on a written code of law

Corpus Iuris Civilis the body of civil law c1647. The system of Roman juris purdence compiled and codified under the direction of the emperor Justinian in AD 528-534