Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome

For over 200 years, Rome was a Kingdom For about 500 years,  Rome was a Republic 

For about 500 years, Rome was an Empire

Which Takes place in: Europe, Asia, and AfricaAnd speaks: Latin, and Greek

The Beginnings of Ancient Rome

Rome began as a group of villages along Italy’s Tiber River.About 750 B.C., the villages joined together to form a citycalled Rome. It was ruled by kings for more than 200 years.Eventually, Rome became a republic, and the Romeconquered new lands beyond the Italian Peninsula. Itsculture and language spread farther into Spain and Greece.

From Republic to Empire

Julius Caesar was a Roman general and governor.Caesar used his power to become a dictator. This brought Rome’srepublican government to an end.Rome became an empire. Caesar’s adopted sonAugustus became the first Roman emperor. He broughtpeace and wealth to Rome for 40 years. Rome made greatprogress. The army kept peace. Trade increased. Many publicbuildings and lighthouses were built. Great Roman literaturewas written. The growth that Augustus began lasted 200years. It is known as the “Pax Romana,” or Roman Peace.

The Rise of Christianity

During the time of Pax Romana , a new religion emerged in Roman colonies around the middle east. This

religion is called Christianity .Christianity encouraged people to behave morally and to forgive their enemies. Jesus believed in one God and preached about the ten commandments, a list of

guidelines that people should follow to be good .Jesus became know as the Massiah, or the Savior and son of God. Jesus was executed for preaching. Christians believe that Jesus ascended in to Heaven after his death. His disciples, a man named Paul continued to spread Christianity after Jesus died. At first Rome persecuted Christians, however the

Romans soon became followers of Christianity .

The Roman Empire became divided

After the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Pax Romana), the Roman empire was split in to two parts, the east and west, each ruled by a different ruler. The west was ruled by a corrupt government, so the people were poor and unemployment was a big problem. The east was ruled by Emperor Constantine. He was a good ruler, people were wealthy and had jobs. This empire became know as the Byzantine empire and last another 1000 years.

The government

People elected representatives. These representatives formed the Senate, Rome’s most powerful body of government.

At first, most senators were patricians. They had familyroots dating back to ancient Rome. And there was plebeian, a plebeian was an ordinary, working male citizen. Plebeians could vote, but they could not hold public office .

Later plebeians got the same rights as patricians.The Roman Republic and its army grew.

Population

Estimates of the population size of the Roman empire at its demographic

varies between 70 million to 100 million.

Social ClassLower classes:

Commons (plebians ): all freeborn Roman citizens. The special mark of dress for citizen males was the toga .

Latins: freeborn residents of Italy who had some legal rights but were not full Roman citizens. (all granted full citizenship later)

Freed people (liberti): men and women who had been slaves but had bought their freedom or been manumitted. They were not fully free and had restrictions on their rights and owed duties to their former masters. And their names indicated their status as freed people .

Slaves (servi): human beings were born into slavery or sold into slavery through war or piracy. Slaves were the property of their owners by law. Roman slavery was not racially based.

Women: female and male children were automatically members of the social class of their parents or husbands. However, in the case of Latins, foreigners, and slaves, children took the social status of their mother, even if their father was a freeborn Roman citizen.

Upper classes:

Senatorial class: politicians. It included all men who served in the Senate, and their families.

Senatorials wore the tunic with a bold stripe to standout in the crowds .

Equestrian class :Wealthy people. A man could be formally an equestrian if he could prove that he has minimum amount of wealth (property worth at least 400,000 sesterces); his family members were also consider equestrians. Equestrians wore the tunic with narrow stripes .

Women: women belonged to the social class of their fathers and then of their husbands, women participation in social status began and formalize under Augustus .

Economy and currency The main currency of ancient Rome

consisted of coins

gold – silver – bronze – copper

ClothingRoman men and women wore a large piece of wool,

wrapped around themselves .

After they met people from Greece and Egypt, they began to wear linen tunics (like T-shirts) under their wool robes, which was more comfortable.

On their feet, both men and women wore leather sandals, or leather boots in cold weather.

In their hair, women wore wooden hair sticks or wooden combs, which they could also use to comb their hair.

Houses

Poor people who lived in cities had to live in tall wood or brick apartment buildings called

insulae ,without any courtyards or views.

On the other hand, wealthy people houses had a front door leading into a courtyard, and rooms all around the courtyard. Sometimes with a roof over the courtyard, but often with a skylight hole in the center to let in light, and a rainwater channel in the middle.

FoodMost people in the Roman Empire lived mainly on the usual foods of people living around the Mediterranean Sea: bread, barley, olive oil, and wine, which is called the Mediterranean Triad.

The wealthy people was the total opposite, they could eat whatever they like from meat,

vegetables, fruits, and wines .

Roman achievementsTechnology :

The ancient Romans were great builders. Their advances in technology include the actual invention of concrete, roman roads, roman arches, and aqueduct.Medicine :

Huge public health programs including welfare programs for the poor  

Language :Roman language (Latin), the root of all the romance languages

including English, French, and Spanish .

Religion :The Catholic, which kept learning alive after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

Literature/Theatre/Art :Satire, which was a loud and rude sort of sarcastic approach to comic theatre, works of literature including Virgil's Aeneid,

realistic statues, ornate jewelry, masks, mosaics. 

Customs: including the use of rings to denote friendship, engagements,

and weddings, and the use greenery to decorate during winter holidays, and other holiday customs.  

Clothing :Socks worn by both women and men. Shoes, all kinds of shoes, including the hobnailed shoe that adjusted for left foot, right foot in shape, which made wearing any shoes a

lot more comfortable. And a bunch of neat hats. 

Games :Many board and ball games including knuckleball (jacks) and hoops.

Interesting facts about life in ancient Rome

-Slaves in Ancient Rome made up to 40% of the population .

-Many ancient Roman houses had flushing toilets and indoor plumbing.

-Women in ancient Rome dyed their hair with goat fat and beech wood ashes. Red and blond were the most popular colors.

-Instead of soap, Romans used oil, which they rubbed into their skin and then scraped off with a metal tool called a strigil.

Hope you enjoyed the presentation..

AlJohara AlQuayidSeba AbausienReema Albattal

Ghada Abahusein