Rome Written by Tracey Ann Schofield Photos by Philip Baird Illustrated by Gary Mohrman Teaching & Learning Company 1204 Buchanan St., P.O. Box 10 Carthage, IL 62321-0010
This book belongs to Foreword Welcome to the wonderful world of Ancient Rome: a time of brilliant military strategy, world domination, bloody gladiatorial contests, chariot racing, all-powerful emperors, unsurpassed hygiene and remarkable feats of engineering that continue to influence the way we build, work and live today. This resource book is filled with information, hands-on activities, thought-provoking questions and fabulous facts that will help students discover, explore and understand the contributions that Ancient Roman farmers, politicians, engineers, architects, lawyers, military strategists, doctors and merchants all made to modern society and the profound and lasting impression that the Roman peoples left on our lives. Cover and interior photos by www.anthroarcheart.org Copyright 1999 Philip Baird ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Copyright 2002, Teaching & Learning Company ISBN No. 1-57310-309-8 Printing No. 987654321 Teaching & Learning Company 1204 Buchanan St., P.O. Box 10 Carthage, IL 62321-0010 Acknowledgements Thanks to Shari Lee for taking a trip to Italy just as I was about to undertake this book and for the use of the invaluable reference materials she collected on her travels. Thanks also to my kids, who took so much interest in my painstaking progress, and to my Mom, my valiant proofreader. A special thanks to Robynne Eagan and Michaela Murphy my ancient civilizations coauthors and everyone at the Teaching & Learning Company for their limitless patience and understanding. As the familiar adage goes, Rome was not built in a day. It would seem, however, that it was built in less time than it took me to write this book! Dedication This book is dedicated to the hardworking, ingenious and fastidious peoples of Ancient Rome, without whom we might never have had the luxury of hot baths and flush toilets! The purchase of this book entitles teachers to make copies for use in their individual classrooms only. This book, or any part of it, may not be reproduced in any form for any other purposes without prior written permission from the Teaching & Learning Company. It is strictly prohibited to reproduce any part of this book for an entire school or school district, or for commercial resale. The above permission is exclusive of the cover art, which may not be reproduced. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. ii TLC10309 Copyright Teaching & Learning Company, Carthage, IL 62321-0010
Table of Contents The Rise of Rome................................................. 5 Politics & Citizenship.............................................. 7 The Mighty Roman Army.......................................... 10 Religion........................................................ 13 Education....................................................... 16 Agriculture/Commerce............................................ 19 Food & Drink................................................... 22 Currency....................................................... 25 Beauty & Fashion................................................ 26 Personal Hygiene................................................. 27 Art & Architecture................................................ 29 Entertainment................................................... 34 Health, Healing & Medicine........................................ 40 Literature & History.............................................. 42 The Decline of the Roman Empire................................... 43 Detailed Roman Time Line......................................... 45 Appendix: Kings, Consuls & Emperors............................... 47 TLC10309 Copyright Teaching & Learning Company, Carthage, IL 62321-0010 iii
Dear Teacher or Parent, Welcome to the wonderful world of Ancient Rome: a time of brilliant military conquests, world domination, deified emperors, bloody gladiatorial contests, impeccable hygiene, spectacular buildings, incredible wealth, lavish extravagance, infamous gluttony and remarkable feats of engineering that continue to influence the way we build, work and live today. With Exploring Ancient Civilizations: Rome as your guidebook to the past, you will explore the ancient Roman world from monarchy to republic to empire and follow the triumphs of the mighty Roman army as it conquers territories in the four corners of the known world. Along the way you will thrill to an exhilarating chariot race at the Circus Maximus; quail before a bloody battle between murderous gladiators at the Colosseum; witness the power of the legionaries as they lay siege to yet another foreign city; hold your breath as wealthy men gamble small fortunes on the toss of the dice; see an aqueduct in action as it brings fresh water from the countryside into city fountains and public flush toilets; visit a bathhouse where people of all classes sweat in the steamy caldarium and chill out in the frigidarium; observe domestic slaves as they bathe their pampered masters and dress them in the complicated folds of a toga; join well-wishers at a wedding ceremony; marvel at the intricate work of a tile layer as he creates a mosaic with colored tesserae; watch a haruspex examine the organs of a sacrificial animal to determine the will of the gods; and attend a sumptuous banquet where revelers dine on calf brain with rosehip custard. Exploring Ancient Civilizations: Rome is a comprehensive resource guide filled with information, hands-on activities, thought-provoking questions and fabulous facts that will help students discover, explore and understand the contributions that Ancient Roman farmers, merchants, politicians, engineers, architects, lawyers, military strategists and doctors made to modern society and the profound and lasting impact that the peoples of Ancient Rome had on our lives. Sincerely, Tracey Ann Schofield iv TLC10309 Copyright Teaching & Learning Company, Carthage, IL 62321-0010
The Rise of Rome www.anthroarcheart.org Copyright 1999 Philip Baird ALL RIGHTS RESERVED The seeds of magnificent Ancient Rome were scattered on seven peaceful wooded hills along the banks of the Tiber River in central Italia ( calf land ) more than 2700 years ago. From its early days as a modest thatched hut settlement of farmers and shepherds on the Palatine, Rome grew to rule an enormous and architecturally splendid empire that stretched from northern England to North Africa. Before the Romans conquered the Italian peninsula, it was inhabited by a variety of people of different origins, languages and traditions. Of these, the Etruscans were the most powerful and advanced. The Etruscan civilization flourished in central Italy from about 800-300 BC and reached its peak during the 7 th and 6 th centuries BC. As Etruscan power expanded north and south, the Etruscans moved into the city of Rome which had spread from the Palatine, to the Esquiline and then gradually, as the marshy valley floors were drained, to the remaining five hills and surrounding lowlands. The Etruscan kings ruled the growing city from 625-509 BC, expanding its territory and doubling its population. Great public building was undertaken: the 12-foot thick brick Servian Wall, which replaced earlier timber and earth defenses; the magnificent Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline ; Rome s first aqueduct and sewer, the Aqua Appia and the Cloaca Maxima; the city s main square, the Forum Romanum; and the chariot racing circuit, the Circus Maximus. The Etruscan kings remained in power until 509 BC, when Tarquinius Superbus (Tarquin the Proud) was expelled and Rome became a republic. TLC10309 Copyright Teaching & Learning Company, Carthage, IL 62321-0010 5
Fabulous Facts When the Etruscans uncovered a human skull during construction of the Temple of Jupiter, they interpreted it as a sign that Rome would become the capital of the world. They were right. By the 1 st century AD Rome was the center of an empire that governed 50 million people on three different continents. Rome was the most magnificent city in the world, studded with the opulent buildings of emperors keen to promote their civic generosity and military victories. One of the oldest cities in the world and continuously inhabited since its founding more than 2700 years ago, Rome has served as the cultural center of the world twice in its history, first as the capital of the Roman Empire and then as the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. Today, Rome is a thriving, cosmopolitan city, where residents and visitors move freely in the shadow of a magnificent past. The Founding Myth of Rome According to legend, Romulus and Remus, the infant twin sons of Mars (and Rhea Silvia, the daughter of Numitor, rightful king of Alba Longa), were thrown into the Tiber River by their evil great uncle Amulius, the unlawful king. They washed ashore at the base of the Palatine, and were rescued by a she-wolf who fed the boys with her own milk until a shepherd found them and took them home. The boys strong, natural leaders grew up among the herdsmen of the hills by the Tiber River. After a chance meeting with their grandfather, they agreed to help Numitor reclaim the throne. Leading the shepherds, they attacked and killed Amulius. Numitor was restored as king. The twins were princes in Alba Longa, but they missed the hills terribly, and decided to return home to establish a city of their own. Remus favored Aventine, but Romulus liked Palatine. As Romulus staked out the boundary of his city, Remus became outraged. He crossed the boundary line and in the ensuing fight, was killed by Romulus. The new city, established in 753 BC, was named Rome, in honor of Romulus. The image of a she-wolf suckling two boys has been a symbol of Rome for more than 2500 years. Try This As a class, compare the map of Ancient Rome below to a modern map in an atlas of the same area. What are the similarities? What are the differences? Tiber River Capitoline Cloaca Maxima (Forum) Servian Wall Palatine Circus Maximus Quirinal Viminal Caelian Esquiline Aqua Appia Aventine Construct a Time Line Construct a time line using some of the important dates in the Detailed Roman Time Line on pages 45-46. Note: The history of Ancient Rome covers a period of more than 1000 years. At its height, in 117 AD, the Roman Empire extended for thousands of miles in all directions and included peoples from England and northern Europe, Africa, the Mediterranian and the Near East. The empire was so vast that, at the same time, Roman citizens might be shivering under a blanket of snow in northern Britain and sweating beneath the scorching sun on an Egyptian desert. Romans lived differently, according to where and when they were born. Historians divide Rome into nine distinct periods: Early Rome (800BC-500BC), Republican Rome (500BC-50BC), Imperial Rome (50BC-AD300), Early Christian Rome (AD300-AD700), Medieval Rome (AD700-AD1350), Renaissance Rome (AD1350-AD1550), Baroque Rome (AD1550-AD1750), Rome during Unification (AD1750-AD1850) and Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries Rome (AD1900-present). This book focuses on Ancient Rome Early, Republican and Imperial and daily life in a typical Italian or southern European town during that time. 6 TLC10309 Copyright Teaching & Learning Company, Carthage, IL 62321-0010
Politics & Citizenship www.anthroarcheart.org Copyright 1999 Philip Baird ALL RIGHTS RESERVED At no time was Ancient Roman society very fair. In each of its three historical periods a definite social hierarchy existed: the Monarchy, the Republic and the Empire. The Roman Republic The Roman Republic emerged after the monarchy and the rule of the seven kings came to an end in 509 BC. It lasted for almost 500 years. Instead of a single individual, Republican Rome was ruled by two elected officials, called consuls. The consuls were chosen from the ranks of the Senate, and assembly of 300 powerful and wealthy citizens who took it upon themselves to represent the Roman people. (Any citizen who wanted his voice heard had to persuade a senator to speak on his behalf.) At first the Senate was dominated by a few rich, aristocratic families the patricians who had existed under the monarchy as an advisory council to the king and had thus inherited the king s powers. Eventually, however, a wealthy class of plebeians (common citizens) arose. The power of the plebeians grew, and by 287 BC they shared equally in government. Senators, who were voted into office (they used campaign tactics similar to those today to gain office, including having their names emblazoned on walls in the busiest parts of town), were the Roman lawmakers. They were frequently the subject of corruption charges, however, and made and repealed laws not to better society but to solidify their own popularity. There was a provision that allowed for rulers to take on emergency powers and become dictators in times TLC10309 Copyright Teaching & Learning Company, Carthage, IL 62321-0010 7