The Roman Empire Notes

The Empire Grows

The Roman Empire started as a small nation in present-day Italy in Europe.
It grew quickly through use of a strong military.
It included parts of north Africa.
The empire grew too large and was attacked by many barbarian groups.
In AD 476, the empire was split up.

Roman Achievements
Romans wanted to improve the lives of the citizens.
Romans borrowed ideas from the people they conquered.

The Arch
The Romans used arches to make buildings and bridges stronger.
Arches can hold more weight than rectangles.
Many Roman bridges still stand because of the arches.

The Colosseum
Was built by 30,000 slaves.
Used arches and an advanced locking system.
Required 500,000 tons of rock, just for the structure!

Roads
The Romans built roads so they could quickly move the army to any part of the
empire.
These helped make trade easier.
They even served as a postal route for sending mail.

Aqueducts
Aqueducts were man-made channels that used gravity to move water.
Sometimes they would have to tunnel through mountains.
Many aqueducts still stand today which shows how well they were built.

Roman Medicine
The Romans had some very advanced medical skills.
They performed surgeries that wouldnt be done again for over 1,000 years!
They made medical tools similar to ones we use today.

Class Structure
Citizens:
The Emperor was the leader.
Senators helped him make decisions.
Equestrians had many rights and privileges.
Non-citizens:
Commoners and slaves did the work and were not treated well.
Citizenship
People born in the Empire were automatically citizens, but citizenship could also
be bought.
They could hold office and vote.
They were respected.
They had legal rights automatically.

Roman Provinces
The Empire was divided into several sections called provinces (sort of like states).
Rome provided entertainment, a system of laws, water from aqueducts, and
protection to all its provinces.

Chariot Racing
A chariot is a cart pulled by horses.
They could go up to 45 miles per hour!
The races were very dangerous.

Gladiators
Two or more people would fight in front of a huge crowd in the Colosseum.
These fights often ended in death.
Thumbs up (into chest), Thumbs down (drop sword).

Bathhouses
Most Romans took baths in public with other people.
Bathing was often a social gathering! You hang out at the Spectrum, they hung
out at the bathhouses!
They used olive oil instead of soap.

Religion in Rome
Romans worshipped many gods (Jupiter their main god)
Jesus was crucified in the province of Judea in 33 A.D.
Christians were attacked and blamed for Romes problems.
The Empire was split into 4 parts to help solve those problems.
The leader of one part was a man named Constantine.

Constantine and Christianity

Constantine saw a chi rho in the sky before a battle.
After winning the battle he became a Christian.
He gave Christians legal protection under Roman law. (Edict of Milan)
He moved the capitol to Constantinople and made it a Christian capital.

Constantinople
Advantages:
Centrally located
Easily protected (water on 3 sides)
Access to water for trading
Lasted almost 1,000 years.
The Roman Economy
In the 1st century about 20% of people were slaves.
Rome acquired money (and land) through war and piracy.
Trade within the Empire and with other Empires made Rome wealthy.

The Roman Forum

Many towns in the Empire had a central forum where people went each week to
shop.
Basically, it was a giant swap meet.

Republic to Empire
Rome began as a republic, a nation ruled by a group of people.
Later it became an empire, a nation ruled by one person.
Why would they change?

The Roman Military

Strongest military in the world for hundreds of years.
Built roads, aqueducts, defenses, and many other things for the Empire.
Expanded the size of the empire through force.

Barbarians
They didnt speak Latin.
They lived in societies just outside the Roman border.
They were intelligent and sophisticated cultures.
Many became part of the Roman army.
As Rome weakened, they raided the Empire for gold.
One of the most famous barbarians, Attila the Hun refused to attack Rome
because he was afraid of diseases.

The Fall of Rome

Barbarians (Attila the Hun) invaded and demanded tribute which led to high
taxes.
Slaves and non-citizens took advantage of the weakening Empire.
Slow communication and travel across the vast Empire made it hard to defend.

The Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire) survived a 1,000 years after the
fall of the Rome.
Unlike the West, the Byzantine Emperor was the leader of the Empire and the
church.
Justinian reunited the Empire for a short time, but it fell apart after he died (never
reunited again).

Things to remember:
1. Many Roman things and ideas are still with us today.
2. Rome covered most of Europe and the Middle East and couldnt hold it together
because it got too big.
3. Constantinople became the capital of the Roman Empire under Constantine and
then the capital of the Byzantium Empire as well.