3. Origins of Rome
• Rome was founded in the 8th Century B.C. and was
originally a small city-state ruled by a single king
• Late in the 6th Century B.C., the city’s aristocrats
deposed the king, ended the monarchy, and
instituted a republic
– A republic is a form of government in which delegates
represent the interests of various constituents
• The Roman republic survived for over 500 years and
at one time dominated the Mediterranean basin
4. Location
•Rome is the capital of Italy .
• The city of Rome is located in the central-western
portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber
River within the Lazio region of Italy.
• Rome's history spans over two and a half thousand
years.
• It was the capital city of the Roman Kingdom,
the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, which
was the dominant power in Western Europe and the
lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea for over seven
hundred years from the 1st Century BC until the 7th
5. Rise of Rome
• From humble beginnings,
Rome grew into a strong
commercial center, in part
because of its geographic
location
– Rome enjoyed easy access to the
Mediterranean via the Tiber
River, but because it was not on
the coast, it was safe from
invasion or attack by the sea
• By the 6th Century B.C., trade
routes from all parts of Italy
converged in Rome
7. Establishment of the Republic
• When the aristocracy deposed the king in 509
and established a republic, they instituted a
republican constitution
– Executive responsibilities were entrusted to two
consuls who wielded civil and military power
– Consuls were elected by an assembly dominated
by hereditary aristocrats and wealthy classes
– Consuls served one year terms
8. Establishment of the Republic
• The Senate was
composed mostly
of aristocrats with
extensive political
experience
• They advised the
consuls and
ratified all major
decisions
Roman Senate house
9. Patricians versus Plebeians
• Both the consuls and the
Senate represented the
interests of the patricians–
the hereditary aristocrats
and wealthy classes
• This caused tension
between the patricians and
the common people– the
plebeians
In honor of the Roman
plebeians, freshmen at West
Point are called plebes
10. Patricians versus Plebeians
• In the early 5th Century, tensions got so bad
that the plebeians threatened to secede from
Rome and establish a rival settlement
• In order to maintain the integrity of the
Roman state, the patricians granted the
plebeians the right to elect officials known as
tribunes to represent their interests
11. Patricians versus Plebeians
• Originally the plebeians were authorized two
tribunes, but that number eventually rose to
ten
• Tribunes had the power to intervene in all
political matters and to veto measures they
thought were unfair
– Still the patricians continued to dominate Rome
12. Increased Representation for Plebeians
• During the 4th Century,
plebeians became eligible to
hold almost all state offices and
gained the right to have one of
the consuls come from their
ranks
• By the early 3rd Century,
plebeian-dominated assemblies
won the power to make
decisions binding on all of Rome
• Republican Rome was gradually
broadening the base of political
participation
13. Dictators
• In times of civil or
military crisis, the
Roman
constitution
allowed for the
appointment of a
dictator who
wielded absolute
power for a term
of six months
Cincinnatus, shown here handing
the rods of power back to the city
fathers, served as dictator of Rome
twice
14. From Republic to Empire
• Imperial expansion brought wealth to Rome, but the
wealth was unequally distributed which aggravated
class tensions
– Conflicts arose over political and social policies
– During the 1st Century B.C. and the 1st Century A.D., Roman
civil and military leaders will gradually dismantle the
republican constitution and replace it with a centralized
imperial form of government
15. Bigger Problem
• The problem of land distribution was a
symptom of a bigger problem
– The constitution of the Roman republic had been
designed for a small city-state
– It was not suitable for a large and growing empire
• Roman politicians and generals began
jockeying for power and several raised
personal armies for support
16. Civil War
• The two most
important generals
were Gaius Marius
and Lucius Cornelius
Sulla
– Marius sided with
social reformers who
favored
redistribution of land
– Sulla sided with the
conservative and
aristocratic classes
SullaMarius
17. Civil War
• In 87 B.C., Marius marched on Rome, placed
the city under military occupation, and began
hunting down his enemies
• When Marius died the next year, Sulla moved
to replace him
• In 83, Sulla seized Rome and began
slaughtering his enemies
19. Roman Religion
• For centuries the Romans were polytheists.
• Roman religion was a mixture of rituals,
superstitions, and traditions which they
collected over the years from a number of
sources.
• Roman religious ritual was designed to
appease the gods.
20. Roman Religion
Household Worship
• The father acted as the priest. He led the
family in prayer to household gods like:
• Janus: the god protecting the doorway.
• Vesta: the god of the hearth.
Public Worship
• The Romans adopted Greek Gods and
changed their names. These were often the
gods worshiped in public.
21. Roman Religion
Mystery Cults
• Secret rituals were only known to those initiated into
the faith.
• From Egypt - the Cult of Isis
• From Persia, the Cult of Mithras - only admitted men
and was very popular among soldiers. This was one
of several resurrection cults. Initiates were baptized
with cow’s blood.
23. •Men typically wore a toga, and women a stola.
• The woman's stola looked different than a toga, and was usually brightly coloured.
• The cloth and the dress distinguished one class of people from the other class.
24. •The tunic worn by plebeians, or common people, like
shepherds and slaves, was made from coarse and dark
material.
• whereas the tunic worn by patricians was of linen or white
wool. A knight or magistrate would wear an augusticlavus, a
tunic bearing small purple studs.
•Senators wore tunics with broad red stripes, called tunica
laticlavia.
• Military tunics were shorter than the ones worn by civilians.
25. Even footwear indicated a person's social status.
Patricians wore red and orange sandals, senators had brown footwear, consuls had white shoes, and
soldiers wore heavy boots.
The Romans also invented socks for those soldiers required to fight on the northern frontiers, sometimes
worn in sandals.
27. •Romans had simple food habits.
•Staple food was simple, generally consumed at
• around 11 o'clock, and consisted of bread, salad, cheese,
• fruits, nuts, and cold meat left over from the dinner the night before.
•The Roman poet, Horace mentions another Roman favorite, the olive, in
reference to his own diet, which he describes as very simple:
• "As for me, olives, endives, and smooth mallows provide sustenance.“
• The family ate together, sitting on stools around a table. Fingers were used to eat
solid foods and spoons were used for soups.
28. Wine was considered a staple drink, consumed at all meals and occasions by all
classes and was quite cheap.
Many types of drinks involving grapes and honey were consumed as well.
Drinking on an empty stomach was regarded as boorish and a sure sign for
alcoholism, whose debilitating physical and psychological effects were known to
the Romans.
An accurate accusation of being an alcoholic was an effective way to discredit
political rivals. Prominent Roman alcoholics included Mark Antony.
30. Roman Family
• The Roman family was headed by the
paterfamilias, the dominant male.
• The household also included his wife, sons
with their wives and children, unmarried
daughters, and slaves.
• Unlike the Greeks, the Romans raised their
children at home.
31. Roman Family
• All upper-class Roman children learned to
read.
• Teachers often were Greek slaves because
prospering in the empire required knowing
both Greek and Latin.
32. Roman Family
• Roman boys learned reading and writing,
moral principles, family values, law, and
physical training.
• Roman males ended their childhood at 16
with a special ceremony.
• They exchanged their purple-edge togas for
the white toga of manhood.
33. Roman Family
• Some upperclass girls were educated
privately or in primary schools.
• At the time the boys entered secondary
schools, however, Roman girls were getting
married.
34. Roman Family
• Like the Greeks, Roman males believed the
weakness of women made it necessary for
them to have male guardians.
• The paterfamilias usually was the guardian.
• He also arranged the marriages of his
daughters.
35. Roman Family
• The legal minimum age for girls to marry was
12, though 14 was more common.
• The age for boys was 14.
• Divorce was introduced in the third century
B.C. and was easy to obtain.
• Both men and women could sue for divorce.
36. Roman Family
• By the second century A.D. the paterfamilias no
longer had complete authority in the family.
• For example, he could not sell his children into
slavery or have them put to death.
• Women increasingly were not required to have a
male guardian.
• Upper-class women could own, sell, and inherit
property.
37. Roman Family
• Outside the home women could attend the
races, the theater, and events in the
amphitheater.
• In the latter two places they had their own
seating section, however, and women could
not participate directly in politics.
39. What is Roman Architecture?
• Roman architecture stands today as a testament to the
ability and grandeur of this once great civilization that, at
one time, covered three continents. The common style of
architecture formed a thread that helped keep the vast
Roman empire connected.
• The Romans adopted the external language of classical
Greek architecture for their own purposes, which were so
different from Greek buildings as to create a new
architectural style. The two styles are often considered one
body of classical architecture. Sometimes that approach is
productive, and sometimes it hinders understanding by
causing us to judge Roman buildings by Greek standards.
40. Roman and Greek Architecture
The architecture of Classical Greece
and Rome did not come about all at
once, but came in different stages of
design and style. There were five
different styles that the Romans and
Greeks used throughout classical
times, from pre 500 BC to the first
century AD.
41. The Five Architectual Styles
1~ Doric Style
2~ Ionic Style
3~ Corinthean
4~ Tuscan
5~ Composite Order
43. Doric Style
• Columns built in this style usually
had no base and consisted of a
massive shaft with 20 flutes. Doric
architecture predates the 5th century
BC.
44. Doric Style
• The earliest temples were
built in the Doric style. Doric
temples are simple and
strong.
• In Doric temples, the
columns have no base, but
just sit right on the floor. At
the top of the columns,
there's a capital made of a
sort of small pillow in stone,
and then a square block,
under the architrave (ARR-kuh-
trayv).
46. Ionic Style
• More visibly complex than that of the
Doric style, being of slender
proportion, and their height being
generally about nine times the
column's lower diameter; the order is
always used with a base and the
column shaft usually has 24 flutings.
47. Ionic Style
• In Ionic temples, the columns have a
small base to stand on, instead of
sitting right on the floor. They are still
fluted, but they have more flutes
than Doric columns. At the top of the
columns, there's a double curve in
stone, under the architrave (ARR-kuh-
trayv). On the architrave, there is a
continuous frieze (FREEZE) where the
triglyphs and metopes would be on a
Doric temple.
48. This is an
example in which
the Ionic column
was used.
Temple of Athena Nike
in the Acropolis in Athens
49. Triglyphs and Metopes
Most Greek temples have a pattern
under the pediment known as triglyphs
and metopes. The triglyphs alternate
with the metopes across the front of the
temple. Triglyphs have three parts, and
then in between the triglyphs are the
metopes.
Greek temple
at Agrigento, Sicily
50. Corinthian Style
• The Corinthian style is fancier and heavier than the
Ionic style.
• This is the most ornate of the classical styles and is
generally much more slender than the Ionic style.
The Romans used the Corinthian order in numerous
monumental works of imperial architecture. They
gave it a special base, made carved additions to the
cornice, and created numerous capital variations,
utilizing florid leafage and sometimes human and
animal figures.
51. Corinthian Style
In Corinthian temples, the
columns have a fancier base to
stand on. At the top of the
columns, on the capital, there's
a stone carving of acanthus
leaves, under the architrave
(ARR-kuh-trayv). On the
architrave, as in Ionic temples,
there is a continuous frieze
where the triglyphs and
metopes would be on a Doric
temple.
52. Temple of Castor
in the Roman Forum
Maison Carrée
in Nimes, France
These are
examples in which
the Corinthian
columns were
used.
53. Tuscan Style
• The Tuscan column was the next form to
be introduced and it was introduced by the
Etruscans. The Tuscan Column is a very
simple, plain column with a base and non-
fluted shaft. No major examples of this
architectural type survive today.
54. Composite Order
• The Composite form is a combination of Ionic and
Corinthian orders. This form was the most
complex due to the fact that it used the arch.
Due to the advances of the Composite style of
architecture and the skill that the Romans had
with concrete, the Romans were able to develop
such architectural marvels like the arch, the vault
and the dome.
56. The Pantheon
• One of the most famous
domed buildings to come
from the ancient Romans
was the Pantheon built in
the last century BC by
Marcus Agrippa and later
refurbished by Hadrian.
This building was originally
built as a temple to all the
Roman gods but was later
converted into a Christian
temple. This building has
the honor of being the
oldest, and largest, free
standing dome in history.
The Pantheon
Inside the
Pantheon
57. Structure
• Largest un-reinforced concrete dome in the world.
– Dome was made to represent the heavens.
– Built atop concentric circles before the final dome reaches
a height of 43 meters
– Oculus, “Great Eye”
• Thickness of the dome recedes from ~6 meters at the
base to ~1 meter at the top
– Upper part of dome made from volcanic material
59. Outer Architecture
• Current ground level too high
• Total of 16 Corinthian columns flank the
entrance and two niches beside door.
• Pediment not as wide and taller than most
others
– Done to hide the top of the dome from the front.
• Extension of portico. Second Pediment?
• Bronze doors
61. Interior
• Coffers leading up to the Oculus
– 5 rows of 28 coffers each, housed bronze
ornaments and statues.
• Many niche’s along outer wall
– Each niche may have housed statues to different
gods and emperor’s.
– After the building was given to the church,
Christian alters and burials replaced the statues.
64. Floor
• Simple geometric designs adorn floor
• Many different types of marble and stone
used
– Imperial Porphyry
– Grey Granite
– Docimian Pavonazzetta
– Giallo Numidiana
• Use of rare stone shows extent and power of
empire.
65. Aqueducts
• The Roman development of the arch also led to the
building of the great aqueducts for which were used to
transport great amounts of water over vast miles of
land. The need for aqueducts occurred in Rome during
the mid republic due to the fact that the Tiber river
had gotten too muddy and polluted from waste
dumping and other deeds. As time went on, numerous
aqueducts were built in Rome and throughout the
empire in general.
• Perhaps the most well preserved aqueduct is Pont du
Gard near Nimes, France
Pont du Gard
near Nimes, France
66. To transport the water over great
distances, the Roman Aqueduct
worked with the principals of gravity
and they also had special basins
between the source and the
destination that would help purify the
water. Once the water had reached
the destination, it was kept in a
storage tank where it would be
distributed by pipes to different
locations in the city. Some lucky
upper class people had water piped
directly to their residence, the earliest
known form of a sophisticated pipe
system.
67. Roman Baths
• With the water system that the
Aqueduct allowed, the Roman public
baths got more sophisticated and grew
in size as time went on.
• By the second century AD, public baths
had grown in size and variety. In these
new facilities, the pampered could do
everything from eat, to exercise, and
even read.
68. Great Advances
• The system that the Romans had for maintaining
their bath houses was an engineering wonder.
– In the cold and hot areas of the bath, the water
temperature was actually regulated by the use of
underground fire furnaces.
– Also, the dirty water in the baths was actually drained
and replaced regularly.
– The bath house also had a hookup to the complex
Roman water system and so always had an ample
source of water, for both bathing in, and for drinking.
The great sanitary conditions of the bath house
were major factors that helped to make the
Roman empire the cleanest society up until the
19th century.
69. Amphitheater
• The Roman Amphitheater, like most styles of
buildings, was influenced greatly by the Greek
civilization. These structures were generally
circular and used the arch as their style of
building but some were known to be built into a
mountain or hillside. The theaters and
amphitheaters were quite big in size and could
hold upwards of 50 000 spectators.
71. The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian
Amphitheatre (Latin:Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian Anfiteatro
Flavio or Colosseo), is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the
city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire.
It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman
architecture and Roman engineering.
Capable of seating 50,000 spectators,[the Colosseum was used for
gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles,
animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas
based on Classical mythology.
The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early
medieval era.
It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops,
quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and
a Christian shrine.
72. Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused
by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is
an iconic symbol of ImperialRome.
It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close
connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good
Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the
area around the Colosseum.
The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro
coin.
75. The Colosseum underwent several radical changes of use during the
medieval period.
By the late 6th century a small church had been built into the structure
of the amphitheatre, though this apparently did not confer any particular
religious significance on the building as a whole.
The arena was converted into a cemetery.
The numerous vaulted spaces in the arcades under the seating were
converted into housing and workshops, and are recorded as still being
rented out as late as the 12th century.
76. Interior of the Colosseum. The Stations of
the Cross around the arena and the
extensive vegetation, both removed later
in the 19th century.
78. Between 1993 and 2000, parts of the outer wall were cleaned (left) to
repair the Colosseum from automobile exhaust damage
79. Because of the ruined state of the interior, it is impractical to use the
Colosseum to host large events; only a few hundred spectators can be
accommodated in temporary seating. However, much larger concerts have
been held just outside, using the Colosseum as a backdrop.
80. EXTERIOR
The exterior of the Colosseum, showing the partially intact outer wall (left) and the
mostly intact inner wall (right)
84. THE ARENA AND THE HYPOGEUM
The Colosseum arena, showing the hypogeum. The wooden
walkway is a modern structure
85. The arena itself was 83 meters by 48 meters (272 ft by 157 ft / 280 by
163 Roman feet).
It comprised a wooden floor covered by sand (the Latin word for sand
is harena or arena), covering an elaborate underground structure called
the hypogeum (literally meaning "underground").
Little now remains of the original arena floor, but the hypogeum is still
clearly visible.
It consisted of a two-level subterranean network of tunnels and cages
beneath the arena where gladiators and animals were held before contests
began.
Eighty vertical shafts provided instant access to the arena for caged
animals and scenery pieces concealed underneath; larger hinged
platforms, calledhegmata, provided access for elephants and the like.
It was restructured on numerous occasions; at least twelve different
phases of construction can be seen.
89. The Circus Maximus (Latin for great or large circus, in Italian Circo Massimo) is
an ancient Roman chariot racing stadium and mass entertainment venue
located inRome.
Situated in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills, it was the first
and largest Chariot Racing Stadium in ancient Rome.
The site is now a public park and retains little evidence of its former use.
The Circus could hold over 1/4 of the city's population, over 250,000 people,
allowing for this Circus to be a popular viewing place by the Romans.
The Circus measured "621 m (2,037 ft) in length and 118 m (387 ft) in width.
Map of central Rome during the
Roman Empire, with the Circus
Maximus at the lower right corner.
91. Chariot racing was the most important event at the Circus.
The track could hold twelve chariots, and the two sides of the track were
separated by a raised median called the "spina".
The spina was set slightly diagonally.
Statues of various gods were set up on the spina, and Augustus erected
an Egyptian obelisk on it as well.
On the spina, there were rotatable metal dolphins that were turned down to
mark laps around the course.
Chariot racing was an extremely dangerous sport, frequently resulting in
spectacular crashes and the death of one or more of the contestants.
One end of the track extended further back than the other, to allow the chariots
to line up to begin the race.
During these chariot races, bribery of the judge in order to fix the start of the
race was very common.
The race went for a total distance of about 6.5 km (4 miles). Prostitution was
popular along the gates of Circus Maximus.
92. The Circus Maximus retained the honour of being the first and largest
circus in Rome.
Ruins of the Circus Maximus
(1983).
93. ROMAN BATH • Roman bathing, which consisted of the Roman baths (or
thermae) and also balneum
• Early Romans used baths, but seldom, and only then for heath
and cleanliness
• Existence in 25 BC with the first thermae built by the Emperor
Argippa
• Most Romans bathed in local neighborhood balneum, with an
average of 5 bath houses per block
• Popularity of these balneum led to the creation of the thermae
• Each emperor tried to improve upon the design, grandeur, and
popularity of the ones before him
• In order to create popularity, the fees to bath were practically
nonexistent
• The best and most grand bath complexes were found within
Rome, as it served as the capital of the empire
• The success of the bath complexes owes much to the
technological advances of the Greeks and early Roman
• The improvement of the aqueduct, the architectural usage of
vaulted ceilings, and the hypocaust heating system allowed
these great complexes to be as magnificent as they were
94. Bath Of
Caracalla_______________________MAIN BUILDING
27 acres complex (11 hectares).
Accommodate up to 2000 people per
time.
Main building at the centre and covered
by a thick wall consists of libraries and
gym and also gardens.
6 feet height for loading purpose.
Main building have upper level for service and
heating and lower level for water drainage.
Heating reservoir by Aque Marcia Aqueduct.
The bath was known because of the rich
interiors of marble seats, mosaic walls and
floors as well as fountain and statue.
96. Bath Of
Caracalla_______________________INTERIOR
APODYTERIUM (DRESSING ROOMS )
A FIRST STOP PLACE FOR BATHERS
BEFORE THEY GET TO A STEP BY STEP
BATHS.
EQUIPPED WITH BENCHES AND OFTEN
CUBICLES TO STORE BATHER’S CLOTHES.
COMMONLY ONE SLAVE WILL STAY TO
WATCH THE BATHERS BELONGINGS.
97. Bath Of
Caracalla_______________________
A FACILITIES SERVE FOR TRAINING IN
BOXING AND PLAY A KIND OF BALL
GAME.
THOSE ACTIVITIES WILL MAKES BATHERS
TO HAVE SOME MODERATE EXERCISE
BEFORE THEY GET TO BATHS.
INTERIOR
PALAESTRAS (EXERCISE YARD)
98. Bath Of
Caracalla_______________________
CALIDARIUM
INTERIOR
A HOT ROOM WITH A HOT POOL OF
WATER – 35M DIAMETER.
THIS POOLS HELPS TO OPEN THE
BATHERS PORES AND ALSO HELP THEM
TO SWEATS.
A wing of the underground levels under the
caldarium. The large dimensions of the
galleries derived from the necessity to bring in
horse-drawn wagons full of wood.
105. Bath Of
Caracalla_______________________SECTION
THE BUILDING HAVE TWO LEVELS WHICH IS
THE LOWER LEVEL IS A PLACE FOR THE
SYSTEM USED TO HEATING SEVERAL ROOMS
AND ALSO FOR THE DRAINAGE.
UPPER LEVEL IS A PLACE WHERE ALL
FEATURES LIKE STATUE AND FOUNTAIN
LOCATED AND FOR ALL HUMAN ACTIVITIES.
108. The ancient Romans used a consolidated scheme for city planning, developed for
military defense and civil convenience.
The basic plan consisted of a central forum with city services, surrounded by a
compact, rectilinear grid of streets, and wrapped in a wall for defense.
To reduce travel times, two diagonal streets crossed the square grid, passing through
the central square.
A river usually flowed through the city, providing water, transport, and sewage
disposal.
Many European towns, preserve the remains of these schemes, which show the very
logical way the Romans designed their cities.
They would lay out the streets at right angles, in the form of a square grid. All roads
were equal in width and length, except for two, which were slightly wider than the
others.
109. One of these ran east–west, the other, north–south, and intersected in the middle to
form the center of the grid.
All roads were made of carefully fitted flag stones and filled in with smaller, hard-
packed rocks and pebbles.
The city was surrounded by a wall to protect it from invaders and to mark the city
limits.
Areas outside city limits were left open as farmland.
At the end of each main road was a large gateway with watchtowers.
A portcullis covered the opening when the city was under siege, and additional
watchtowers were constructed along the city walls.