Roman Civilization CITIES IN THE EMPIRE

ARCHITECTURE

SOCIETY

MYSTIC RELIGIONS

Enduring Understanding

To understand a culture and society, you must try to

view that culture through the eyes of their citizens as

best you can. To do this we look to the buildings and artifacts left behind by that culture.

When people and societies are given the time to

analyze their place in existence, religions and movements which begin to answer those

fundamental questions will gain in popularity and

power.

Questions: What were the architectural skills that the Romans’ learned from

the societies they conquered?

How were these skills manifested in the monumental architecture throughout the empire?

Did the architecture of the Romans create a blue-print for buildings built many centuries after the empire failed?

What happened in the Roman culture that allowed the growth of the Mystic Religions surrounding the life of a Judean named Jesus?

Did persecuting early Christians for the problems of society help give rise to the growth of this religion?

Christianity was a major cause for the failure of the Roman government to address the problems and ills of society in a timely manner to prevent disenchantment with the Roman government. What evidence is there to prove this statement true or false?

Cities West: relatively small

Enclosed by walls

Only a few 1000 residents

All had Temples, Markets, Arenas, Courthouses, public buildings

East: much larger

Alexandria: 400,000

Ephesus: 200,000

Economy very strong

Cities, continued Rome largest city: over 1 million inhabitants

Will not be until the 1700’s will there be as large of cities

London

Paris: 1780 600,000

Cities had an “acceptable” standard for sanitation

City Life: Aristocracy

Wealthy had homes with running water

Slaves to tend them for everything

Evidence from Pompeii and Herculaneum

City Life: Working Class

No running water in houses but aqueducts access to water outside of homes

Cities: continued Working Life

Worked 6 to 7 hours a day

160 holidays (days off) through out the year

205 day work year

Social conditions:

Amusements were common

Public games

Chariot Races

Rome: Circus Maximus

Gladiator bouts

Both between each other and between men and animals

Coliseum

Copies in other cities

Roman Architecture

Buildings

Coliseum

Largest built in Rome

Pantheon

Temple to Jupiter

Roads

Aqueducts

Circus Maximus

Roads: All over the empire

Built originally to help move

military

Eventually used for trade

Water

Aqueducts for fresh water

Circus Maximus

Pompeii Herculaneum

Christianity MYSTIC RELIGIONS

JUDEA

Judea Early Judea was under Persian rule

After Alexander’s conquest

Ptolemies of Egypt conquered then

Seleucid kings of Syria

Greek control

Outlawed religion

Guerrilla war with Greeks by Judas Maccabaeus

Freedom for the Jews in Judea

Caesar conquered all of Judea in the wars with Pompey

Used great support of Jews to defeat Pompey

Rewarded them with

Reduced taxes

Exemption from military service

Palestine during

Roman Era

Roman control of Judea

Early in the Republic

Religious tolerance

Mystic religions such as Judaism and Zoroastrianism

Great toleration from Rome

Used client kings

Local rulers

Herod the Great (40-4BC)

Son, Herod Antipas

Weak ruler

Hated by most Jews

Poor leadership caused serious friction

Roman Mistakes Procurators (governors) of Rome

Ruled Roman Judea

Quarrels between Roman officers and Jews

Full Rebellion

AD66

Great Jewish War

Lasted until AD70

Demolishing the Temple

Only part left is the Western Wall of the Temple

Rome continued with tolerance until 131

Second rebellion suppression of the Jewish faith

Diaspora

Jesus

Historical figure

Jesus' existence confirmed

Roman historians

Josephus, Tacitus, and Suetonius

All are based upon teaching of charismatic Jewish teacher

Detailed information only available through writings

Saul of Tarsus (never met Jesus)

Authors of the “Gospels” (good news)

Narrative form describing the last 3 years of the life of Jesus

Jesus’ power over evil forces, message of hope and love, healing miracles and inclusiveness

Jesus continued

Jesus as a teacher:

Mother, Mary, betrothed to a man named Joseph

Born during Tiberius Caesar’s reign

4BC

Started teaching about 25AD

No prior records

Affirmed Pharisees’ belief in resurrection

In Sermon on the Mount

Believed poor, meek, pure in heart, peacemaker, justice seeker

Honored

Jesus continued Death

Only records from Christian Sources

Accused of blasphemy by high priests in Jerusalem

Pretending to be God’s Messiah and king

Opposed paying taxes to the Roman emperor

Threat to public order

Roman governor , Pontius Pilate

Ordered execution

Crucified, a painful form of execution

Followers convinced that God raised him from dead

Resurrection confirmed truth of deeds and words

Followers Start preaching the ideas of Jesus

Started calling Jesus “ho Christos”

Anointed one

Messiah

Jesus called the Christ

Shortened to Jesus Christ or just Christ

Stephen

First martyr

Killed by Roman’s

Saul of Tarsus

aka Paul

Saul of Tarsus

Area of Southern Turkey

Non-Jewish persecutor of Jews

33AD converted to Christianity

Proselytized to the non-Jewish

Persecutions Roman government

First new policy towards religious sects

Toleration

Romans even paid for sacrifices on behalf of the Empire in the Jerusalem temple.

Only asked for veneration on official occasions towards the Roman gods

Christians and Jews before refused

Couldn’t because of polytheism

Rome not interested in getting rid of the new religion

Minor persecutions over the years but not an attempt at eliminating Christianity

Persecutions continued

Christian heroes - the Saints

Martyrs were elevated to heroes and holy peoples to be

put death for their faith

Rome persecuted women as well as men.

Deaths were imaginative

Many women were fastened naked to a tree by one foot and

left to hang upside down.

One was tortured by being put to death with boiling pitch

poured over her.

Early Saints continued

St. Perpetua, put to death in Carthage

with her slave St. Felicitas

mauled by wild animals

then put under the sword.

Fourth Century during Diocletian reign

Rulers tried to eliminate the problem

sect

Early Saints

St Agnes

Agnes was exposed but was miraculously

covered with a growth of hair

Then tied to a stake and burnt but flames

didn’t touch her

Finally beheaded

St Cecilia

Imprisoned in her own bath in scalding water

only to emerge unscathed

She was also beheaded by Diocletian

Next: Constantine

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