The Roman Empire began with Julius Caesar's bid for power. The Roman Senate was in chaos, and so Julius Caesar left Gaul, a land he had subdued and now governed, to invade Italy and bring order to Rome. His reign of power lasted only a few years, but it was the beginning of the end of the great Roman Republic and heralded the coming of the Roman Empire and a long line of emperors. Some of these emperors were great men, and others were disastrous rulers.

Here are your goals for this lesson:

OBJECTIVES

• Describe the growth of the Roman Empire.

• Discuss the technology that enabled the Empire to thrive.

• Identify a number of public works built by Rome.

• Discuss the building of the Colosseum.

VOCABULARY

To learn more about one of the most famous Roman emperors, Augustus, read this article and answer the following questions in your notes.

• Who was Julius Caesar's nephew?

• Who was Rome's first emperor?

Augustus reigned for more than forty years and created a period of stability and prosperity for the people of Rome. He also expanded the Roman Empire, adding Egypt, northern Spain and much of central Europe to its territory. When he died in 14 AD, he was declared a god, but what would be the fate of Rome now that this able leader was gone? Unfortunately for the Roman citizenry, he was followed by the tyrannical Tiberius and then the notorious Caligula, a madman.

For a firsthand account of Caligula's cruelty, we turn to the Roman writer Suetonius' description in The Lives of the Caesars: Caius Caligula (AD 110 ):

"When cattle to feed the wild beasts which he had provided for a gladiatorial show were rather costly, he selected criminals to be devoured, and reviewing the line of prisoners without examining the charges, but merely taking his place in the middle of a colonnade, he bade them be led away 'from baldhead to baldhead.' . . . Many men of honorable rank were first disfigured with the marks of branding-irons and then condemned to the mines, to work at building roads, or to be thrown to the wild beasts; or else he shut them up in cages on all fours, like animals, or had them sawn asunder. Not all these punishments were for serious offences, but merely for criticizing one of his shows, or for never having sworn by his Genius."

Fortunately, successive emperors were more sensible and less bloodthirsty than Caligula.

ROMAN TECHNOLOGY, STATUES, AND MONUMENTS

Roman Technology

Perhaps the most important aspect of Roman civilization was its architecture. The architecture of Rome consisted of more than simply the building of temples. Romans designed: aqueducts, circuses, theaters, stadiums, bath houses, apartment homes, and private residences. They also built roads and bridges to enable travel throughout the empire.

The technology behind these great public works allowed the population of Rome to grow to more than one million people at the height of the empire. Today, more than six million people live in Rome.

Did you know that parts of the Roman aqueduct system still deliver water to Roman fountains today?

Always aiming to impress, the Romans liked to do things in a big way. In addition to statues of military political leaders, Romans erected large, decorated monuments that displayed skillfully crafted relief sculptures. These monuments include enormous arches and columns and depict scenes that show movement and animation.

Look at the Column of Trajan. In the closer image, you can see scenes from Roman army life.

In Rome, you can see that visual art and architecture were generally integrated. So now that we've examined Roman art, let's turn to Roman architecture.

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE AND VAULTS

Roman architecture, as you know, borrowed heavily from other civilizations, especially the Greeks, but they also refined and added to the artistry of earlier civilizations. The Greeks had the Parthenon, but the Romans had the Colosseum and Pantheon (the temple of all gods) with its 144-foot-diameter dome:

Romans created vast spaces using domes and a technology known as the barrel vault. They were able to do this through the development of concrete, which revolutionized architecture.

Roman Vaults 

Look at the example of this basilica located on the Roman Forum. It was built using lateral vaults (side by side) and cross vaults or groin vaults (formed by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults of equal size) over the central nave. Windows in the vaults allowed light to pour in. At the time, the vaults were covered in a gilded finish that must have gleamed when the light hit it. 

THE LEGACY OF ROME

Around 300, the Roman Empire was divided into a system ruled by two emperors and two capitals: one in the east ruled from Constantinople and the other in the west ruled by Rome. The emperors cooperated with each other when it came to ruling the empire as a whole, but each had autonomy in his half of the empire. Changes were afoot, however, as Christianity grew in stature and eventually became the official religion in the east. In the west, German tribes invaded Rome and brought it down. The eastern part of the empire survived until 1453.

The Romans were generally a practical people. Even under the emperors, the people had some say in the government. There was a tolerance for a variety of religions, and almost anyone could become a citizen. These are some of the reasons their empire survived so long. In addition, their technological legacy transformed the world and has influenced the way we live today.

LET'S REVIEW!

In this lesson, you have covered the following subjects:

• The extraordinary public works of the Roman Empire, including the Colosseum, aqueducts, and temples.

• The role Roman ingenuity had in promoting a higher quality of living.

• The much fabled arches and monuments that typify the glory of Rome.

• The synthesis of beauty and utility found in Roman innovations such as the rounded arch, the barrel vault, the dome, concrete, and glass.

Complete the quiz before moving on.