History - Ancient Rome

When did Mount Vesuvius erupt?

79 AD

What cities were affected by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius?

Pompeii and Herculaneum

What happened to the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum after the eruption?

They were covered in volcanic ash and lava and were essentially “frozen in time”

What did the discovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum’s ruins teach us about life back then?

It provided evidence for how Romans lived at that time, including their houses, streets, shops, animals and entertainment.

When was Rome established?

753 BCE

Where was Rome established?

It was formed by 7 villages on 7 hills on the banks of the River Tiber joining together

In what year had the Roman Empire conquered all of Italy

250 BCE

Eventually the Roman Empire stretched from (…) to (…)

Hadrian's Wall to Turkey

When did the Roman Empire collapse

476 AD

Give a short recap on the legend of Romulus and Remus

Romulus and Remus were brothers who had been left to die near the River Tiber, the story goes that a she-wolf raised them. They decided to build a city at the spot where they were found, but while having a dispute over the placement of a wall, Romulus killed Remus and named the city after himself.

When did Rome become a republic

509 BCE

Forum

A town marketplace

Amphitheatre

A circular or elliptical “stadium” with a space in the middle for gladiatorial contests

Public baths

Places were Roman bathed daily and met with friends

Layout of Roman Towns

• Grid pattern

• Paved streets (North-South and East-West

• Town walls for defence

• Main gates

Patricians

Wealthy and Powerful Romans that controlled the senate

Domus

Private, city houses

Villas

Country houses with farms and beaches

Features of a Domus

• Walls around the house

• A shop at the front

• Peristylium

• Atrium

• Dining room

• Bedrooms

Atrium

A courtyard at the centre of the house with a pool to catch rainwater

Peristylium

A walled garden at the back of the domus with exotic plants

Patrician families

• Large family group

• Father fully in charge

• Mother’s ran the household and ordered the slaves

Patrician marriages

Marriages were often arranged to increase a families’ wealth and influence. Girls were allowed to marry at 12 years of age and boys at 14

Tunics

Short-sleeved, knee-length garments that were the base of any Romans clothing, rich or poor

Togas and Stolas

Wealthy men wore togas over an undertunic while wealthy women wore stolas over an undertunic

Meals

Romans usually ate two simple meals for breakfast and lunch before eating their biggest meal known as Cena

Cena

Main meal of the day for all Romans (richer families had three courses)

Patrician foods

Eggs, sea urchins, oyster, pork, exotic fruits and dormice, which were rare and expensive.

Entertainment during meals for Patricians

Patricians lay on couches around a large central table. Slaves served the food and musicians entertained during the meal. Sometimes people ate so much that they deliberately got sick so that they could begin again.

Plebeians

The average Roman lower-class person, Plebeians included those who produced or sold anything, right down to the very poor.

Jobs for Plebeians

Poorer Plebeians were labourers while some were better off as craftsmen, such as bakers, glassworkers or carpenters

Insulae (pl.)

Apartment blocks that were 5-6 stories tall. Better off families rented lower, well-furnished floors, while poorer families had to live in the upper floors which were in bad condition. The rooms at street level were rented out as shops

Toilet situation for Plebeians

There was usually no toilets in insulae, so people had to use public toilets. There was also no direct water supply so Plebeians had to draw water from public fountains which were supplied by aqueducts

Plebeian food

Plebeians ate bread and wheat biscuits for breakfast and lunch. They also ate a kind of porridge made from wheat and barley.

Thermopolia

Take-away shops which served hot food

Dole

A free supply of grain from the Empire given to the poor (200,000)

Roman Women

• A woman's place was in the home. She was under the control of her husband.

• The ideal Roman woman was hard-working and obedient to her husband.

• She gave orders to the slaves who did the work, the only traditional work that richer women did was spinning or weaving.

• Poorer women worked in the markets, the shops and the baths.

When was Julius Caesar born?

100 BCE

When Caesar returned to Rome, what did he work as?

An Orator (speaker)

What areas did Caesar add to the empire?

Belgium and Britain

How many soldiers did the Roman Army have?

150,000 - divided into 30 legions

Legion

A group of 5,000 soldiers, called legionnaires

Century

Legions were further divided into centuries, a group of 100 men, led by a Centurion

How did soldiers obtain their uniforms?

They paid for it out of their own wages

What training did soldiers go through

Running, javelin-throwing and sword fighting, they also sometimes went on 30km marches

What equipment did soldiers have?

• 2 spears

• a dagger

• a short sword

• a shield

All the equipment weighed nearly 40kg

Who did Caesar defeat to make him the Dictator of Rome?

He defeated Pompey in a Civil War in 49 BC

When and how did Caesar die?

Caesar was assassinated on the 15th of March (Ides of March) 44 BC by the Senate, as they feared he would try and overthrow them

How many slaves were there in Italy

Between 1.5-2 million, which was around 20% of the population

Who owned slaves?

The government or patricians owned slaves

Where were slaves from and where were they sold?

Many slaves were brought back from foreign war and they were bought and sold at markets

Education for Plebeians

Most poor children did not receive education and couldn’t read or write because they had to work

Education for Patricians

Sons and daughters of rich families went to Ludus. Boys went to secondary school where they learned History, Philosophy, Geometry and the writings of Greek and Latin scholars. Rich girls ended their education at 12-14 to get married off

Ludus

Roman primary school

What forms of entertainment were available?

• Chariot racing

• Gladiatorial fights

• Public baths

• Theatres and Plays

Gladiators

Slaves or criminals trained to fight. They usually fought each other or a wild animal using swords, nets, tridents, shields and daggers

Colosseum

One of the largest amphitheatre’s in the Roman empire. Seats up 80,000 people

Chariot racing

Races between men on chariots pulled by horses, usually takes place in the Circus Maximus between 4 teams

Circus Maximus

Can hold 250,000 spectators, long oval-shaped stadium

Public Baths

Romans went to the baths each day in the early afternoon. They went to the baths, not just to wash themselves, but also to meet friends and discuss business. There were about 1,000 private baths and 11 public ones. Romans used oil to clean their bodies

Tepidarium (sounds like timid)

Warm room

Caldarium (sounds like scald)

Hot room

Frigidarium (sounds like fridge)

Cold room

Strigil

A curved instrument used to scrape oil and dirt off the body