Expansion of Roman influence	Brought economic and social changes to the Mediterranean basin Good roads and pax romana	Encouraged trade between regions Existing cities	Benefitted from wealth generated by trade; Romans founded new cities as links in the economy Strictly patriarchal society	With extensive use of slave labor Roman engineers	Built roads and paved the main street of cities Trade and urbanization	Led to economic development and social change Agricultural production	Was transformed with expansion of empire and growth of trade Latifundia	Focused on production for export Commercial agriculture	Played important role in economic specialization and integration Vigorous trade	Over the Mediterranean sea lanes Roman military and naval power	Kept seas free of pirates Merchants, military, and officials	Linked regions into a well-integrated network of communication and exchange Remote rural areas	Still used high-quality goods imported from afar Berenice on Red Sea coast	Offered access to Indian Ocean and distant markets Cities	Benefitted greatly from Mediterranean integration and played a prominent role in promoting change Profit from trade	Flowed to Rome, fueling urban development Roman state	Financed construction of temples, bathhouses, public buildings, stadiums, and aqueducts Use of concrete	Allowed for construction of precise plumbing and water control systems Construction in Rome	Provided employment for hundreds of thousands of workers and led to population surge and rapid growth of the city's economy Urban growth and development beyond Rome	Some parts of the empire had long-standing urban traditions, while others were founded by Romans for purposes of government and administration Roman Cities	Enjoyed amenities such as freshwater, elaborate sewage and plumbing systems, public baths, and entertainment options Roman Entertainment	Enormous circuses, stadiums, and theaters provided entertainment for urban masses Family and Society in Roman Times	Roman law vested immense authority in male heads of families and women usually wielded considerable influence within their households Wealth and Social Change	New classes of merchants, landowners, and contractors accumulated private wealth and rivaled old nobility for prominence Urban Slaves	Worked as domestic servants, laborers, craftsmen, shopkeepers, or business agents for owners and manumission was possible after a long term of service The Cosmopolitan Mediterranean	Integration had effects on trade, economy, culture, and religion of the Roman empire and allowed for the spread of new popular religions Greek Philosophy and Religions of Salvation	Stoicism became the prominent school of moral philosophy in Rome and religions of salvation provided comfort for both educated elites and unschooled masses. Greek Influence	The Romans drew inspiration from the Greek tradition of rational thought and philosophy, particularly Stoicism. Stoicism	A school of thought in Hellenistic Greece that sought to identify a set of universal moral standards based on nature and reason. Marcus Tullius Cicero	A Roman thinker who adopted Stoic values and became a prominent figure in spreading Stoicism as the most prominent school of moral philosophy in Rome. Religions of Salvation	Religions that offered comfort and a sense of purpose, promising a glorious future existence, and became popular in the Mediterranean basin and beyond during the Hellenistic period. Mithraism	A popular religion of salvation among Roman soldiers and merchants, dedicated to the Persian deity Mithras, which associated Mithras with military virtues and offered hope for individuals who followed its teachings. Cult of Isis	A popular religion of salvation, dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis, that welcomed both men and women, nurtured its followers, and helped them cope with life's stresses. Judaism and Early Christianity	The Jewish people maintained their faith and communities under various imperial regimes, including the Roman empire, which created problems for their strict monotheism and eventually paved the way for the success of Christianity in the empire.
Updated 991d ago