ANCIENT
ROME
TECHNOLOGY!!!!
BY:
BUI VIET LINH DAN
Y6B HUMANTIES
I WROTE THIS BOOK
FOR EVERYONE WHO IS
INTERESTED IN
ANCIENT ROME
TECHNOLOGY!!!
ESPECIALLY FOR MY
TEACHER: MRS.O
MY FAMILY
MY FRIENDS
EVERYONE
SECTION 1: Introduction
SECTION 2: Timeline
SECTION 3: Engineering
SECTION 4: Machines
SECTION 5: Road
SECTION 6: Aqueducts
SECTION 7: Bridges
SECTION 8:Dams
SECTION 9: Sanitation
SECTION 10: Conclusion
SECTION 11: Bibliography
SECTION 12: Glossary
SECTION 13: Book Review
SECTION 14: Questions for U
INTRODUCTION
One of the most impressive features
that made Rome great was advanced
technology applied in many areas,
such as, construction of roads, bridges,
buildings, theaters, arenas; machines, mining etc. This
technology was adopted from earlier Greek designs.
Many of the constructions of ancient Romans still last untill
present day and are considered wonders of the modern world. Of
them are many monuments such as the Colosseum, and
Pantheon that were still remain as symbols of Ancient Rome’s
civilization. The advancement in technology helped the Roman
army to be very strong, they could invade and take over most of
the lands in Europe to be a very powerful empire at that time. In
addition, Romans’ technology was also applied in developing
their economics, which made their empire very rich.
TIMELINE!!!>.<
Important dates in the growth of Rome!!!
DATE
753BC
509BC
200BC
100BC44BC
27BC
0
117AD
212AD
395AD
410AD
476AD
EVENT
The traditional date given for the beginning of the city
of Rome is 753BC but there is very little supporting
archaeological evidence. The date is probably based
more on the myths and writings of Ancient Rome
historians than fact, but it is clear that by 600BC, Rome
was thriving city under the control of the Etruscans.
Romans overthrew the Monarchy of Tarquin the Proud
and created a republic (Roman Republic).
Rome established control over the Italian peninsula.
Generals in charge of armies fought to again control of
Rome. Julius Caesar succeeded and became dictator of
Rome. The end of the Republic (Roman Republic).
Octavian became “emperor”. He was more powerful
than the elected Senate. The beginning of the Roman
Empire.
The Birth of Jesus Christ
Roman Empire reached its largest size.
Roman citizenship was given to all free inhabitants of
the Empire.
Rome spilt into Western and Eastern Empires.
The Visigoths attacked the city of Rome
German tribes overthrew the Western Empire. The
Eastern Empire survived for another 1000 years. In
1453, the Ottoman Turks took control.
Engineering and construction
The Romans were famous for a series of
constructions such as, aqueducts, dams, bridges,
sanitation, and amphitheaters. Especially in
Roman architecture were columns and arches
that were adopted from the Etruscan
civilization. The Romans knew how to use
cements in construction made from
pozzolanic ash/pozzolana and an aggregate
made from pumice. They also used the
technique of “double glazing” in constructing
houses and public baths to keep them warm.
Another technique also found in Roman times
was the practice of glassblowing, which started
in Syria and spread through the empire.
Machines
The Ancient Romans
knew how use a lot of
machines to aid them in
agriculture and construction. One of the wellknown machines was the “screw presses” for
olives. They helped the Roman farmers get oil
from olives seeds very easily and quickly.
However, the screw press was not a Roman
invention. Another type of machine was the
crane. It was used very early on by the
Romans in construction work and in loading
and unloading ships at their ports. It could lift
about 6-7 tons of cargo and worked by tread
wheel.
Road
The Romans built a lot of roads
within their empire to serve for
military and economic purposes. They were also used as dams
resistant to floods and other environmental hazards. The total
length built was about 85,000 km. It was through the system of
roads that the Romans could develop their economy very fast and
their army very powerful. Along the roads, at a regular interval,
the Romans built many stations where people could have a rest or
refreshment after a long way. This allowed people to travel a
maximum of 800 km in 24 hours by a relay of horses.
The technique to build the roads that the Romans applied as
follows:

Digging a pit along the length of the intended course, often
to bedrock.

Filling the pits with rocks, gravel or sand and then a layer of
concrete.

Paving with polygonal rock slabs
The most well-known road was Via Appia connecting the city of
Rome to the Southern parts of Italy remains usable even today.
Aqueducts
The Aqueduct was the water system that
conducted water from reservoirs to households
and wastewater from households to points outside the houses.
Ancient Rome built a lot of aqueducts to serve water for large
cities, small towns and industrial sites in their empire. The first
Roman Aqueduct was called Aqua Appia built in 312BC.
The principle for an aqueduct to work based totally on gravity,
the pull of the earth. Water was carried directly from springs
high on the mountains. Under the gravity, it flows automatically
and directly to the aqueducts. Here water was treated carefully
before it was contained in the tanks or containers and then
conducted to households, factories, or other consumers through
a system of pipes.
The city of Rome itself was supplied by eleven aqueducts made
of limestone that provided the city with over 1 million cubic
metres of water each day, sufficient for 3.5 million people even
in modern day times, and with a combined length
of 350 kilometers (220 mi) of pipes.
Bridges
The Romans developed the technology for building bridges very
early and unique. Their bridges were large and strong so that
they could exist for a long time. The uniqueness in building
Roman bridges was the arches with stone. This was considered
the basic structure of bridge techniques at that time. Most of
Roman bridges were built with stone and some with concrete.
The biggest Roman bridge was Trajan’s bridge over the lower
Danube constructed by Apollodorus of Damascus. It remained
for over a millennium. Today, somewhere in the world, this
technique is still applied to build bridge.
Dams
The Romans built many dams across the
country and their empire to contain water. One
of the well-known dams was Subiaco Dam. The
dams supplied water for Anio Novus, one of the
largest aqueducts of Rome. Meanwhile,
Montefurado Dam was built across the river Sil
for exploiting gold in the riverbed, and
Longovicium Dam used in industrialscale smithing or smelting.
Tanks for holding water are also common along
aqueduct systems such as the gold mines
at Dolaucothi in west Wales. Masonry dams were
common in North Africa for providing a reliable
water supply from the Wadis behind many
settlements.
Sanitation
Ancient Rome was
famous for their, many
public baths, which their
citizens could use for
relaxing and exercising
places. They served hygienic, social and cultural functions. Most
of the public baths consisted of three main facilities for bathing.
Firstly, changing clothes in changing room, then Romans would
go to the Warm Room to perform warm-up exercises and
stretched while others oiled themselves or had slaves oil them.
The warm room’s main purpose was to promote sweating to
prepare for the next hot room unlike the Warm Room that was
extremely humid and hot. Temperatures in the hot room could
reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).Many
contained steam baths and a cold-water fountain known as
the labrum. Finally, the Romans went to the Cold Room, which
offered a cold bath for cooling.
CONCLUSION
Above were just some of the achievements that the
Romans applied technology to construction during the
period of their empire. This explained partly why the
Romans’ empire was very powerful and great at the
time that most nations were under developed. The
stamp of the ancient Roman’s splendid civilization still
exists and remains somewhere throughout the world,
especially in Europe. Today, many of advanced
technology of the Romans are still applied to
construction of buildings and bridges. As a result,
learning from history those who own an advanced
technology will be powerful and more developed.
BIBLIOGRAPHY!!!!
ALL OF THE INFORMATION IN THIS
BOOK IS FROM THE INTERNET AND
THE ANCIENT ROME BOOK THAT
MRS.O GAVE ME IN THE LESSON!!!!
THESE ARE SOME WEBSITES THAT I
GOT THE INFORMATION AND
PICTURE FROM:
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_technology
 http://www.google.com.vn/search?um=1&hl=en&biw=128
0&bih=709&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=Ancient+Rome&aq=f&aqi
=&aql=&oq=
 http://www.google.com.vn/search?um=1&hl=en&biw=128
0&bih=709&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=ancient+rome+technology
&aq=0&aqi=g2&aql=&oq=Ancient+Rome+Tech
GLOSSARY!!!!
Aqueduct: Bridge that carries water from one
place to another
Dictator: A ruler who has total control of a
government.
Empire: Group territories or lands controlled by
one country.
Engineer: Person who designs and builds bridges
and roads.
Etruscan: An Ancient Italian tribe from Tuscany.
Republic: A form of government where people
rule themselves.
Senate: Group of wealthy and important men who
ran the Roman Republic
BOOK REVIEW!!!!
1. What are some of the inventions
that Ancient Rome created?
2. What is an aqueduct? What does it
do to help the country?
3. When did the Roman Empire start?
4. List some important event that
you think is good for the country.
5. What is a dam? Is it helpful and
useful for Ancient Rome?
QUESTIONS FOR U!!!!!
1. What are some of the things
that you have learned from
this book?
2. What are some advantages
and disadvantages about this
book?
3. Give some comments for the
book after you read it!!!
COMMENT!!!
MADE IN
VIETNAM!!!!
PRINTED IN 2011
AUTHOR IS
LINH DAN/Y6!!!
ANCIENT ROME
TECHNOLOGY!!!