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Chapter 6.5 Quiz: Rome and the Roots of Western Civilization
1. Identify 2 famous writers of Ancient Rome, and at least one famous work for each
Virgil- The Aeneid
Livy- History of Rome
Tacitus- Annals and Histories
Ovid- Amores
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List at least 4 major Roman Achievements
Aqueducts
Arch
Colosseum
Roads
Roman System of Law
List at least 3 important principles of Roman Law.
Equal treatment under the law
Person considered innocent until proven guilty
Burden of proof rested with accuser rather than the accused
Person should be punished only for actions, not thoughts
Any law that seemed unreasonable or grossly unfair could be set aside
Chapter 6.5 Rome and the Roots of Western Civilization
I.
The Legacy of Greco-Roman Civilization
 Under the Roman Empire, hundreds of territories were knitted into a single state
 Each Roman province and city was governed in the same way
 By 2nd century BC, Romans had conquered Greece, and had come to admire Greek
Culture
 Educated Romans learned Greek
 Horace, “Greece, once overcome, overcame her wild conqueror.”
 Greco-Roman Culture: the mixing of elements of Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman culture
(classical civilization)
 Roman art and literature came to convey the Roman ideals of strength, permanence,
and solidity.
A. Roman Fine Arts
 Romans learned the art of sculpture from the Greeks
o Greeks known for beauty and idealization in sculpture
o Romans known for realistic portraits in stone
o Much Roman art was practical in purpose and intended for public education
 Reign of Augustus= period of great artistic achievement
 Bas-Relief Sculpture
o Low-relief
o Images project from a flat background
o Example: Trajan’s Column
 Mosaics: pictures or designs made by setting small pieces of stone, glass, or tile onto a
surface
 Painting: most wealthy Romans had bright, large murals, called frescoes, painted
directly on their walls
o Best examples of Roman painting found in town of Pompeii…AD 79 Mt. Vesuvius
erupted, covering Pompeii in a thick layer of ash, and killing about 2,000…ash
preserved the buildings and works of art…plaster casts of people made later
B. Learning and Literature
 Romans borrowed much of their philosophy from the Greeks
 Stoicism: from Greek teacher, Zeno, especially influential
o Stoicism encouraged virtue, duty, moderation, and endurance
o Emperor Marcus Aurelius: noted Stoic...book Meditations…”In the midst of it all,
you must take your stand, good-temperedly and without disdain.”
 Roman literature found inspiration from the Greeks…writers used Roman themes and
ideas while following Greek forms and models
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Virgil: Roman poet who spent 10 years writing the Aeneid…most famous work of Latin
literature
o Epic of the legendary Aeneas which praised Roman virtues and Rome itself
o Virgil modeled the Aeneid after the Greek epics of Homer (Iliad and Odyssey)
Ovid: Poet who wrote light, witty poetry for enjoyment…book called Amores…”When I
was from Cupid’s passions free, my Muse was mute and wrote no elegy.”
Romans also wrote excellent prose, especially history
Livy- multi-volume history of Rome from its origins in 9BC…used legends freely, creating
more of a national myth of Rome
Tacitus- Roman historian who was known for presenting the facts accurately, (similar to
Greek, Thucydides)…wrote Annals and Histories…concerned about Roman’s lack of
morality…wrote about the good and bad of imperial Rome
Roman Achievements
Presence of Rome is still felt in languages, institutions, and thought of the Western
world (western civilization)
Latin, the Language of Rome
Latin remained the language of learning in the West, long after the fall of Rome
Latin was the official language of the Roman Catholic Church into the 20 th century (still
High Mass)
Latin was adopted by different peoples and developed into French, Spanish, Portuguese,
Italian and Romanian…called Romance Languages
Also, more than ½ the words in English have a basis in Latin
Architecture, Engineering, and Technology
Arch, dome, and concrete combined to build spectacular structures: ex: Colosseum
o Colosseum opened in AD 80
o Gladiator contests
o Capacity 45,000 to 50,000
Aqueducts: designed by Roman engineers to bring water into cities and towns
Roman architectural forms were very practical and have remained popular
Thomas Jefferson began a Roman revival in the United States in the 18th century
o Many large buildings in the US…like the US Capitol and numerous state capitols,
include Roman features
Roman roads were technological marvels…made of stone, concrete, and sand…some are
still in use
Roman System of Law
Early Roman law dealt mostly with the rights of Roman citizens.
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Romans came to believe that laws should be fair and apply equally to all people, rich
and poor
 Standards of justice were influenced by Stoicism and common sense
 Important principles of Roman law included:
o All persons had the right to equal treatment under the law
o A person was considered innocent until proven guilty
o The burden of proof rested with the accuser rather than the accused
o A person should be punished only for actions, not thoughts
o Any law that seemed unreasonable or grossly unfair could be set aside.
 Principles of Roman law endured to form the basis of legal systems in many European
countries and the United States
D. Rome’s Enduring Influence
 By preserving and adding to Greek civilization, Rome strengthened the Western cultural
tradition.
 Historian R.H. Barrow: “Rome never fell because it turned into something even greateran idea- and achieved immortality.”