1--Why were Roman roads constructed in the above manner?
2-
 A--What crucial food import came from North Africa and how was it used?
 B-- List 4 common imports and possible uses.
 C--Using the cost of the Empire chart, what effects did conquest and gladiator games
have on the governments budget? (Denarii is Roman money)(Revenue is money and
taxes brought in)
3) Most “barbarian” cultures came from where? Name 3.
4)What continents did the Roman empire cover?
5)What are the 3 most predominate trade goods on this map?
6) List 4 of the key steps in the making of aqueducts.
7)What challenges did the builders and engineers face when making aqueducts?
8) How were Roman roads made? List 3 steps
9) How did the roads of Rome compare to the territory under Roman control?
Explain the reasons for this?
Summary of Julius Cesar’s Rule
He enacted many reforms to improve the economy. He limited the grain dole to those
actually in need so that the capital city would not continue as a magnet for idle mobs.
He established Roman colonies by giving land to the soldiers and landless peasants in
Carthage and Corinth. He made a law which limited the number of slaves estates could
employ so that the poor free people would have more work.
In the provinces (land conquered by Rome) he appointed new governors and made them
strictly accountable so they would no longer simply plunder the people of all their
wealth. He reduced taxes and made collections more fair. He allowed the people in
Sicily, Spain and Gaul to become Roman citizens so they could participate in the central
government as well as their local governments.
10) Why was Caesar a popular ruler among the plebs (common people)?
Story of the Founding of Rome
As the twins grew older, they decided they did not want to take care of sheep. They wanted to be
kings. They decided to build a city on the shores of the Tiber. They both wanted to be the only
king. They quarreled. In a fit of rage, Romulus picked up a rock, killed his brother, and made
himself king.
That’s how Rome started.
11) What is the message, moral or value of this story?
Rome Empire of Conquest
With Carthage defeated, the Romans became the most powerful Mediterranean state. The victory over the
Carthaginians gave the Romans all the opportunity they needed to expand their power in the Mediterranean.
The more wealthy and powerful the Romans became, the more able they were to further expand their empire.
The Romans were not content with conquering land near to them. They realized that land further away might
also have riches in them that would make Rome even more wealthy. Hence their drive to conquer Western
Europe. At the height of its power, around AD 150, Rome controlled the greatest empire ever seen in Europe at
that time. Many of the conquered nations benefited from Roman rule as the Roman way of life was imposed on
those conquered societies. Roman public baths, roads, water supplies, housing etc. all appeared in Western
Europe – though many fell into disuse after the Romans retreated back to Rome.
Ironically, the sheer size of the empire, which many marveled at, was also a major reason for the collapse in the
power of the Romans. The Romans had great difficulty in maintaining power in all of their empire and
supplying their army was a major problem as their lines of communications were stretched to the limit. The
power of the empire rested with the success of the Roman Army. When this success started to weaken, the
empire could only start to collapse.
12)


A--Why did Rome conquer Western Europe?
B- Why did the empire collapse?
12) What does this chart reveal about how power and leadership was often decided in Rome?
13) How does the social class and rights chart above help us understand why Rome could be an unstable place?
Taxes in Ancient Rome
In the terminal collapse of the Roman Empire, there was perhaps no greater burden to the average citizen than
the extreme taxes they were forced to pay.
The tax ‘reforms’ of Emperor Diocletian in the 3rd century were so rigid and unwavering that many people
were driven to starvation and bankruptcy. The state went so far as to chase around widows and children to
collect taxes owed.
By the 4th century, the Roman economy and tax structure were so dismal that many farmers abandoned their
lands in order to receive public entitlements.
At this point, the imperial government was spending the majority of the funds it collected on either the military
or public entitlements. For a time those who lived off the treasury were more numerous than those paying into
it.
14) How did taxes help bring down the Roman Empire?
Roman Religion
Temples to worship the gods were built throughout the Roman Empire. Temples usually always followed the
same building pattern. The roof was triangular shaped and supported by great pillars. Steps led up to the main
doorway that was usually built behind the pillars. The inside of the temple would have been very well decorated
and there would have been a statue of the god in it. There would also have been an altar where a priest would
have served the god and made sacrifices. People called augurs could also be found in the temples. These people
used the entrails of the dead animals to predict the future. The Romans took these predictions very seriously and
few ignored the advice of an augur.
Each family home would also have a small altar and shrine. The Romans had personal household gods or spirits
called ‘lares’ which were worshipped every day at home. The shrine contained statues of the ‘lares’ and the
head of the household led family prayers around the shrine each day. The service was considered so important
that family slaves were also invited. It is believed that most Romans were more keen to please their ‘lares’ than
the public gods such as Jupiter.
15)
 A--Explain 2 ways Romans worshipped their gods? How did it affect their lives?
 B-- How did religion affect their lives?
Bread and circuses
In bad times, or during political unrest, there was always the risk of the Roman ‘mob’ rioting or rebelling
against the upper classes. The Emperor Augustus was well aware of this risk and was keen to keep the poorest
plebeians happy enough and reasonably well fed so that they would not riot. He began the system of state
bribery that the writer Juvenal described as ‘bread and circuses’.
Free grain and controlled food prices meant that plebeians could not starve, while free entertainment – such as
chariot races and gladiators in amphitheaters and the Circus Maximus – meant that they would not get bored
and restless. Bribery it may have been, but it often worked.
16) What did the Roman government leaders due to keep the mob from rioting and rebelling?
17) Explain why Carthage was such a important city and empire for Rome to defeat and control?