Words: 1167
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that began growing on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to become one of the empires in the ancient world with an estimated 50 to 90 million inhabitants (roughly 20% of the world ‘s population) and covering 6. 5 million square kilometers (2. 5 million sq mi) during its height between the first and second centuries AD. In its approximately twelve centuries of existence, Roman civilization shifted from a monarchy to an aristocratic republic to an increasingly autocratic empire.
Through conquest and assimilation, it came to dominate Southern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Minor, North Africa, parts of Northern Europe, and parts of Eastern Europe. Rome was preponderant throughout the Mediterranean region and was one Of the most powerful entities Of the ancient world. It is often grouped into “Classical Antiquity” together with ancient Greece, and their similar cultures and societies are known as the Greece-Roman world. The Romans are still remembered today, including names such as Julius Caesar, Cicero, Augustus, etc.
Ancient Roman society contributed greatly to government, law, politics, engineering, art, literature, architecture, technology, warfare, religion, language, society and more in the Western world. A civilization highly developed for its time, Rome professionalisms and greatly expanded its military and created a system of government called rest public, the inspiration for modern republics such as the United States and France. It achieved impressive technological and architectural feats, such as the construction Of an extensive system of aqueducts and roads, as well as large monuments, palaces, and public facilities.
Government and military The three major elements of the Imperial Roman state were the central overspent, the military and provincial government. The military established control of a territory through war, but after a city or people was brought under treaty, the military mission turned to policing: protecting Roman citizens (after 21 2 AD, all freeborn inhabitants of the Empire), the agricultural fields that fed them, and religious sites. Without modern instruments of either mass communication or mass destruction, the Romans lacked sufficient manpower or resources to impose their rule through force alone.
Cooperation with local power elites was necessary to maintain order, elect information, and extract revenue. The Romans often exploited internal political divisions by supporting one faction over another: in the view of Plutarch, “it was discord between factions within cities that led to the loss of self-governance”. Communities with demonstrated loyalty to Rome retained their own laws, could collect their own taxes locally, and in exceptional cases were exempt from Roman taxation. Legal privileges and relative independence were an incentive to remain in good standing with Rome.
Roman government was thus limited, but efficient in its use of the resources available to it. Society. The Roman Empire was remarkably multicultural, with “a rather astonishing cohesive capacity” to create a sense of shared identity while encompassing diverse peoples within its political system over a long span of time. The Roman attention to creating public monuments and communal spaces open to all-??such as forums, amphitheaters, racetracks and baths-??helped foster a sense of “Romances”.
Roman society had multiple, overlapping social hierarchies that modern concepts of “class” in English may not represent accurately. The 0410 decades of civil war from which Augustus rose to sole rower left traditional society in Rome in a state of confusion and upheaval, but did not affect an immediate redistribution of wealth and social power. From the perspective of the lower classes, a peak was merely added to the social pyramid. Personal relationships-??patronage, friendship (animistic), family, marriage-??continued to influence the workings of politics and government, as they had in the Republic.
By the time of Nero, however, it was not unusual to find a former slave who was richer than a freeborn citizen, or an equestrian who exercised greater power than a senator. Roman law Roman courts held original jurisdiction over cases involving Roman citizens throughout the empire, but there were too few judicial functionaries to impose Roman law uniformly in the provinces. Most parts of the Eastern Empire already had well-established law codes and juridical procedures.
In general, it was Roman policy to respect the moss regions (“regional tradition” or “law of the land”) and to regard local laws as a source of legal precedent and social stability. The compatibility of Roman and local law was thought to reflect an underlying us genetic, the “law Of nations” or international awe regarded as common and customary among all human communities. If the particulars of provincial law conflicted with Roman law or custom, Roman courts heard appeals, and the emperor held final authority to render a decision.
Local languages and linguistic legacy References to interpreters indicate the continuing use of local languages other than Greek and Latin, particularly in Egypt, where Septic predominated, and in military settings along the Rhine and Danube. Roman jurists also show a concern for local languages such as Punic, Goulash, and Aromatic in assuring the correct understanding and application of laws and oaths. In the province of Africa, Punic was used for legends on coins during the time of Tuberous (1 SST century AD), and Punic inscriptions appear on public buildings into the 2nd century, some bilingual with Latin. 56] In Syria, Palmer soldiers even used their dialect of Aromatic for inscriptions, in a striking exception to the rule that Latin was the language of the military The arts People visiting or living in Rome or the cities throughout the Empire would have seen art in a range of styles and media on a daily basis. Public or official art-??including sculpture, monuments such as victory columns or triumphal arches, and the iconography on coins-??is often analyzed for its historical significance or as an expression of imperial ideology.
At Imperial public baths, a person of humble means could view wall paintings, mosaics, statues, and interior decoration often of high quality. In the private sphere, objects made for religious dedications, funerary commemoration, domestic use, and commerce can show varying degrees of aesthetic quality and artistic skill. A wealthy person might advertise his appreciation of culture through painting, sculpture, and decorative arts at his home-??though some efforts strike odder viewers and some ancient connoisseurs as strenuous rather than tasteful.
Greek art had a profound influence on the Roman tradition, and some of the most famous examples of Greek statues are known only from Roman Imperial versions and the occasional description in a Greek or Latin literary source. Despite the high value placed on works of art, even famous artists were of low social status among the Greeks and Romans, who regarded artists, artisans, and craftsmen alike as manual laborers. At the same time, the level of skill required to produce quality work was recognized, and even considered a divine gift