Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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Meaghan Sherer
12 October 2015
“what, when, where” and “why significant.” 2
Crossing the Rubicon refers to Julius Caesar crossing a small creek in northern
region of Italy in 49 B.C. Crossing the Rubicon into Italy with or without a legion of
soldiers was breaking a Roman law and the governor who did so would forfeit the
right to rule their province. Caesar was unsure, at first, whether he should cross by
himself or bring his men along with him because crossing the Rubicon meant that
Caesar would have been executed along with any man that followed him. He later
decided to bring his men to march into Rome. Many senators, when they gained
knowledge that Julius Caesar had crossed the Rubicon, fled Rome because they were
under the impression that he had brought his whole army when in reality he had
only brought one legion, which was 6,000 men. Pompey, one of the senators who
had fled, had a much larger number of forces and allies and could have easily
defeated him. After a four year struggle Pompey fled to Egypt where he was
Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar was born into a prestigious family in July 100 B.C. Caesar progressed in
B.C. aedile in 65 B.C. and praetor in 62 B.C. He was governor of Spain, which at the
time was a Roman province, from 61-60 B.C. He had help getting elected to consul
by Pompey and Crassius and the following year he was appointed governor of
Roman Gaul. Being appointed to this position gave him the opportunity to add
“what, when, where” and “why significant.” 3
modern day France and Belgium to the Roman Empire, which he did in his eight
year stay. After this stay he returned to Italy crossing the Rubicon in turn defeating
Rome and used to his newly inherited power to relieving debts, enlarging the
senate, revising the calendar, and building the Forum Iulium. Julius Caesar was
killed on what is now known today as the Ides of March, or March 15th by a group
The Colosseum
The Colosseum was built between 70 and 80 A.D. and is also known as the Flavian
engineering and is the largest amphitheater ever built. The construction of the
amphitheater took place under three emperors and was known as the Flavian
dynasty. It could hold between 50,000 and 80,000 people that came to watch the
many events that took place in the Colosseum. Some events included gladiatorial
battles, and dramas based on mythology. In the early medieval era the
entertainment ceased and was instead used for housing, workshops, and Christian
shrines. Earthquakes and stone robbers have diminished the façade; however, it still
Aqueducts
Aqueducts were a roman creation that brought water from the countryside into the
cities. The water supplied public baths, latrines, fountains, and households. The
water was brought into the cities by gravity by having the water flowing down the
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duct at a small grade. Aqueducts were one of the first pieces of architecture to use
the arch, a revolutionary method of maximum support with the least amount of
building materials. Roman aqueducts were so well built that that some were
maintained up until the early modern era and a few are still in use today.
“Bread and Circuses” was a time period under Augustus Caesar. During this time
period there were upper and lower classes like today and Augustus was well aware
of this. To keep the poor from uprising, he came up with an idea to keep the poorest
residents happy and fed well so they would not riot. To keep plebeians happy,
chariot races and gladiator fights took place in amphitheaters and free grain and
controlled food prices were implemented so the plebeians would not starve. This
was a form of bribery, but it worked and kept crime down and people happy.
Pax Romana
“Pax Romana” means “Roman peace” and was the time period between 27 B.C.E. and
180 C.E. it was a time of economic prosperity and peace that spanned throughout
the empire. At this time the empire included England and went into Morocco and
over into the east where Iraq is currently. This was the time in Roman history when
the empire reached its peak in land area and population. The term “peace” is a bit
misleading but it was a time that refers to the Romanization of the western world.
The Roman army built roads (that are still in use today) to connect the empire as a
whole, the Roman legal system is the basis for many western court systems today,
and the empire was free from piracy and disorder due to the legions patrolling the
borders. In the last century of the republic, the republic was damaged due to civil
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wars yet for years after the Pax Romana, the empire was free of power-filled
disputes.
Mini Essay:
The Roman Empire is known for some terrible practices (setting lions upon
Christians in the arena), as well as for remarkable achievements. Write an
essay of 300-500 words describing the best and worst of the Roman Empire.
With respect to beneficial achievements, include human achievements
(cultural, social, legal) as well as technological achievements.
The Roman Empire had periods of time that one could say the people would be
known as the Pax Romana. This was the time in Roman history when the empire
reached its peak in land area and population. It was not so peaceful as the name
leads on because they had to conquer the lands they gained in their empire. It was a
time of many great architectural achievements that included the invention of the
archway, which led to many other inventions we still use today like the aqueduct,
the building of roads, baths, theatres, temples, palaces as well as other achievements
like formulating the basis of the justice system many countries use today, a powerful
army that could defeat armies larger than themselves with the same equipment, the
ability to say they had founded many cities that still stand today, and the alphabet
Empire include slavery, the gruesome events of the circuses where attendees would
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witness beasts tearing apart live humans and other animals along with some other
not as violent games, incapable and insane emperors such as Nero, Caligula, and
Septimius Severus, emperors who would order senators they did not like a
These positives and negatives balance each other out when talking about the
Roman Empire. Every civilization has its positive and negative and aspects because
no matter how many great achievements occur there will always be events and
people that tarnish the good that so many have tried to built up for the name of their
country.