Roman Civilization

N R Mandal
 Roman Civilization in History
• Ancient Roman civilization began on the Italian
Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC.
– History of Rome may go back as far as the 10th
century BC, with members of the Latin tribe of Italy,
on the top of the Palatine Hill.
• Located along the Mediterranean Sea and
centered on Rome, it expanded to become one of
the largest empires in the ancient world
– with an estimated /roughly 20% of the world's
population at the time and covering
6.5 million square kilometers (2.5 million sq mi) during
its height between the first and second centuries AD.
• Its name comes from its first ruler Romulus.
 Transitions, Expansions and place in History

• During its existence [approximately 12 centuries],

Roman civilization shifted from a monarchy to a
classical republic to an increasingly autocratic empire.
• Through conquest and assimilation, it came to
dominate Southern and Western Europe, Asia Minor,
North Africa, and parts of Northern and Eastern
Europe.
• It is often grouped into "Classical Antiquity" together
with ancient Greece, and their similar cultures and
societies are known as the Greco-Roman world.
 Legacy of Roman Empire
• A civilization highly developed for its time, it
professionalized and greatly expanded its
military and created a system of government
called res publica, the inspiration for modern
republics.
• Romance languages (Italian, French, Spanish,
Portuguese and Romanian) derived from
Latin, the modern Western alphabet and
calendar and the emergence of Christianity as
a major world religion.
 End of Roman Empire
• Plagued by internal instability and attacked by
various migrating peoples, the western part of
the empire broke up into independent kingdoms
in the 5th century. This splintering is a landmark
historians use to divide the ancient period of
universal history from the pre-mediaeval "Dark
Ages" of Europe.
• The Eastern Roman Empire survived this crisis
and was governed from Constantinople after the
division of the Empire. It comprised Greece, the
Balkans, Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt.
 End of Roman Empire- Beginning of
Byzantine Empire
• Though drastically weakened by centuries of
incessant, resource-wrecking wars against
arch rival Sassanid Persia, and despite the loss
of Syria and Egypt to the Arab-Islamic Empire
the Eastern Roman Empire continued for
another millennium, until its remnants were
annexed by the emerging Turkish Ottoman
Empire. This eastern, Christian, medieval stage
of the Empire is usually called the Byzantine
Empire by historians
 Legacy of Roman Empire
• Ancient Roman society contributed greatly to
modern government, law, politics,
engineering, art, literature, architecture,
technology, warfare, religion, language and
society.
– The rediscovery of Roman culture revitalized
Western civilizations, playing a role in the
Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment after
the end of Dark ages in Europe
 Physiographic Character [Italy: early
Roman Civilization]
• Italian Peninsula
• Natural harbours
• Plains and undulating, rocky in central parts of
peninsula
• Mediterranean climate with good forest cover
• Limestone, volcanic stone, pozzolana
 Power & Politics
• Military Expansion and Political leadership became
central issue [Roman legions- a legend]
• Conquest and colonization – paid great dividends in
terms of wealth [Areas of Greek civilization & western parts
of Europe, Asia Minor, northern parts of Africa including
Egypt]
• Early period: governance resembled that of Greek
civilization [chosen king and popular assembly] but
around 500 BC, Julius Caesar annexed many states
/kingdoms and brought them together to form a
republic
• Later [after Caesar] throne became almost hereditary.
Emperor became almost divine and more important
than religion
 Social & Cultural Milieu
• Society groups: 1] Nobles, 2] Citizens, 3] slaves
• Large number of peasant citizens became soldiers
leading to neglect of agriculture [slaves –agricultural
labour]
• Religion and temple became less significant [compared
to Greek]
• Merchants, peasants and artisans were not very
important in social order as in Greek
• Wealth and riches due to activities in colonies
• Activities for distractions in Rome and capital towns in
colonies [chariot and horse racing, gladiator contests,
drama etc.]
 Town Planning
• Rome- Capital, other towns as colony centres
• Rome was not walled but colony centres were
• 2 cross roads: a] Decumanus- E-W, b] Cardius- N-S
• The Forum at the crossing of the main roads [seat
of power]
• Roads were in grid-iron pattern [straight and at
right angles laid in 2 principal directions]
– Ease of traversing and policing/marching of legions,
long sight distance
 Roman Town Planning [as compared to Greek]
Rome
a] Show of Might, 2]
Emphasis on:
Ceremonies & Recreation
of Nobles and citizenry, 3]
Seat of Justice
Forum [seat of might],
Basilica [justice], Temple,
Components
Major Public
Recreation: - Circus, Arena
& Amphitheatre [Races &
contests], Thermae [Bath],
Theatre, Triumphal Arch
Greek
1] Religious structures, 2]
Town Assembly halls for
democratic decision
making, 3] Gathering space
for various purposes
Temple, Assembly hall
[legislative], Council
chamber and hall
[executive & judiciary],
Agora [market] and agora
square [public gathering]
 Town planning – cont’d
• Public buildings and palaces- monumental
scale and stylistic [added 2 orders to the 3 Greek
orders, as time passed, enormity of scale increased:-
Forum Romanum < Forum of Caesar < ~ Augustus < ~
Trajan etc.]
• Square/ rectangular house plots along roads
[usually NS diection-120’, gap between houses 5’]
• Streets with occasional steps [to counter slope] and
bridges over streams
• Elaborate drainage and water supply [ Roman
aqueducts carried water from a large distance]
 Town planning – cont’d
• Streets with shops and important buildings /
houses - Colonnaded frontage
• Later stages of Roman civilization- height of
buildings reached 6 -8 floors [Emperor Augustus
decreed a limit of 70’ for tenements]
• Constantine Regionary catalogue – in 4th century
AD – 46602 apartments and 1797 private houses
in Rome
• Cities grew congested with slum like situations
and became fire prone
 Technology
• Use of pozollana mortar/concrete, lime concrete
and stone for buildings
• Extensive road construction [some are still below
present motorways in Italy]
• Wheeled traffic for moving heavy goods [e.g.
Chariot]
• Long distance aqueducts for water supply
• Famous canvas roof [velarium] of colosseum
could be raised/ lowered
• Hippodrome for holding horse and chariot racing,
Circus Maximus could hold 150
 Pantheon, a
temple to all the
gods of Ancient
Rome,

The Colosseum, elliptical

amphitheatre at the centre of
Rome, the largest ever built in
the Roman Empire. One of the
greatest works of Roman
architecture /engineering.
Roman Aqueduct: A
marvel of Roman
engineering at the
time.
 Remnants of Roman
Forum- The seat of
Power and place for
festivities

The Roman army built the

roads that connected the
vast Roman empire. By
layering sand, cement, and
stone, they created durable
roads that lasted long after
the fall of Rome
Timgad Town [colony town]
• Thank you