An Empire Across three

Continents .
Prepared By
Mr.Sudhanshu Rai.PGT (Hist.)
JNV, Boudh ,Odisha .
Boundaries of
Roman Empire
1. To the north the boundaries of
empire were formed by two great
rivers, the Rhine and the
Danube.
2. To the south, by the huge
expense of desert called Sahara.
3. To the east river Euphrates and
to the West Atlantic Ocean.
4. This vast stretch of territory was
Roman Empire on empire across
three contents.
 Division of Roman Empire

The whole period from beginning of

Roman Empire to the main part of
third century can be called early
empire and the period from third
century to the end is called late
empire.
 The political History of Roman Empire

1. The Roman Empire was Culturally diverse Empire.

2. Ranges of languages were spoken but Latin and Greek
were the official languages.
3. Augustus was the first emperor who had established
monarchy in 27 B.C He was also called the Principate.
Although Augustus was sole ruler and the real source of
authority. But the fiction was kept alive that he was only
the leading citizen not the absolute ruler as respect for
senate.
4. Senate was the powerful body representing aristocracy
and wealthiest families of Rome.
5. The emperor the aristocracy and the army were three
main players in political history of empire.
The political History of Roman Empire
6. The success of individual emperor depends in control of army.
7. Romans had paid professional army where soldiers had to put 25 years of
service.
8. External warfare was very limited because the empire was already vast. The
only major campaign was Trajan’s fruitless occupation of territory across
Euphrates.
9. The roman empire had two types of territories they were dependent kingdom
& provincial territory.
10. Some kingdoms were very rich like Herod kingdom which yielded 5.4
million denarii per year equal to 125000 Kg of gold per year.
11. All the empire was organised into provinces and subject to taxation Roman
Empire stretched from Scotland to borders of Armenia and from Sahara to
Euphrates.
The Answer Lies in Urbanisation How it was possible?
• The great urban centres that lined the shores of
Mediterranean (Alexandria and Antioch were some biggest
cities.
• It was through the cities the government was able to tax the
provincial countryside which generated much wealth to the
empire.
• Slowly the trend of decline of Italy within the empire both Antioch City
political and economic and the rise of new elites such as
south of Spain and Africa .
• A city in Urban centre with its own magistrates ,city council
and territory containing villages .Villages can be upgraded
to status of cities as mark of imperial favour .
• Public bath was very striking feature of Roman urban life
and population also enjoyed high level of entertainment.
Alexandria City
 The third century Crisis

1. From 230 the Roman Empire found itself fighting in several fronts
simultaneously. In Iran an aggressive dynasty emerged in 225 they
were called as Sasanians and within just 15 years it expanded rapidly
in direction of Euphrates.
2. German tribes also began to move against Rhine & Danube frontiers
and whole period from 233 to 280 saw repeated invasions.
3. The rapid succession of emperors in third century (25 emperors in 47
years) is an obvious symptom of Strains faced by empire in this period.
 Gender Roles in Roman Empire
1. Prevalence of nuclear family it was exceptional for adult brothers to share
common household.
2. The typical form of marriage was one whose the wife did not transfer to
her husband authority but retained full rights in property of her father’s
family. (Reflects women empowerment and independent status of
women).
3. Marriages were generally arranged and there is no doubt that women
were often subject to domination by their husband.
4. Divorce was relatively easy and needed no more than a notice of intent
to dissolve marriage either by husband of wife.

 
 Literary in Roman Empire
1. Certain rates of casual literacy varied greatly
between different parts of empire for example
Pompeii which was buried in volcanic eruption in
79 CE there is strong evidence of widespread
casual literacy.
2. In Egypt hundreds of Papyri survive formal
documents such as contracts were usually written
by professional scribes and they often tell us that X
or Y is unable to read and write.
3. Plurality of languages was spoken in Roman
Empire they were Aramaic, Coptic, and Berber &
Celtic.
 Economic expansion in Roman Empire
1. The empire had substantial economic infrastructure of
harbours, mines, brickyards etc. Wheat wine & olive oil
were traded and consumed in huge quantities and they
come mainly from Spain, north of Africa, Egypt.
2. Liquids like wine & olive oil were transported in
containers called ‘Amphorae’.
3. The empire included many regions that had a reputation
for exceptional fertility. Italy, Sicily Egypt and southern
Spain were all among most densely settled or wealthiest
part of empire
4. On the other hand large Roman territories were in much Amphorae
less advanced state. The pastoral and Semi-nomadic
communities were often on move carrying their oven-
shaped hut with them . (Mapalia)
5. Diversified applications of water power around the
Mediterranean us of hydraulic mining techniques which
reflects use of science & technology in empire.
Controlling of slaves & workers
1. Slavery was an institution deeply rooted in ancient world both in
Mediterranean and near east. Under Augustus there were still 3
million slaves in a total Italian population of 75 million.
2. Slave was an investment. On one hand if the Roman upper classes
were often brutal towards their slave ordinary people showed
much compassion.
3. Free labour was extensively used on public works at Rome
because an extensive use of slave labour would have been too
expensive.
 Management of Labour by Columella

1. The Roman agricultural writers paid a great deal of attention to

management of labour. Columella a first century writer
recommends.
(a)Landowners should keep a reserve stock of implement and tools
twice as many they needed so that production to be continued.
(b)To make supervision easier workers were sometimes grouped into
gangs or smaller teams. Columella

(c)Pliny the elder the author of famous Natural history considered

slave gangs as worst method of organising production because
slaves who works in gangs were usually chained together by their
feet.
1. A laws of 398 referred to workers being branded so they could be
recognized if they try to run or hide away. A lot of Poorer families
went into debt bondage in order to survive. Parents sometime
Sold their children into servitude for period of 25 years.
 
Pliny
Social Hierarchies in Europe
• The social structure was as follows.
⮚ Senators (horsemen & Knights)
⮚ The respectable section of people ( middle class)
⮚ Lower class
⮚ Slaves.
1. The middle class now consisted of considerable mass of persons connected with imperial
service of bureaucracy and army and also prosperous merchants and farmers.
2. Below them were vast mass of lower classes known collectively Humiliores (literally- lower)
they comprised a rural labour force of which many were permanently employed in large
estates workers in industrial & mining establishment.
3. The late Roman Bureaucracy both the higher and middle echelons was comparatively
affluent groups because it drew the bulk of its salary in gold and invested much of this in
buying assets like land. There was a great deal of corruption in Judicial system
 Cultural transformation of Roman
world from 4th to 7th centuries
 

Italian God Mars

Italian /Roman
God Jupiter

Italian /Roman
God Juno
 Cultural transformation
of Roman world from 4th
to 7th centuries
1. In the west the empire fragmented Politically as Germanic group
from north (Goths, Vandals, Lombards) took over major
provinces and established kingdoms that are described as post-
Roman kingdoms.
2. By the early 7 century the war between eastern Rome & Iran
DIOCLETIAN
glared again and Sassanian who had ruled Iran since 3rd century
launched invasion of all major eastern provinces including
Egypt.
3. The expansion of Islam from its beginning & in Arabia has been
called the greatest political revolution to occur in history of
ancient world.
4. By 642 barely ten years after prophet Muhammad’s death large
part of both the Roman and Sasanian empires had fallen to Arabs
in Series of stunning confrontations.

CONSTANTINE