A History of the World: Chapter 12: Roman Civilization

On other days, crowds watched gladiators fight each other to the death or battle wild animals in stadiums such as the Colosseum. Most gladiators were enslaved people, criminals, prisoners of war, or poor people.

For example, while the emperor Septimius fought rebels in distant parts of the empire, the empress Julia Domna administered, or was in charge of, political affairs in Rome.

Household spirits protected the home and family.

The Romans also adapted ideas from Greek philosophy, such as the philosophy of Stoicism.

As the empire grew, Romans came into contact with people who practiced different religions.

A Greek doctor named Galen introduced many medical ideas to Rome.

He emphasized the importance of anatomy, the study of body structure.

Aqueducts were long troughs supported by rows of high arches.

Rows of arches were often built against one another to form a vault, or curved ceiling.

Using Greek models, the Roman poet Horace wrote satires. These works poked fun at human weaknesses, much like comedians do today.

Horace also wrote odes, or poems that express strong emotions about life.

Now: I will describe to you the glory that will come upon the future generations of Trojans. I will tell you who our Italian descendants will be, and what distinction they will bring to our name.

Do you see the double plume on the crest of his helmet?

To sum up: there are some places where smiths and sculptors will shape bronze more subtly, or carve more lifelike portraits out of marble; in others, orators will argue more persuasively, and astronomers will observe more accurately the motion of the heavenly bodies and predict the rising stars.

To sum up: there are some places where smiths and sculptors will shape bronze more subtly, or carve more lifelike portraits out of marble; in others, orators will argue more persuasively, and astronomers will observe more accurately the motion of the heavenly bodies and predict the rising stars.

Your task is to impose peace by law and order: to protect the downtrodden, and to crush the arrogant in war.

He introduced reforms, or political changes to make things better.

To improve the economy, Constantine issued several orders to reinforce the rules of Diocletian.

During the late A.D. 300s and 400s, many Germanic tribes migrated from northern Europe and fought to expand their hold over Roman territory.

We also believe that a republic works best if all adult citizens vote, participate in government, and help to improve their communities.

He governed with supreme power and controlled the military and all of the legal decisions made within the empire.

His army crushed the rebels. By doing this, Justinian was able to restore order and strengthen his power as emperor.

Numerous mosaics also decorated the interior walls of Hagia Sophia. Mosaics are patterns or pictures made from small pieces of colored glass or stone.

Popular in the Byzantine Empire, most mosaics showed figures of saints, or Christian holy people.