Instruction 1-2

The Roman Republic | The Roman Empire | Roman Decline

Pre-Test		Post-Test
Q&A	Ancient Rome: Rise to Power	Q&A

As happens in history, things changed in the Roman Republic. The laws weren’t strong enough to handle the change. Military generals began to take the power from the elected officials. One patrician, Octavian, thought that Rome needed one strong leader. The Senate agreed with Octavian and appointed him. Octavian gave himself the name Augustus, which means “Majestic One.”

Augustus was the first emperor of Rome. He ruled from 27 B.C. until A.D. 14. He rebuilt Rome and reformed the empire. In 31 B.C., the Pax Romana, or Roman Peace, started. The peace lasted 200 years. 

When Augustus became emperor, there were about 70 to 100 million people living in the Roman Empire. He needed to figure out ways to successfully govern all these people. He put governors in charge of each area. He had roads built so he could keep in close touch with all the parts of the empire.

There were many emperors after Augustus. Rome won more and more provinces, or regions throughout the nearby world. New laws were made to deal with all the new noncitizens that lived in the empire. The Pax Romana improved trade, and there were many achievements in the arts. Artists made blown glass, weavings, pottery, and jewelry. Poets, philosophers, athletes, sculptors, architects, and playwrights were all admired.

Although we conquered Greece, she conquered us
--Horace, a Roman poet, in 35 B.C.E

The quote by Horace means that even though Greece was conquered by Rome back during the Republic, Rome was
incredibly influenced by Greece. Rome practically worshipped the art and architecture  of Greece. They tried to copy the Greek ways of building, using columns and domes. They  also added some features of their own. They built aqueducts, which carried water to the people. They also were the first to build roads out of  concrete. They built the huge stadium called the  Colosseum, where all the people could come watch games and sporting events for free.

The Romans, just like the Greeks and Egyptians before them, worshipped many gods. During the Roman Empire, a new religion called Christianity  came to be practiced by Jews who lived in the eastern Mediterranean part of the empire. Unlike the Romans, both Jewish and Christian faiths worshipped one God instead of many gods. The foundation of both beliefs was in the Ten Commandments, the laws of behavior that Moses had presented to the Jews many years before.

Christians followed the teachings of a Jew named Jesus Christ. He urged people to turn from their sins and practice kindness to others. The followers of Jesus believed he was the Messiah, or savior to the Jews. Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire. Early on, the Christians were persecuted, and many were tortured and put to death.

In spite of the persecution, many Romans became Christians. The Emperor Constantine, who ruled from A.D. 312 on, proclaimed himself to be a Christian. Because of him, Christianity became the official religion of Rome.
http://www.request.org.uk/main/history/romans/constantine.htm

Video Instruction
*Availability of You Tube video links may vary. eTAP has no control of these materials.

• Ancient Rome the Rise and Fall of an Empire 2 [8:13]

• Augustus [8:43]

• Emperor Nero's Last Days Pt 1 (See Related Videos For Pt 2 – 5) [10:02]

• Roman History - ROME 69 AD the Year of 4 Emperors (English) [5:14]

• Rome- From Republic to Empire [3:23]

for Students, Parents and Teachers

Now let's do Practice Exercise 1-2 (top).

Next Page:  Roman Decline (top)