Ancient Rome

Unit 1 -7th Grade

Notes Pages 5 and 6 in ISN
** = Highlight
Augustus
! Augustus was the first Roman emperor who ruled
from 27 B.C to A.D 14

! He brought peace to the Roman Empire

! **Era of peace is called Pax Romana (Roman
Peace)**

! He created a permanent army made of 150,000
Roman citizens
! Also created the Praetorian Guard who protected
the emperor



What did
Augustus
do for
Rome?
Augustus
! He expanded the empires territory
! Rebuilt Rome
! **To rule over the large territory, he
created proconsuls to rule over
provinces**
! Reformed taxes to make them more
fair

Who were
proconsuls?
Augustus
! Augustus died in 14 A.D
! He trained a relative, Tiberius, to
become emperor after his death
! **The next three emperors came from
his family- they are known as the Julio-
Claudian emperors **
! There was a period of chaos until
Vespasian became emperor






Who were
the Julio-
Claudian
emperors?
Caligula
! Sources depict Caligula as a cruel and
unpredictable ruler
! He declared that he was a living god and
had a bridge built between his palace and
the temple of Jupiter
!
He was eventually
murdered
What
kind of
ruler was
Caligula?
Colosseum
! **Vespasian began construction of
the Colosseum- a huge amphitheater
for the gladiator games and other
events**
! The colosseum could hold up to
60,000 people
! An estimated 700,000 people died in
the arena
Colosseum
! Animals displayed and killed at the theater
came from all over the world
! Animals included tigers, elephants, giraffes,
bears, wolves, goats, snakes, crocodiles,
cheetahs, deer, etc.
! Many animals almost became extinct
What types
of animals
were taken
to the
Colosseum?
**Seating at the Colosseum displayed class structure**
There were several entrances for each social class

The Colosseum was built for many reasons
One reason was that it was a gift to the Roman
citizens to increase the popularity of the Flavian
dynasty
**Since it was a form of entertainment, it created a
diversion for unemployed and unruly Plebeians
(common people)**
It also was a way to showcase the latest Roman
engineering techniques demonstrating to the world
the power of Rome
Why was
the
Colosseum
built?
Roman Art and Culture
The Romans copied the Greeks in many ways
**The Romans admired or liked Greek art, statues
and public buildings**
Some differences in art included the way the
Romans carved their statues- the Greeks wanted
people to look perfect, young and flawless
the Romans added realistic features such as
wrinkles and warts
What did the
Romans do
differently
than the
Greeks?
Roman Culture
Romans designed arches and domes
**The Pantheon is an example of how Romans designed
domes. The Pantheon was built to honor Roman gods**
They were the first to use concrete
What is the
Pantheon?