The Legacy of GrecoRoman Civilization

Rome became a legacy

Art
Architecture
Language
Literature
Engineering
Law

Greek influence
By the 2nd century,
Rome conquered Greece and admired the
Greek culture.
Educated Romans learned the Greek
language.
The two cultures mixed into what became
known as Greco-Roman culture, also known
as classical civilization.

Roman Art
Learned the art of sculpture from the
Greeks
Greeks were known for beauty and idealization
of their sculpture
Romans created realistic portraits in stone
Roman art was practical
Intended for public education

Bas-Relief
Bas-Relief artwork developed during the
reign of Augustus.
Artwork that projects images from a flat
background. These images tell stories and
represent crowds of people, soldiers in
battle, and landscapes.

Bas-Relief Roman Art

Mosaics
Pictures or designs made by small pieces of
stone, glass, or tile onto a surface.
Most Roman villas, the country houses of
the wealthy, had at least one colored
mosaic.
Having mosaics demonstrated wealth and
importance, especially mosaics built into the
floors.

Roman Mosaic Art

Used scenes of everyday life

Paintings
Romans also excelled in paintings.
Most wealthy Romans had bright, large murals,
called frescoes, painted directly on their walls.
The best examples are those found in the Roman
city, Pompeii, and date back to the 2nd century.
Mount Vesuvius erupted, covering Pompeii with a
thick layer of ash and killed 2,000 people.
This ash preserved the artwork.
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Mount Vesuvius

Mount Vesuvius Eruption

 Mount Vesuvius is most

known for its eruption in 79
AD, which led to the
destruction of Pompeii and
Herculaneum.
The cities were never
rebuilt
The towns were forgotten
and rediscovered in the
18th century.

1944
It has erupted at least
50 times since then,
1944 being the last.
This is a picture of an
American B-25 during
WWII.
The crew member is
sweeping the ashes off
its wings.

Ruins of Pompeii

Notice Vesuvius in the background

 Skeleton called the

Ring Lady found in
Herculaneum

Back to the artwork!

Frescoes and murals
Roman Bath mural

Fresco in Pompeii

Philosophy
Romans borrowed Stoicism from the
Greeks.
Stoicism came from the Greek teacher, Zeno.

Stoicism encouraged virtue, duty,

moderation, and endurance.
Marcus Aurelius was a noted stoic.

Literature
Writers used Roman
themes and ideas while
following Greek forms and
models.
The poet, Virgil, spent 10
years writing the most
famous work of Latin
literature, Aeneid, the epic
of legendary Aeneas.
It was modeled after the
Greek epics of Homer.

Ovid
The poet Ovid wrote
light, witty poetry for
enjoyment.
In the Amores, Ovid
relates that he can
only compose when he
is in love.

Livy
Completed a volume history of Rome from
its origins to 9 B.C.
He used legends and myth more than a
true history.

Tacitus
Ancient Roman historian
Notable because he presented the facts
accurately.
Showed concern for Romes lack of
morality.
In his Annals and Histories, he wrote
about the good and bad of Imperial Rome.

Tacitus

Roman Achievements

Latin, the Language of Rome

Architecture, Engineering, and Technology
Roman System of Law

Language
Latin remained the language of learning in the
West long after the fall of Rome.
It was the official language of the Roman Catholic
Church into the 20th century.
Latin became the foundation for French, Spanish,
Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian.
These languages are called the Romance
languages because of their Roman heritage.
More than half of the words in the English
language are Latin based.

For example

Baptism - English
Bapteme French
Bautismo Spanish
Batismo Portuguese
Battesimo Italian
Botez Romanian

 Debt slip written in

Latin used during the
Greco-Roman times

Roman Architecture
Arches, domes, and concrete were
combined to build spectacular structures
like the Roman Colosseum.
Arches also supported bridges and
aqueducts.
Many large public buildings in the US
include Roman architectural features , like
arches and columns.

Aqueducts
Designed by roman engineers to bring
water into cities and towns.
When the water spanned across a river, the
aqueduct was lifted high up on arches.

Technology
Besides the aqueducts, roads were also
technological marvels.
The army built a vast network of roads
constructed of stone, concrete, and sand
that connected Rome to all parts of the
empire.
Many lasted into the Middle Ages.
Some roads are still used.

Law
Romes most lasting and widespread
contribution.
Believed that the law should be fair and
apply equally to all people, rich and poor.

Principles of Roman law

All persons had the right to equal treatment under
the law.
A person was considered innocent until proven
guilty.
The burden of proof rested with the accuser rather
than the accused.
A person should be punished only for actions, not
thoughts.
Any law that seemed unreasonable could be set
aside.

 These principles formed the basis of legal

systems in many European countries and in
the United States.

Immortal
Some people say that Rome is immortal
because Rome lived forever through its
influence in architecture, art, law, literature,
language, and philosophy.
Almost everywhere we look we can find
something that can be traced back to the
ancient Roman empire.