Rome (Ch 6) Section 5

The East would continue to flourish with Constantinople as its capital

-Continuing on the Greco-Roman traditions -Would go on to last as the Byzantine Empire -This empire would continue on to till 1453 when overthrown by the Ottoman Turks.

Rome and the Roots of

Western Civilization

Rome’s Enduring Influence By preserving and adding to Greek civilization, Rome strengthened the Western cultural tradition.

LEGACY!

Greco-Roman CultureThe mixture of Greek and Roman culture that resulted from Roman adoption of Greek art, religion, and ideas.

Roman “Pantheon” was a temple to all roman Gods built by emperor Hadrian Greek “Parthenon”

Greco-Roman CultureNot only did the American founders copy the structure of the Roman government in many ways, but Greco-Roman (classical) architecture can be found on most American government buildings.

American “White House”

“The Royal Exchange” Building, London

Pompeii

Mosaics

Virgil

Tacitus The Aeneid

Romans borrow from Greek philosophy and literature Poet Virgil wrote the epic The Aeneid modeled after Homer’s Greek epics. Roman historian Tacitus excelled in writing factually accurate history. The Annals and The Histories provide a comprehensive look at Roman life.

Learning and Literature

Master Builders Romans used domes and concrete for the first time.

They also perfected the use of the arch.

Inside of the “Pantheon”: Domes distributed

weight evenly outwards, allowing for the construction of

stronger buildings.

Master Builders They created aqueducts—structures that brought

water into cities, filling Roman fountains & baths.

Roman System of Law Principles of Roman law form basis of modern legal systems

Examples of Roman Legal Principles still used today:

• Latin was official language of Roman Catholic Church until 1900s

• Develops into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian

• More than half the words in English stem from Latin Continued…

Latin Language

Anni, annu, enni year

anniversary, annually, centennial

bio life

biology, biometrics, biome, biosphere

chron time

chronology, chronometer, synchronize

cide, cise cut down, kill

homicide, exorcise, germicide, incision,

scissorsdem

people democracy, demography,

epidemic

omni all, every

omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, omnivorous

Historian R. H. Barrow stated that,

“Rome never fell because it turned into something even greater- an idea- and achieved immortality.”

“Western Civilization”This term refers to Europe and places colonized by Europeans.

They key feature of “western civilization” is that it was inspired by Greco-Roman culture & government, and it

carried on Greco-Roman traditions into the future.

Influence of Greek and Roman Ideas Government Philosophy Literature

509BC Rome developed a form of representative government.

300BC Aristotle developed his philosophical theories.

800BC Homer wrote the Odyssey and the Iliad.

400BC Greece implemented a direct democracy.

1200AD Thomas Aquinas attempted to prove the existence of a single god using Aristotelian ideas.

19BC Virgil used the Odyssey to guide his Aeneid.

1600s England became a constitutional monarchy.

1781 Philosopher Immanuel Kant wrote that Aristotle's theories on logic were still valid.

1922 James Joyce patterned his epic, Ulysses, after Homer’s works.

1776 The USA declared independence from England and began building a Republican democracy

Present Scholars still hold conferences focusing on questions Aristotle raised.

2000

The Coen brothers film O Brother, Where Art Thou? brought a very different adaptation of the Odyssey to the big screen