Life in the Roman Empire

Roman Architecture0The Roman Style

0 Heavier and Stronger than Greek architecture 0 Used concrete: a mix of stone, sand, cement, and water0 Used arches

0Aqueducts: structures that carried water over long distances0 Carried water from the countryside to cities 0 Helped provide fresh running water

0Roads0 Helped Romans to trade, communicate, and transport

troops around the Empire

http://www.romaq.org/index.php?pid=map

Roman Emperors 0Augustus (Octavian) was the first Roman

Emperor0The following emperors ranged from Good

(Hadrian), bad (Commodus), to terrible (Nero and Caligula)

0Emperors served a lifelong term0 If people did not like the emperor, there was

only one way to fix it…0 Paranoia was common

0Emperors enjoyed fabulous wealth, power and privilege

http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/emperors.html

0 In AD 284 Diocletian became Emperor 0By this time the empire was difficult to manage

effectively0 Provinces didn’t always do as they were told0 The empire was so big, provinces felt far away from

Rome0The provinces put a financial strain on the Empire

0 Province provided taxes and goods 0 HOWEVER, Money was needed to build new roads, to

support the armies, and to enable more growth

Source: http://rome.mrdonn.org/twoempires.html

Managing an Empire

The Empire SPLITS!0To better manage the empire Diocletian splits the

empire in half.0Diocletian took control of the Eastern Empire due

to the greater wealth and trade.0He appointed a military leader named Maximian

to rule the Western half

Christianity in the Roman Empire

0The Roman Empire was originally polytheistic (worshipped more than one god) and worshipped the Roman gods

0The Romans eventually conquered Judaea where Christianity had started 0 Christianity is monotheistic (belief in only one god)

0Romans were tolerant of other religions in their empire BUT felt threatened by the Christians0 Christians taught that God was greater than the emperor 0 Christians refused to honor Roman gods

Christianity in the Roman Empire

0Still Christianity spread in the Roman Empire0 Gave the poor hope for a better life after death0 Gave help to widows, orphans, and the poor

0Diocletian outlawed Christian services and put many Christians to death

0Many Romans saw Christians as heroes for their bravery 0 By AD 200s, 50,000 Romans converted to Christianity

Constantine and Christianity0Constantine became the Roman emperor in AD 305 .0He claimed the Christian God helped him win a battle

for the control of Rome0Constantine encouraged Christianity

0 1. Proclaims freedom of worship in all of the Roman empire

0 2. Ended persecution of the Christians0 3. Made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire

0Constantine moves the capital of the empire to Byzantium and renames it Constantinople

ROME

CONSTANTINOPLE