Roman RQ Part 2

latifundia began to mass produce agriculture for exporting and trade

no every region in the empire produced something different

pottery and metallurgy, this was made in large factories that helped employ thousands of people

roman military and naval powers gaurded it so cargo could be traded

Periplus maris erythraei (meaning a “sailing itinerary of the Red Sea”) it depicted trade with africa and india through the red sea

military expansion allowed them to collect more taxes and trade allowed wealth to flow into rome

statues, pools, fountains, and arches to commemorate victories

plumbing/sewer systems, bathhouses, and aquaducts that were created with precision

large constructions projects employed hundred of thousnads of workers allowing rapid populaton growth and the attraction of migrants who often worked as servents or construction workers

they hosted circuses, theaters, and gladiator performances in the colosuam

circus maximus (250,000)

battles to the death between humans and animals, the colusam could hold 10,000 and was so well built it cold be flooded and used for mock naval fights

paterfamilias (father of the family)

they could arrange marriages, chose their kids jobs, punish, sell, and execute them (most didnt)

although not as powerful as men women helped run domestic and financial affairs and helped influence her family, romans had laws that said women could not gain inherticance but a lot of them evaded the law

there was a large gap between rich and poor and their was a big poverty problem

poor people rioted asking for a change in policy but authorities didnt listen and tried to keep them happy with bread and public performences (roman poet described it as “bread and circuses”)

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rural slaves lived in harsh coditions and were often chained together, city slaves had less difficult jobs such as servants and craftsmen

he was a rural slave who assembled an army of thousands of slaves, eventually defesated by thousands of roman troops

he was an anatolian urban slave who became a pominent stoic philospher and lectured to high ranked officials

they had the right to sell them, arrange their family affairs, punish them, and even execute them, most masters set their slaves free at the age of 30

a collection of deities who repersented different things and looked over romans

tutelary deities

stoicism

Recognizing that they lived in a large and interdependent world, they sought to identify a set of moral standards based on nature/reason that would become ethical codes

he adopted stoic values, lived in greece, often wrote about how he thought people should live in accordance to nature and should not accumulate wealth or unjustfully try and become powerful

both educated and non-educated took part in the religion to try and have a sense of purpose and a glorius experience after death

they began flourishing in rome and then spread through the mediteranean

a male only religous cult dedicated to the Persian deity Mithras

Zoroastrian mythology, Mithras was a god closely identified with the sun and light the romans associated with strength and courage allowing it to become ery popular to roman armies, mithraic temples appeared near military settlements

by observing and attending cult teachings people thought they would recieve union with mithra in the after life

dedicated to the Anatolian mother goddess Cybele, the Egyptian goddess Isis, and other deities made a place for both men and women, this cult may have been the most popular religion before christianity

by praying to isis’s godesses in temples cult member hoped for a peaceful after life

the Jewish people maintained their faith and their communities under various imperial regimes

empires often created state cults that honored their emperors as gods

most jews were strictly monotheistic and recognized only their god, Yahweh, some even declined to pay taxes to regimes that required subjects to revere their emperors

Jews in Palestine tried rebelling against Seleucids and Romans, but the resistance failed, and Roman forces decisively defeated the rebels during the Jewish War

they were a sect that had strict moral code and participated in rituals and baptisms designed to reinforce a sense of community

shepherds accidentally discovered some Essene writings known as the Dead Sea scrolls

Zealots – wanted to drive Romans out of Judea

Apocalyptics – believed a Messiah, or “the Christ,” was coming to destroy the Romans and save the Jews

he was a Jewish teacher whom christians recognized as their savior and formed their relgion around, he attracted large crowds becuase of his teachings and ability to heal the sick

he often taight that “the kingdom of God is at hand” which was refering to a spiritual realm but the romans took it as a threat and crussified him

they were all jews, but often sought out to recruit non-jewish communities

they felt his presence and said that he rose from the dead, they called him christ (the anointed one)

they said he was the son of god, they said that his sacrifice would relieve peoples sins and if they were faithful to him they would go to the kingdom of god

they had a demanding moral code they had to observe, they also had a collection of writings resembling jesus’ life and christian teachings, the new testament

Jews’ Hebrew scriptures

the holy book of christianity

a Jew from Anatolia who preached his faith, especially in the Greek-speaking region of the Roman empire, he taught a Christianity that attracted the urban masses since it provided a meaning for peoples lives and promised an existance after death

he traveled through the mediteranean, when he went from palestine to rome where he promoted christianity for 2 years until he was put on trial and executed

no, christianity was spread around the mediteranean and there were individual communities with bishops who oversaw priests however it began in Jerusalem

they created a number of writings

they supressed them and called them heretical, however many of them were able to survive

they did not want to honor emporers as their gods, however this just made christianities numebers grow faster

anyone, christianity taight an equality of sexes and often appealed to lower classes as well

forbids hunting down Christians

Roman Empire struggles under his rule, He thinks the Roman gods are punishing them, so he increases persecution of Christians.

issued “Edict of Milan” which legalizes Christianity. Makes Church tax-free.

made Christianity official religion of the Roman Empire.  Allows Church to have its own “canon law”.