roman civilization - wikispaces happened in the roman culture that allowed the growth of the mystic...
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Roman Civilization CITIES IN THE EMPIRE
ARCHITECTURE
SOCIETY
MYSTIC RELIGIONS
Enduring Understanding
To understand a culture and society, you must try to
view that culture through the eyes of their citizens as
best you can. To do this we look to the buildings and artifacts left behind by that culture.
When people and societies are given the time to
analyze their place in existence, religions and movements which begin to answer those
fundamental questions will gain in popularity and
power.
Questions: What were the architectural skills that the Romans’ learned from
the societies they conquered?
How were these skills manifested in the monumental architecture throughout the empire?
Did the architecture of the Romans create a blue-print for buildings built many centuries after the empire failed?
What happened in the Roman culture that allowed the growth of the Mystic Religions surrounding the life of a Judean named Jesus?
Did persecuting early Christians for the problems of society help give rise to the growth of this religion?
Christianity was a major cause for the failure of the Roman government to address the problems and ills of society in a timely manner to prevent disenchantment with the Roman government. What evidence is there to prove this statement true or false?
Cities West: relatively small
Enclosed by walls
Only a few 1000 residents
All had Temples, Markets, Arenas, Courthouses, public buildings
East: much larger
Alexandria: 400,000
Ephesus: 200,000
Economy very strong
Cities, continued Rome largest city: over 1 million inhabitants
Will not be until the 1700’s will there be as large of cities
London
Paris: 1780 600,000
Cities had an “acceptable” standard for sanitation
City Life: Aristocracy
Wealthy had homes with running water
Slaves to tend them for everything
Evidence from Pompeii and Herculaneum
City Life: Working Class
No running water in houses but aqueducts access to water outside of homes
Cities: continued Working Life
Worked 6 to 7 hours a day
160 holidays (days off) through out the year
205 day work year
Social conditions:
Amusements were common
Public games
Chariot Races
Rome: Circus Maximus
Gladiator bouts
Both between each other and between men and animals
Coliseum
Copies in other cities
Roman Architecture
Buildings
Coliseum
Largest built in Rome
Pantheon
Temple to Jupiter
Roads
Aqueducts
Circus Maximus
Roads: All over the empire
Built originally to help move
military
Eventually used for trade
Circus Maximus
Pompeii Herculaneum
Christianity MYSTIC RELIGIONS
JUDEA
Judea Early Judea was under Persian rule
After Alexander’s conquest
Ptolemies of Egypt conquered then
Seleucid kings of Syria
Greek control
Outlawed religion
Guerrilla war with Greeks by Judas Maccabaeus
Freedom for the Jews in Judea
Caesar conquered all of Judea in the wars with Pompey
Used great support of Jews to defeat Pompey
Rewarded them with
Reduced taxes
Exemption from military service
Palestine during
Roman Era
Roman control of Judea
Early in the Republic
Religious tolerance
Mystic religions such as Judaism and Zoroastrianism
Great toleration from Rome
Used client kings
Local rulers
Herod the Great (40-4BC)
Son, Herod Antipas
Weak ruler
Hated by most Jews
Poor leadership caused serious friction
Roman Mistakes Procurators (governors) of Rome
Ruled Roman Judea
Quarrels between Roman officers and Jews
Full Rebellion
AD66
Great Jewish War
Lasted until AD70
Demolishing the Temple
Only part left is the Western Wall of the Temple
Rome continued with tolerance until 131
Second rebellion suppression of the Jewish faith
Diaspora
Jesus
Historical figure
Jesus' existence confirmed
Roman historians
Josephus, Tacitus, and Suetonius
All are based upon teaching of charismatic Jewish teacher
Detailed information only available through writings
Saul of Tarsus (never met Jesus)
Authors of the “Gospels” (good news)
Narrative form describing the last 3 years of the life of Jesus
Jesus’ power over evil forces, message of hope and love, healing miracles and inclusiveness
Jesus continued
Jesus as a teacher:
Mother, Mary, betrothed to a man named Joseph
Born during Tiberius Caesar’s reign
4BC
Started teaching about 25AD
No prior records
Affirmed Pharisees’ belief in resurrection
In Sermon on the Mount
Believed poor, meek, pure in heart, peacemaker, justice seeker
Honored
Jesus continued Death
Only records from Christian Sources
Accused of blasphemy by high priests in Jerusalem
Pretending to be God’s Messiah and king
Opposed paying taxes to the Roman emperor
Threat to public order
Roman governor , Pontius Pilate
Ordered execution
Crucified, a painful form of execution
Followers convinced that God raised him from dead
Resurrection confirmed truth of deeds and words
Followers Start preaching the ideas of Jesus
Started calling Jesus “ho Christos”
Anointed one
Messiah
Jesus called the Christ
Shortened to Jesus Christ or just Christ
Stephen
First martyr
Killed by Roman’s
Saul of Tarsus
aka Paul
Saul of Tarsus
Area of Southern Turkey
Non-Jewish persecutor of Jews
33AD converted to Christianity
Proselytized to the non-Jewish
Persecutions Roman government
First new policy towards religious sects
Toleration
Romans even paid for sacrifices on behalf of the Empire in the Jerusalem temple.
Only asked for veneration on official occasions towards the Roman gods
Christians and Jews before refused
Couldn’t because of polytheism
Rome not interested in getting rid of the new religion
Minor persecutions over the years but not an attempt at eliminating Christianity
Persecutions continued
Christian heroes - the Saints
Martyrs were elevated to heroes and holy peoples to be
put death for their faith
Rome persecuted women as well as men.
Deaths were imaginative
Many women were fastened naked to a tree by one foot and
left to hang upside down.
One was tortured by being put to death with boiling pitch
poured over her.
Early Saints continued
St. Perpetua, put to death in Carthage
with her slave St. Felicitas
mauled by wild animals
then put under the sword.
Fourth Century during Diocletian reign
Rulers tried to eliminate the problem
sect
Early Saints
St Agnes
Agnes was exposed but was miraculously
covered with a growth of hair
Then tied to a stake and burnt but flames
didn’t touch her
Finally beheaded
St Cecilia
Imprisoned in her own bath in scalding water
only to emerge unscathed
She was also beheaded by Diocletian
Next: Constantine
HELENA
ENGLAND AND GAUL
COUNCIL OF NICAEA