Name Game

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Geography and Ancient Rome

In each unit studied in our class we will look at the geography of the civilization being studied. Geography is an important tool for historians as they seek to understand the cultures, people, and events of the past. To help organize our geographical investigations we will use the five themes of geography. Each theme is listed below, with questions about how they apply to ancient Rome. Use pages 34 to 41 of the Atlas of World History to answer the questions:

Place: Place refers to the physical characteristics (mountains, rivers, beaches, wildlife, etc.) and human characteristics (roads, buildings, clothing, etc.).

Physical Characteristics of Rome:

Human Characteristics of Rome:

Location: Location is where something is in space. Locations may be absolute (such as an address or a global coordinate location—using longitude and latitude) or relative (described in proximity to landmark, distance, direction, or time).

Where is the city of Rome?

1. Absolute location:

2. Relative location:

Human-Environmental Interaction: How do humans and the environment affect each other? Humans adapt to the environment. Humans modify the environment. And humans depend on the environment.

How did Romans adapt to, modify, and depend on their environment?

Region: A region is an area that displays a coherent unity in terms of the government, language, landform, or situation. Regions are man-made and can be mapped or analyzed.
There are three types of regions. Governments, for example Lake Oswego, Clackamas County, or the United States, define formal regions. Services, for example Southwest Airlines, the Oregonian, or Papa John’s Pizza, define functional regions. People’s perceptions, such as the Northwest, the South, or the Bible Belt, define vernacular regions.

Cities are defined by governments and are therefore formal regions. What were the five biggest cities of the ancient world (around 500 A.D.)?

What vernacular region of the world is Rome in?

Movement: How do people, ideas, and products get from one place to another? People everywhere interact with one another. They spread beliefs, ideas, goods, and services. People travel from place to place, bringing with them their culture and knowledge.

How did Romans move around their empire?

How did Romans communicate? (What languages did they speak?)

How did religious ideas change in the Roman Empire?

America and Ancient Rome: A Comparison

Throughout history there have been great empires and superpowers. The U.S.A. is the most powerful and wealthiest empire in the history of the world. As such, it is often compared to one of the most powerful and longest lasting empires in ancient history: Rome. This comparison is especially interesting because many parts of the U.S. government are based on systems the Romans used. See for yourself:

Roman Voting Rights: Although the Roman government never allowed women or slaves to vote, in 212 C.E. the Edict of Caracella granted citizenship and voting rights to every free man in the Roman Empire. How is this similar to the history of voting rights in the U.S.?

Currency: Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was the first leader to put his image on the Roman coins. Later Roman Emperors continued this tradition. How is this similar to currency (money and coins) in the U.S.?

The Forum: The center of ancient Roman life was the city of Rome, the heart of which was the Forum. The Forum was a place where citizens gathered to debate and discuss the issues of the day, to influence public opinion and lawmakers. How do modern Americans make their opinions known and publicly discuss controversial issues?

The Census: Every five years the Roman government would tally up the number of people living in the Roman Empire. This was important because they needed to know how many people should be paying taxes and how many people they had to contribute to the military. By registering in the census, one declared their Roman citizenship. Slaves were not counted, but a slave owner could register his slaves as free, thus releasing them from bondage. If a Roman citizen did not register in the citizen, their rights to own property and participate in the Roman government were taken from them. Does the U.S. count its citizens? How?

Architecture: The center of the ancient Roman Republic (and Empire) was the city of Rome. It was one of the greatest and most advanced cities in the ancient world. Many of its buildings mimicked those of ancient Greece, Egypt, and other Mediterranean civilizations, but they also created many buildings that are hallmarks of Roman culture. Examples of Roman architecture include columns on the fronts of buildings, large domed ceilings, public bathhouses, aqueducts & sewers to carry water, arches, gladiatorial stadiums, and obelisks. Do you ever see examples of these things in America? Where?

Statues: Roman artists excelled at creating lifelike statues. They were masters at recreating the human form in stone, metal, and plaster. The statues often depicted either the gods the Romans worshiped, the leaders of Rome, or demonstrated ideal human traits such as honor, athleticism, or freedom. Many of their statues can still be found in museums today, where they continue to inspire awe in onlookers. Can you think of any famous statues in America?

America and the Fall of Rome

Watch the YouTube video clip at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQDhlQ7A6Vk. As you watch the YouTube video, take notes on why so many people compare to the U.S.A. to ancient Rome.

Do you think the comparison is accurate? Why or why not?

Ancient Rome and the U.S. Constitution

During the 1700s and 1800s, when the U.S. government was forming and growing, America was going through a neoclassical revival—an intense interest in the art, architecture, and ideas of ancient Rome and Greece. This is the major reason that so many buildings in Washington, D.C., (the capitol city of the U.S.) look like they could have been built in Rome. Early American leaders didn’t just copy Roman buildings though, they also borrowed heavily from the Roman government when they set up the new U.S. Government. The U.S. government is organized by a document known as the Constitution of the United States of America—the founders of the country wrote it, and it outlines the basic structures and functions of the systems of the American government. The ancient Roman Republic also had a constitution that outlined the government—known as mos maiorum, Latin for “custom of the ancestors.” Unlike the U.S. Constitution, it was not written down. But it was a set of guidelines passed down from generation to generation that helped keep the Roman government running smoothly (at least until the end of the Republic, when the constitution was thrown out in favor of the whims of all powerful Emperors). On the next page we will investigate some of the similarities between the U.S. and Roman constitutions.

Listed below are some of the ideas from the mos maiorum. See if you can match them(by drawing lines connecting the ideas) to their counterparts in the U.S. Constitution:

Rome

1. Although the government ran Rome, it was believed to ultimately be at the service of the Roman people.

2. The government’s power was divided among three basic branches: the Magistrates, the Senate, & the Assemblies.

3. Each branch of the government had the power to limit or control the actions of the other parts.

4. Any time a proposition was considered in the Senate a certain number of senators had to be present for debate to continue and debates were given time limits.

5. The Assemblies were meant to represent the people. They voted on laws and bills proposed by the Senate.

6. Assemblies would elect magistrates—especially consuls and praetors, who acted as judges and heads of state.

U.S.A.

A. The government has three branches: the Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary.

B. The U.S. Constitution puts in place checks and balances on each of the branches of government, so that no one branch can become too powerful.

C. The U.S. Congress is divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate, the members of which are elected by the people.

D. The preamble of the U.S. Constitution establishes that it is a government for and by the people.

E. The U.S. Constitution establishes a Supreme Court that presides over all trials in matters concerning U.S. consuls, magistrates, and state affairs.

F. In the U.S. Congress, debates on bills are limited to specific amount of time. If a debate goes on for too long, the bill is dead (known as a filibuster). If a certain number of Senators or Representatives are not present (known as a quorum), then a vote cannot take place.