4,3 Join the Romans

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4.3 Join the Romans

Objectives:

I can explain how trade and wealth were used to stimulate Romanisation

I can explain why new Romans chose to Romanise their culture

But let's start with a recap......

Paragraph 4.3

Read page 83

Romans are good at:

* Building bridges, roads, water supply systems

* Organisation -> army and administration

* laws

- Roman law

- Whole empire

The Romans also developed a very useful building technique: the arch. The idea of the arch together with concrete and bricks gave numerous possibilities to the builders. Now they were able to build aqueducts (bridges for water) very quickly. Aqueducts were extremely important for the water supply in Roman cities.

The Romans also built public toilets, so people stopped urinating in the street. Now streets were cleaner and diseases spread less easily.

The Romans loved bathing. In Rome, there were several thermae (Latin for ‘bathhouses’). A bathhouse was used for bathing, but also for socialising and of course, gossiping. Each Roman town throughout the Empire had several bathhouses.

Local people were not allowed to be the garrison in their own territory after 69 AD. The Romans feared locals were too likely to side with their people against Rome.

Some of the best jobs in the empire were held by people who had yet to earn Roman citizenship. For instance, the personal guard of the emperor included Batavians. These men from what is now called the Netherlands could find themselves in high places. Sometimes literally, as some Batavians were stationed at Hadrian’s wall (England). They were there to man the wall and protect the empire from the Scottish Celts.

We found some personal letters there that these Batavians sent home. These letters were written in Latin, not in the Germanic dialect that the Batavians used to speak. So either the Batavians became very Romanised in only one century, or there were people in the Roman army that would write down messages for soldiers. They would then be read or translated for the Batavians back home. The Romans rotated troops from different parts of the empire to keep the peace. So army service not only got you citizenship, it also got you places!

Bread and Games

Source 4.23

Another thing the Romans brought was entertainment. Roman leaders knew that people remain happy if you feed and entertain them. Or, to quote Julius Caesar: “give them bread and games”. The Romans liked to organise gladiator games in amphitheatres.

Amphitheatres are round theatres, like the Colosseum in Rome. Gladiators, who were trained slaves, would fight each other, wild animals or criminals. In other events criminals had to fight wild animals. Sometimes they just executed people between events. In the late 1st and 2nd centuries, Christians were also thrown into the arena to die as entertainment for the spectators.

Source 4.24 Inside the most famous amphitheatre in the world: the Colosseum in Rome, built between 72 and 80 AD.

Roman culture in the Netherlands

Source 4.25 Scale model of the temple for Hercules-Magusanus in Elst, built in 110 AD.

In the Netherlands, local and Roman religion mixed too. The largest temple North of the Alps was built just South of Arnhem, at Elst. It was dedicated to the Batavian god Magusanus. The Romans called him Hercules. The Roman army built the temple around 110 AD, before the legion left Nijmegen. It seems only fair that they built a new temple, because the Romans had destroyed the old one.

To be fair, the Romans had good reasons to destroy it. The Batavians rebelled against the Romans in 69 AD. During this Batavian rebellion, they defeated Roman armies and burned down Xanten. But after some time Rome got the upper hand. The Batavian leader, Julius Civilis, met with the Romans and surrendered. As punishment the Romans destroyed the temple at Elst. They also placed a legion just South of the Batavians, and from this the city of Nijmegen grew!

Pax Romana

Source 4.26 Medical instruments the Romans used for surgery, not so different from those we use today (1st century BC).

There were other good reasons to be part of the Roman Empire: the network of roads was protected by the Roman army and offered a fast, safe way to travel. The Roman state also made good silver coins, called denarii. These coins could be used all over the empire and helped trade to blossom. Whether it was a trader selling perfume, or an Egyptian grain trader, everyone knew what the coins were worth. This made trade easier.

With better trade, some people became rich. It was a Roman tradition to use your wealth for public good, so rich Romans would spread their wealth by, for instance, building a bathhouse. Most Roman cities improved this way. They built public toilets (so people stopped peeing in the street), bathhouses (so people were clean) along with libraries and sporting facilities. In other words the Romans brought wealth and, as long as you obeyed Roman law, peace. So it was Roman peace, or Pax Romana.

Source 4.27 Romans enjoyed going to the toilet together and even shared one cleaning stick (instead of paper) (Ostia Antica, Rome, 2nd century AD).

Conflict with the Germanic tribes

There was one downside to Rome’s wealth and success. In the North there were Germanic tribes. These tribes envied Rome the fertile lands of Gaul and the wealth Rome had gathered. They also remembered the wars they had fought with Rome. The Teutons and Cimbri that Marius had defeated were also Germanic. After more than 200 years the conflict was far from over. But after a few failed attempts to conquer Germany, the Rhine became the frontier with the Germanic tribes.

Essence

Becoming more Roman, or Romanising, had many advantages; political rights for citizens, better trade and nice buildings. But if you resisted Roman rule, they would punish you.

Exercise 1

Read How to become a Roman? (Theory B).

a.

What four benefits were there if you became a Roman citizen?

b.

Was it easy to become a Roman citizen? Explain your answer.

a

b

Exercise 2

S

In this exercise you will practise Skill 7: Drawing conclusions from studying sources. Read the source below and answer the questions.

The emperor Caesar […] Hadrianus Antonius […], pontifex maximus (high priest), with tribunician power (people’s tribune), twice imperator, four times consul […] September 27th […] has granted to the Briton Ivonercus, son of Molax, infantryman of the 1st Ulpian cohort of Britons 1,000-strong under Lucius Nonius Bessus[…] citizenship. […]

Military diploma from Mehadia, AD 154, simplified version

a.

What does the diploma say about Ivonercus?

b.

Why are all the names and titles important?

c.

When would Ivonercus need this diploma?

a

b

c

Exercise 3

S

Read Romanisation (Theory C). In this exercise you will practise Skill 7: Drawing conclusions from studying sources.

a.

What is Romanisation?

b.

Look at the source below. Is this an example of Romanisation?

Roman Baths in Bath, England

a

b

Exercise 4

a.

What two things did people in the Roman empire always have to do?

b.

Which of these two things did the Jews and Christians refuse to do? Explain why.

a

b

Exercise 5

Read Batavians in the personal guard of the emperor (Theory D).

a.

What language did the Batavians speak?

b.

Is the fact that there were letters in Latin from Batavians proof of their Romanisation? Explain your answer.

c.

The Romans made sure that troops were rotated. This meant that Batavians from the Netherlands were keeping the peace in England instead of the Netherlands. Why did the Romans prefer to use Batavians in England rather than in the Netherlands? Explain your answer.

a

b

c

Exercise 6

Read Bread and Games (Theory E).

a.

What did Caesar mean by “Give them bread and games”?

b.

Entertainment in the amphitheatres included gladiators fighting to the death, animal fights and executions. Would you consider this sport?

S

c.

In this exercise you will practise Skill 4: Comparing historical situations. Gladiators could become rich and famous. Is that so very different from professional athletes today? Explain your answer.

a

b

c

Exercise 7

S

Read Roman culture in the Netherlands (Theory F). In this exercise you will practise Skill 7: Drawing conclusions from studying sources.

a.

Look at source 4.25. Is this temple an example of Romanisation? Explain your answer.

b.

The Batavian god Magusanus was called Hercules (or even Hercules-Magusanus) by the Romans. Why do you think they gave him this name?

c.

What does it say about the relationship between Rome and the Batavians that the Romans rebuilt the temple in 110 AD?

a

b

c

Exercise 8

Read Pax Romana (Theory G).

a.

What three benefits did the Roman empire offer for 

The Romans also built public toilets, so people stopped urinating in the street. Now streets were cleaner and diseases spread less easily.

the colloseum

a triumphal arch

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Dit is een villa rustica, een soort boerderij. Naast dit type villa, bestond er ook de villa urbana. 

Speaking activity !!!

You're a Roman inhabitant of this villa. Descibe your house.

You're a Roman inhabitant of this insula. Descibe your house.

Exercise

Do exercise 7 and 8

Julius Caesar

After Caesar defated the Gauls in 52 BC he seizes power in Rome and he become consul for life (dictator)

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Keyword: Romanisation

The Romans stimulated the process of Romanisation therefore they learned Latin, used coins and....

Romanisation

All roads lead to Rome

• In their whole empire, the Romans laid paved roads (via).
• This enabled the Roman army to quickly move to the outskirtst of the entire empire, but also made trading a lot easier.

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Roman peace

• Under Augustus' rule many territories were conquered. For example Egypt.
• Pax Romana: The start of a long period of peace and calm in the first and second centuries AD (literally ‘Roman peace’).

Pax  Romana

• Roads built
• Bridges constructed
• Cities and towns founded
• Trade increased
• Wealth increased (people became richer)

Roman citizenship

Romans and Gauls will fight side-by-side, not against each other but against the Germanic tribes. Romans are good to their friends, yes, but quite cruel to their enemies.

Let's work....

• Read par 4.3
•  Do exercise 2A,3,4 page 120
• Learn keywords