Culture of ancient Rome.docx

Culture of ancient Rome.docx

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CultureofancientRome

CultureofancientRome

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JuliusCaesar,fromthebustintheBritishMuseum,inCassell'sHistoryofEngland（1902）.

AncientRomancultureexistedthroughoutthealmost1200-yearhistoryofthecivilizationofAncientRome.ThetermreferstothecultureoftheRomanRepublic,latertheRomanEmpire,which,atitspeak,coveredanareafromLowlandScotlandandMoroccototheEuphrates.

LifeinancientRomerevolvedaroundthecityofRome,itsfamedsevenhills,anditsmonumentalstructuressuchastheFlavianAmphitheatre（nowcalledtheColosseum）,theForumofTrajan,andthePantheon.Thecityalsohadseveraltheaters,gymnasiums,andmanytaverns,baths,andbrothels.ThroughouttheterritoryunderancientRome'scontrol,residentialarchitecturerangedfromverymodesthousestocountryvillas,andinthecapitalcityofRome,therewereimperialresidencesontheelegantPalatineHill,fromwhichtheword"palace"isderived.Thevastmajorityofthepopulationlivedinthecitycenter,packedintoinsulae（apartmentblocks）.

ThecityofRomewasthelargestmegalopolisofthattime,withapopulationthatmaywellhaveexceededonemillionpeople,withahighendestimateof3.5millionandalowendestimateof450,000.ThepublicspacesinRomeresoundedwithsuchadinofhoovesandclatterofironchariotwheelsthatJuliusCaesarhadonceproposedabanonchariottrafficatnight.Historicalestimatesindicatethataround30percentofthepopulationunderthecity'sjurisdictionlivedininnumerableurbancenters,withpopulationofatleast10,000andseveralmilitarysettlements,averyhighrateofurbanizationbypre-industrialstandards.ThemosturbanizedpartoftheEmpirewasItaly,whichhadanestimatedrateofurbanizationof32%,thesamerateofurbanizationofEnglandin1800.MostRomantownsandcitieshadaforum,templesandthesametypeofbuildings,onasmallerscale,asfoundinRome.Thelargeurbanpopulationrequiredanendlesssupplyoffoodwhichwasacomplexlogisticaltask,includingacquiring,transporting,storinganddistributionoffoodforRomeandotherurbancenters.Italianfarmssuppliedvegetablesandfruits,butfishandmeatwereluxuries.AqueductswerebuilttobringwatertourbancentersandwineandoilwereimportedfromHispania,GaulandAfrica.

TherewasaverylargeamountofcommercebetweentheprovincesoftheRomanEmpiresinceitstransportationtechnologywasveryefficient.Theaveragecostsoftransportandthetechnologywerecomparablewith18thcenturyEurope.ThelatercityofRomedidnotfillthespacewithinitsancientAurelianwallsuntilafter1870.

EightypercentofthepopulationunderthejurisdictionofancientRomelivedinthecountrysideinsettlementswithlessthan10thousandinhabitants.Landlordsgenerallyresidedincitiesandtheirestateswereleftinthecareoffarmmanagers.Theplightofruralslaveswasgenerallyworsethantheircounterpartsworkinginurbanaristocratichouseholds.Tostimulateahigherlaborproductivitymostlandlordsfreedalargenumberofslavesandmanyreceivedwages.Somerecordsindicatethat"asmanyas42peoplelivedinonesmallfarmhutinEgypt,whilesixfamiliesownedasingleolivetree."[citationneeded].Sucharuralenvironmentcontinuedtoinducemigrationofpopulationtourbancentersuntiltheearly2ndcentury,whentheurbanpopulationstoppedgrowingandstartedtodecline.

Startinginthemiddleofthe2ndcenturyBC,privateGreekculturewasincreasinglyinascendancy,inspiteoftiradesagainstthe"softening"effectsofHellenizedculturefromtheconservativemoralists.BythetimeofAugustus,culturedGreekhouseholdslavestaughttheRomanyoung（sometimeseventhegirls）;chefs,decorators,secretaries,doctors,andhairdressers—allcamefromtheGreekEast.GreeksculpturesadornedHellenisticlandscapegardeningonthePalatineorinthevillas,orwereimitatedinRomansculptureyardsbyGreekslaves.TheRomancuisinepreservedinthecookerybooksascribedtoApiciusisessentiallyGreek.RomanwritersdisdainedLatinforaculturedGreekstyle.OnlyinlawandgovernancewastheItalicnatureofRome'saccretiveculturesupreme.

Againstthishumanbackground,boththeurbanandruralsetting,oneofhistory'smostinfluentialcivilizationstookshape,leavingbehindaculturallegacythatsurvivesinparttoday.

[edit]Socialstructure

Mainarticle:

SocialclassinancientRome

Thecentreoftheearlysocialstructure,datingfromthetimeoftheagriculturaltribalcitystate,wasthefamily,whichwasnotonlymarkedbybloodrelationsbutalsobythelegallyconstructedrelationofpatriapotestas.ThePaterfamiliaswastheabsoluteheadofthefamily;hewasthemasteroverhiswife（ifshewasgiventohimsubmanu,otherwisethefatherofwiferetainedpatriapotestas）,hischildren,thewivesofhissons（againifmarriedsubmanuwhichbecamerarertowardstheendoftheRepublic）,thenephews,theslavesandthefreedmen（liberatedslaves,thefirstgenerationstilllegallyinferiortothefreeborn）,disposingofthemandoftheirgoodsatwill,evenhavingthemputtodeath.Romanlawrecognizedonlypatricianfamiliesaslegalentities.

Slaveryandslaveswerepartofthesocialorder.Theslavesweremostlyprisonersofwar.Therewereslavemarketswheretheycouldbeboughtandsold.Romanlawwasnotconsistentaboutthestatusofslaves,exceptthattheywereconsideredlikeanyothermoveableproperty.Manyslaveswerefreedbythemastersforfineservicesrendered;someslavescouldsavemoneytobuytheirfreedom.Generallymutilationandmurderofslaveswasprohibitedbylegislation[citationneeded],althoughoutrageouscrueltycontinued.

Apartfromthesefamilies（calledgentes）andtheslaves（legallyobjects,mancipiai.e."keptinthe[master's]hand"）therewerePlebeiansthatdidnotexistfromalegalperspective.Theyhadnolegalcapacityandwerenotabletomakecontracts,eventhoughtheywerenotslaves.Todealwiththisproblem,theso-calledclientelawascreated.Bythisinstitution,aplebeianjoinedthefamilyofapatrician（inalegalsense）andcouldclosecontractsbymediationofhispatricianpaterfamilias.Everythingtheplebeianpossessedoracquiredlegallybelongedtothegens.Hewasnotallowedtoformhisowngens.

Theauthorityofthepaterfamiliaswasunlimited,beitincivilrightsaswellasincriminallaw.Theking'sdutywastobeheadoverthemilitary,todealwithforeignpoliticsandalsotodecideoncontroversiesbetweenthegentes.Thepatriciansweredividedintothreetribes（Ramnenses,Titientes,Luceres）.

DuringthetimeoftheRomanRepublic（foundedin509BC）Romancitizenswereallowedtovote.Theseincludedpatriciansandplebeians.Women,slaves,andchildrenwerenotallowedtovote.

Thereweretwoassemblies,theassemblyofcenturies（comitiacenturiata）andtheassemblyoftribes（comitiatributa）,whichweremadeupofallthecitizensofRome.InthecomitiacenturiatatheRomansweredividedaccordingtoage,wealthandresidence.Thecitizensineachtribeweredividedintofiveclassesbasedonpropertyandtheneachgroupwassubdividedintotwocenturiesbyage.Allinall,therewere373centuries.Liketheassemblyoftribes,eachcenturyhadonevote.TheComitiaCenturiataelectedthepraetors（judicialmagistrates）,thecensors,andtheconsuls.

Thecomitiatributacomprisedthirty-fivetribesfromRomeandthecountry.Eachtribehadasinglevote.TheComitiaTributaelectedtheQuaestors（financialmagistrates）andthepatricianCuruleAedile.

Overtime,Romanlawevolvedconsiderably,aswellassocialviews,emancipating（toincreasingdegrees）familymembers.Justicegreatlyincreased,aswell.TheRomansbecamemoreefficientatconsideringlawsandpunishments.

LifeintheancientRomancitiesrevolvedaroundtheForum,thecentralbusinessdistrict,wheremostoftheRomanswouldgoformarketing,shopping,trading,banking,andforparticipatinginfestivitiesandceremonies.TheForumwasalsoaplacewhereoratorswouldexpressthemselvestomouldpublicopinion,andelicitsupportforanyparticularissueofinteresttothemorothers.Beforesunrise,childrenwouldgotoschoolsortutoringthemathomewouldcommence.Elderswoulddress,takeabreakfastby11o'clock,haveanapandintheafternoonoreveningwouldgenerallygototheForum.GoingtoapublicbathatleastoncedailywasahabitwithmostRomancitizens.Therewereseparatebathsformenandwomen.Themaindifferencewasthatthewomen'sbathsweresmallerthanthemen's,anddidnothaveafrigidarium（coldroom）orapalaestra（exercisearea）.[citationneeded]

Differenttypesofoutdoorandindoorentertainment,freeofcost,wereavailableinancientRome.Dependingonthenatureoftheevents,theywerescheduledduringdaytime,afternoons,evenings,orlatenights.HugecrowdsgatheredattheColosseumtowatcheventslikegladiators,combatsbetweenmen,orfightsbetweenmenandwildanimals.TheCircusMaximuswasusedforchariotracing.

Lifeinthecountrysidewasslowbutlively,withnumerouslocalfestivalsandsocialevents.Farmswererunbythefarmmanagers,butestateownerswouldsometimestakearetreattothecountrysideforrest,enjoyingthesplendorofnatureandthesunshine,includingactivitieslikefishing,hunting,andriding.Ontheotherhand,slavelaborsloggedoncontinuously,forlonghoursandallsevendays,