Ancient Rome 101
Transcript
The story of ancient Rome is a story of evolution, of how a civilization’s ability to adapt and dominate can lead to its survival for over 1,000 years.
Rome began as a small village on central Italy’s Tiber River.
In the coming centuries, it grew into an empire that stretched from the north Atlantic all the way to the Persian Gulf.
During this transformation, Rome displayed a political, military, and cultural prowess that enabled it to become a super power and helped shape what would become known as western civilization.
The lifespan of ancient Rome can be divided into three major periods, the regal, the republican, and the imperial.
During the regal period, Rome was monarchical and ruled by a succession of about seven kings. Rome’s first king, according to legend, was a man named Romulus.
He and his twin brother Remus are said to have founded Rome in 753 B.C.
In 509 B.C., Rome adopted a republican system of governance in which the state was primarily ruled by two annually representatives called praetors, who were later called consuls.
One of them become a famous general and dictator, Julius Caesar.
The imperial period followed.
It was characterized by the rise of the Roman Empire and notorious leaders such as Octavian, Rome’s first emperor, who issued in an era of peace, and Nero, who, some scholars believe, was Rome’s cruelest emperor.
Rome’s focus and pride in its military was vital to the civilization’s growth, and this ethos was evident as early as the regal period when Rome was only a small village.
Still, Rome slowly conquered and annexed neighboring peoples.
This slow and steady expansion eventually lead to the Romans’ domination of the Italian peninsula and the entire Mediterranean Sea, where they conquered the Greeks, Egyptians, and Carthaginians.
Military conquests would later help Rome conquer lands as far away as Britain and Iraq.
This massive scale and growing populous necessitated advancements in Roman engineering.
Aqueducts were constructed, which increased the public’s access to water, helped improve public health, and paved the way for Rome’s famed bath houses.
A 50,000 mile long road system was built as well.
While made originally for the military, it facilitated the movement of people and ideas throughout the empire.
This transmission of ideas and increased contact with diverse cultures also enabled other aspects of Roman culture to evolve.
A key to Rome’s success and longevity was the empire’s inclusion of cultures from the lands they conquered.
From the nearby land of Latium, Rome acquired the Latin language, which became the empire’s official language and the ancestor to Europe’s Romance languages.
Romans also adopted cultural aspects from the ancient state of Etruria, including their religion, alphabet, and the spectacle of gladiator combat.
However, no other civilization influenced the Romans as much as the ancient Greeks. Their influence is probably most apparent in Rome’s art and architecture.
Upper class Romans commissioned paintings and sculptures to imitate Greek art.
Greek architectural styles, such as columns, were implemented in Roman structures such as the Pantheon and Colosseum.
One cultural shift in particular that resonated throughout the empire was the rise of Christianity.
Originating in the Middle East, the religion found a strong advocate in Constantine I, the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity.
He enabled Rome’s transition into a Christian state and encouraged the religion to spread across Europe.
By the fourth century, after a lifespan of over a millennium, the Roman Empire declined.
Factors including political corruption, economic crises, and class conflict led to the empire’s decay from within while invasions and other military threats caused it to break down from outside.
Rome’s ability to incorporate diverse cultures, dominate rivals, and adapt political systems to the needs of its people are all lessons to be learned for time eternal.
Vocabulary List
coming
(adjective) happening or about to happen soon
stretch
(verb) to extend or reach over a distance
prowess
(noun) great skill or ability
enable
(verb) to make it possible for someone or something to do something
lifespan
(noun) the length of time that someone or something lives
monarchical
(adjective) relating to a monarchy, a system of government in which a king or queen is the head of state
succession
(noun) the process of one person or thing following another in a series
found
(verb) to establish something, such as a company or organization
primarily
(adverb) mainly or for the most part
characterize
(verb) to describe the main features or qualities of something
notorious
(adjective) well known for something bad or unpleasant
ethos
(noun) the set of beliefs and values that guides the actions of a person or group
evident
(adjective) clear or obvious to see or understand
conquer
(verb) to defeat an enemy and take control of their territory
annex
(verb) to add a territory to a larger country or state
steady
(adjective) not changing or varying much
conquest
(noun) the act of conquering an enemy and taking control of their territory
massive
(adjective) very large or great in size or extent
populous
(adjective) having a large population
necessitate
(verb) to make something necessary or unavoidable
advancement
(noun) the process of improving or developing something
aqueduct
(noun) a structure that carries water over a long distance
famed
(adjective) well known and admired
diverse
(adjective) having a variety of different elements or qualities
evolve
(verb) to change gradually over a period of time
longevity
(noun) the length of time that someone or something lives
inclusion
(noun) the act of including someone or something
acquire
(verb) to get something as your own, especially by buying it
spectacle
(noun) a large and impressive event or display
apparent
(adjective) clearly visible or noticeable
commission
(verb) to give someone official authority to do something
resonate
(verb) to be similar to what somebody thinks or believes
advocate
(noun) someone who speaks or writes in support of a particular cause
decay
(noun) the process of gradually breaking down or becoming worse
Grammar Point
of + noun clause
The story of ancient Rome is a story of evolution, of how a civilization’s ability to adapt and dominate can lead to its survival for over 1,000 years.
“Of” is a preposition and all prepositions can be followed by:
– a noun (This is the story of Steve Jobs.)
– a noun phrase (This is the story of the legendary Steve Jobs.)
– a noun clause (This is the story of how Steve Jobs founded Apple.)
Noun clauses can be formed using this pattern:
question word + subject + verb
Here are more examples of sentences using “of + noun clause:”
– I am afraid of what will happen.
– I am proud of what you have achieved.
– I am aware of how they treated her.
– I am ashamed of how the event turned out.
– I am suspicious of what he might do.
coming + noun
In the coming centuries, it grew into an empire that stretched from the north Atlantic all the way to the Persian Gulf.
‘Coming’ is an adjective which means happening or about to happen soon.
We use the adjective ‘coming’ before nouns.
Examples:
– This coming Sunday is her birthday.
– They prepared for the coming winter.
– We look forward to greater success in the coming year.
verb pattern: enable
During this transformation, Rome displayed a political, military, and cultural prowess that enabled it to become a super power and helped shape what would become known as western civilization.
We use the verb ‘enable’ with the following patterns:
enable + someone + to + base form
The loan enabled him to buy the house.
The loan enabled him buy the house. (wrong)
The loan enabled him buys the house. (wrong)
The loan enabled him bought the house. (wrong)
The loan enabled him buying the house. (wrong)
enable + something + to + base form
Team work will enable the department to get the job done on time.
Team work will enable the department get the job done on time. (wrong)
Team work will enable the department gets the job done on time. (wrong)
Team work will enable the department getting the job done on time. (wrong)
said to have + past participle
He and his twin brother Remus are said to have founded Rome in 753 B.C.
The phrase “said to have” is used to introduce a statement that is hypothetical or speculative.
He and his twin brother Remus are said to have founded Rome in 753 B.C.
= The speaker did not know for sure whether Romulus and Remus truly founded Rome in 753 B.C.
The dinosaurs are said to have gone extinct millions of years ago.
= The speaker did not know for sure what happened to them.
He is said to have won the lottery last week.
= The speaker did not know for sure whether the person he was talking about really won the lottery last week.
in which
In 509 B.C., Rome adopted a republican system of governance in which the state was primarily ruled by two annually representatives called praetors, who were later called consuls.
in which the state was primarily ruled by two annually representatives called praetors
= an adjective clause giving additional information to the noun phrase “a republican sytem of governance”
To understand why we need to use “in which” instead of “which,” let’s look at a simpler example below.
That book is very old.
I found the recipe in that book.
We can combine the two sentences into one sentence below:
The book in which I found the recipe is very old.
Observe the same element (that book).
Observe that there is a preposition “in” in the second sentence before “that book.”
Let’s look at another example:
The forest is closed to the public.
A bear was spotted in the forest.
We can combine the two sentences into one sentence below:
The forest in which a bear was spotted is closed to the public.
Observe the same element (the forest).
Observe that there is a preposition “in” in the second sentence before “the forest.”
Similarly, we can deconstruct the sentence below:
Rome adopted a republican system of governance in which the state was primarily ruled by two annually representatives called praetors.
– Rome adopted a republican system of governance .
– The state was primarily ruled by two annually representatives called praetors in that republican system of governance.
Observe the same element (republican system of governance).
Observe that there is a preposition “in” in the second sentence before “republican system of governance.”
So, to determine whether or not an adjective clause needs to use “which” or “in which,” you can deconstruct the sentence into two separate sentences and see whether the preposition “in” is involved.
Common Expressions
for time eternal
Rome’s ability to incorporate diverse cultures, dominate rivals, and adapt political systems to the needs of its people are all lessons to be learned for time eternal.
The phrase “for time eternal” means “forever.” It is often used in religious contexts to refer to the afterlife, or to the state of being in God’s presence. It can also be used more generally to refer to something that will last for an infinitely long period of time.
For example, someone might say “I will love you for time eternal” to express their love for someone who they believe they will be with forever. Or, a religious person might say “I believe in the soul and that it will live for time eternal” to express their belief in the afterlife.