Interaction between humans and the environment - Jessika L.

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12/14/10

1. A very prominent feature of Roman interaction with the environment is the use of aqueducts. They were mostly used to carry water to plains for watering crops. This had a significant effect on the fragile ecosystem, corroding the land. They depleted the soil and made way for landslides.

2. The pipes used for the aqueducts were constructed from lead. Lead was mined by slaves. The Ancient Romans had some knowledge that Mercury and Lead were hazardous to human health and the environment, but they continued to use it in the aqueducts, as a wine sweetener, and as jewelry and kitchen utensils for the wealthy. It could have lead to a decline in overall health. As Mercury and Lead can cause insanity, it is valid to speculate that the aristocracy and Roman leaders could have become mentally ill and made poor choices that contributed to the collapse of Rome.

Source: http://www.planetware.com/picture/segovia-roman-aqueduct-e-segaq3.html

The picture above is of an Ancient Roman aqueduct in Segovia. They were used to transport water to baths and fountains, a great innovation of Roman times. Most were built underground to protect the water from disease, yet bridges were built so that water could flow smoothly. The aqueducts relied completely on gravity.



Development and interaction of cultures - Aliya S.

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12/15/10

It's evident that most of Roman culture was taken from the Greeks. Much of their clothing, buildings, and religion closely reflect the Greeks. However, since it's beginnings, Rome has always studied other cultures and countries, which eventually shaped it's own culture, so it's not like they just completely stole everything from other countries. They were a melting pot, much like America is today, where they took several good ideas, from styles of clothing to building structures, and incorporated it into it's own society to make a unique and different culture all of their own.
  Because of their similar lifestyles, both Greek and Roman cultures interacted rather well. They often influenced each other in different aspect, however the Romans were greatly influenced. In the later years as they conquered Greece, their interaction with other cultures maintained steady. They openly let others practice other religions as well as continuously observed the nature of other countries to grab and modify ideas, taking the good and getting rid of the bad. But, this integration of all this "good" was perhaps too much, which might of been a main factor in it's downfall.

Source: http://www.cheap-hotel-rome.com/The-Pantheon-Rome.asp

Roman architecture has always very closely related that of the Greeks This picture a good example of such. The Pantheon, a large and well kept building, was built for the seven deities of which the Romans worshiped. Everything from the pillars to the molding all reflects the influence the Greeks had on the Roman idea of buildings. Even the type of stone, white-ish in color and smooth, it something the Greeks are known for.

State-building, expansion, and conflict - David A.

Picture
12/15/10

State-Building

Rome's initially started as many early civilizations had, as a small tribe that's geography gave it a number trading advantages. The Latins, as they were known, served as a territory for the Etruscans for a number of years. Eventually the citizens grew weary of the tyranny and overthrew the ruling monarch replacing it with a newly created republic based upon the Greek method of politics. The political system changed over time but the basic ideas behind it had always remained mostly intact until the rise of the Empire. The system involved the election of two Consuls who acted as military commanders and chief magistrates. Both of them would hold equal power and were elected annually while a second power bloc, the senate, served as a sort of advisory group that in reality held more much more power than was thought. The third and final power bloc, the assemblies, met annually decide upon such topics like war and serve as a sort of court.

Expansion and Conflict

One cannot discuss Rome's expansion into neighboring territories without mentioning the many conflicts that arose from said aggressive expansion. Once such conflict was against the neighboring state of Carthage, a former Phoenician colony that had made a vast trade empire in the coastal regions around North Africa. The inevitable battles became known as the Punic Wars which lasted from 264-146 B.C.E. The first Punic war resulted in a clear victory for Rome with the area of Sicily successfully captured via treaty. The second Punic war, however, was far more disastrous and was the closest Rome had ever come to its destruction. The Carthaginians, led by Hannibal, mounted an invasion upon Italy itself and won every major battle against Roman forces. They gained political support from a few nations including that of the Macedonians. Rome had, however, managed to use Hannibal's lack of supplies to their advantage and hid behind their cities walls while maintaining complete control over the sea forcing the war into a stalemate. The stalemate was eventually broken by a great Roman general named Scipio who led an invasion against the Carthage controlled Iberian region forcing the rulers of Carthage to sue for peace. This cemented Rome as the dominant power in all of the Mediterranean and allowed it to refocus its attention to new lands such as the Macedonians who had pledged alliance with the now defeated Carthage. The third and final Punic war was in fact nothing more than political mugging with Rome making increasingly outrageous demands and eventually destroying and salting the city of Carthage when the people refused.


Source: http://theromanempire.forumotion.com/portal

This picture epitomizes Roman expansion and conflict through the buildings in the foreground and the faded soldiers at the base of the image. The Roman soldiers represent the fact that Rome was constantly in conflict with various neighboring peoples and that it came to rely on the might of its Legionnaires. The massive city in the background represents the fact that Rome built impressive cities with incredible architecture and dedicated several buildings to be used as courts and forums like the one seen in the picture.

Creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems - Shadae M.

Picture
12/15/10

During the time through Foundations and 600 BC, not many civilizations were advanced. Even Roman economy wasn't that advanced. They solely depended on slavery and the maintained are of agriculture and a very small in look into industry. With such an unstable outlook, most of the economy would rely on expansions and conquest.


Most Romans were farmers that tied to the soil and local rituals. The rise of commercial agriculture was one of the main things that establish a well standing empire. Trade also played a big role in the status of merchants. Merchants tended to be foreigners usually from groups of traders from the Middle East. However, in Rome merchants were still second most prestigious class under the patricians yet the aristocracy disputed the merchant’s rights.


Slavery was a big part of society during these days. It was cheap labor and got everything done. Slaves were used as household servants and for agricultural work. Seeing that most slaves came from fallen territories it was a key element for military expansion. With slavery and a high upper class, Rome never looked into technological innovations.

Source: http://wps.ablongman.com/long_kishlansky_cw_5/0,6472,268318-,00.html

Rome consisted of several different trade routes expressed through this map. The routes were held in places convenient to major cities since most trade items are sent to be sold by merchants. Since merchants played a big role in well being of the economy the route placements made the most sense this way.

Development and transformation of social structures - Sara A.

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12/15/10

Women’s Status

The status of women in Roman times wasn’t all that great. Female babies were left to die almost immediately after birth if the father only wanted sons with no exceptions. They couldn’t vote and stayed at home almost their entire lives. Women in the Roman Empire never got to develop their own identities and were never given a lot of choices on what they wanted to do with their lives. For the most part, women were there just to make babies for their husbands. And it was apparent that those babies should be boys.

Slavery

 Slaves in the Roman Empire were most commonly used to do the jobs that everyone else didn’t want to do. The slave population in Rome consisted of prisoners of war, sailors captured by pirates, or from other places outside of Roman boundaries. They were seen only as property of their masters. Slaves had a low social status and were frequently beaten and mistreated by their owners. Surprisingly, unlike in recent times, slavery in Rome was usually not based on race. This sometimes made it difficult to tell the difference from a slave and a free Roman citizen.


Source: http://www.white-history.com/hwr19.htm

This painting, created in the 4th Century C.E., shows slaves working together in a grape vine field in Rome picking the grapes with the help from animals like oxen. It was very common for slaves to do the work not many people would volunteer for at the time, such as farming.