Get Chapter 6 Reteaching Activity Rome And The Roots Of

What were some Roman contributions to western civilization? Some Roman contributions to Western civilization include the Roman alphabet, the division of the year into twelve months (our calendar), the success of the Christian church, the basis of a democratic republic, and a codified legal system.

To distract and control the masses of Romans, the government provided free games, races, mock battles, and gladiator contests.

The Roman government wanted to keep the idle masses entertained because they knew that a large group of poor people was a major threat to their empire. Therefore, the Romans enjoyed many different forms of entertainment, most of which were free. Theaters were scattered throughout the city and empire.

The Etruscans of northern Italy originally held public games, (ludi), which featured such events as gladiator battles and chariot races, as a sacrifice to the gods. The Romans continued the practice, holding games roughly 10 to 12 times in an average year.

Romans most lasting and great contribution to the western civilization is the law. The earliest Roman law mostly dealt with the rights of the Roman citizens. With the expan- sion of the Roman Empire, the Romans came to accept that laws should be fair and equal to every person, whether wealthy or poor.

Roman gladiator games were an opportunity for emperors and rich aristocrats to display their wealth to the populace, to commemorate military victories, mark visits from important officials, celebrate birthdays or simply to distract the populace from the political and economic problems of the day.

SETTING THE STAGE Romans borrowed and adapted cultural elements freely, especially from the Greek and Hellenistic cultures. However, the Romans created a great civilization in their own right, whose art and architecture, language and literature, engineering, and law became its legacy to the world.

Over time, the Romans borrowed many ideas and skills from their neighbors. Two groups who greatly influenced Roman culture were the Etruscans and the Greeks. Romans learned a great deal about engineering from the Etruscans. Etruscan ideas included the arch and the cuniculus.

In ancient Rome, the state provided games for fun and entertainment, with two broad categories of ludi, meaning games, including theatrical performances, dances, and chariot races and munera, or spectacles, such as gladiator combats, wild animal shows, and other unusual exhibitions.