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）.

AncientRomancultureevolvedthroughoutthealmost1200-yearhistoryofthatcivilization.ThetermreferstothecultureoftheRomanRepublic,latertheRomanEmpire,which,atpeak,coveredanareafromCumbriaandMoroccototheEuphrates.

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

ThecityofRomewasthelargestmegalopolisofthattime,withapopulationthatmaywellhaveexceededonemillionpeople,withahighendestimateof3.5millionandalowendestimateof450,000.ThepublicspacesinRomeresoundedwithsuchadinofhoovesandclatterofironchariotwheelsthatJuliusCaesarhadonceproposedabanonchariottrafficatnight.Historicalestimatesindicatethataround30percentofpopulationunderthejurisdictionoftheancientRomelivedininnumerableurbancenters,withpopulationofatleast10,000andseveralmilitarysettlements,averyhighrateofurbanizationbypreindustrialstandards.ThemosturbanizedpartoftheempirewasItaly,whichhadanestimatedrateofurbanizationof32%,thesamerateofurbanizationofEnglandin1800.MostRomantownsandcitieshadaforumandtemplesandsametypeofbuildings,onasmallerscale,asfoundinRome.Thelargeurbanpopulationrequiredanendlesssupplyoffoodwhichwasacomplexlogisticaltask,includingacquiring,transporting,storinganddistributionoffoodforRomeandotherurbancenters.Italianfarmssuppliedvegetablesandfruits,butfishandmeatwereluxuries.AqueductswerebuilttobringwatertourbancentersandwineandoilwereimportedfromHispania,GaulandAfrica.

TherewasaverylargeamountofcommercebetweentheprovincesoftheRomanEmpiresinceitstransportationtechnologywasveryefficient.Theaveragecostsoftransportandthetechnologywerecomparablewith18thcenturyEurope.ThelatercityofRomedidnotfillthespacewithinitsancientaurelianwallsuntilafter1870.

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

StartinginthemiddleofthesecondcenturyBC,ineveryaspectoftheprivatecultureoftheupperclasses,Greekculturewasincreasinglyinascendancy,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

Thecenteroftheearlysocialstructure,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,althoughoutrageouscrueltycontinued.[1]

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.

[edit]Customsanddailylife

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

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

Lifeinthecountrysidewasslowbutlively,withnumerouslocalfestivalsandsocialevents.Farmswererunbythefarmmanagers,butestateownerswouldsometimestakearetreattothecountrysideforrest,enjoyingthesplendorofnatureandthesunshine,includingactivitieslikefishing,hunting,andriding.Ontheotherhand,slavelaborsloggedoncontinuously,forlonghoursandallsevendays,andensuringcomfortsandcreatingwealthfortheirmasters.Theaveragefarmownerswerebetteroff,spendingeveningsineconomicandsocialinteractionsatthevillagemarkets.Thedayendedwithameal,generallyleftoverfromthenoontimepreparations.

[edit]Clothing