The Technology of Ancient Rome

McCullough, Naomi. The Technology of Ancient Rome. 2017. Part of the Ancient Innovations series. 64p. ISBN 978-1-5026-2233-4. Available at 937 MCC on the library shelves.

The Roman Empire stretched from the Atlantic to the Middle East and from Britain to Egypt, controlling millions of people and countless countries. The will of the people of Rome motivated these conquests and powered the Empire’s drive, yet the Romans may not have left behind a lasting legacy was it not for their technology, which endures in many forms even today.

Seldom innovators, the Romans instead adopted technologies from those who surrounded them and adapted them for their own purposes, streamlining and increasing efficiencies along the way until they had built an unstoppable imperial machine. Paved roads had been constructed elsewhere in the world, but the Romans are the first to deploy an extensive network of paved roads with distance markers between their cities. Services such as hotels and motels developed along the roads and became popular with travelers. Bridges were constructed of stone and cement and spanned distances previously unfathomable.

Cities benefited from an increase in agricultural harvests with the improvement of water mills. Greek water mills could grind 15 pounds of wheat into flour in a day, but new designs and adaptations by the Romans increased this amount exponentially, such that many mills ground 20 to 30 tons of flour a day. Tools were designed to make the harvest process more efficients. Buildings were also improved with concrete, indoor plumbing and heating, while cheaper apartment building poorly constructed stretched to the skies. Aqueducts delivered water from far distances to quench the thirst of city residents. Bath houses and toilets provided a certain level of sanitary infrastructure unequaled for the next fifteen hundred years. Finally, medical innovations allowed soldiers to survive battles, new calendars more precisely tracked time, and the mass production of weapons and armor ensured that for centuries Rome’s might stood unchallenged.

Cicero

Lowery, Zoe and Fiona Forsyth. Cicero. Part of the Leaders of the Ancient World series. 2017. 112p. ISBN 978-1-50817258-1. Available at B CIC on the library shelves.

The most prolific writer of the ancient Roman world, Marcus Tullius Cicero played a major part in the transformation of Rome from a Republic to an Empire, and lost his life in the process for choosing the losing side. A contemporary of Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony, Cicero lived from 106 BCE to 43 BCE, when he was assassinated under the direct order of Octavian. Known for extensive letters and books which covered daily Roman life, Cicero was also a Senator, a scholar, a poet and a lawyer. Recognized as the best orator of his era, Cicero’s ability to motivate crowds is one of the reason he lost his life. Cicero’s personal life thus follows the ups and downs of the collapse of the Republic and the bid of several strong men to take control of Rome, until Octavian successfully crowned himself Augustus.

Fans of Rome and of its dysfunctional political system will appreciate how Cicero was able to exploit, and ultimately fell victim to, a system designed to administer a city, and not an empire.

The Countryside in the Roman Empire

Lane, Allison. The Countryside in the Roman Empire. Part of Life in the Roman Empire series. 2017. 80p. ISBN 978-1502622617. Available at 937.06 LAN on the library shelves.

Roman patricians and poets portrayed life in the countryside as idyllic, but for the vast majority of people this was not the case. Though living in the countryside differed depending on one’s location within the Empire, for the most part it involved a hard life farming a land that never produced enough to allow people to get ahead. Farmers worked year round. Children immediately began taking care of chores to help the family out. Whereas the work day in the city was fairly short, in the country farmers worked the entire day, from sunrise to sunset as there were always tasks that needed accomplishing.

With an average lifespan of under thirty, Romans in the countryside experienced hard living. Though lauded by city folks for providing the Empire with enough food, farming was backbreaking labor. The rise of large estates also led to a decline in small farm holdings, reducing the number of owners along with their drive to maintain their properties. Both men and women worked on the farm and accomplished many chores. Whereas men had the possibility to hunt and fish, women focused on weaving and childrearing, as well as ensuring that the farm household ran smoothly.

Life in the countryside was not all trials and challenges, however. There were many holidays celebrating farming and agriculture. Farmers and their families generally also enjoyed more space and better food than their city counterparts. And there were more opportunities for children to play than in the city.

Other titles in this series include The City in the Roman Empire, Patricians in the Roman Empire, and Religion in the Roman Empire.

The City in the Roman Empire

Mackley, Daniel. The City in the Roman Empire. Part of the Life in the Roman Empire series. 2017. 80p. ISBN 978-1-5026-2259-4. Available at 307.76 MAC on the library shelves.

As the model for every city in the Roman Empire, Rome stood at the height of urban development not equalled until the Industrial Age. Roman cities had many features recognizable to a person living today, from fresh running water piped to fountains and baths throughout the city to paved roads and sewer systems. Restaurants and shops lined the streets, while large apartment complexes stretched up to seven stories in the sky. Entertainment facilities such as amphitheatres and arenas allowed the citizens to relax and enjoy themselves.

Without artificial lighting powerful enough to banish the night, most Romans awoke at dawn and were out and about until dusk, when the city became unsafe. The average Roman, who lived to be 27, worked in the morning and returned home for lunch, followed by an afternoon of entertainment at the baths, libraries, or in public places with friends. Men, women, and slaves all had leisure time build in their schedules. A myriad of public holidays ensured that the workweek was never too long.

Most citizens lived in apartments with no cooking facilities due to the risk of fire. They ate out, or enjoyed a meal of cold beans and bread. Dangers such as fire and natural disasters could wipe out cities in a manner of hours. The cost of living was high in Rome, and work could be hard to get. A prelude to the feudal system, most Romans had a patron that took care of them. In exchange they accomplished small tasks for them.

Though Roman life was hard, living in a city could provide significant enjoyment for its residents. It wasn’t until the growth of London and Paris in the 1700s that Rome’s population of over one million people was finally exceeded in the Western world.

Other titles in this series include The Countryside in the Roman Empire, Patricians in the Roman Empire, and Religion in the Roman Empire.

Patricians in the Roman Empire

Jacobs, Denise. Patricians in the Roman Empire. Part of the Life in the Roman Empire series. 2017. 80p. ISBN 978-1-5026-2257-0. Available at 305.52 JAC on the library shelves.

Though Rome’s Imperial system placed a man at the head of the Empire, this individual could not effectively govern without significant contributions and support from the wealthiest members of Roman society, the Patricians. When the last of Rome’s seven kings was overthrown, he was replaced by a Republic, governed by a Senate. Members of the Senate came from wealthy families and were appointed for life. Following the death of Julius Caesar and the civil war that ensued, Augustus assumed control of the state but continued to rely on the Senate to pass laws and administer the state. Successive emperors whittled down the political power of the Senate until it became nothing more than a debating body.

Patrician men were born into their positions. They had private tutors as children and were taught how to read and write, basic mathematics, and the art of rhetoric and public speaking. They generally served in the military for a number of years before seeking more powerful offices such as Tribune or Consul. Patrician women were married young and were educated enough to run a large household made up of family members and slaves.

Life as a Patrician had its rewards. They were not worried about where their next meal came, and they threw lavish entertainment to keep themselves and the people pacified. Theirs was a life of luxury unequalled until the Renaissance. At the same time the political power plays that took place could quickly led to their downfall and even death. As the ruling class of Rome, the Patricians kept the state functioning, but as long as it benefited them.

Other titles in this series include The Countryside in the Roman Empire, The City in the Roman Empire, and Religion in the Roman Empire.

Religion in the Roman Empire

Holtzer, Ben. Religion in the Roman Empire. Part of the Life in the Roman Empire series. 2017. 80p. ISBN 978-1-5026-2263-1. Available at 292.07 HOL on the library shelves.

Life in the Roman Empire could be hard, but the Romans believed that deities and spirits surrounded and protected them from Fate and from their enemies. The Roman pantheon of gods and goddesses was varied and incorporated the worship of deities as far away as Egypt and the Middle East into a homegrown version of the Greek gods. Along with the major gods and goddesses, worshipped throughout the Empire under different names, the Romans believed that each man and woman had their own guardian spirit, while their houses and cities did too. As a result a series of elaborate rituals arose to celebrate and appease these spirits to gain their blessings.

As the Empire expanded, more deities were added to the well-known deities such as Jupiter and Venus. Women were an integral part of worship, and often had their own religious duties to perform. The Vestal virgins kept Rome’s eternal flame going. The wives of Emperors were worshipped as deities and, while alive, held sumptuous services to the gods. For the Romans, religion was a fact of life, neither questioned nor doubted.

The rise of the monotheistic religion of Christianity at first went unnoticed in the halls of power, but as Christians gained in popularity their demands that only God be worshipped drew the ire of Emperors. Christians were martyred and executed, but in the end Constantine converted to Christianity and eventually all Roman gods were banned. For hundred of years afterwards Roman deities continued to be worshiped, but as the Empire fell and was replaced by competing kingdoms, Christianity triumphed and the gods disappeared. Their names remain, however, both in the days of the week and in the months of the year.

Other titles in this series include The Countryside in the Roman Empire, The City in the Roman Empire, and Patricians in the Roman Empire.

Games of Ancient Rome

Nardo, Don. Games of Ancient Rome. Part of The Way People Live series. 2000. 96p. ISBN 1-56006-655-5. Available at 790 HAR on the library shelves.

Known for their bloodthirsty gladiator combats, the games that entertained the ancient Romans actually evolved over centuries, and the practices that we recognize now as brutal and inhuman spanned only four hundred years of Roman history.

From chariot races to the aforementioned gladiator combats, from animal shows to naval battles, wealthy Roman citizens, and later on Emperors, realized that an entertained population is a calm population. Magnificent buildings were erected to celebrate Rome and its Emperors. The Circus Maximus, the largest chariot track in the ancient world, could sit up to a quarter of a million people. Large crowds sat in relative comfort in the Colosseum watching people die for their entertainment.

This book deftly explains how Romans, who were austere and traditionalists in most ways, could be so enamored with violent and dangerous spectacles. Fans of Rome will enjoy this brief story of a time most of us would rather not live in. More information about Rome can also be found in Classical Civilization: Rome.

Classical Civilization: Rome

Nardo, Don. Classical Civilization: Rome. 2012. 128p. ISBN 978-1-5993-5174-2. Available on the library shelves at 937 NAN.

Rome occupies a mythical place in the history of Western Civilization. The heart of the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire, Rome’s legacy is not only amazing monuments of marble and stone, but also a large body of literary, cultural and legal works. The Romans left us laws, forms of government, classical architecture, Latin and its offsprings the Romance languages, and its religion.

This concise book explores all of these topics in details. It provides a brief history of Ancient Rome, before presenting information on government and laws and its cities and urban life. Its precise and grandiose style of architecture is explored, and building techniques that were not exceeded until the 1800s are presented. Rome’s road network, which was not surpassed until railroads appeared in the 1820s, helped the Empire hold the various provinces under its dominion together and move its armies around quickly.

The rise of Latin and those that evolved from it, including French, Spanish, Italian, Portugese and Romanian is thoroughly discussed, while Roman literature which survived is also analyzed. Finally, the rise of Christianity and its adoption as the Empire’s only religion helped Latin and Roman customs survive well beyond the fall of the Western Empire in the 400s.

Rome’s history and accomplishments continue to fascinate, and this book helps provide an overview of the multifaceted importance of its legacy.

Nardo also wrote Games of Ancient Rome, a fascinating look at the violent and dangerous sports that entertained the ancient Romans.