The Roman Empire
What are legions?
These were highly organized and well-trained groups of 600 Roman soldiers who protected the Empire's borders.
To protect the people inside from enemy attacks, the Romans built walls all the way around their towns.
Could vehicles be inside the towns?
No, because the streets were extremely narrow and crowded, vehicles were completely banned from the city during daylight hours.
Were all the children able to study?
No, many poorer Roman children never learned to read or write because their parents needed them to work instead.
What are Roman roads?
Built entirely by legionaries, this massive network made travel, trade, and sending military information much faster.
What is the forum?
This large market square was located in the middle of town where people could shop, play games, and listen to official speeches.
What are triumphal arches?
These special stone structures were built across the empire to celebrate great battle victories.
While boys went on to secondary school at age eleven, girls usually stopped going to school or have a home tutor.
What are provinces?
To make running the huge empire easier, the Romans created these different regions, which were ruled by a governor.
What is a basilica?
This huge building next to the forum was used as a town hall, a public meeting place, and a law court.
Who lived in the City of Rome?
Wealthy families who lived in comfortable and poor people who lived in crowded, dirty apartment blocks that sometimes collapsed.
What was the most important subject?
Because Greek culture had a massive influence on Roman life, Greek was one of the most important subjects boys studied at secondary school.
Explain the Roman citinzenship.
It was not until the year AD 212 that this special status was finally given to every free man living in Roman territory to help unite the Empire.
What is a grid pattern?
Roman streets were arranged in this specific geometric pattern, making them look like a chessboard.
What are aqueducts?
To bring huge amounts of fresh water across hills and valleys into the public baths and fountains, Roman engineers built this system of bridges and tunnels.
What is a paedagogus?
This was the name of the special slave employed by rich families to walk children to school and watch over them during class.
Tell three things about Collecting Taxes
The Romans collected taxes from all over the Empire, but the people in the provinces had to pay
much more than those who lived in Italy.
The money was collected by tax collectors, but many of these men were corrupt and kept lots of money for themselves. This changed, and governors then started collecting taxes.
The taxes helped to pay for the army and for public buildings, like aqueducts and bath-houses.
What are apartment blocks?
These large apartment blocks where common townspeople lived could be up to seven floors high, but they were often crowded, dirty, and badly built.
Were the cities clean? Why/why not? Justify your answer.
While walking through the narrow alleys of Rome or other towns, people had to be careful because rubbish was often thrown directly out of windows.
Who is a rhetor?
To become a politician or a lawyer, teenagers had to study for many years with this special public-speaking teacher.