735 BC to AD 476 Chapter

ANCIENT ROME
ancient rome

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 Chapter 4
Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World
ANCIENT ROME

Chapter One: The Historian

The Roman Au gu s tu s Emperor
Repu blic is becomes the C on stantin e
created. first Ro man converts to
Empero r C h ristian ity
on his
deathbed.

735 BC 509 BC 44 BC 27 BC AD 79 AD 312 AD 476

The City of Assassi nation The eruption of Th e Fall of

Rome was of Ju liu s Mou n t th e Western
founded by twin Caes ar , the Vesu viu s Roman
brothers, dictator of the buried the tow n Empire .
Romu lu s an d Roman of P ompeii
Remu s . Republic on the and
Ides of Hercu lan eu m @MsDoorley
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Learning Outcomes

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

3.1 INVESTIGATE the lives of people in one ancient or medieval civilisation
3.14 EXPLAIN how the actions and/or achievements of that civilisation contributed to the
history of Europe and/or the wider world.
1.6 DEBATE the usefulness and limitations of different types of primary and secondary
sources of historical evidence, such as written, visual, aural, oral and tactile evidence; and
APPRECIATE the contribution of archaeology and new technology to historical enquiry
1.7 DEVELOP historical judgements based on evidence about personalities, issues and
events in the past, showing awareness of historical significance

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Introduction

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Rome was one of the greatest powers in the ancient world. The city is said to have founded
in 753 BC by Romulus and Remus, the twin sons of the god Mars. It grew from a collection
of small villages on the river Tiber in Italy to control an empire that included Italy, Spain,
France, North Africa, Greece, the Middle East, most of Britain and parts of Germany.
Initially ruled by kings, Rome became a republic in 509 BC, where the wealthy elite ruled
the city through the Senate. The republic collapsed in 31 BC and was replaced by the
empire, under the first emperor, Augustus. The Roman Empire eventually controlled all of the
Mediterranean and much of Western Europe. It lasted until AD 476. The Ancient Romans
have had a huge and enduring influence on the world we live in today.

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735 BC to AD 476 Chapter
4

4.1:4SOURCES
. 1 : S o u rON
c e sANCIENT
on
A n c i ROME
ent Rome

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Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

How do we know about the

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Even though the Roman Empire ended over 1,500 years ago, we know a lot about it
Romans?
because the Romans left so much evidence behind them. There are written sources from
Roman writers such as Caesar, Pliny and Virgil, who wrote about the history of Rome.
The physical remains of Roman life can also be seen all over Europe, North Africa and the
Middle East; the ruins of many buildings and many everyday artefacts (such as coins,
weapons, tools and toys) have survived.
Most important are the remains of the Roman town of Pompeii, which was buried by the
eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. The volcanic ash preserved the town just as it was,
and archaeologists have been excavating it since 1748.

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Checkpoint (Pg. 23, Artefact 2nd

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Edition)
1.Name three sources of evidence
on Ancient Rome.
2.Who did the Romans believe
founded their city?
3.Look at the map and name five
modern countries that were once
ruled by Rome.
4.What is a republic?
5.For how long was Rome a
republic?

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Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Checkpoint (Pg. 23, Artefact 2nd

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Edition)
1.Any three of: written sources from Roman writers such as Caesar, Pliny, Virgil; physical
remains of Roman life all over Europe, North Africa and the Middle East; the ruins of
many buildings; everyday artefacts such as coins, weapons, tools and toys; the ruins of
Pompeii.
2.Romulus and Remus, the twin sons of the god Mars.
3.Any five of: Italy, France; Spain; Portugal; Algeria; Morocco; Tunisia; Libya; Egypt; Israel;
Jordan; Syria; Lebanon; Iraq; Türkiye; Greece; Cyprus; Bulgaria; Romania; Serbia,
Croatia; Slovenia; Macedonia; Albania; Kosovo; Hungary; Austria; Germany; Switzerland;
Belgium; Netherlands; England; Wales.
4.Republic: where the wealthy elite ruled the city through the senate.
5.478 years (509 BC to 31 BC).

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Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Roman Towns

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

As their empire expanded into Europe, the Romans controlled each local area from towns
they founded. Romans lived here with the native peoples, many of whom became citizens
(people who had rights under Roman law) of the empire.
Most Roman towns shared similar features:
• walls for defence. • public baths, where people bathed,
• paved streets laid out in a grid system exercised and met friends
(similar to what we use today) • public toilets and drinking fountains
• a forum; a large town square, was the • an amphitheatre, where gladitorial
centre of business, political activity and games were held
religious worship
• temples for worshop
• aqueducts to bring fresh water to the town
• theatres for plays and preformances
• monuments or trimphal arches to
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Roman Towns

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Diagram taken from Artefact, 2nd Edition by Eimear Jenkinson and Gregg O'Neill (educate.ie) @MsDoorley
Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Checkpoint (Pg. 24, Artefact 2nd

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Edition)
1.What system was used to lay our Roman towns?
2.What was the role of the forum in a Roman town?
3.Name three buildings that were used for leisure activities.

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 735 BC to AD 476 Chapter
4

44.2:
. 2 : THE
t h e ROMAN
r o m a n ARMY
army

The army was central to Roman life – it allowed Rome to conquer and keep control over its vast empire.
Ambitious generals could also use the army to gain political power.
For ordinary Romans, being a soldier was a really good profession to have.
Individual Roman foot soldiers were called legionaries who made up a legion.

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Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

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The Roman Army

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

8 Men = 1 Tent Party

The eight men shared a tent (or two rooms in a barracks) and carried a complete set of
equipment.
10 Tent Parties =
1 Century (80 Men)

6 Centuries =
1 Cohort (480 Men)

A LEGION HAD 10
The first cohort was twice the size of the others (960 men) and also had 120
COHORTS
TOTAL FIGHTING horsemen. STRENGTH =
Another 400 engineers, doctors, cooks, officials and animal handlers travelled with the legion.
5,400 MEN

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Life of a Roman Soldier

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

A soldier enlisted at the age of 20 and served for 25 years. At the end of his service, he
received a final payment and a plot of land to farm somewhere in the empire. This allowed
Rome to settle loyal soldiers throughout the empire.
Soldiers were trained to fight with various weapons, on foot and on horseback. They trained
with wooden weapons twice the weight of ordinary weapons and were made march up to
30km every day while carrying over 35kg of weapons and equipment. At their destination,
they had to build camp.
Soldiers practiced all the time to ensure they were always battle-ready.
When not on campaign, soldiers were often employed to build public works such as:
Aqueducts, Bridges, Defensive walls and Roads.

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Life of a Roman Soldier

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Soldiers could serve in:
• The Infantry – foot soldiers
• The Cavalry – soldiers on horseback
• The Artillery – used projectile weapons
Roman engineers developed catapults, ballistas
and other machines of war to throw boulders,
urns of burning pitch or huge crossbow bolts
over great distances at an enemy army or city.
A legionnaire was a foot soldier who was
also a Roman citizen.
Auxiliaries were people who were conquered
by the Romans and recruited into the Roman
army. They were also archers, slingers and
cavalry.
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Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

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Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

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Checkpoint (Pg. 59, Artefact 1st

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Edition)
1.Why did Rome need a large professional army?
2.For how long did a soldier serve?
3.What weapons did a Roman soldier use?
4.Why do you think they trained with weapons twice the weight of normal weapons?
5.Describe the structure of a legion.
6.Write a paragraph (5-6 lines) on the daily life of a soldier.

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Checkpoint (Pg. 59, Artefact 1st

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Edition)
1.To conquer, control and defend their empire.
2.A soldier served for 25 years.
3.Sword, shield, helmet, spear, body armour, leg armour.
4.So that they would become strong and would not tire in long battles wielding the real,
lighter weapon.
5.Eight men made up a tent party; 10 tent parties made up a century; 10 centuries made
up a cohort; 10 cohorts made up a legion.
6.Soldiers were trained to fight with various weapons, on foot and on horseback. They
trained with wooden weapons twice the weight of ordinary weapons and were made
march up to 30km every day while carrying over 35kg of weapons and equipment. At
their destination, they had to build camp. Soldiers practiced all the time to ensure they
were always battle-ready. When not on campaign, soldiers were often employed to build
public works such as: Aqueducts, Bridges, Defensive walls and Roads.

@MsDoorley
735 BC to AD 476 Chapter
4

4 .4.2:
2 : DDAILY
a i l y LIFE
L i f e IN
i nROME
Rome

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The people of Ancient Rome:

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Patricians
The patricians were the wealthy noble families who ruled
Rome. They had huge states and hundreds of slaves. They
controlled the Roman government and army.
Patricians served in the Senate, were military generals or
governors of Rome's provinces.
Men wore a toga (a long white robe draped over the
shoulder and down to the feet), and women wore a stola (a
long dress).
A patrician house in a town was called a domus while one
in the countryside was called a villa.

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The people of Ancient Rome:

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Plebians
The plebeians were the poor, who made up the vast
majority of the population. They farmed, worked in trades and
served in the army.
They were given dole - a payment of free grain - so that they
would support the rule of the patricians.
Plebeian men wore a tunic to their knees and women wore
a plain stola.
Some plebeians became quite wealthy through trade and
business (equites). They had money but no political power.
Most plebeians lived in apartment blocks called insulae.

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A Patrician Domus

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Diagram taken from Artefact, 2nd Edition by Eimear Jenkinson and Gregg O'Neill (educate.ie) @MsDoorley
Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

A Patrician Domus

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

The patrician home had a central courtyard called the atrium where guests were met. This
had a pool called an impluvium to collect rain water and a shrine to the family gods (the
lararium). Other rooms led off this: the bedrooms (cubiculum), the kitchen (culina),
the study (tablinum) and the dining room (triclinium). Upstairs were the slave
quarters and outside was a walled garden (peristylium). The walls were decorated
with paintings and the floors with mosaics, pictures from small pieces of stone, glass or
tile. The houses of the richest patricians also had running water and underfloor heating. A
domus had small windows and was usually quite dark inside, with light provided by the
atrium and oil lamps.

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A Plebeian Insulae

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

In Rome, the plebeian insulae were
usually five storeys high. The ground
floor had shops or workshops that
opened onto the streets. The floors
above them were apartments. The
higher you went, the smaller the
apartments became. Those at the top
were made from wood (constant threat of
fire) and often families had to share a
single room. The poorest Romans lived
at the top. There was no running water
and rubbish was thrown out the
windows.

Diagram taken from Artefact, 2nd Edition by Eimear Jenkinson and Gregg O'Neill (educate.ie) @MsDoorley
Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Checkpoint (Pg. 26, Artefact 2nd

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Edition)
1.Explain the following terms: patrician, plebeian, mosaics.
2.What are the most important differences between a domus and an insulae?
3.Describe a domus.
4.Describe an insulae.
5.Why was there a high risk of fire in the insulae?

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Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Checkpoint (Pg. 26, Artefact 2nd

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Edition)
a. Patrician: wealthy noble families who ruled Rome
b. Plebeian: the poor, who made up the vast majority of the population. They farmed, worked in trades
and served in the army
c. Mosaics: pictures made from small pieces of stone, glass or tile.
1.A domus was large and housed a single family and slaves, while an insulae was a block of apartments that
housed many families; a domus was made of stone, an insulae’s upper floors were made of wood; a
domus had a garden, an insulae apartment did not.
2.Domus: a large detached house, with a central courtyard called an atrium. It had a pool called an
impluvium to collect rain water and a shrine to the family gods (the lararium). The domus’ other rooms
included bedrooms (cubiculum), the kitchen (culina), the study (tablinum) and the dining-room (triclinium).
Upstairs were the slave quarters and outside was a walled garden (peristylium). The walls were decorated
with paintings and the floor with mosaics.
3.Insulae: apartment block, usually five storeys high. The ground floor had shops or workshops. Above them
were apartments. The higher you went, the smaller the apartments became. Those at the top were made of
wood and often entire families had to share a single room. The poorest Romans lived on these higher
floors. There was no running water and rubbish was thrown into the streets below.
4.The upper floors were made of wood and the residents used stoves for cooking and heating.
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Slaves

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Slaves were an everyday feature of Ancient Roman life. By law, slaves were the property of their owners. In
Rome itself, there were over 300,000 slaves from different sources:
• Prisoners of war.
• The children of slaves were automatically slaves.
• People captured by pirates or bandits.
• Parents in debt sometimes sold their own children into slavery to pay off their debts.
Thousands of slaves worked on public building projects such as the aqueducts or arches. Most
patricians owned dozens of slaves who did the cooking, cleaning and other manual labour. Others
worked on farms or in mines where they were often worked to death.
Slaves were often branded by their master’s initials with a hot iron in case they ran away.
These cruel conditions led to several famous slave rebellions. The most famous was led by gladiator
Spartacus in 71 BC.
Well educated slaves, often Greeks, were highly valued and treated well. They were usually employed as
teachers, secretaries and doctors. Unlike their uneducated companions, these educated slaves were
sometimes given freedom after many years of service to their master (manumission).

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Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World What ancient civilisation
have we studied which

Women in Ancient Rome

did allow women to take

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

part in public life?

Women, both patrician and plebeian, were citizens but unable to vote
or take part in public life.
Roman girls were usually married by the age of 14/15. Marriages
were to benefit the families involved and the girl had little to no say in
the man her father chose. However, divorce was legal. The wedding
ceremony (conferratio) was held at the bride’s house. A wife was
expected to: run her husband’s home, make his clothes, supervise
slaves, bear a son and oversee the rearing of their children.
Plebeian women would also work outside the home, for example in
the market or their husband's business, or as a midwife or as a
weaver. Roman women did have some rights under the law. For
example, a woman's property was kept separate from her husband's
and could be taken with her if they divorced.
Many women died in childbirth so men often married several times. A
girl could easily end up marrying a man her father’s age.

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Education

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Plebeian children received a basic education at home and then began working with their parents.
Patrician children, on the other hand, had four stages to their education.
1.Children were educated by a tutor (often a slave) or their parents at home until the age of 7.
2. From ages 7 to 12, they went to school (ludus) where they learned reading writing and arithmetic (maths).
3.At 12, boys could go on to a grammaticus to learn Greek and Roman literature, history, arithmetic and
geometry. Girls finished school at 12 and were taught embroidery, flower arranging and how to run a
household by their mother.
4.At 16, a patrician boy was taught oratory (the art of public speaking) by a rhetor to prepare him for a career
in public life. Further study for boys was done abroad in Greece.
Discipline was very strict in Roman schools and students would be beaten for making mistakes. They wrote
with a pointed wooden stylus on a wax tablet, which could later be melted and reused. They used an abacus to
learn arithmetic. They attended from dawn till noon, because the mid-day heat was too much.

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Checkpoint (Pg. 28, Artefact 2nd

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Edition)
1.What were the Romans' main sources of slaves?
2.What sorts of work did slaves do?
3.What did Roman children learn (a) at a ludus; (b) at a grammaticus and (c) with a rhetor?
4.How was education different for boys and girls?
5.Why were marriages arranged in Ancient Rome?
6.Explain the following term: manumission.

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Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Checkpoint (Pg. 28, Artefact 2nd

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Edition)
1.Prisoners of war; children of slaves; people captured by pirates or bandits while
travelling; parents in debt sold their own children into slavery.
2.They worked on Rome’s public building projects such as aqueducts; in patricians’ homes
cooking, cleaning and other manual labour; on farms or in mines; educated slaves were
teachers, secretaries and doctors.

a. Ludus: reading, writing and arithmetic;

b. Grammaticus (boys only): history, grammar, geometry, Roman and Greek literature;
c. Rhetor: oratory(the art of public speaking)(boys only).
3.From the age of 12, girls were kept at home and taught by their mother show to spin,
weave and run a household. Only boys were educated from the age of 12.
4.For the benefit of the families involved.
5.Manumission: when slaves were given their freedom after many years of service to their
master.
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 735 BC to AD 476 Chapter
4

4 4.3:
. 3 : ENTERTAINMENT
E n t e r t a i n m e n t IN
in
R o
ROME m e

Public entertainment were very important in Rome.

Along with the grain dole, public entertainment was the main way that ambitious politicians and emperors ensured they had the support of the
people.

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The Public Baths

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Every Roman town had public baths. Bathing was very important to the Romans. Most
homes did not have running water, so it was the easiest way to stay clean. The baths were
also a social place where people met friends, did business and exchanged news. The
largest baths in every town were free to use for citizens.
A typical visit to the baths would involve each of the three main rooms: the tepiadrium
(the medium heat room); the caldarium (the hot room, much like a sauna); and the
frigidarium (the cold water bath). Visitors rubbed oil into their skin, worked up a sweat in
the caldarium and then used a wooden strigil to scrape their skin, removing dry skin and
dirt along with the oil. There was also an exercise yard (the palaestra) and rooms where a
massage or food was available. Most baths had separate areas for men and women, though
smaller ones just had separate bathing times.

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The Public Baths

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Diagram taken from Artefact, 2nd Edition by Eimear Jenkinson and Gregg O'Neill (educate.ie) @MsDoorley
Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Chariot Racing at the Circus

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Rome's chariot racing arena, the Circus Maximus, was 500m long and could seat up to
Maximus
250,000 people. There was no seating division based on social status or gender. Four teams
(red, white, blue and green) would race in chariots pulled by teams of two, four or six horses.
They raced around the track seven times at incredibly high speeds. It was a very dangerous
sport and there were often crashes that killed men and horses. Gambling on the races was a
popular activity.

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Roman Theatre

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Most Roman towns had a theatre. These were large semi-circular buildings with stone seats
for the audience, who were separated by gender and social status, with women and slaves
seated at the back.
Tragedy (sad) and comedy (happy) were both very popular with the Romans, with
subjects ranging from stories about the Gods and heroes to everyday life events. The actors
were all male and wore masks while preforming.

Diagram taken from Artefact, 2nd Edition by Eimear Jenkinson and Gregg O'Neill (educate.ie) @MsDoorley
Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Amphitheatres and Gladiators

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

The most popular entertainers were gladiators were mostly former soldiers who were captured in battle and
sold as slaves; they fought in oval arenas called amphitheatres in nearly every major Roman city. The most
famous amphitheatre was the Colosseum in Rome which could hold over 50,000 spectators in tiered
seating. It even had a canopy to protect people from the sun.
Seating was strictly arranged by social status and arranged in four tiers: closest to the action was the male
patricians. Then the male plebeians. Then male foreigners. At the back were the women and slaves.
Gladiators were often dressed in very different styles to match their fighting style. They were trained in special
schools and were treated like modern sports stars by ordinary Romans. Each gladiator would be proficient in
using one set of weapons. Examples of gladiators include:
• A retiarius would use a trident and net.
• A murmillo would use a soldier’s shield and a sword (gladius). They wore a fish shaped crest on a full-
cover helmet.
• A thraxes would use a small, rectangular shield and a curved sword (thracian). They wore a griffin
shaped crest on their full-cover helmet.
• An essedarius was a mounted gladiator who fought on chariots.
• A hoplomachus, meaning 'armed fighter' in Greek, would use a throwing spear, a short sword and a
small, round shield. They wore a plumed helmet.
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Amphitheatres and Gladiators

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Gladiators rarely fought to the death because they were so expensive to buy, train and feed (Owners wanted a
longer return on their investment). Instead, most fights ended when one of the fighters was too badly injured to
continue.
Amphitheatres also featured:
• Fights between people and exotic wild animals (such as lions and tigers)
• The executions of criminals
• Myths acted out for the crowd.
The Colosseum in Rome could even be flooded for mock sea battles.

Photos taken from Artefact, 2nd Edition by Eimear Jenkinson and Gregg O'Neill (educate.ie) @MsDoorley
Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Checkpoint (Pg. 31, Artefact 2nd

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Edition)
1.Why was public entertainment so important in Rome?
2.Why did people use public baths in Rome?
3.Describe the Circus Maxiumus.
4.Why was chariot racing so dangerous?
5.Describe a Roman theatre.
6.Why do you think actors wore masks in Roman plays?
7.Describe the Colosseum in Rome.
8.Where did most gladiators come from?
9.Why was it rare for gladiators to fight to the death?
10.Other than gladiatorial contests, what events were held in amphitheatres?
11.How was life in a Roman town (a) similar and (b) different to our lives today?

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Checkpoint (Pg. 31, Artefact 2nd

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Edition)
1.It was a good way for Roman leaders to ensure they kept the support of the public.
2.For hygiene (most homes did not have running water); to meet their friends; to do business; to exchange news.
3.The Circus Maximus was a large oval-shaped stadium, 500 m long, with seating along the sides for over 250,000
people. The chariots had to race around the track seven times.
4.There were many crashes, and the drivers and horses were often killed.
5.A Roman theatre was a large semi circular building with stone seats for the audience facing the stage area where
actors performed.
6.Toallow them to play various different people or to represent gods, monsters; to allow men to play women.
7.It was an oval-shaped amphitheatre that could hold over 50,000 spectators in tiered seating and even had a canopy
to protect people from the sun. The seats were strictly arranged on the basis of social status. The seats closest to
the action were reserved for male patricians, the seats behind them for male plebeians, then male foreigners, then at
the very back were women and slaves.
8.Most gladiators were former soldiers who were captured in battle and sold as slaves.
9.They were so expensive to buy, train and feed that their owners wanted a longer return on their investment. If they
died in the arena, that investment would be wasted.
10.Fights between people and exotic wild animals (lions),executions of criminals, myths acted out for the crowd.
11.Students’ own answers.

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735 BC to AD 476 Chapter
4

44.4:
. 4 : RELIGION
r e l i g i o n IN
i n ROME
rome

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Roman Gods and Goddesses

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Religion was very important to the Ancient Romans. They were polytheists which means they believed in
many gods (just like the Celts!). Their main Gods were Jupiter, Mars, Neptune and Minerva. Most of the
Roman gods and goddesses had come from Greek beliefs; their names were often different but their myths,
functions and personalities stayed the same.
Roman Greek Roman Greek
God of... God of...
Name Name Name Name
King of the Gods Queen of the Gods
Jupiter Zeus Sky, Thunder and Juno Hera
Marriage
Lightning
Vesta Hestia Hearth and Home
Neptune Poseidon The Sea
Minerva Athena Wisdom
Pluto Hades The Underworld
Diana Artemis The Moon and Hunting
The Sun, Music, Prophecy
Apollo Apollo
and Healing Venus Aphrodite Love
Vulcan Hephaestus Metalwork Ceres Demeter The Harvest and Farming
Mars Ares War

Bacchus Dionysus Wine and Drama

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Funerals

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Death was very common during this time. Many children died young and women often died in childbirth. People
could also die unexpectedly from illness or injury. This meant that Roman funerals were frequent and important
ceremonies.
Like the Greeks, Romans believed that a person had to cross the River Styx to get into the Underworld.
A coin was placed in the mouth of a dead person to pay Charon, the ferryman of the dead to cross the River
Styx.
Patricians had their bodies finely dressed before they were carried through the city on a litter. The family hired
musicians and professional mourners to walk behind the dead person, crying loudly as the body was carried
while reciting the person's achievements. A very rich or powerful family might even organise funeral games.
Plebeians had the same but without any criers. The bodies were carried in this procession outside the town
walls, where all burials took place.
There the bodies were cremated and their ashes placed in an urn. A patrician's urn was placed in the family
vault while a plebeian's urn was buried in a simple grave with a headstone. To ensure they were remembered,
patricians often had sculptures made of themselves for display in the family domus.

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Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Christianity

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

After the death of Jesus around AD 33, Christianity spread through the Roman Empire - but not immediately.
Christian communities were always small groups within cities in the empire. Christians are monotheists
(they believe in one God) and thus rejected the state gods of Rome. While the Romans were generally very
tolerant of other religions, Christians had been persecuted (and sometimes executed) by their refusal to
participate in any Roman ceremonies involving the Gods of Rome.
In 313 AD, Emperor Constantine lifted the ban on Christianity in the Roman Empire (he himself became a
Christian on his deathbed while his mother had been a Christian her whole life). Christianity then spread
rapidly, and by the end of the fourth century it became the official religion of the Roman Empire, allowing it to
become the most powerful religion in the world.

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Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Checkpoint (Pg. 32, Artefact 2nd

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Edition)
1.Where did the Roman gods and goddesses come from?
2.Where and how did the Romans worship the gods?
3.Describe the funeral of a Roman patrician.
4.Why were Christians seen as a threat by the Roman Empire?
5.Why is Constantine an important figure in both Christian and Roman history?

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Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Checkpoint (Pg. 32, Artefact 2nd

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Edition)
1.Most Roman gods and goddesses had come from Greek beliefs.
2.They would make offerings of money, food or animals for sacrifice at temples or they
would pray at the family shrine, the lararium.
3.A patrician’s body was dressed finely and carried through the city on a litter. The family
hired musicians and professional mourners to walk behind the dead person, crying
loudly and reciting the person’s achievements. A very rich or powerful family might
organise funeral games.
4.They refused to participate in any ceremonies to do with the gods of Rome.
5.The Emperor Constantine lifted the ban on Christianity and he himself became a
Christian on his deathbed. Eventually, Christianity became the official religion of the
Roman Empire.

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735 BC to AD 476 Chapter
4

44.5:
. 5 : THE
t h e LEGACY
l e g a c y OF
o f ROME
rome

Strand Three: The History of Europe and the @MsDoorley

Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Architecture and Engineering

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

The Romans were great engineers and builders. Many of their
innovations and techniques have been used in building ever since.
Rome was the first European civilisation to invest in large-scale
public works. The Romans built long-lasting roads that helped to
increase trade and also helped their armies to move rapidly about
the empire. Many modern roads are built along the same routes as
these roads. They built aqueducts to carry fresh water into towns
and cities.
The Romans invented concrete to make their buildings more
durable. They used rounded arches and pillars to hold up large
ceilings and built huge domes on their temples. Many Roman
buildings were so well constructed that they are still standing today,
like the Pantheon in Rome. Their techniques were copied in the
Renaissance and still influence modern architecture.

Diagram taken from Artefact, 2nd Edition by Eimear Jenkinson and Gregg O'Neill (educate.ie) @MsDoorley
Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Christiani Language Calendar

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

The Roman Empire's Latin was the language of In 45 BC, Julius Caesar
ty to Christianity the Roman Empire. It is not
conversion introduced a new calendar
meant that the Catholic spoken today but many to replace the old Roman
Church became the world's modern European one, which was too
most powerful religion in the languages (French, inaccurate. His new Julian
following centuries. Even Spanish, Portuguese, Italian calendar had 365 days
after the Western Roman and Romanian) are based divided into 12 months and
Empire fell in the fifth on it. English is not related an extra day every four
century AD, the Catholic (it is a Germanic language) years. It was changed
Church acted as a unifying but almost one-quarter of slightly by Pope Gregory
force in Western Europe. English words are directly XIII in 1582 and called the
influenced by Latin. Gregorian calendar,
but remains the basis for
the calendar we use today.
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Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

@MsDoorley

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Checkpoint (Pg. 33, Artefact 2nd

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Edition)
1.Which Roman inventions helped the development of architecture?
2.How did the Romans help the spread of Christianity?
3.Which modern languages are descended from Latin?
4.What changes did Julius Caesar make to the calendar?

@MsDoorley
Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Checkpoint (Pg. 33, Artefact 2nd

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Edition)
1.Concrete; rounded arches and pillars to hold up large ceilings.
2.Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Gradually, the huge
empire became predominantly Christian, making Christianity the most powerful world
religion over the following centuries.
3.French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian.
4.Julius Caesar introduced the 365-day, 12-month calendar that we still use today.

@MsDoorley
735 BC to AD 476 Chapter
4

44.6:
. 6 : SUMMARY
summary

Strand Three: The History of Europe and the @MsDoorley

Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

In this chapter, we have learned

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

• Rome rose from a cluster of small villages on the Tiber to control the entire Mediterranean world and most

that...
of Western Europe. It was the most powerful empire in the ancient world.
• Roman society was divided up into patricians and plebeians. The patricians were the wealthy elite who ran
the empire, lived in a domus and had many slaves. Their sons were well educated and their daughters
were married into other patrician families.
• The plebeians were the vast majority of the population. They were poorer, lived in insulae apartment blocks
and worked for a living as a craftsmen and soldiers.
• All Romans enjoyed a vast selection of public entertainments: public baths, chariot racing, theatre and
gladiator fights. Gladiators were slaves who fought in amphitheatres.
• The Roman army was the most successful fighting force in the ancient world. Men signed up for 25 years
of service and were highly trained. They fought with a vast array of weapons and could march long
distances in a short time.
• The Romans worshipped many different gods and goddesses. Their religion dominated every aspect of
their lives. They offered sacrifices to the gods and held elaborate funerals. Christianity was initially
persecuted by the Roman Empire but became the official religion of the empire in the late fourth century.
• Rome’s legacy has lived on in European civilisation and beyond through architecture, Christianity,
language, the calendar and more.
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Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Reflecting on... Ancient Rome

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

A foundation stone of Western society, Rome's achievements in engineering, warfare and
culture are impressive to this day. The story of the growth and ultimate fall of Rome is often
used to examine problems in modern society. However, me must remember its success was
built on conquest and slavery - it is an excellent example of the importance of seeing history
'warts and all'.

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Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

2023 SEC Q1e, Q1f

Examination Questions

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Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Exploring History pg. 64 (Artefact, 1st

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Edition)
2023 SEC Q1e, Q1f

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Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Project

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Guidelines: Assessment:
1.Length: The depth of your project should reflect about 2-3 weeks of work. Your projects will be
2.Sources: Use at least three different sources for your research. These can assessed based on:
be books, scholarly articles, or reputable online resources. 1.Research and
3.Citations: All information and images that are not your own should be Content
properly cited. 2.Creativity and
4.Mediums: You may choose to present your project in one of the following Presentation
ways: 3.Understanding of
⚬ Poster: Your poster should be informative and visually engaging. Context
⚬ Minecraft or Lego Model: If choosing this option, please also include 4.Adherence to
a brief report explaining your model. Guidelines
⚬ Painting/Drawing: Your artwork should be accompanied by a
description.
⚬ Recycled Materials: Create your model using recycled materials and
provide an explanation of your creative process.

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Strand Three: The History of Europe and the Wider World

Project

Chapter Four: Ancient Rome

Historical Sites Historical Figures
The Colosseum, Rome Julius Caesar
Pompeii, Italy Spartacus
Forum Romanum, Rome Trajan
Hadrian's Wall, England Augustus
Ostia Antica, Italy Cicero
Lucilla
Livia Drusilla
Virgil
Hannibal
Nero
Constantine
Helena

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