298-301 CH 9 CO-824133 3/16/04 4:33 PM Page 298 Roman ... · achievements that still influence your...

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy

c. 10 B.C.Livy writes hisHistory of Rome

A.D. 395Roman Empiredivided into easternand western parts

A.D. 527EmperorJustinianbegins rule

100 B.C. A.D. 100 A.D. 300 A.D. 500100 B.C. A.D. 100 A.D. 300 A.D. 500

Roman Civilization

298–

299

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Chapter PreviewThe Romans developed a civilization as well as an

empire. Read this chapter to find out about Romanachievements that still influence your life today.

View the Chapter 9 video in the World History:Journey Across Time Video Program.

Life in Ancient Rome The Romans learned from the Greeks but changedwhat they borrowed to suit their own needs. Thelives of rich and poor Romans were very different.

The Fall of RomeRome finally fell when Germanic invaders swept through the empire in the A.D. 400s. Romanachievements in government, law, language, and the arts are still important today.

The Byzantine EmpireAs the Western Roman Empire fell, the EasternRoman, or Byzantine, Empire grew rich andpowerful. The Byzantines developed a culture based on Roman, Greek, and Christian ideas.

Chapter Overview Visitjat.glencoe.com for a previewof Chapter 9.

299

Organizing Information Make this foldable to help you organize and analyzeinformation by asking yourself questions about Roman civilization.

Reading and WritingAs you read the chapter,write the main ideas foreach section in theappropriate columns of your foldable. Thenwrite one statement that summarizes themain ideas in eachcolumn.

Step 1 Fold a sheet ofpaper into thirds fromtop to bottom.

Step 2 Turn the paperhorizontally, unfold, andlabel the three columnsas shown.

The Fallof Rome

TheByzantine

Empire

Life in Ancient

Rome

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http://jat.glencoe.com

Responding& Reflecting

Your Point of ViewAn important part of reading involves thinking about and

responding to the text from your own point of view.Read the following paragraph about daily life in Rome and

look at how one student reflects as she reads.

300

The city of Rome was crowded,noisy, and dirty. People tossedgarbage into the streets from theirapartments, and thieves prowledthe streets at night. Most people inRome were poor. They lived inapartment buildings made of stoneand wood. High rent forced familiesto live in one room.

—from page 306

“Reminds meof a city Ivisited once”

“Sounds like itwould be veryuncomfortableand crowded!”

“Were theylike apart-ment build-ings today?”

“What wouldthat look like?What wouldit smell like?”

While you do not want

to daydream as you are

reading, you do want to

think about the text.

Good readers’ minds are

busy, almost “talking

back” to the text as

they read.

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Between the ages of 14 and 16, aRoman boy celebrated becoming aman. He would burn his toys asofferings to the household gods.Then he would put on a toga, a loose-fitting robe that Roman men wore.Once he came of age, a man mightjoin his family’s business, become asoldier, or begin a career in the gov-ernment. Roman women did notbecome adults until they married. Awoman usually wore a long flowingrobe with a cloak called a palla.

—from pages 307–308

Reflect and RespondRead the following paragraph. Take a few minutes

to reflect on what you have read and then respond byexchanging thoughts with a partner. Some suggested topics are listed below.

In Section 2, you willread why historiansbelieve the RomanEmpire fell. Choose oneof the reasons andrespond to it, explainingwhy you think this isthe most likely reasonfor the decline of theRoman Empire.

Read to Write

As you read, keep a reader’s note-book. Record responses to facts orideas that you find interesting.

301

• Do boys do anything today to show thatthey have become men?

• What does a toga look like? What does apalla look like?

• Why did a woman have to wait until shemarried to become an adult?

• Why were boys and girls treated so differently?

Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY

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Life inAncient Rome

73 B.C.Spartacus leadsrevolt ofenslaved people

c. A.D. 80Colosseumcompleted

ConstantinopleRomeSPAIN

GAUL

BRITAIN

ITALY

GREECE

PALESTINEEGYPT

100 B.C. A.D. 1 A.D. 100100 B.C. A.D. 1 A.D. 100

302 CHAPTER 9 Roman Civilization

c. 10 B.C.Livy writes hisHistory of Rome

What’s the Connection?You have already learned about

Rome’s rise to power. Life in Romewas not easy, but as the empire grew,its people accomplished many thingsin art, science, and engineering.

Focusing on the • In addition to their own developments

in science and engineering, Romanartists and writers borrowed manyideas from the Greeks. (page 303)

• The rich and poor had very differentlives in the Roman Empire, as didmen and women. (page 306)

Meeting PeopleVirgil (VUHR• juhl)Horace (HAWR•uhs)Galen (GAY• luhn)Ptolemy (TAH• luh•mee)Spartacus (SPAHR•tuh•kuhs)

Building Your Vocabularyvault (VAWLT)satire (SA•TYR)ode (OHD)anatomy (uh•NA•tuh•mee)Forum (FOHR•uhm)gladiator (GLA•dee•AY•tuhr)paterfamilias

(PA•tuhr• fuh•MIH• lee•uhs)rhetoric (REH•tuh•rihk)

Reading StrategyCompare and Contrast Use a Venndiagram like the one below to showsimilarities and differences betweenthe rich and the poor in Rome.

RomanRich

RomanPoor

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Roman CultureIn addition to their own developments

in science and engineering, Roman artists and writ-ers borrowed many ideas from the Greeks.Reading Focus Are there people in your life that youadmire? What have you learned from them? Read tofind out what the Romans learned from the Greeks.

The Romans admired and studied Greekstatues, buildings, and ideas. They copiedthe Greeks in many ways. However, theychanged what they borrowed to suit theirown needs. In one important way, theRomans were very different from theGreeks. The Greeks loved to talk about ideas.To the Romans, ideas were only important ifthey could solve everyday problems.

What Was Roman Art Like? The Romansadmired Greek art and architecture. Theyplaced Greek-style statues in their homesand public buildings. Roman artists, how-ever, carved statues that looked differentfrom those of the Greeks. Greek statueswere made to look perfect. People wereshown young, healthy, and with beautifulbodies. Roman statues were more realistic

and included wrinkles, warts, and otherless attractive features.

In building, the Romans also turned tothe Greeks for ideas. They used Greek-styleporches and rows of columns called colon-nades. But they also added their own fea-tures, such as arches and domes. Romanbuilders were the first to make full use ofthe arch. Arches supported bridges, aque-ducts, and buildings. Rows of arches wereoften built against one another to form avault (VAWLT), or curved ceiling. Using thistechnique, the Romans were able to builddomes from many rings of shaped stone.

The Romans were the first people toinvent and use concrete, a mixture of vol-canic ash, lime, and water. When it dried,this mix was as hard as rock. Concretemade buildings sturdier and allowed themto be built taller.

Rome’s concrete buildings were so wellbuilt that many still stand today. One of themost famous is the Colosseum, completedabout A.D. 80. It was a huge arena that couldseat about 60,000 people. Another famousbuilding is the Pantheon, a temple built tohonor Rome’s gods. The Pantheon’s domedroof was the largest of its time.

This Roman bridge still stands in Spain. In what otherstructures were arches used?

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Roman Literature Roman authors basedmuch of their writing on Greek works. Forexample, the Roman writer Virgil (VUHR •juhl) drew some of his ideas from Homer’sOdyssey. Virgil’s epic poem, the Aeneid (uh •NEE • uhd), describes the adventures of theTrojan prince Aeneas and how he came toItaly. Virgil presents Aeneas as the idealRoman—brave, self-controlled, and loyal tothe gods.

Rome’s other famous writers alsolooked to the Greeks for inspiration. UsingGreek models, the poet Horace (HAWR •uhs)wrote satires (SA • TYRZ). These works pokedfun at human weaknesses. Horace alsocomposed odes (OHDZ), or poems thatexpress strong emotions about life. The

Roman writer Ovid wrote works that werebased on the Greek myths. The poet Catullusalso admired Greek writings. He wrote shortpoems about love, sadness, and envy.

Like the Greeks, Rome’s histori-ans recorded the events of their civi-lization. One of Rome’s most famoushistorians was Livy. He wrote hisHistory of Rome about 10 B.C. In thisbook, Livy describes Rome’s rise topower. Livy greatly admired thedeeds of the early Romans, and hebelieved that history had importantmoral lessons to teach people.

Livy celebrated Rome’s great-ness, but the Roman historian Tacitus

took a darker view. He believed thatRome’s emperors had taken people’s free-dom. Tacitus also thought Romans werelosing the values that made them strong.He accused them of wasting time on sportsand other pleasures.

Also like the Greeks, the Romansenjoyed plays. Roman plays were oftenbased on Greek tragedies and comedies.Playwrights such as the tragedy writerSeneca and the comedy writers Plautus andTerence wrote plays for religious festivals.Romans especially liked plays with humor.

Roman authors influenced later writersin Europe and America, but the language ofthe Romans, Latin, had an even biggerimpact on future generations. Latin becameEurope’s language for government, trade,and learning until about A.D. 1500. Latinbecame the basis of many modernEuropean languages, such as Italian,French, and Spanish, and shaped manyothers. Many of the English words we usetoday come from Latin as well.

Roman Science and Engineering TheRomans also learned from Greek science. AGreek doctor named Galen (GAY • luhn)


The Book ofEpodes

In this poem excerpt, Horace praises thelifestyle of those who farm their fam-ily’s land.“Happy the man who, far frombusiness and affairs

Like mortals of the earlytimes,

May work his father’s fieldswith oxen of his own,

Exempt [free] from profit,loss, and fee,

Not like the soldier roused bysavage trumpet’s blare,

Not terrified by seas in rage,

Avoiding busy forums and the haughty doors

Of influencial citizens.”—Horace, The Book of Epodes

According to Horace, what kinds of thingsdoes the farmer avoid?

Horace

Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, France, Giraudon/Bridgeman Art Library

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The Colosseum in Rome could hold some 60,000 people.The arena even had a removable canvas awning to protect spectators from the hot Roman sun.What was concrete made from?

305

brought many medical ideas to Rome. Forexample, he emphasized the importance ofanatomy (uh • NA • tuh • mee), the study ofbody structure. To learn about inner organs,Galen cut open dead animals and recordedhis findings. Doctors in the West studiedGalen’s books and drawings for more than1,500 years.

Another important scientist of theRoman Empire was Ptolemy (TAH • luh •mee). Ptolemy lived in Alexandria, in Egypt.He studied the sky and carefully mappedover 1,000 different stars. He also studiedthe motion of planets and stars and createdrules explaining their movements. Eventhough Ptolemy incorrectly placed Earth atthe center of the universe, educated peoplein Europe accepted his ideas for centuries.

While Roman scientists tried to under-stand how the world worked, Roman

engineers built an astonishing system ofroads and bridges to connect the empire.Have you ever heard the saying “All roadslead to Rome”? Roman engineers builtroads from Rome to every part of theempire. These roads were well built andmade travel and trade more accessible.

The Romans also used advanced engi-neering to supply their cities with fresh-water. Engineers built aqueducts to bringwater from the hills into the cities.Aqueducts were long troughs supported byrows of arches. They carried water over long distances. At one time, 11 greataqueducts fed Rome’s homes, bathhouses,fountains, and public bathrooms. Romancities also had sewers to remove waste.

Explain How was thecharacter Aeneas an ideal Roman?

A system of cages, ropes, andpulleys brought wild animals upto the Colosseum floor fromrooms underground.

The Roman ColosseumThe Roman Colosseum

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Daily Life in RomeThe rich and poor had very different

lives in Rome, as did men and women.Reading Focus Do you think there is a big differencein the lives of boys and girls you know today? Why orwhy not? Read to learn how the lives of Roman boysand girls were very different from each other.

What was it like to live in Rome over2,000 years ago? Rome was one of thelargest cities in the ancient world. By thetime of Augustus, over a million peoplelived there. Rome was carefully planned, aswere many Roman cities. It was laid out in asquare with the main roads crossing at rightangles. At its center was the Forum (FOHR•um). This was an open space that served as amarketplace and public square. Templesand public buildings were built around it.

Wealthy Romans lived in large, comfort-able houses. Each home had large rooms,fine furniture, and beautiful gardens. In thecenter was an inner court called an atrium.Wealthy Romans also had homes called vil-las on their country estates.

The city of Rome was crowded, noisy,and dirty. People tossed garbage into thestreets from their apartments, and thievesprowled the streets at night. Most people inRome were poor. They lived in apartmentbuildings made of stone and wood. Highrent forced families to live in one room.

Roman apartments were up to six storieshigh. They often collapsed because they wereso poorly built. Fire was a constant dangerbecause people used torches and lamps forlighting and cooked with oil. Once started, afire could destroy entire blocks of apartments.

To keep the people from rioting, theRoman government provided “bread and cir-cuses,” or free grain and shows. Romans of allclasses flocked to the chariot races and gladi-ator contests. Gladiators (GLA•dee•AY•tuhrz)

Ancient Roman Sports Sports wereimportant to the Romans. Paintings onvases, frescoes [moist plaster], and stoneshow Romans playing ball, including aversion of soccer. Roman girls are shownexercising with handheld weights andthrowing an egg-shaped ball. Balls weremade of different materials such as wool,hair, linen, sponges, and pig bladderswrapped in string.

Some Roman sporting events tookplace in the Colosseum, amphitheaters,and the Circus Maximus. Wild beastfights, battles between ships, andgladiator contests attracted Romanspectators by the thousands. Chariotracing was held in the Circus Maximus,and the drivers wore team colors of red, white, green, and blue.

Scene showing gladiators in battle

Connecting to the Past1. How do we know sports were important to

the Romans?

2. How are today’s sports different fromRoman sports? How are they similar?

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fought animals and each other. Most gladia-tors were enslaved people, criminals, or poorpeople. Gladiators were admired, much likesports heroes are today.

What Was Family Life Like? Family lifewas important to the Romans. Their familieswere large. They included not only parentsand young children but also married chil-dren and their families, other relatives, andenslaved servants. The father was the headof the household. Called the paterfamilias(PA • tuhr• fuh•MIH• lee•uhs), or “father of thefamily,” he had complete control over fam-ily members. For example, he punished chil-dren severely if they disobeyed. He alsoarranged their marriages.

In some cases, the paterfamilias madesure his children were educated. PoorRomans could not afford to send their chil-dren to school. Wealthy Romans, however,hired tutors to teach their young children athome. Some older boys did go to schools,where they learned reading, writing, andrhetoric (REH • tuh • rihk), or public speaking.

Older girls did not go to school. Instead,they studied reading and writing at home.They also learned household duties.

Between the ages of 14 and 16, a Romanboy celebrated becoming a man. He wouldburn his toys as offerings to the householdgods. Then he would put on a toga, a loose-fitting robe that Roman men wore. Once hecame of age, a man might join his family’sbusiness, become a soldier, or begin a career

307

Chariot races were held in an arena called the Circus Maximus,one of the largest arenas ever made. Besides chariot races,what other types of shows attracted Romans?

A Roman teacher and student

(t)Scala/Art Resource, NY, (b)Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY

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Bedrooms

Library

CourtyardKitchen

In the dining room, family members ate while reclining on couches.

Rainwater from the gutters collected in

the pool below.

Guests and business associates were

entertained in the living room/study.

Some homes had shops or workshops that

opened onto the street.

A Roman HouseA Roman House

in the government. Roman women did notbecome adults until they married. Awoman usually wore a long flowing robewith a cloak called a palla.

Women in Rome Women in early Romehad some rights, but they were not full citi-zens. The paterfamilias looked after his wifeand controlled her affairs. However, heoften sought her advice in private. Womenhad a strong influence on their families, andsome wives of famous men, includingemperors, became well-known themselves.For example, the empress Livia (LIHV • ee •uh), wife of Augustus, had a say in Rome’spolitics. She was later honored as a goddess.

The freedoms a Roman woman enjoyeddepended on her husband’s wealth and

standing. Wealthy women had a great dealof independence. They could own land, runbusinesses, and sell property. They man-aged the household and had enslaved peo-ple do the housework. This left the womenfree to study literature, art, and fashion.Outside the home, they could go to the the-ater or the amphitheater, but in both placesthey had to sit in areas separate from men.

Women with less money had less free-dom. They spent most of their time workingin their houses or helping their husbands infamily-run shops. They were allowed toleave home to shop, visit friends, worship attemples, or go to the baths. A few womendid work independently outside the home.Some served as priestesses, while othersworked as hairdressers and even doctors.

Wealthy Romans often lived in spacious houses with centralcourtyards. The houses had high brick walls without windows.Many of the rooms opened into the courtyard to allow in lightand fresh air. How is a Roman home similar to homes in yourneighborhood? How is it different?

A Roman couple

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CHAPTER 9 Roman Civilization 309

These apartments were built of brickand stone for wealthy Romans. What sort of buildings did poor Romans live in?

How Did Romans Treat Enslaved People?Slavery was a part of Roman life from earlytimes. But the use of slave labor grew asRome took over more territory. Thousandsof prisoners from conquered lands werebrought to Italy. Most spent their lives per-forming slave labor. By 100 B.C., about 40percent of the people in Italy were enslaved.

Enslaved people did many differentjobs. They worked in homes, fields, mines,and workshops. They helped build roads,bridges, and aqueducts. Many enslavedGreeks were well educated. They served asteachers, doctors, and artisans.

For most enslaved people, life was miser-able. They were punished severely for poorwork or for running away. To escape theirhardships, enslaved people often rebelled.

In 73 B.C. a slave revolt broke out in Italy.It was led by a gladiator named Spartacus(SPAHR • tuh •kuhs). Under Spartacus, a forceof 70,000 enslaved people defeated severalRoman armies. The revolt was finallycrushed two years later. Spartacus and

6,000 of his followers were crucified, or putto death by being nailed to a cross.

Roman Religion The ancient Romansworshiped many gods and goddesses. Theyalso believed that spirits lived in naturalthings, such as trees and rivers. Greek godsand goddesses were popular in Rome,although they were given Roman names.For example, Zeus became Jupiter, the skygod, and Aphrodite became Venus, the god-dess of love and beauty. Roman emperorsalso were worshiped. This practicestrengthened support for the government.

Romans honored their gods and god-desses by praying and offering food. EveryRoman home had an altar for their house-hold gods. At these altars, the head of thefamily carried out rituals. Government offi-cials made offerings in temples. There theimportant gods and goddesses of Romewere honored. Some Roman priests lookedfor messages from the gods. They studiedthe insides of dead animals or watched theflight of birds, looking for meaning.

A Roman family atthe dinner table

(l)Stanley Searberg, (r)Giraudon/Art Resource, NY

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Reading SummaryReview the • Roman art, literature, and science

borrowed much from the Greeks.Roman engineers made advances,including the development ofcement, the arch, aqueducts, anddomes.

• Religion and family were impor-tant parts of Roman life. Enslavedpeople carried out many differenttasks in Roman society.

1. What were some of Ptolemy’sscientific achievements?

2. How were the Roman andGreek religions similar?

Critical Thinking3. Compare and Contrast

Draw a chart like the onebelow. Fill in details to com-pare and contrast Roman andGreek art and architecture.

4. Analyze Explain the impor-tance of the language of theRomans.

5. Describe Describe the educa-tion of Roman children.

6. Conclude The Romans bor-rowed ideas from other peo-ples. Do you think our culturetoday borrows ideas fromother peoples? Explain youranswer.

7. Responding andReflecting Look at the artshowing the Roman house onpage 308. Write five things thatcome to mind as you view thispicture.

What Did You Learn?

Study CentralTM Need help with the material in this section? Visit jat.glencoe.com


As the empire grew larger, Romanscame into contact with other religions.These religions were allowed, as long asthey did not threaten the government.

Those that did faced severe hardships. Youwill read about one of these religions—Christianity—in the next chapter.

Contrast Compare the lifeof upper-class women to women of other classes.

Greek Art Roman Art

Greek Architecture

Roman Architecture

The Romans also bor-rowed ideas from Greekphilosophy. For exam-ple, they borrowed andmodified the Greek philosophy of Stoicism.For Romans, however,Stoicism was not a-bout finding happinessthrough reason like itwas for the Greeks. In-stead, Stoicism encour-aged Romans to live in a practical way. Stoicphilosophers urged peo-ple to participate inpublic affairs, to do theircivic duty, and to treat conquered peopleswell.

Ares

Roman God

Mars

Role

god of war

JunoHera wife of chief god

Zeus Jupiter chief god

Aphrodite Venus goddess of love

Artemis Diana goddess of the hunt

Athena Minerva goddess of wisdom

Hermes Mercury messenger god

Hades Pluto god of the underworld

Poseidon Neptune god of the sea

Hephaestus Vulcan god of fire

Greek God

Greek and Roman GodsGreek and Roman Gods

Reunion des Musees Nationaux/Art Resource, NY

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Do you know a person who isalways friendly and generous, nomatter what the circumstances?In this story, a good-naturedhusband and wife are rewardedwhen they receive special guestsinto their home.

Retold by Geraldine McCaughrean

Before You ReadThe Scene: This story takes place in ancient Rome in the legendary timewhen gods visited Earth to interact with humans in person.

The Characters: Philemon and Baucis are the man and woman whowelcome guests to their home. Clio is their goose. Jupiter and Mercury aretwo ancient Roman gods.

The Plot: A husband and wife welcome two guests into their cottage. Theyhave no food for the guests, but they do have a pet goose. As the pair try toprovide their guests with food, the guests reveal their identities and rewardthe host and hostess for their generosity.

Vocabulary Previewfowl: bird

wielding: controlling

gaped: hung open

quills: feathers

hospitality: friendliness andgenerosity toward guests

ramshackle: falling apart

disintegrated: broke into small pieces

gilded: decorated with gold

preening: grooming and making pretty

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As You ReadKeep in mind that this story is a myth. Like theGreeks, Romans passed myths from one generationto the next to explain some aspect of the world.Often, the stories involved gods and goddesses aswell as humans.

A knock at the door. A pair of passingstrangers. Philemon and Baucis did not knowthe two men on their doorstep, but they hadnever yet failed to offer a warm welcome toanyone who called at their little cottage.

“Come in! Sit down! My wife will cook yousupper!” said Philemon.

His wife tugged at his sleeve. She did notneed to say more. Both of them knew therewas no food in the house. Not a bite. Baucisand Philemon themselves had been living oneggs and olives for days. There was not evenany bread.

Philemon smiled sadly at Baucis, and shesmiled sadly back. “It’s the goose, is it?” he said.

“The goose it is,” she replied.Clio was all they had left. She was more

like a pet than a farmyard fowl. And yet, guestsare a blessing sent by the gods, and guestsmust be fed. So Philemon fetched his sharp axand Baucis began to chase the goose, trying todrive it into the cottage.

Jupiter sat back in his chair and waitedpatiently for dinner. “Do you think we shouldhelp?” he said to Mercury, hearing thecommotion in the yard.

“I know we shall have a wait,” repliedMercury.

“Here—you try,” said Baucis, passing theax to Philemon.

The goose was squawking, Baucis wasyelping, and Philemon was coughing as he ran

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about wielding the ax. He struck at Clio, but the goose moved, and he demolished a bush.He swung again and hit the wooden pail. The goose shrieked with outrage, then with terror,and slapped about on her big, triangular feet—plat, plat, plat—skidding into theirhomemade altar piled high with flowers, into the fish-drying rack,1 into the washing on the tree.2 Olives rained down on the roof of the shack.

“Do you think we should go?” said Jupiter, as he and Mercury listened to the wild-goose chase and their hungry stomachs growled quietly.

At last Philemon and Baucis cornered the goose against the cottage door. Herorange beak gaped. Philemon raised the ax . . . and Clio bolted backward into the shack,running around the room like a black-footed pillow fight until she caught sight of Jupiter.

Now, animals are not so easily fooled by disguises, and although Jupiter and Mercurywere dressed as peasants, in woolen tunics and straw hats, she instantly recognized theKing of the gods and threw herself on his mercy. Neck outstretched, eyes bulging, she ranstraight between his knees and into his lap. He was overrun with goose.

“A thousand pardons, friend,” gasped Baucis, crawling in at the door, her hair stuckwith goose quills. “Won’t you take an olive while you wait?”

Jupiter stroked the goose, which stood paddling3 on his thighs, and spat out a fewfeathers. “Shield me! Save me! Protect me!” said the goose, in the language of geese.

1fish-drying rack: large wooden structure on which fish are hung to dry2washing on the tree: laundry hung on the tree branches to dry3paddling: moving its feet

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Jupiter tickled it under the beak. “Your hospitality is a marvel, dear Philemon,gentle Baucis. In all my long travels over the face of the world, I have never metsuch unselfish hosts. Here is your only goose, and you were ready to cook it for us!Your generosity surpasses that of the gods themselves!”

“Now, sir,” said Baucis sternly. “You may be a guest, but I’ll have no ill spokenof the gods in this house. Though we have little to offer, the gods have been goodto us, have they not, my love?”

“They have, they have,” said Philemon. Mercury concealed a grin.“And they shall be good to you ever after!” declared Jupiter, rising to his feet.

He rose and rose, ’til his head touched the rafters, and his face brightened ’til theroom was light as day. His disguise fell away and Mercury folded it small andsmaller ’til it fit inside one fist and was gone.

“As you see, I am Jupiter, King of the gods, and this is my messenger, Mercury.We like to travel the world and visit the people whose sacrificial smoke perfumesthe halls of Heaven. But travel where we may and stay where we might, we nevermet with such hospitality as yours! Name any favor and it shall be your reward. Asmall kingdom, perhaps? A palace? A chest of sea treasure from the vaults ofPoseidon?4 Wings to fly or the gift of prophecy? Name it!”

Mercury looked uneasy. He had seen the greed and ambition of mortals all toooften. This mild-looking couple would probably demand to be gods and to dine atthe table of the gods; would ask for immortality or a banner of stars wide as the

Milky Way, spelling out “Philemon thePhilanthropist,”5 “Baucis the Beautiful.”

Baucis looked at Philemon, andPhilemon smiled back and wrung his

hat shyly between his hands.“Almighty Jupiter, you have

done our little house such anhonor today that we have

4Poseidon: Roman god of the sea 5philanthropist: someone who ischaritable

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hardly breath enough to speak our thanks. Our greatest joy in life has always beento worship at our humble little altar—out there in the yard. What more could weask than to go on doing that—oh, and both to die at the same hour, so that wemay never be parted. My Baucis and I.”

Jupiter complained of a speck of dust in his eye and went outside. He could beheard blowing his nose loudly. When he ducked back through the door, his eyeswere quite red-rimmed. “Come, priest and priestess of my shrine! Your templeawaits you!”

All of a sudden, the drafty, ramshackle little hut disintegrated, like a raft ofleaves on a river. Around and above it rose the pillars of a mighty temple. Thesimple cairn6 of stones that had served for an altar still stood there, piled withfirewood and swagged with flowers, but now it stood on a marble floor, and fromthat floor rose forty marble pillars cloaked with beaten gold, supporting a roofgilded with stars. The living quarters for priest and priestess were piled withfeather mattresses and silken pillows, and priestly robes of soft cotton hungwaiting about the shoulders of Carrara7 statues.

6cairn: mound7Carrara: an Italian city known for its white marblequarries and statues

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316

1. Why do Philemon and Baucis fail to recognize their guests? Which characterdoes recognize them?

2. Jupiter said that he and Mercury like to “visit the people whose sacrificialsmoke perfumes the halls of Heaven.” Who does he mean?

3. Cause and Effect What is the result of Jupiter’s gift to Philemon and Baucis?

4. Analyze Why do Philemon and Baucis not ask the gods for fame and power?

5. Read to Write Imagine that friends who live in another town visityou. What would you provide for them? Would it be different from the thingsyou provide for yourself? Imagine you are Philemon or Baucis, and write one ortwo paragraphs explaining how you would have treated their guests.

Responding to the Reading

¢

Already, from all corners of the landscape, pilgrims weresetting out at a run to visit the marvelous new temple ofJupiter, whose red roof signaled to them across miles ofopen countryside. Philemon and Baucis would be kept busyreceiving their sacrifices, tending the sacrificial flame,sweeping up the ashes.

But they thrived on the hard work, just as they hadalways done. The worshipers brought not only flowers for the altar but baskets of delicious food for the priest andpriestess whose fame spread far and wide. Tirelessly theyworked until, being mortal, even Baucis and Philemonbecame exhausted. Watching from the terraces of Heaven,Jupiter saw them pause now, each time they passed oneanother, and lean one against the other for a moment’s rest,Baucis laying her head on Philemon’s shoulder.

“They are weary,” said Mercury.“You are right,” said Jupiter. “It is time for them to rest.”So instead of breathing in the fragrance from the altar

below, he breathed out—a breath that wafted away the whiterobes of priest and priestess and left behind two noble trees atthe very door of the temple. One was an oak, the other alinden tree, and they leaned one toward another, their branchesintertwined, casting welcome shade over the threshold.

Clio the goose liked to rest there at noon,preening her . . . feathers and singing.

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What’s the Connection?In Section 1, you learned about

Roman life and achievements whenthe empire was at its height. Overtime, however, the Roman Empirebegan to have problems, and itgradually grew weaker. Eventually,Rome fell to outside invaders.

Focusing on the • Poor leadership, a declining economy,

and attacks by Germanic tribes weak-ened the Roman Empire. (page 318)

• Rome finally fell when invadersswept through the empire during the A.D. 400s. (page 322)

• Rome passed on many achievementsin government, law, language, andthe arts. (page 325)

Locating PlacesConstantinople

(KAHN•STAN•tuhn•OH•puhl)

Meeting PeopleDiocletian (DY•uh•KLEE•shuhn)Constantine (KAHN•stuhn•TEEN)Theodosius

(THEE•uh•DOH•shuhs)Alaric (A• luh•rihk)Odoacer (OH•duh•WAY•suhr)

Building Your Vocabularyplague (PLAYG)inflation (ihn•FLAY•shuhn)barter (BAHR•tuhr)reform (rih•FAWRM)

Reading StrategySequencing Information Create adiagram to show the events that ledup to the fall of the Western RomanEmpire.

A.D. 284Diocletian triesto reform empire

A.D. 395Roman Empiredivided into easternand western parts

A.D. 476Rome’s last emperor overthrownConstantinopleRome

SPAINGAUL

BRITAIN

ITALY

GREECE

EGYPT

A.D. 250 A.D. 350 A.D. 450A.D. 250 A.D. 350 A.D. 450

Theof

Fall Rome

Fall of the Roman Empire

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The Decline of RomePoor leadership, a declining economy,

and attacks by Germanic tribes weakened theRoman Empire.Reading Focus What do you do when you face a diffi-cult problem? Do you try to solve it yourself? Do you askother people for help? Read to learn about the problemsthe Roman Empire faced and how its leaders responded.

In A.D. 180 Marcus Aurelius died. His son, Commodus (KAH • muh • duhs), becameemperor. Commodus was cruel and wastedmoney. Instead of ruling Rome, Commodusspent much of his time fighting as a gladia-tor. In A.D. 192 the emperor’s bodyguardkilled him. Nearly a century of confusionand fighting followed.

After Commodus, emperors called theSeverans ruled Rome. Much of their timewas spent putting down revolts and pro-tecting Rome’s borders. The Severansstayed in power by paying the army well,but they ignored the growing problems ofcrime and poverty.

Political and Social Problems When thelast Severan ruler died in A.D. 235, Rome’sgovernment became very weak. For almost50 years, army leaders fought each other forthe throne. During this time, Rome had 22different emperors.

Poor leadership was not Rome’s only dif-ficulty. Fewer Romans honored the old idealsof duty, courage, and honesty. Many govern-ment officials took bribes. As problems

Weak Roman Government• Dishonest government officials provide poor leadership.

Eastern Roman Empire• Constantinople becomes the new capital.• The empire survives attacks and prospers.

Byzantine Empire• This empire is created from the Eastern Roman Empire and lasts nearly 1,000 years.

Western Roman Empire• Numerous attacks threaten the empire.• Territory is slowly lost to invaders.

Social Problems• Famine and disease spread throughout the empire.

Declining Economy• Income and wages fall.• Wealthy fail to pay taxes.

Reform Fails and Rome Divides in Two• Government fails to keep order.• Violence and tension increase.• Diocletian divides the empire.

Rome Falls• The city of Rome falls in A.D. 476.• The Western Roman Empire is divided into Germanic kingdoms by A.D. 550.

The Decline of RomeThe Decline of Rome

Many issues, including a weak government, lackof food, and fewer jobs, led to Rome’s decline.1. According to the flow chart, what occurs

after reform fails? 2. Cause and Effect What were the final effects

of the Roman Empire being split in two?

318CORBIS

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increased, talented people often refused toserve in government. Many wealthy citizenseven stopped paying taxes. Fewer peopleattended schools, and a large number of theempire’s people were now enslaved. WealthyRomans supported slavery because it was acheap way to get work done.

Economic and Military Problems Duringthe A.D. 200s, Rome’s economy began to fallapart. As government weakened, law andorder broke down. Roman soldiers andinvaders seized crops and destroyed fields.Farmers grew less food, and hunger beganto spread.

As the economy worsened, peoplebought fewer goods. Artisans producedless, and shopkeepers lost money. Manybusinesses closed, and the number of work-ers dropped sharply. Many workers had toleave jobs and serve in the army. A plague(PLAYG), or a disease that spreads widely,also took its toll. It killed one out of everyten people in the empire.

Rome also began to suffer from inflation(ihn • FLAY • shuhn), or rapidly increasingprices. Inflation happens when money losesits value. How did this happen? The weakeconomy meant fewer taxes were paid.With less money coming in, the Romangovernment could not afford to defend itsterritories and had to find a way to pay itssoldiers and officials. One way for the gov-ernment to get the money it needed was toput less gold in its coins.

By putting less gold in each coin, thegovernment could make extra coins andpay for more things. People soon learnedthat the coins did not have as much gold inthem, and the coins began losing value.Prices went up, and many people stoppedusing money altogether. They began tobarter (BAHR • tuhr), or exchange goodswithout using money.

Slavery in the Roman Empire Publicand private slavery were common inRoman society. Public slaves wereowned by the state. They took care ofimportant buildings and servedgovernment officials. Educated publicslaves were used to help organize thegovernments of conquered areas.

Private slaves were owned byindividuals. They were often forced towork long hours and could be sold atany time. Wealthy Romans hadhundreds or even thousands ofenslaved people. Most enslavedpeople worked on farms.

Most enslaved people were men.This was probably because their workrequired great strength. Someenslaved men also became gladiators.Enslaved women made clothing andcooked for their owner’s family.

Connecting to the Past1. What was the main difference between

public and private enslavement?

2. Which jobs were probably considered themost desirable by enslaved people?

Roman slavesat work

Sca

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NY

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Meanwhile, invaders swept into theempire. In the west, Germanic tribes raidedRoman farms and towns. In the east, armiesfrom Persia pushed into the empire’s terri-tory. As fighting increased, the governmentcould no longer enlist and pay Romans assoldiers. It began using Germanic warriorsin the army. However, these Germanicsoldiers were not loyal to Rome.

What Were Diocletian’s Reforms? In A.D. 284 a general named Diocletian(DY • uh • KLEE • shuhn) became emperor. Tostop the empire’s decline, he introducedreforms (rih •FAWRMZ), or political changesto make things better. Because the empirewas too large for one person to rule,Diocletian divided it into four parts. Henamed officials to rule these areas but keptauthority over all.

Diocletian also worked to boost theeconomy. To slow inflation, he issued rulesthat set the prices of goods and the wages tobe paid to workers. To make sure moregoods were produced, he ordered workersto remain at the same jobs until they died.Diocletian’s reforms failed. The peopleignored the new rules, and Diocletian didnot have enough power to make them obey.

Who Was Constantine? In A.D. 305Diocletian retired from office. After aperiod of conflict, another general namedConstantine (KAHN • stuhn • TEEN) becameemperor in A.D. 312. To aid the economy,Constantine issued several orders. Thesons of workers had to follow theirfathers’ trades, the sons of farmers had towork the land their fathers worked, andthe sons of soldiers had to serve in thearmy.

Constantine’s changes did not halt theempire’s decline in the west. As a result,Constantine moved the capital from dyingRome to a new city in the east. He chose thesite of the Greek city of Byzantium (buh •ZAN • tee •uhm). There he built a forum, anamphitheater called the Hippodrome, andmany palaces. The city became known asConstantinople (KAHN • STAN • tuhn • OH • puhl).Today, Constantinople is called Istanbul.

Explain How did Diocletiantry to reverse the decline of Rome?


Distrust of Money

As the Roman Empiredeclined, people refusedto trust the value ofmoney issued by eachemperor.“Whereas [because] thepublic officials have assem-bled and have accused thebankers of the exchangebanks of having closedthem because of theirunwillingness to accept the divine coin of theemperors, it has becomenecessary to issue an order to all owners of thebanks to open them and to accept and exchange allcoin except the absolutelyspurious [false] and coun-terfeit—and not alone to them but to those whoengage in business transactions of any kind.”

—“Distrust of Imperial Coinage,”Oxyrhynchus Papyrus, no. 1411, Vol. 2,

A.S. Hunt, trans.

What do you think was happening to theeconomy of the empire as people stoppedusing the official money?

Roman coins

The Newark Museum/Art Resource, NY

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CONSTANTINE THE GREATc. A.D. 280–337

First Christian Roman EmperorConstantine was the first Roman Emperor to become a

Christian, although he was not baptized until near his death in

A.D. 337. He first came to believe in Christianity many years

earlier, when he was a military leader. Constantine believed he

had seen a flaming cross in the sky that said, “By this sign thou

shall conquer.” The next day his army was victorious in an

important battle. He believed that the cross was a call to the

Christian God.

During his reign, Constantine granted new opportunities to

Christians and helped advance the power of the early Catholic

Church. At the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, he encouraged

discussion about the acceptance of the Trinity (Father, Son, and

Holy Spirit). He also boosted the political positions and power of

bishops within the Roman government.

Even though Constantine had many political and religious

successes, his life was filled with controversy and tragedy.

Constantine married a woman named Fausta. His eldest son

from a previous marriage was named Crispus. Fausta accused

Crispus of crimes

and claimed that he was planning

to seize the throne. Constantine was

so shocked that he had his son killed.

Constantine later discovered that

Fausta had lied because she wanted

her own son to be in line for the

throne. He then had Fausta killed.

321

Modern-day Constantinople

Constantine believed freedom of religion was

important for the success of his empire and

made sure that Christians could no longer be

persecuted. What part of the U.S. Constitution

protects freedom of religion?

Constantine

(t)Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey/E.T. Archives, London/SuperStock, (b)C. Boisvieux/Photo Researchers

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Rome FallsRome finally fell when invaders swept

through the empire during the A.D. 400s. Reading Focus How would you feel if a favoriteplace—a shop, park, or recreation center—was closedafter being open for many years? Read to learn how theRomans had to face an even greater loss when their cityand empire fell.

Both Diocletian and Constantine failedto save the Roman Empire. WhenConstantine died in A.D. 337, fighting brokeout again. A new emperor called

Theodosius (THEE • uh • DOH • shuhs) finallygained control and ended the fighting.

Ruling the empire proved to be difficult.Theodosius decided to divide the empireafter his death. In A.D. 395, the Roman Empiresplit into two separate empires. One was theWestern Roman Empire, with its capital atRome. The other was the Eastern RomanEmpire, with its capital at Constantinople.

Rome Is Invaded As Rome declined, it wasno longer able to hold back the Germanictribes on its borders. Many differentGermanic groups existed—Ostrogoths,Visigoths, Franks, Vandals, Angles, andSaxons. They came from the forests andmarshes of northern Europe.

These Germanic groups were in searchof warmer climates and better grazing landfor their cattle. They also were drawn by

Rome’s wealth and culture. In addi-tion, many were fleeing the Huns,fierce warriors from Mongolia inAsia.

In the late A.D. 300s, the Hunsentered Eastern Europe and defeatedthe Ostrogoths (AHS•truh•GAHTHS). TheVisigoths, fearing they would be next,asked the Eastern Roman emperor forprotection. He let them settle just

inside the empire’s border. In return theypromised to be loyal to Rome.

Before long, trouble broke out betweenthe Visigoths and Romans. The empireforced the Visigoths to buy food at veryhigh prices. The Romans also kidnappedand enslaved many Visigoths.

Rome Is Attacked

In this excerpt from oneof his letters, theChristian leader Jeromedescribes attacks on theRoman provinces.“Who would believe thatRome, victor over all theworld, would fall, that shewould be to her peopleboth the womb and the tomb. . . .Where we cannothelp we mourn and mingle with theirs our tears. . . . There is not an hour, not even a moment, when we arenot occupied with crowds of refugees, when thepeace of the monastery is not invaded by a hordeof guests so that we shall either have to shut thegates or neglect the Scriptures for which the gateswere opened.”

—Jerome, “News of the Attacks”

Does Jerome think the gates of themonastery should be shut? Explain.

Saint Jerome

Web Activity Visit jat.glencoe.com and click on Chapter 9—Student Web Activity tolearn more about Roman civilization.

322 CHAPTER 9 Roman CivilizationScala/Art Resource, NY

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Finally, the Visigoths rebelled againstthe Romans. In A.D. 378 they defeatedRoman legions at the Battle of Adrianople(AY • dree • uh • NOH • puhl). After that defeat,Rome was forced to surrender land to theVisigoths.

The Germanic tribes now knew thatRome could no longer defend itself. Moreand more Germanic warriors crossed theborders in search of land. In the winter ofA.D. 406, the Rhine River in Western Europefroze. Germanic groups crossed the frozenriver and entered Gaul, which is today

France. The Romans were too weak to forcethem back across the border.

In A.D. 410 the Visigoth leader Alaric(A • luh • rihk) and his soldiers captured Romeitself. They burned records and looted thetreasury. Rome’s capture by Alaric was agreat shock to the empire’s people. It wasthe first time Rome had been conquered in800 years.

Another Germanic group known as theVandals overran Spain and northern Africa.They enslaved some Roman landownersand drove others away. Then the Vandals

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0Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Areaprojection

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Germanic Invasions of Rome c. A.D. 200–500

A number of invasions led to thefall of the Roman Empire.1. Who attacked both Britain and

northern Gaul? 2. Why do you think the Eastern

Roman Empire experienced veryfew invasions?

Find NGS online map resources @www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

Western Roman EmpireEastern Roman EmpireBattle

Angles/SaxonsFranksHuns

KEYOstrogothsVandalsVisigoths

MotionIn

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http://www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

sailed to Italy. In A.D. 455 they enteredRome. They spent 12 days stripping build-ings of everything valuable and burningthem. From these attacks came the Englishword vandalism, which means “the willfuldestruction of property.”

Rome Falls By the mid-A.D. 400s, severalGermanic leaders held high posts in Rome’sgovernment and army. In A.D. 476 aGermanic general named Odoacer (OH•duh•WAY • suhr) took control, overthrowing the western emperor, a 14-year-old boynamed Romulus Augustulus (RAHM • yuh •luhs aw • GUHS • chah • luhs). After RomulusAugustulus, no emperor ever again ruledfrom Rome. Historians often use this event tomark the end of the Western Roman Empire.

Odoacer controlled Rome for almost 15years. Then a group of Visigoths seized thecity and killed Odoacer. They set up a king-dom in Italy under their leader, Theodoric(thee • AH • duh • rihk). Elsewhere in Europe,other Germanic kingdoms arose.

By A.D. 550, the Western Roman Empirehad faded away. Many Roman beliefs andpractices remained in use, however. Forexample, Europe’s new Germanic rulersadopted the Latin language, Roman laws,and Christianity. Although the WesternRoman Empire fell to Germanic invaders,the Eastern Roman Empire prospered. Itbecame known as the Byzantine Empireand lasted nearly 1,000 more years.

Identify Which event usu-ally marks the fall of the Western Roman Empire?


An image showing the Visigoths invading Rome. Whatleader did the Visigoths overthrow to take control of Rome?

Mary Evans Picture Library

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The Legacy of RomeRome passed on many achievements in

government, law, language, and the arts.Reading Focus Do you know where the words“doctor,” “animal,” “circus,” and “family” come from?These words come from the Latin language spoken bythe Romans. Read to discover other things we haveborrowed from the Romans.

Our world would be very different if theRoman Empire had never existed. Manywords in the English language and many of

our ideas about government come from theRomans. The same is true for our system oflaws and our knowledge about building. Asyou will read in the next chapter, the peaceand order brought by Roman rule alsoallowed the Christian religion to spread.

Roman Ideas and Government TodayRoman ideas about law, as first written in theTwelve Tables, are with us today. We, like theRomans, believe that all people are equalunder the law. We expect our judges todecide cases fairly, and we consider a personinnocent until proven guilty.

Columns, domes, and archesstill appear in many modernbuildings. Banks, homes, and

government buildings often use aRoman style. What Roman architectural

styles do you see in your neighborhood?

Roman and Modern ArchitectureEarly Romans borrowed architectural ideas

from the Greeks, but they also developed their ownstyle. Roman designs often included vaults,columns, domes, and arches. Newarchitectural ideas meant that buildingscould be constructed in new ways.Because of concrete and a new design,Roman theaters did not have to be builton natural slopes to have tiered seating.

The Pantheon in Rome

The Rotunda at theUniversity of Virginia

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Reading SummaryReview the • A series of weak emperors, inva-

sions by outsiders, disease, and anumber of other factors led to agreatly weakened Roman Empire.

• Numerous invasions by Germanicpeoples led to the fall of Rome inA.D. 476.

• Roman ideas about governmentand Roman architecture are justsome of the legacies of ancientRome.

1. What social problems helpedcause the empire’s decline?

2. Why did the Roman govern-ment use Germanic warriors inits army?

Critical Thinking3. Summarizing Information

Draw a diagram like the onebelow. Fill in details aboutRome’s legacies in the areas ofgovernment, law, and citizenship.

4. Cause and Effect How didinflation affect Rome?

5. Describe Who were theVisigoths, and how did theycontribute to the fall of Rome?

6. Identify Give examples ofRoman ideas in language andarchitecture that exist today.

7. Persuasive Writing Imagineyou are living in Rome aroundthe time of the fall of theempire. Write an editorial for anewspaper identifying whatyou think is the main reasonfor the decline and fall of theempire, and what might havebeen done to prevent it.

What Did You Learn?



Roman ideas about government and cit-izenship are also important today. Like theearly Romans, Americans believe that arepublic made up of equal citizens is thebest form of government. We also believethat a republic works best if citizens dotheir duty, participate in government, andwork to make their society better.

Roman Influence on Culture Today thealphabet of the Latin language, whichexpanded from 22 to 26 letters, is usedthroughout the Western world. Latin shapedthe languages of Italy, France, Spain,Portugal, and Romania. Many English wordsalso come from Latin. Scientists, doctors, andlawyers still use Latin phrases. Every knownspecies of plant and animal has a Latin name.Today, we also still admire the works of greatRoman writers such as Virgil, Horace, Livy,and Tacitus.

Ancient Rome also left a lasting markon building in the Western world. We stilluse concrete today for much of our con-struction, and Roman architectural stylesare still seen in public buildings today.When you visit Washington, D.C., or thecapital city of any state, you will likely seecapitols with domes and arches inspiredby Roman architecture.

Christianity As you probably know,Christianity is one of the major religions inthe world today. Christianity began in theRoman Empire. When Rome’s governmentadopted Christianity in the A.D. 300s, ithelped the new religion to grow andspread. After Rome’s fall, many Romanideas blended with those of Christianity.

Compare Which aspects ofthe Roman Empire are reflected in present-daycultures?

Roman Legacies

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What’s the Connection?In the last section, you learned

that even though the Roman Empire inthe West fell, the Eastern RomanEmpire survived and prospered. Itbecame known as the ByzantineEmpire.The Byzantines developed anew civilization based on Greek,Roman, and Christian ideas.

Focusing on the• The Eastern Roman Empire grew rich

and powerful as the Western RomanEmpire fell. (page 328)

• The policies and reforms of EmperorJustinian and Empress Theodorahelped make the Byzantine Empirestrong. (page 329)

• The Byzantines developed a richculture based on Roman, Greek, andChristian ideas. (page 332)

Locating PlacesBlack Sea

Aegean Sea (ih• JEE•uhn)

Meeting People Justinian (juh•STIH•nee•uhn)Theodora (THEE•uh•DOHR•uh)Belisarius (BEH• luh•SAR•ee•uhs)Tribonian (truh•BOH•nee•uhn)

Building Your Vocabularymosaic (moh•ZAY• ihk)saint (SAYNT)regent (REE• juhnt)

Reading StrategyCause and Effect Complete a chartto show the causes and effects ofJustinian’s new law code.

Byzantine EmpireThe

A.D. 527Emperor Justinian begins rule

A.D. 565Justiniandies

A.D. 537Hagia SophiacompletedConstantinople

RomeSPAIN ITALY

BALKANPENINSULA

ASIA MINOR

EGYPTPALESTINE

A.D. 525 A.D. 550 A.D. 575A.D. 525 A.D. 550 A.D. 575


Causes

New Code of Laws

Effects

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The Rise of the ByzantinesThe Eastern Roman Empire grew rich

and powerful as the Western Roman Empire fell.Reading Focus Think of your own community. Howhave groups of people from different backgrounds con-tributed to its character? What would your town or citybe like without these contributions from all the differ-ent groups? Read to learn about the different groupsthat made up the Byzantine Empire.

The Eastern Roman, or Byzantine,Empire reached a high point in the A.D. 500s.At this time, the empire stretched west toItaly, south to Egypt, and east to the borderwith Arabia. Greeks made up the empire’slargest group, but many other peoples werefound within the empire. They includedEgyptians, Syrians, Arabs, Armenians,Jews, Persians, Slavs, and Turks.

Why Is Constantinople Important? Inthe last section, you learned that EmperorConstantine moved the capital of theRoman Empire from Rome to a new citycalled Constantinople. Constantine’s citybecame the capital of the Byzantine Empire.By the A.D. 500s, Constantinople was thriv-ing and had become one of the world’sgreat cities.

One reason for Constantinople’s successwas its location. It lay on the waterwaysbetween the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea(ih • JEE • uhn). Its harbors offered a safe shel-ter for fishing boats, trading ships, and war-ships. Constantinople also sat at thecrossroads of trade routes between Europeand Asia. The trade that passed throughmade the city extremely wealthy.

Constantinople had a secure land loca-tion. Lying on a peninsula, Constantinople

was easily defended. Seas protected iton three sides, and on the fourth side,a huge wall guarded the city. Later ahuge chain was even strung across thecity’s north harbor for greater protec-tion. Invaders could not easily takeConstantinople.

Influence of Greek Culture TheByzantines at first followed Romanways. Constantinople was known asthe “New Rome.” Its public buildingsand palaces were built in the Romanstyle. The city even had an oval arenacalled the Hippodrome, where chariotraces and other events were held.

Byzantine political and social lifealso were based on that of Rome.Emperors spoke Latin and enforcedRoman laws. The empire’s poor peo-ple received free bread and shows.Wealthy people lived in town or onlarge farming estates. In fact, many ofthem had once lived in Rome.


The ancient walled city of Constantinople

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As time passed, the Byzantine Empirebecame less Roman and more Greek. MostByzantines spoke Greek and honored theirGreek past. Byzantine emperors and offi-cials began to speak Greek too. The ideas ofnon-Greek peoples, like the Egyptians andthe Slavs, also shaped Byzantine life. Stillother customs came from Persia to the east.All of these cultures blended together toform the Byzantine civilization. BetweenA.D. 500 and A.D. 1200, the Byzantines hadone of the world’s richest and most-advanced empires.

Explain Why did theByzantine Empire have such a blending of cultures?

Emperor JustinianThe policies and reforms of Emperor

Justinian and Empress Theodora helped make theByzantine Empire strong.Reading Focus Do you sometimes rewrite reports tomake them easier to understand? Read to learn howJustinian rewrote and reorganized the Byzantine law code.

Justinian ( juh • STIH • nee • uhn) becameemperor of the Byzantine Empire in A.D. 527and ruled until A.D. 565. Justinian was astrong leader. He controlled the military,made laws, and was supreme judge. Hisorder could not be questioned.

The Byzantine Empire A.D. 527–565

Justinian attempted to restore theRoman Empire in the Mediterranean.1. Describe the area of the Byzantine

Empire before Justinian’sconquests.

2. How far west did the empireextend after Justinian’s conquests?

KEY

Byzantine Empire before Justinian, A.D. 527Area added to ByzantineEmpire during Justinian's conquests, A.D. 565

MotionIn

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Justinian’s wife, the empress Theodora(THEE • uh • DOHR • uh), helped him run theempire. Theodora, a former actress, wasintelligent and strong-willed, and shehelped Justinian choose government offi-cials. Theodora also convinced him to givewomen more rights. For the first time, aByzantine wife could own land. If shebecame a widow, she now had the incometo take care of her children.

In A.D. 532 Theodora helped saveJustinian’s throne. Angry taxpayers threat-ened to overthrow Justinian and stormedthe palace. Justinian’s advisers urged him to leave Constantinople. Theodora,

however, told him to stay and fight.Justinian took Theodora’s advice. He stayedin the city and crushed the uprising. Bydoing this, Justinian not only restored orderbut also strengthened his power to rule.

Justinian’s Conquests Justinian wanted toreunite the Roman Empire and bring backRome’s glory. To do this, he had to conquer

Western Europe and northern Africa.He ordered a general namedBelisarius (BEH • luh • SAR • ee • uhs) tostrengthen and lead the Byzantinearmy.

When Belisarius took command,he reorganized the Byzantine army.Instead of foot soldiers, the Byzantinearmy came to rely on cavalry—sol-diers mounted on horses. Byzantinecavalry wore armor and carried bowsand lances, which were long spears.

During Justinian’s reign, theByzantine military conquered most

of Italy, northern Africa, and Persia in theeast. However, Justinian conquered toomuch too quickly. After he died, theempire did not have the money to main-tain an army large enough to hold the ter-ritory in the west.

Justinian’s Law Code Justinian decidedthat the empire’s laws were disorganizedand too difficult to understand. Heordered a group of legal scholars headedby Tribonian (truh •BOH •nee •uhn) to reformthe law code.

The group’s new simplified codebecame known as the Justinian Code.Officials, businesspeople, and individualscould now more easily understand theempire’s laws. Over the years, the JustinianCode has had a great influence on the lawsof almost every country in Europe.

Explain What did Justinianaccomplish during his reign?


Theodora Refusesto Flee

Justinian’s court historian recordedTheodora’s opinion about whether to escape or fight during the A.D. 532 revolt.“My opinion then is that the present time . . . isinopportune [not a good time] for flight, eventhough it brings safety. . . . For one who has been an emperor, it isunendurable to be afugitive. . . . May I notlive that day onwhich those whomeet me shall notaddress me asempress. If, now, it isyour wish to saveyourself, O Emperor,there is no difficulty.”

—Procopius, ”The NikaRiot”

Why did the empress not wish to escape?

Theodora

Scala/Art Resource, NY

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EMPRESS THEODORAc A.D. 500–548

Theodora began life in the lower class of

Byzantine society but rose to the rank of

empress. The historian Procopius recorded the

events of her early life. According to

Procopius, Theodora’s father worked as a bear

keeper at the Hippodrome. After his death,

Theodora followed her mother’s advice and

became an actress. A career in acting was not

as glamorous then as it is now. It was a job of

the lower class, like wool spinning, which

was Theodora’s other job.

Even though Theodora was of the lower

class, she began dating Justinian. Justinian

was attracted to Theodora’s beauty and

intelligence. Because Justinian wanted to

marry Theodora, his uncle, the emperor,

changed the law that prevented upper-class

nobles from marrying actresses. The two

were married in A.D. 525.

Justinian considered Theodora his

intellectual equal. In his writings, Justinian

said he asked for Theodora’s advice on laws

and policies. At Theodora’s urging, he granted

more rights to women. Some historians believe

Theodora had great power within the royal court,

perhaps more than Justinian. For example, nearly

all the laws passed during Theodora’s reign as

empress mention her name. Theodora and

Justinian had no children together. When

Theodora died from cancer in A.D. 548,

Justinian was overcome with grief. He

had her portrait incorporated into many

works of art, including numerous

Byzantine mosaics.

331

Empress Theodora advises Emperor Justinian.

“She was extremely clever and had a biting wit.”—Procopius, The Secret History

Name a modern-day female political leader

that you think has great influence in making

and changing laws. Explain your choice.

Andre Durenceau/National Geographic Society Image Collection

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Byzantine CivilizationThe Byzantines developed a rich cul-

ture based on Roman, Greek, and Christian ideas. Reading Focus Do you think a multicultural popula-tion adds to a country’s interest and success? Read tolearn how the diverse groups of the Byzantine Empirecontributed to its culture.

The Byzantine Empire lasted approxi-mately 1,000 years. For much of that time,Constantinople was the largest and richestcity in Europe. The Byzantines were highlyeducated and creative. They preserved andpassed on Greek culture and Roman law toother peoples. They gave the world newmethods in the arts. As you will learn, theyalso spread Christianity to people inEastern Europe.

The Importance of Trade From the A.D. 500sto the A.D. 1100s, the Byzantine Empire wasthe center of trade between Europe andAsia. Trade goods from present-day Russiain the north, Mediterranean lands in thesouth, Latin Europe in the west, and Persiaand China in the east passed through theempire. From Asia, ships and caravansbrought luxury goods—spices, gems, met-als, and cloth—to Constantinople. For theseitems, Byzantine merchants traded farmgoods as well as furs, honey, and enslavedpeople from northern Europe.

This enormous trade made theByzantine Empire very rich. However, mostByzantines were not merchants. Insteadthey were farmers, herders, laborers, andartisans. One of the major Byzantine indus-tries was weaving silk. It developed around

332

The style of the Hagia Sophia, shown here, and otherByzantine churches influenced the architecture ofchurches throughout Russia and Eastern Europe.What does the name “Hagia Sophia” mean?

Sculpture showing chariotracing at the Hippodrome

Byzantine jewelry

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327-334 Ch9 S3-824133 3/21/04 10:42 AM Page 332

A.D. 550. At that time, Byzantine travel-ers smuggled silkworm eggs out ofChina. Brought to Constantinople, thesilkworms fed on mulberry leaves andproduced silk threads. Weavers thenused the threads to make the silk cloththat brought wealth to the empire.

Byzantine Art and ArchitectureJustinian and other Byzantine emperorssupported artists and architects. Theyordered the building of churches, forts,and public buildings throughout theempire. Constantinople was known forits hundreds of churches and palaces.One of Justinian’s greatest achievementswas building the huge church calledHagia Sophia (HAH• jee•uh soh•FEE•uh),or “Holy Wisdom.” It was completed inA.D. 537 and became the religious centerof the Byzantine Empire. It still standstoday in Istanbul.

Inside Hagia Sophia, worshiperscould see walls of beautiful marble andmosaics. Mosaics (moh • ZAY • ihks) arepictures made from many bits of coloredglass or stone. They were an importanttype of art in the Byzantine Empire.Mosaics mainly showed figures ofsaints (SAYNTS), or Christian holy people.

Byzantine Women The family was thecenter of social life for most Byzantines.Religion and the government stressed theimportance of marriage and family life.Divorces were rare and difficult to get.

Byzantine women were not encour-aged to lead independent lives. Theywere expected to stay home and take careof their families. However, women didgain some important rights, thanks toEmpress Theodora. Like Theodora her-self, some Byzantine women became welleducated and involved in politics. Several

Byzantine Mosaics Imagine taking bitsof glass and turning them into beautifulmasterpieces. Byzantine artists did justthat starting around A.D. 330. Romanmosaics were made of natural-coloredmarble pieces and decorated villas andbuildings. Byzantine mosaics weredifferent. They were made of richlycolored, irregular pieces of glass anddecorated the ceilings, domes, andfloors of Byzantine churches.

Byzantine mosaics were created tohonor religious or political leaders. Thecenters of domes—because they werethe highest points of the churches—

were commonly reserved for images of Jesus.

Mosaics wereexpensive. They wereordered and paid for by

emperors, state officials,or church leaders. Manymosaics are still intactand can be seen todayinside churches,monasteries, andmuseums.

Connecting to the Past1. Why do you think the name of the

person who paid for the mosaic—rather than the name of the personwho made the mosaic—was oftenrecorded in the inscription?

2. What types of art do present-dayartists make with glass?

Mosaic from theByzantine Empire

The

Art

Arc

hive

/Hag

hia

Sop

hia

Ista

nbul

/Dag

li O

rti

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Reading SummaryReview the • With its capital at

Constantinople and strong Greekinfluences, the Byzantine Empiregrew powerful and wealthy.

• The Byzantine emperor, Justinian,reconquered much of the landthat had been held by the oldRoman Empire in the Mediter-ranean. It also issued a new lawcode known as the JustinianCode.

• As the Byzantine Empire grewwealthy from trade, art, architec-ture, and education flourished.

1. What is a mosaic, and wherewere mosaics found in theByzantine Empire?

2. How did silk weaving developin the Byzantine Empire?

Critical Thinking 3. Organizing Information

Draw a diagram like the onebelow. Fill in details aboutConstantinople’s location.

4. Describe What were some ofthe trade items that wereexchanged between merchantsin Constantinople?

5. Explain Why were divorcesdifficult to get in the ByzantineEmpire?

6. Analyze What importantservice did Byzantine writersprovide to the rest of theworld? Explain its significance.

7. Persuasive Writing Whichcivilization do you think wasthe most advanced—that ofthe Greeks, the Romans, or theByzantines? Write a speechexplaining your answer.

Location ofConstantinople

What Did You Learn?



royal women served as regents. A regent(REE• juhnt) is a person who stands in for aruler who is too young or too ill to govern. Afew ruled the empire in their own right.

Byzantine Education Learning washighly respected in Byzantine culture. Thegovernment supported the training ofscholars and government officials. InByzantine schools, boys studied religion,medicine, law, arithmetic, grammar, andother subjects. Wealthy Byzantines some-times hired tutors to teach their children.Girls usually did not attend schools andwere taught at home.

Most Byzantine authors wrote aboutreligion. They stressed the need to obeyGod and save one’s soul. To strengthenfaith, they wrote about the lives of saints.Byzantine writers gave an important gift tothe world. They copied and passed on the

writings of the ancient Greeks and Romans.Without Byzantine copies, many importantworks from the ancient world would havedisappeared forever.

Identify What church isone of Justinian’s greatest achievements?

This Byzantine religious text is beautifullyillustrated. What did Byzantine boysstudy at school?

Ancient Art & Architecture Collection

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The Byzantine Empire

The Fall of Rome

Life in Ancient Rome

Section

Section

Section

Vocabularyvault satire ode anatomy Forum gladiator paterfamilias rhetoric

Vocabularyplague inflation barter reform

Vocabularymosaic saint regent

Focusing on the • In addition to their own developments in science and engineering, Roman

artists and writers borrowed many ideas from the Greeks. (page 303)

• The rich and poor had very different lives in the Roman Empire,as did men and women. (page 306)

Focusing on the • Poor leadership, a declining economy,

and attacks by Germanic tribes weakened the Roman Empire. (page 318)

• Rome finally fell when invaders swept through the empire during the A.D. 400s. (page 322)

• Rome passed on many achievements in government, law, language,and the arts. (page 325)

Focusing on the • The Eastern Roman Empire grew rich and powerful as the Western Roman

Empire fell. (page 328)

• The policies and reforms of Emperor Justinian and Empress Theodorahelped make the Byzantine Empire strong. (page 329)

• The Byzantines developed a rich culture based on Roman, Greek, andChristian ideas. (page 332)

A Roman family atthe dinner table


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335-337 CH9 CRA-875047 9/16/06 2:31 PM Page 335

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Responding and Reflecting Your Point of View17. Read the following information from page 330. Write at least five things you might reflect

on as you read this information.

In A.D. 532 Theodora helped save Justinian’s throne. Angrytaxpayers threatened to overthrow Justinian and stormed thepalace. Justinian’s advisers urged him to leave Constantinople.Theodora, however, told him to stay and fight. Justinian tookTheodora’s advice. He stayed in the city and crushed theuprising.

To review this skill, see pages 300–301.

Review Main IdeasSection 1 • Life in Ancient Rome

9. What did the Romans borrow from theGreeks? What did they develop on theirown?

10. What were the lives of the rich and poorlike in Rome?

Section 2 • The Fall of Rome11. What weakened the Roman Empire? 12. What caused the fall of Rome in the

A.D. 400s?Section 3 • The Byzantine Empire13. What policies and reforms helped make

the Byzantine Empire strong?14. What different groups of people

contributed to the Byzantine culture?

Critical Thinking15. Cause and Effect Why did Alaric’s cap-

ture of Rome shock the Roman people?16. Predict What do you think would have

happened if Theodosius had not dividedthe Roman Empire?

Review VocabularyMatch the definitions in the second column tothe terms in the first column.___ 1. plague a. pictures made of

many bits of coloredglass or stone

___ 2. anatomy b. rapidly increasingprices

___ 3. inflation c. father of a family___ 4. gladiator d. emotional poem

about life’s ups and downs

___ 5. regent e. study of the body’sstructure

___ 6. mosaic f. a disease that spreadswidely

___ 7. paterfamilias g. a person who standsin for a ruler whocannot govern

___ 8. ode h. a warrior who foughtanimals and people in public arenas

336 CHAPTER 9 Roman Civiliziation

335-337 CH9 CRA-875047 9/16/06 2:29 PM Page 336

N

S

W E

Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection500 km0

500 mi.0

40°N

30°N

20°N

0° 10°E 20°EATLANTIC

OCEAN

Danube R.

Mediterranean Sea

ITALYSPAIN

Crete

Sicily

Sardinia

Corsica

ConstantinopleRome

Carthage

AnalyzeThe Roman Empire did have some lawsto prevent the extreme abuse of slaves.

“At the present time neither Roman citi-zens nor any other persons who are underthe rule of the Roman people are permit-ted to treat their slaves with excessive andbaseless [reasonless] cruelty. . . . A man whokills his own slave without cause is orderedto be held just as liable as one who killsanother’s slave.”

—Gaius, “Legislation Against the Abuse of Slaves”

25. How does this law pertain to peoplepassing through the empire?

26. How does this statement leave aloophole in the regulation of abuseagainst slaves?

Geography SkillsStudy the map below and answer the follow-ing questions.18. Place Which areas were conquered by

Justinian’s military? 19. Human/Environment Interaction Why

do you think Justinian decided to conquerlands to the west of his empire?

20. Movement What made it difficult for theByzantine Empire to hold on to Justinian’sconquests?

Read to Write21. Descriptive Writing Suppose you are a

newspaper reporter living in the time ofthe Roman Empire. Write a front-page arti-cle about the slave revolt in 73 B.C., thecontent of Theodosius’s will, or theremoval of Romulus Augustulus.Remember to include a headline.

22. Using Your Use the informationyou wrote in your foldable to create a briefstudy guide for the chapter. For each sec-tion, your study guide should include atleast five questions that focus on the mainideas.

Linking Past and Present23. Analyzing In the chapter, you learned that

the culture of the Byzantine Empire wasgreatly influenced by the Romans andGreeks, as well as the Egyptian, Slavic, andPersian cultures. Think about the culture ofthe United States, in which many cultureshave blended. Work with a classmate toidentify aspects of the U.S. culture thatwere originally part of other cultures.

Building Citizenship Skills24. Analyzing Growing political and social

problems helped set the stage for Rome’sfinal fall. Traditional Roman ideas of duty,courage, and honesty lost their importance.Why do you think duty, courage, and hon-esty are important in keeping a society andpolitical system strong?

Self-Check Quiz To help you prepare forthe Chapter Test, visit jat.glencoe.com

Byzantine Empire

CHAPTER 9 Roman Civiliziation 337

KEYByzantine Empire before Justinian, A.D. 527Byzantine Empire after Justinian's conquests, A.D. 565

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