Ancient Rome

Hey everyone! This is Aberdeen0 with an essay that I wrote on Ancient Rome (for school). Hope you find it somewhat interesting....


Introduction

Ancient Rome was one of the greatest empires in the history of the world. Their diverse customs and beliefs played a large part in the development of western civilizations. Justice, tolerance, and a desire for peace were basic principles that held this empire together. Many generations to follow were influenced by these same principles. Numerous factors shaped the ancient Roman culture. These include role portrayal, education and religion.


Roles of Men, Women and Children

In each Roman family, the head of the household was always the "paterfamilias", or father. He had total power over the entire family and could sell his children as slaves or have them killed if he wished. Although Roman women had no legal rights, they were highly respected. The women managed household affairs and were free to go where they pleased and to attend public events. Ancient Roman children enjoyed playing with toys similar to some modern day toys. Unfortunately, the poor children of Rome were sent to work in the fields as farmers, which was an occupation shared by 90% of the population. In wealthy Roman families, children were married at a young age. Boys were married between the ages of 15 and 18 years and girls were married at the ages of 13 or 14 years. Their marriages were almost always arranged for the economic or political benefits that would be brought to the family.


Education

Ancient Rome had no public schools; therefore children received education at home under the supervision of their parents. Slaves, who often had more education than their masters, taught the children reading, writing and math. Fathers taught their sons how to be good farmers and soldiers, while mothers taught their daughters the finer points of running a household. From the ages of 6 to 11, boys and some girls from wealthy families attended private school or continued to study at home. After the age of 14, children studied Latin and Greek grammar and literature, music and astronomy. Higher education in ancient Rome was the study of "rhetoric," which is the art of public speaking and persuasion. Very few women studied rhetoric because women were forbidden to enter politics.


Religion

The people of ancient Rome were polytheistic. They believed that their gods had the power over everything in their daily lives. For example, Ceres was the goddess of the harvest while the god, Janus, stood watch of the door. As Roman power expanded, so did the Greek influence on their religion. The Romans adopted many of the Greek gods as their own, as well as many of the Greek myths. "Augurs" were also an important part of the Roman culture. They were men who made predictions about the future. At the many festivals the Romans held, religious ceremonies were always preformed.


Were They Sophisticated?

Millions of people still speak Latin, the Roman tongue, and many English words are directly related to Latin words. The ancient Romans provided the basis of law for many European and Latin -American countries. Their roads and bridges were built so well that many are still in use today. Throughout North and South America and Europe, you can find buildings, which use Roman architecture as a foundation. Ancient Romans believed in higher powers and practiced religious ceremonies. They educated their children and had occupations somewhat similar to ours. I believe the Romans were very advanced for their time period, and therefore were a sophisticated civilization.